James Ochoa
In my experience, many luxury consumer goods I have handled, touched, or admired have had some outward display indicating they were expensive.
The most notable example of this kind of phenomenon would involve fashion items.
Labels like Louis Vuitton and Gucci vividly display their respective brand's distinct signature patterns and logos on wallets, belts, and bags costing four figures or more.
When I was in middle and high school, the "cool kids" didn't find you "cool" if you didn't show off the latest limited-edition Nikes, a jockey and horse from Polo Ralph Lauren, or the bright red 'box logo' of cult skateboarding brand Supreme.
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I didn't go to some snobby prep school, but I remember that the "rich kid" a grade below me got tired of the Louis Vuitton Neverfull they used as a book bag for the year. Come September the next school year, they returned with a more expensive Goyard tote personalized with a hand-painted monogram of their initials.
Cars are no different. The societal pressure to "keep up appearances" can influence people to spend more than they can afford on a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi.
Toyota may have its elite Lexus brand, but its most opulent vehicle offers luxury car features without the scorn of a luxury car badge or an excessive price.
This is the Toyota Crown. It is an unusual, comfortable luxury sedan that will rewrite your idea of luxury.
The Toyota Crown Platinum
James Ochoa
A luxurious beginning
First introduced in 1955, the Crown sedan is notable for being the first Japanese car to hit the streets of the United States.
Imported and sold from 1958 to 1972, the Crown didn't fare much success in the United States compared to Toyota's subsequent models, but it was later known as one of Japan's swankiest rides.
For much of its history, the Crown's extensive list of features and upscale styling attracted a discerning buyer class in the land of the rising sun. It became a preferred ride for government officials and business people and has appeared as the chariot of choice for organized crime figures known as the Yakuza in Japanese movies and TV.
The Crown's influence is reflected in the names of the Toyotas we know and love today. Camry is derived from 'kan-muri,' the word for Crown in Japanese, while Corolla means 'small crown' in Latin.
Today, the Crown is the name for Toyota's swankiest North American offering and its most excellent value for money.
Unusual, aggressive styling
The Toyota Crown's design features some very edgy styling, but on the outside, keen observers would notice that, unlike most "sedans," the Crown sits very high for a car of its shape.
Besides giving it a unique look, the Crown's raised suspension offers some quality-of-life improvements you overlook until you get behind the wheel of a different sedan.
First, the increased ride height makes getting in and out of the Crown much more accessible and less painful on your body than in most other sedans, especially those from luxury marques.
In contrast to other low-slung four-doors, the extra inches put you at eye level with all the crossover SUVs Americans tend to drive. It is not as high as a Chevy Tahoe, but seeing the faces of drivers behind the wheel of CR-Vs, Explorers, and other family cars initially felt weird, but it put me at ease the longer I drove.
James Ochoa
Under the hood of this Crown Platinum is a 2.4-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine. Combined with its two electric motors, it generates 340 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, which is transferred to pavement through a standard all-wheel-drive system.
In bumper-to-bumper traffic or at cruising speeds around town, the Crown floats at a gentle pace. It is eerily quiet, which is in large part due to the electric motors.
But the moment you put your foot down, the turbocharged motor and electric motors work together to pin you back into your seat and make you rethink all your biases about hybrids.
Zero to sixty miles per hour takes just 5.7 seconds, and the car can reach a limited top speed of 130 miles per hour. This car is fast, and it feels the part, too.
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Though this car's raised suspension can feel like a tall SUV, it feels sharper around tight corners, especially when switched to Sport + mode.
According to Toyota, the Platinum version of the Crown is equipped with Adaptive Variable Suspension, which adjusts itself on the fly to ensure a smooth ride. In Sport + mode, the trick suspension system works alongside other bits of the car to "[provide] an emphasis on steering response, flat cornering, and a sense of stability."
My only criticism about this car's driving feel is that you feel its weight through its controls.
This car weighs 4,343 pounds, around the same as the Toyota Highlander. The acceleration pedal needs more give to reach a proper cruising speed.
Once you get there, the Crown feels like automotive bliss, the feeling you get when you sink into a La-Z-Boy.
The interior of the Toyota Crown Platinum
James Ochoa
A luxurious interior
Upon instinct, the first thing that comes to mind when people think about Toyotas is that their interiors are nothing more than cloth seats and cheap plastic.
I admit, the Toyota Crown is no match to the wood, aluminum, real metal, and Birkin bag-type leather of a Bentley, but for a car with a Toyota badge in the middle of the steering wheel, it feels more expensive than what it is.
The buttons may be plastic, and the headliner may be cloth, but the seating area is finished in very high-quality leather. Sure, it may feel like the leather from a Coach bag, but it is a considerable step up from the interior of a base-level Camry.
On a hot summer day, the Crown Platinum is an incredibly cool place to sit. The car has a dual-zone climate control system with rear seat vents, but the front seats are heated and ventilated.
