A car that doesn't fit in the typical category buckets rarely comes along, but the new Toyota Crown is tough to classify. On paper, the Crown is a full-size sedan, which makes sense as it replaced the full-sized Avalon when it came to market in 2023. But with large wheels, a high beltline, all-wheel drive (AWD), and a bold presence, the Crown looks like a cross between a sedan and an SUV.
Photo: Perry Stern
As a relatively new model in the Toyota lineup, the Crown receives only minor updates for the 2025 model year. Most noticeable is the addition of a new Nightshade Edition, which gets dark badging, black exterior trim, and matte black, 21-inch, 10-spoke wheels.
Toyota offers the 2025 Crown in four trim levels: XLE, Limited, Nightshade, and Platinum. Prices range from around $42,500 to around $56,000, and all variants come standard with AWD.
In the sections that follow, our independent expert analyzes a 2025 Toyota Crown Platinum equipped with the following options:
The test vehicle's price was $57,758, including the $1,095 destination charge to ship the sedan from the assembly plant in Aichi, Japan, to your local dealership.
Photo: Perry Stern
The Crown’s exterior proportions are a little misleading; it doesn't look that large until you get up next to it. Taller than your typical midsize sedan, the Crown has large doors that make climbing into the front seat easy. The cabin is roomy up front with a clean design and expansive dashboard that adds to the spacious feel.
A large 12.3-inch touchscreen display sits front and center, nicely matched with the 12.3-inch digital driver's display. Most physical controls are absent, except for a volume control knob and separate controls for climate functions. The bronze trim around the vents, steering wheel center, gear selector, and framing of the lower dashboard adds a premium touch to the cabin.
There's good storage space up front with large bottle holders in the doors and a sizable cubby below the center armrest. Dual cupholders in the center console have a divider for added storage of smaller items, and dual USB-C ports are conveniently located at the front. A handy wireless phone charger is a slot that holds the phone securely. However, I could see this space accumulating dirt, which could be difficult to clean.
The big front seats are stylish and comfortable, with excellent padding and good bolsters. Leather trim is standard, with multiple power adjustments as well as heating and ventilation.
The rear doors open wide for easy access to the back seat. There's good legroom in the rear, but the headroom is somewhat limited due to the Crown's sloping roof. I am 5 feet 8 inches tall and had just a bit of space above, but when I moved to the middle seat, my head hit the ceiling. However, the seats are comfortable, and the heated outboard seats are standard in all versions of the Crown.
I would have expected a bigger trunk for such a large car, but the opening is wide for easy access, and with just over 15 cubic feet of space, there's still good room for multiple pieces of luggage. The rear seats fold to provide space for larger items. However, the opening between the trunk and the rear seat is somewhat small, limiting its versatility.
Photo: Perry Stern
Toyota's Audio Multimedia infotainment system comes standard on all 2025 Crown trims, displayed on a clear, 12.3-inch touchscreen. Features of the system include:
When I first ventured out in the Crown, I connected my Samsung Galaxy S23+ via Bluetooth and accepted the option to launch Android Auto. The process was simple, and from that point, Android Auto launched automatically for every trip.
Unlike many other brands, the Toyota infotainment system doesn't have a typical Home page that simultaneously provides a glimpse at several features. Instead, the navigation is the go-to Home page, with shortcuts on the left of the screen for quick access to media, communications, and vehicle settings. There's also a quick link to Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. However, the shortcut menu disappears when using the phone integration.
Interacting with the infotainment system occurs via the touchscreen or Toyota's Intelligent Voice system, the latter providing an intuitive conversational method of accomplishing tasks.
While I tend not to use voice interfaces on vehicles, the Toyota system is quite good, and I found it quicker and easier than using the touchscreen for many everyday tasks. The system allows direct requests like saying, "Set the temperature to 70 degrees." However, telling the system I was cold increased the cabin temperature by five degrees.
You can set destinations, make phone calls, send text messages, and make audio selections via voice control while keeping your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Photo: Perry Stern
The Toyota Crown Platinum comes standard with the company's Max Hybrid powertrain. This system uses a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors, delivering 340 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. One electric motor is integrated with the six-speed automatic transmission, and the other powers the rear wheels for AWD.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Crown Max Hybrid at 30 mpg combined, with an expected range of 435 miles (2024 figures). While the Max Hybrid delivers considerably more power than the standard Crown hybrid, its fuel economy takes a hit. The standard Crown hybrid gets 41 mpg combined with a range of almost 600 miles. Driving my usual route in the Crown Max Hybrid, the trip computer showed 27.4 mpg—pretty good for a powerful AWD sedan, but still below the EPA rating.
