My Parents and the Crown

Changing the subject a bit, when I was a child, one day our family car changed to a Crown. My mother often said, “It’s bigger than the previous car, so I have to be careful driving it.” But looking back, the Crown back then was under 1800mm wide.

It’s no wonder my mother still worries, saying “I can’t believe you drive such a big car like the Panamera!” lol

My father has never been interested in cars, but for some reason he loves Toyota and has always driven Toyotas. Before the Crown, he drove a Vista, but as he got promoted, the car’s status rose too, and finally it was the Crown! So for my parents’ generation, the Crown had a special meaning.

A while after the Crown was delivered, my mother went to a gathering with friends in the Crown and said,

“Wow! It’s a Crown! That’s amazing!” everyone said to her,

and she was very happy, which I remember from when I was a kid.

The Best Up to 100 km/h

Back to the topic, here’s my husband’s overall impression of the Toyota Crown Athlete:

If I had to sum it up in one phrase, it would be ‘The best up to 100 km/h.’ It’s truly excellent at low speeds and has a calm demeanor. Even if you operate the accelerator a bit roughly, it accelerates with decent force, but somehow the G-forces on your body feel gentle. It’s quiet, and the cabin is peaceful. The steering is light and stress-free, so whether you’re waiting at a traffic light or stuck in traffic, you can always move around feeling calm.
Looking at the dashboard, the air conditioning louvers gently swing automatically, delivering a perfectly balanced breeze of temperature and humidity. The armrest height and seat softness are super comfortable. The window frame height is just right, almost inviting you to rest your arm on it while driving.
I really feel like this car was designed with the utmost care to avoid tiring you out in city driving. I truly think this kind of car is the most stress-free and best for daily commuting.
At typical Japanese road speeds, it’s hands down the most comfortable. So I understand why it sells well, and there are many points where it really impresses.
On the other hand, for someone like me who loves to drive, it’s honestly a bit lacking. If you only know the Crown or other Japanese sedans, you might not feel that way, but the confidence, stability, and agility at high speeds are totally different from European cars. Every time a new model comes out, reviews say it’s closer to European cars, but honestly, when it comes to driving, the gap is still that big.
Well, I understand that comparing them is kind of pointless. So I hope the Crown continues to be the perfect car for getting around in Japan without trying too hard to imitate European cars.
By the way, I personally like the current Toyota Century, which you often see at recent Imperial events, for its sleek, luxurious design and originality. But I wonder if the Crown could become an even more attractive, one-of-a-kind car by aiming in that direction. If a mini-Century style Crown came out, I’d be quite drawn to it.

That’s what he said. I see… I’d love to try it myself sometime. And as always, many thanks to Mr. H at the dealer for kindly providing such a wide lineup of loaner cars.