The Platinum we rented from Toyota for our initial evaluation, ahead of purchasing a 2.5-liter model, featured the available two-tone paint scheme that makes this new model really stand out. And yes, it’s available in just a single color.
The Crown wears 21-inch wheels, the largest Toyota has ever offered on a production car, adding to its unique appearance.
The ground clearance is similar to a Toyota Camry, but the roof is about 4 inches taller. As a result, the seats are slightly elevated over a typical sedan, making access more of a step across to the seat rather than stepping down.
With the market rapidly shifting to SUVs of all sizes and shapes, the Crown adapts to this change in some interesting ways. Plus, it may soon own the large-car space thanks to the vacuum left by the departed Chevrolet Impala and Ford Taurus, and the imminent demise of the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Nissan Maxima.
If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our initial expert assessment of the Toyota Crown is available to you below. Once we purchase our own model and complete 2,000 break-in miles, we’ll put the Crown through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including empirical measurements of acceleration, braking, handling, car-seat fit, and usability. CR members will have access to the full road-test results as soon as they’re available.
If you haven’t signed up to be a member yet, click below and become a member to access this full article and all our exclusive ratings and reviews for each vehicle we buy and test. Joining also gives you full access to exclusive ratings for the other products our experts evaluate in several categories, including electronics and home appliances.
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What we rented: 2023 Toyota Crown Platinum
Powertrain: 340-hp, 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with dual electric motors; six-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive.
MSRP: $52,350
Destination fee: $1,095
Total cost: $53,445