As I set out for the first time in the Crown Max Hybrid, the high torque was immediately evident as the big sedan accelerated surprisingly quickly. Power comes on strong and smooth. According to Toyota, the Crown will go from zero-to-60 mph in 5.7 seconds, and I see no reason to dispute this.
Getting up to highway speed on I-94 outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan, is no problem for the Crown, and it cruises along smoothly and quietly. There's virtually no wind or road noise permeating the cabin, allowing me to enjoy tunes on the excellent JBL premium audio system.
The Crown is not a light vehicle. At 4,343 pounds, this Toyota sedan weighs almost as much as a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. While this heft gives the Crown a solid ride, the car's mass was a noticeable detriment when driving on my favorite back roads north of Dexter, Michigan. Going into corners at a reasonable speed resulted in tires squealing and the big car understeering as the front wheels lost grip. Overall, the steering is decent, and the brakes are strong, but the Crown is much happier cruising on the freeway.
Photo: Perry Stern
The 2025 Toyota Crown comes standard with the latest version of Toyota Safety Sense (TSS)—TSS 3.0. Features that are part of the TSS 3.0 suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) include:
Toyota's latest ADAS package is seamless and effective, as I discovered when testing it on I-94 outside Ann Arbor, Michigan. Activating the adaptive cruise control via buttons on the steering wheel, I set the vehicle speed to 70 mph, reflected on the driver display.
With lane-centering operating, the Crown automatically provided the steering inputs necessary to keep the car in its lane, even steering around curves. When approaching a slower vehicle, the system smoothly matched the speed of the vehicle ahead until I moved to the left lane, at which time the car resumed cruising at 70 mph.
The system works so well with almost no input from the driver that it begins to feel like a hands-free system, but it is not. Make no mistake: this feature requires steering input from the driver to continue to operate.
Taking things to the next level, Toyota offers a genuinely hands-free driving system in the Crown. Operating only on limited-access roadways, traffic-jam assist activates at speeds under 25 mph while adaptive cruise control and lane-centering operate. A driver-facing camera ensures that the operator is paying attention to the road. Once the speed exceeds 25 mph, the system requires the driver to retake the wheel.
Photo: Perry Stern
Viewed from the side, the Crown looks like it should be a hatchback, but as a sedan, it has a standard trunk. Cargo space behind the rear seats is 15.2 cubic feet—plenty of room for a few suitcases or a weekly grocery run. Still, its cargo hold is slightly smaller than that of other midsize sedans like the Hyundai Sonata or Nissan Altima. The Crown’s rear seats fold in a 60/40 configuration for added versatility.
As of this writing, the EPA has not released fuel-economy estimates for the 2025 Toyota Crown. However, with no change in powertrain, the figures should be similar to the 2024 ratings. According to the EPA, the 2024 Crown Hybrid Max gets 30 mpg combined, with an expected range of 435 miles. Results were slightly lower during my drive in the Crown. According to the trip computer, I achieved 27.4 mpg.
At publication time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) did not list safety ratings for the 2025 Toyota Crown. However, the structurally identical 2024 Crown achieved an overall score of five stars—the highest possible. In crashworthiness tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2024 Toyota Crown earned a Top Safety Pick rating for the 2024 calendar year with Good scores in all crash tests.
The base 2025 Toyota Crown XLE starts at $41,440, with the mid-level Limited coming in at $45,950. Based on the Limited trim, the new Nightshade Edition starts at $48,765, while the top-level Platinum has a base price of $54,990. These prices do not include the $1,095 destination charge.
While the full-size car market has dried up in the United States, competitors to the Crown include the larger vehicles in the midsize car segment, including the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, and Volkswagen Arteon. As this is written, there’s also a plentiful supply of the discontinued Dodge Charger—a true large car. You can also find some new Nissan Maxima large sedans that remain on dealer lots. Acknowledging the Crown’s styling and ride height, some buyers are also likely to cross-shop midsize crossovers.
Photo: Perry Stern
The Toyota Crown is an unusual take on the midsize sedan. It has the typical four doors and a trunk, but its high beltline, bold looks, and large wheels are styling cues typically associated with a crossover SUV.
It may look unusual, but the Crown has much going for it. With the powerful and relatively fuel-efficient Hybrid Max powertrain, AWD, and the latest ADAS, the Crown is worthy of its place at the top of Toyota's sedan lineup. While the rear seat may be a bit tight for taller passengers, overall, the cabin is comfortable and roomy, and the intuitive infotainment system with excellent voice interface makes the Crown a great choice as a family sedan.
Perry Stern has worked in the automotive industry for over 30 years and has always been a car enthusiast. Driving almost every new car on the market, Perry has written for multiple publications in addition to his work for jdpower.com. Recently relocated to southeast Michigan, Perry is still crazy about cars, especially his 2006 Mazda MX-5 Miata.
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