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Old Jul 2, 2024 | 10:33 am
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aww3583
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Ride Review: 2024 Toyota Crown HEV XLE AWD

Picked up a Toyota Crown this week. Reserved a mid-size, the Crown is considered a PCAR.

Impressions below.
  • Smaller than I expected once inside. I routinely hit my head on the door frame and the rearview mirror with the driver seat lowered all the way down. The passenger headrest impacts the ceiling when the seat is raised.
  • Excellent "get up and go" when punching the throttle on the highway.
  • Averaged 40+ mpg across 400 miles of 90% highway driving. 500+ mile range when the tank is full.
  • Hybrid integration is seamless... hard to tell when the vehicle switches from battery to ICE. Very quiet.
  • Dash is a mixture of gauges, numbers, messages, alerts, fonts, etc. Confusing to take in for someone who doesn't frequently drive Toyotas.
  • Wireless CarPlay works well. Voice dictation didn't work, but I think it's subscription based through Toyota.
  • Toyota's native interface is needlessly complex. In the vast majority of vehicles, when you tap "source", you get Bluetooth, AM, FM, XM. In the Toyota, you get "radio" then you have to click again to select AM or FM.
  • Toyota hasn't updated their key fobs in over a decade. No functionality on the key other than door lock/unlock, unlocking the trunk lid, and horn alarm. Trunk lid does not raise when unlocked.
  • I really like the exterior, aesthetically.
  • The rose-gold plastic trim bits are odd.
  • The volume knob is laughably small. It's also conical, which could make it difficult to grasp.
  • The interior is some type of cloth fabric that resembles soft denim. Odd choice. It's soft, but not sure how durable it will be.
  • The rear center armrest wobbles in all directions. The vehicle has about 12k miles on it, so it may be broken, but it rests on the seat bench.
  • Automatic cruise control worked well. It will also keep you centered in the lane for brief periods, but it will tell the driver to grab the wheel after 10-15 seconds.

Overall, it's a perfectly average vehicle. I had slightly elevated expectations because of the nameplate and the price. I'd probably look to rent something else in the future just due to the low headroom during ingress/egress.








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