2024 Toyota Crown Platinum Review: Traditional Sedan, Unusual Package

Not everyone is familiar with the Toyota Crown. Hitting our roads last year, Toyota’s latest sedan is very unique and hard to classify. Upon viewing it, many are left wondering if the vehicle is a car or a SUV. Rest assured, the Crown is a car, just in a very unusual package.

Over the past year we’ve driven a few examples of the Toyota Crown sedan. Although we did briefly sample one with the larger powertrain, most reviews and comparisons have been cars with the regular hybrid set-up. Those interested in more details on that car, can click here and read all about it.

This review is our first, in-depth test of the Toyota Crown Platinum.

The Crown is an indirect replacement for the Avalon, Toyota’s previous full-size sedan offering. The Crown has taken a 180 degree turn from the Avalon’s sedate styling though, landing the new car on the wild side. Sure, it does feature styling languages found in the equally new Prius and just revealed Camry, but the shape of the Crown sets this big hulk apart.

In both Canada and the United States, the top tier of the Crown sedan family is the Platinum trim. It features massive 21-inch 10-spoke wheels look a bit awkward on the car from the side. One observer likened it to a hot wheels concept car. While on the topic of its side profile, the car looks so much like a fastback with the highly raked rear window and incredibly short trunk deck. But it is indeed a sedan, with a proper trunk, that makes up for the short length on top by opening all the way down to the bumper. This provides generous access to the 15.2 cubic feet (360 L) cargo hold.

Other highlights of the exterior include the Platinum’s LED quad-projector headlights, and optional two-tone paint, which is grey and black in this case.

When comparing the Platinum to the car’s other trim levels, most of the major differences lay under the skin. For example, this top trim level still uses a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired to a set of electric motors. The key difference is the engine is turbocharged and each electric motor produces more power.

The turbo engine on its own develops 264 horsepower and 332 pound feet of torque. The electric motor up front pumps out 81 hp and 215 lb-ft of torque, while the rear motor generates 79 hp and 124 lb-ft of torque rear. When used in conjunction, total system horsepower peaks at 340 hp while torque maxes out at 400 lb-ft.

More than just some impressive numbers, the Max Hybrid drivetrain transforms the Crown’s entire persona. For our older readers, it’s a similar experience to how the GTP treatment made a Pontiac Grand Prix feel more special. Or, for a more modern comparison, it’s like how the Hemi livens up the Dodge Charger in R/T trim.

The Crown goes from a spacious, comfortably sensible sedan into one with a surprising sporty edge. Power off the line is smooth, plentiful, and seamless. The electric motors provide the initial grunt then the turbocharged engine takes over once boost builds. Even at freeway speeds, the car can still build power at an aggressive rate.

The Platinum also ditches the continuously variable automatic transmission for a more conventional six-speed automatic. With more power and more weight, efficiency takes a hit, putting the Crown Platinum’s official fuel economy figures at 29 mpg (8.1 L/100 km) city and 32 mpg (7.3 L/100 km) highway.

The Platinum also gets more sporty drive modes, bringing the total assortment to include Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport S, Sport S+ and Custom. Even in Sport+ mode though, it’s best to leave the transmission in fully automatic mode. Despite the inclusion of paddle shifters, the Crown follows the Toyota tradition of unresponsive manual-mode automatics. No extra Joy is had by using the paddles to control shifts, plus, the transmission does a great job finding the right gear at the right time. Another positive, it never hangs gears at high rpms like some competitors are guilty of.

Although the Crown Platinum uses the same brakes as the smaller engine models, it does add an adaptive variable suspension. Toggle the switch into Sport + mode and suspension, as well as the steering, firm up. Even with the ludicrously large 21-inch wheels wearing 225/45R21 winter tires, there was more grip and response than we expected from this 4,343-pound (1,970 kg) sedan.

The Crown, even in Platinum trim, is by no means a sport sedan. But, taking a long sweeping corner at speed, the car tucks in the nose and rotates through the bend predictably. This further adds to the feel that the Platinum is more than just a pedestrian large people mover.

Back in Eco or Normal mode, and the car does all the big sedan things it should do quite admirably. It absorbs bumps, tracks straight on the highway, and eats up mile after mile of interstate in quiet comfort. As well, every Crown comes standard with electronic all-wheel drive, for those messier drives.

As unique as the exterior is, the interior feels like a contemporary sedan. Headroom for front passengers is listed at 38.2-inches, while those in the rear get a bit less cranium capacity with 37.5-inches. Legroom is a similar story, with front passengers receiving 42.1-inches, and those in the back getting 38.9-inches.

In other words, it means four adults can travel in the 2024 Toyota Crown Platinum in pleasant comfort. Leather adorns all the seating surfaces, and those up front get 8-way power, heated, and ventilated seats. Those in the outboard rear seats also get heat functionality.

Up front, the seats are comfortable for longer drives. The dashboard is adorned with lots of buttons, and some sections do look quite dated. But I’m dated too, and I really appreciate the amount of large, physical buttons.

Most features a car priced around the $55,000 mark should have are present. There are door handle puddle lights, rain sensing wipers, a panoramic sunroof, an 11 speaker JBL audio system, a wireless phone charger, digital key compatibility, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a heated steering wheel, four USB-c chargers, and one USB-A port.

In front of the driver is a 12.3-inch information screen. It can be customized in many ways to suit the driver’s taste. We like that three custom configurations can be stored. So, if a car is shared between multiple drivers that do not like it set up the same way, it’s quick and easy to change.

A secondary 12.3-inch screen for the infotainment system is housed next to the driver information center. We continue to be split on our feelings around Toyota’s newest infotainment software. I’m the one who usual has the complaints, but I’m starting to learn the system and it’s growing on me. It’s still not my favorite unit, especially when flipping between radio stations. But, if one pre-sets all their favorite channels, life with the system gets much better.

Toyota packs a lot of safety equipment in the brand’s cars. Included in the Crown Platinum is Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes features a like pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, lane Tracing assist, and more. Other stand-alone items on the Platinum are lane change assist, front cross-traffic alert, traffic jam assist, collision warning, proximity sensors, rear park assist, and advanced park.

In the United States, pricing for the 2024 Toyota Crown starts at $41,445 (all prices include destination), with our test unit coming in at $55,440. For Canadian consumers, pricing for the 2024 Toyota Crown begins at $53,850, with our tester ringing in at $64,400.

In a dwindling segment like the large sedan market, taking a gamble on something as unique as the Crown sedan is a bold, yet a welcome one. Consumers clearly have expressed less interested in what was the status quo, so why not try something that at least looks completely different?

Regardless of viewpoint on the exterior styling, at its core, the 2024 Toyota Crown is still a wholly capable large sedan. In fact, from behind the wheel, it’s easy to forget how funky the sheet metal is. What isn’t forgotten though, is the way the Platinum trim makes the entire vehicle feel more complete.

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