Toyota Crown Athlete

The other day, when we took the Boxster GTS in for its one-year inspection, the loaner car was a Toyota Crown Athlete. My husband dropped off the Boxster at the dealer that morning, borrowed the Crown there, and returned it the same day to drive home in the Boxster, so I didn’t get to drive it myself. But after he got home, I asked him what he thought of it.

By the way, the Crown loaner was the previous generation 210 series Crown Athlete Hybrid G.

However, when he got home that day, he didn’t say anything about the Crown, so I asked, “So, how was the Crown!?” and he said this:

Ah… the Crown, huh… It was better than I expected. In the city, it really lets you drive at a relaxed pace. It’s stress-free. For just getting around town or driving on congested highways on Japanese roads, I think it’s a great car.

I see… When I said, “But since it’s called a Crown Athlete, it must be sportier than the regular Crown,” he replied,

Yeah, probably. The suspension was definitely tighter than what you’d imagine from a Crown. The firmness of the suspension felt just right. So even though it’s an Athlete, it was totally comfortable for city driving.
But changing lanes on the highway was a bit scary. It was fine going straight, but when I changed lanes a bit quickly at a pace to lead the passing lane, honestly, it was scary. The front end would turn, then the rear would follow with a one- or two-beat delay, plus there was a big body roll rebound.
It just doesn’t drive as sharply as a European car.

That was his impression.

I asked, “How about the engine? It’s a hybrid, right?” and he said,

The engine and hybrid system have decent power. But that power feels less than the numbers suggest. One reason is the CVT transmission, which gives a lot of slack. The engine and motor revs rise, but the speed doesn’t match at all, which felt very strange to me.
Also, the power meter on the left side of the gauge cluster jumps around exaggeratedly. If it were a tachometer, the needle would frequently bounce near the redline. But the needle’s movement didn’t match the acceleration or speed at all.
I know it’s a matter of getting used to it, but the mismatch between what you see and the actual speed and G-forces was uncomfortable the whole time. So it felt like the car lacked power, and I ended up pressing the accelerator more than I normally would.

I could imagine just from listening to him, “Yeah, I’d feel that disconnect too…”

Next page → What’s my husband’s overall verdict on the Crown Athlete…!?