Toyota Crown Athlete

The other day, when I took my Boxster GTS in for its annual service, the loaner car was a Toyota Crown Athlete. My husband dropped off the Boxster at the dealership that morning, picked up the Crown, then returned it later that day before driving home in the Boxster, so I didn’t get a chance to drive it myself. I decided to ask him what he thought once he got home.

For reference, the Crown loaner was a previous-generation, 210-series Crown Athlete Hybrid G.

But when my husband got home that evening, he didn’t say a word about the Crown. So I finally asked, “Well, how was the Crown?” This was his response.

Oh, the Crown… It was better than I expected. Around town, it’s a really relaxed car to drive. Totally stress-free. For getting around on Japanese roads or crawling along on congested highways, I think it’s a great car.

I see. “But with ‘Athlete’ in the name, I guess it’s sportier than a regular Crown?” I asked.

Yeah, probably. The suspension was firmer than I’d expect from a Crown, but I thought it was very well judged. Even as an Athlete, it was perfectly comfortable around town.
That said, changing lanes on the highway felt a little scary. It was fine going straight, but when I moved over briskly at a pace fast enough to lead the passing lane, it honestly felt unsettling. The nose would turn, then the rear would follow a beat or two later, with a lot of body movement afterward.
It just doesn’t feel as planted as a European car.

That was his take.

“What about the engine? It’s a hybrid, right?” I asked.

The engine and hybrid system have a decent amount of power. But the car feels less powerful than the numbers suggest. Part of that is the CVT: there’s a real sense of the engine revving without the car responding. The engine and motor speed up, but the car’s speed doesn’t rise in proportion, which feels pretty odd to me.
On top of that, the power meter on the left side of the instrument cluster jumps around a lot. If it were a tachometer, the needle would often be near the redline. But its movements don’t match the acceleration or road speed at all.
I know it’s something you could get used to, but the mismatch between what I saw and the speed or G-forces I felt remained uncomfortable right to the end. It made the car feel underpowered, so I found myself pressing the accelerator harder than I needed to.

I could see what he meant just from hearing him describe it. That mismatch really would feel strange.

Next page → My husband’s verdict on the Crown Athlete