One of my favorite toys, which I spent quite a bit of time with, was the "Advanced Park" system. I found it effortless to use in parallel parking situations and in the conventional parking lots of malls and other establishments in the suburbs. It is so easy to use that you might forget how to park a car without it.
The car we drove was a 2024 model, but for 2025, the Crown Platinum has a heads-up display that projects onto the windshield and a power trunk that opens when you kick underneath the car.
James Ochoa
Cons
This was my first time driving a vehicle with regenerative braking, and it took me a very long time to get used to its behavior.
When you lift off the gas pedal, the car's electric motors capture the kinetic energy from braking and convert it into electrical power that charges its hybrid battery.
It's an excellent technology that will save fuel in the long run, but I would rather sacrifice five or even 10 miles per gallon for a car that drives "normally."
During one of my first drives out with the Crown, I took it on a particular driving road in "the sticks" filled with little kinks and corners. Long story short, I regretted this decision for reasons that will sound incredibly gross if I continue writing about it.
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Regenerative braking prevents you from coasting or "letting off the power." If you want the Crown to replicate the way a "normal car" feels, you have to keep your foot on the accelerator, on the power, or else you're met with the equivalent force of stomping on the brakes way before your mind can force your foot to touch the brake pedal.
It is not a good recipe for someone who gets motion sickness.
Also, the raised ride height provides many practical advantages that make it extremely capable and comfortable on the road. However, it is the one deciding factor that keeps me from loving this car wholeheartedly.
Although the design language of this car leans towards being very angular, the looks aren't polarizing. It's no Tesla Cybertruck, but it's still weird enough to trigger the one cortex in other people's brains that says, "Why?"
It's one thing to have a nice car, but having a "weird car" feels slightly different if you do not accept things for what they are.
This car rejects conformity to provide something deeply comfortable for its occupants, but its looks may turn off most buyers before they give it a shot.
James Ochoa
Reflection
But for what it's worth, that particular point of weakness is also the Crown's biggest strength.
In the grand scheme of things, it's a minor issue. Most buyers should give it a chance, especially those looking to step up from something like an Accord or Camry.
As tested, this Toyota Crown Platinum costs $54,590. It's not cheap, but it's a price that positions it near some well-known brands.
Many people's first reaction when they hear the price is, "I can get a Mercedes for that kind of money."
You can, but that's not the whole story.
A standard Mercedes C300 4Matic costs around $50,450 before tax or destination fees. But, before you point out that it is cheaper than the Crown Platinum, let's consider something that's easy to gloss over: the options list.
Want a color other than non-metallic black or white? That'll be an extra $750-$3,250. Want genuine leather instead of fake MB-Tex? An extra $1,620 will be charged on top of a $3,400 package. Panoramic sunroof? That's an extra $1,000. Ventilated seats? An extra $450. A Heated Steering Wheel? Cough up another $250. Navigation System? Extra $650. All the safety assists that come standard on the Crown, like lane-keeping assist and blind spot monitoring, are included in a package that costs $1,950.
All in all, to get to the same level of equipment as the Toyota Crown Platinum, you would have to equip a smaller Mercedes C300 4Matic to thousands more than the Crown, granted you don't want any special paint colors, wheels or extra accessories.
Mercedes-Benz
On paper, owning a Mercedes seems just a few thousand dollars more expensive than the Toyota Crown Platinum, but the real cost comes after you drive it off the lot.
Cars from luxury marques like Mercedes depreciate faster than Toyotas and are substantially more expensive to insure, maintain, and operate.
Owning a Mercedes is cool and something to brag about, but it's all fun and games until things get expensive.
According to Kelley Blue Book, an oil change for a 2022 Mercedes C300 (the latest model year for which information is available) costs between $224 and $265 at the dealer.
Additionally, depending on how you drive, filling up the tank with 17.4 gallons of 91 premium gas may lighten your wallet faster than a week's worth of Chipotle, Cava and Sweetgreen.
The Toyota Crown Platinum offers value for money. It has all the features of a luxury car without the headaches of a luxury car.
The Crown might not be as flashy as the Mercedes, and its weird looks may make you second guess, but if going with the norm and subjecting yourself to the claws of conformity and vanity is what you're after, be my guest.
James Ochoa
In this day and age, there is an incentive to conform to the norm and like what other people like.
Take it from someone who has been listening to K-pop since they were 12; people often ask me what my favorite Taylor Swift song is.
Throughout my experience with the Crown, I struggled to understand why one would choose this over a Mercedes, BMW, Audi, or even Toyota's own Lexus ES.
However, an actual realization came during a chance encounter with a Crown owner in a parking lot.
In the middle of a conversation about the car, I asked them why they chose the Crown over other vehicles.
Their explanation couldn't be more direct.
"Why I chose the Crown? It looks like a motherf—king spaceship, b."
So what do you think? Is Toyota's new luxury spaceship the pick for you? Vote below.
Disclosure: Toyota offered James Ochoa the opportunity to experience the 2024 Toyota Crown Platinum and loaned the example he wrote about for six days with a full tank of gas.
