Queer 4 Cars Celebrates the Automotive Lifestyle.

For 2023 Toyota has redesigned its top-of-the-line sedan and renamed it the Crown. While the name is not new at all, this is basically not your Grandfather’s Avalon. Toyota sent us this 2023 Toyota Crown Platinum. This is a $54,420 full-size four-door sedan, something that well is needed in this world of SUVs and Crossovers, especially for those folks wanting an executive-looking car.

The Crown starts at a very reasonable $39,950 for the XLE Model, and that comes with a host of standard features, most importantly the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which is standard on all Crowns, if not all new Toyotas.  You can move up to Limited and then Platinum, which is what we are showing you in this review video.

All Crown models come in All-wheel drive and have a direct shift 6-speed automatic transmission. The Platinum has the 2.4L Turbo 4-cylinder paired up with 2-electric motors, including a much more powerful eAxle at the rear. The total output is 340 HP, about 104 hp than the XLE and Limited trims. Fuel economy does drop significantly from 41 MPG combined to a still respectable 30 MPG in this model. We experienced 29+ mpg in our real-world driving.

While the XLE and Limited models are powered by 2.5-Liter Dynamic Force 4-Cylinder DOHC 16-Valve D-4S Dual-Injection with VVT-iE and VVT-i; 184 hp @ 6000 rpm; 163 lb.-ft. @ 5200 rpm; Combined Net Horsepower 236 hp. The Platinum has the Hybrid MAX 2.4-Liter inline 4-Cylinder turbocharged Hybrid DOHC 16-Valve D-4S Dual Injection with Dual VVT-i; 264 hp @ 6000 rpm; 332 lb.-ft. @ 2000-3000 rpm; Combined Net Horsepower 340 hp.

The Toyota Crown is not a new name or model. First produced as Toyota’s mid-size luxury car in Japan in 1955. holds the distinction of being the longest-running passenger-car nameplate affixed to any Toyota model, along with being the first Toyota vehicle to be exported to the United States in 1958. Replaced by the Toyota Cressida and then the Toyota Avalon, a model first built in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA plant specifically for the American market. It was the Avalon that became a hit with US drivers as American car companies started to pull back on their luxury full-size sedans.

While I am not a fan of the Bronze Age two-tone paint scheme on this specific car, I can tell you from seeing it at the Washington DC Auto Show and elsewhere in other color combinations it is very good-looking. Crown looks best in a single paint finish, so save $925 by not selecting the optional two-tone and premium paint options.

What you get in the 2023 Crown in Platinum Trim.

The key thing is the Toyota Saftey Sense 3.0 with its collision systemen with pedestrian detection and proactive driving assistance. That includes full speed range dynamic radar cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracking assistant, automatic high beams, and road sign assist. If for no other reason this is worth the price of buying a new vehicle. The older demographic of the buyer of this vehicle will find this is must-have technology, now more than ever, in today’s world with the crazy drivers that are out on the road.

We found that the Quad LED headlamps and LED, and daytime running lamps to be quite useful. The twenty-one-inch ten-spoke machined alloy wheels with the 225/45 R 21 Michelin tires helped make this road car feel very secure on the road. I would have liked a sliding sun roof, though the Crown only as a panoramic fixed glass roof – not an operable sun/moon roof on this vehicle, just an interior sun shade. And that sunshade was only useable front to back, not back to front as well. So if rear seat passengers want the view to the sky, the front seat passengers must also partake.

In the trunk I was surprised to find a 19-inch doughnut spare tire residing under the trunk floor along with the requisite tools. Many of today’s cars come with a fix-a-flat air pump. This will please the buyer demographic that has been buying the Avalon and will not choose the Crown.

Ride and Handling

This Crown rides like a cloud with its adaptive variable suspension soaking up the bumps and road imperfections, unlike many other sedans in its class. – So, if you want a car with a smooth ride, this $54K Crown has it. Which is quite rare in today’s mid-priced sedans.

Interior

While the Interior fit and finish is excellent, after all, it’s a Toyota, so it has to be very well-designed and executed. I did find it to be somewhat cheap in feel with all the hard plastic. Our tester had an all-black interior, so you did not notice those finishes immediately. On the other hand, the interior is very comfortable, especially for the backside of American male, which is good as this is a long-distance road car, and you will want comfort for those road trips.

The interior is slightly larger than the current Camry but uses a much clearer 12.3” center display and a huge panoramic fixed glass roof.

While the trunk is spacious and deep, it is not cavernous, nor does it have a really large opening. It will take suitcases and golf clubs, but not large boxes or bricks of paper products that you might buy at the big box warehouse stores. The two rear seats are a 60/40 split fold down, which will help when carrying longer items.

It did take me all week to figure out where the rear exterior mounted trunk release button was, as it was so small and well hidden, I thought they removed it. Though I was surprised that this is not a automatic opening nor closing trunk. Something that is quite common on most sedans these days, much like thetailgates on their SUV and crossover counterparts.

Pricing

The Crown starts at a very reasonable $39,950 for the XLE Model, which is where the Camry ends for a fully loaded model. Our Platinum trim Crown stickered at $54,420, MSRP, and that was with only two options, the $425 for premium paint and $550 for the two-tone exterior paint combination. The price also included a $1,095 USD delivery, processing, and handling fee, which is separate from any fees the dealer may add on or optional dealer-installed accessories.

Overall Thoughts

At first glance, this paint color was not at all attractive to my design sense. Though from the inside, you really do not notice the brown and black of the exterior. I found the Hybrid MAX engine to be OK but felt it could use more boost when you put the pedal to the floor. The ride was one of the most comfortable I have experienced in any four-door sedan in a long while. Not too much like a big floaty couch, though still quite comfortable all the while it handled well.

Would I buy this vehicle? If I were looking for a full-size executive sedan and put a lot of highway miles on, then yes. It will be a great car for those who spend a lot of time in their car driving lots of miles. The price point is very fair for what you get, and with Toyota’s known dependability, it will be around for a long time and hold its value.

Words and Images by William West Hopper

Mr. Hopper writes about cars, travel and lifestyle topics from Washington DC, USA. His love for cars came as a young man growing up in Pennsylvania, where he tinkered and learn to drive on his family’s farm. Today you will find Mr. Hopper giving tours at the Washington DC Auto Show, as well as speaking about automobiles and the auto industry on various programs. You can find his videos on YouTube under The Real DCCarGuy or Queer4Cars, on Twitter @wwhopper and on Instagram @DCCarGuy.