Remember that cozy, favourite sweater in the back of your closet? The one you owned for years, if not decades? The one you no longer wear because it is not as trendy or stylish as your other outfits, but when you do, it feels like home? To me, the 2025 Toyota Crown is that cozy sweater — I forget about how much I love it until I get back into one, then I’ll forget about it again until the next time.
While the Crown nameplate isn’t new — it was among the first Toyotas to come to Canada back in the 1960s — it certainly needed a reintroduction. Toyota took a 51-year break between offering the first- and this latest-generation Crown in Canada, so most buyers may think of it as a replacement to the Avalon more than anything else. As a result of this perceived correlation with the Avalon, most buyers may also have dismissed it as a sinfully boring sedan favoured by the geriatric population.
Well, they are wrong. You can tell right away Toyota anticipated this, digging deep into their current design language to create what I think is one of the sharper-looking mainstream sedans on the market. I have always liked sedans; to me, they offer a sense of comfort that crossovers cannot replicate. While the Crown rides a bit higher than a typical sedan and wears body cladding like a crossover, the familiar silhouette will always resonate with me.
Inside, the Crown really delivers on that old, favourite sweater experience for me. Everything just fits so comfortably — unlike many other new cars that focus on technology but come with a steep learning curve, the Crown is easy to use from the get-go. I can simply get in and drive; the seats offer good support and are comfortable for many sizes, there is a good amount of head- and legroom throughout, and I particularly like the rose gold accents. They look upscale and add a subtle, classy touch without being ostentatious.
Speaking of tech, the Crown supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while your tunes play over an 11-speaker JBL sound system. There are also five USB ports throughout, as well as a wireless charging pad up front to keep the kids’ tablets ready to go for those long road trips, and Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driver and active safety assists are standard across the Crown lineup.
As you would expect, the Crown prioritizes comfort over excitement. I find that to be a refreshing change of pace — rather than raising my heart rate, the Crown slows it down with its quiet cabin and cushy ride, and the large windows create a crisp and airy atmosphere. The suspension may favour comfort, but it’s not overly soft like large sedans of yore, where they used to ride and turn like boats. The Crown is actually fairly responsive to steering input and handles relatively well for its size.
In terms of power, the Toyota Crown comes in two options. This base Limited trim gets the efficient and familiar 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, while the Platinum receives Toyota’s new Hybrid Max powertrain featuring a turbocharged four-cylinder. Our Limited tester and its 236-horsepower did not feel underpowered — it is just enough to get around town with no fuss — but I found myself longing for the juicy 340-horsepower of the Crown Platinum for when traffic opened up. That said, I was definitely happy when it came time to fill up — I averaged 6.4 L/100 kilometres over a week of city-heavy commuting, and it accepts regular-grade gasoline.
Just like my favourite old sweater, I will soon forget how much I love the 2025 Toyota Crown until the next one. [Yes, I’m aware you’ve called dibs on the next Platinum. — Ed.] While it does not stand out in any way, I know I can always count on it when I need to feel loved. I do not think I am alone, either — the Crown will surely appeal to anyone looking for something unassuming, well-equipped, spacious, and fuel-efficient that is not a crossover. Best of all, for its $54,387 as-tested price tag, the Crown undercuts most comparable alternatives from premium brands without feeling lesser-than. Now, where did I put that favourite sweater of mine?
