{"id":37732,"date":"2019-11-22T06:00:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T21:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=37732"},"modified":"2021-06-08T09:21:12","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T00:21:12","slug":"toyota-crown-athlete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/en\/entry\/toyota-crown-athlete\/","title":{"rendered":"Trying Out the Toyota Crown Athlete as a Loaner for the Porsche Boxster"},"content":{"rendered":"

Toyota Crown Athlete<\/h3>\n

The other day, when we took the Boxster GTS in for its one-year inspection, the loaner car was a Toyota Crown Athlete<\/strong>. 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\u2019t get to drive it myself. But after he got home, I asked him what he thought of it.<\/p>\n

By the way, the Crown loaner was the previous generation 210 series Crown Athlete Hybrid G<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

However, when he got home that day, he didn\u2019t say anything about the Crown, so I asked, “So, how was the Crown!?<\/strong>” and he said this:<\/p>\n

Ah\u2026 the Crown, huh\u2026 It was better than I expected. In the city, it really lets you drive at a relaxed pace. It\u2019s stress-free. For just getting around town or driving on congested highways on Japanese roads, I think it\u2019s a great car.<\/p>\n

I see\u2026 When I said, “But since it\u2019s called a Crown Athlete, it must be sportier than the regular Crown<\/strong>,” he replied,<\/p>\n

Yeah, probably. The suspension was definitely tighter than what you\u2019d imagine from a Crown. The firmness of the suspension felt just right. So even though it\u2019s an Athlete, it was totally comfortable for city driving.
\nBut changing lanes on the highway was a bit scary<\/strong>. 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.
\nIt just doesn\u2019t drive as sharply as a European car.<\/p>\n

That was his impression.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

I asked, “How about the engine? It\u2019s a hybrid, right?” and he said,<\/p>\n

The engine and hybrid system have decent power. But that power feels less than the numbers suggest.<\/strong> One reason is the CVT transmission, which gives a lot of slack. The engine and motor revs rise, but the speed doesn\u2019t match at all,<\/strong> which felt very strange to me.
\nAlso, 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\u2019s movement didn\u2019t match the acceleration or speed at all.
\nI know it\u2019s 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.<\/strong> So it felt like the car lacked power, and I ended up pressing the accelerator more than I normally would.<\/p>\n

\"
\nI could imagine just from listening to him, “Yeah, I\u2019d feel that disconnect too\u2026”<\/p>\n

Next page \u2192 What\u2019s my husband\u2019s overall verdict on the Crown Athlete\u2026!?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

My Parents and the Crown<\/h3>\n

Changing the subject a bit, when I was a child, one day our family car changed to a Crown. My mother often said, “It\u2019s bigger than the previous car, so I have to be careful driving it.<\/strong>” But looking back, the Crown back then was under 1800mm wide.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no wonder my mother still worries, saying “I can\u2019t believe you drive such a big car like the Panamera!<\/strong>” lol<\/p>\n

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\u2019s status rose too, and finally it was the Crown!<\/strong> So for my parents\u2019 generation, the Crown had a special meaning.<\/p>\n

A while after the Crown was delivered, my mother went to a gathering with friends in the Crown and said,<\/p>\n

“Wow! It\u2019s a Crown! That\u2019s amazing!” everyone said to her,<\/p>\n

and she was very happy, which I remember from when I was a kid.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

The Best Up to 100 km\/h<\/h3>\n

Back to the topic, here\u2019s my husband\u2019s overall impression of the Toyota Crown Athlete:<\/p>\n

If I had to sum it up in one phrase, it would be \u2018The best up to 100 km\/h<\/strong>.\u2019 It\u2019s 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\u2019s quiet, and the cabin is peaceful.<\/strong> The steering is light and stress-free, so whether you\u2019re waiting at a traffic light or stuck in traffic, you can always move around feeling calm.
\nLooking 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.
\nI really feel like this car was designed with the utmost care to avoid tiring you out in city driving.<\/strong> I truly think this kind of car is the most stress-free and best for daily commuting.<\/strong>
\nAt typical Japanese road speeds, it\u2019s hands down the most comfortable. So I understand why it sells well, and there are many points where it really impresses.
\nOn the other hand, for someone like me who loves to drive, it\u2019s honestly a bit lacking.<\/strong> 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.<\/strong> Every time a new model comes out, reviews say it\u2019s closer to European cars, but honestly, when it comes to driving, the gap is still that big.<\/strong>
\nWell, 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<\/strong> without trying too hard to imitate European cars.
\nBy 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\u2019d be quite drawn to it.<\/p>\n

\"<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what he said. I see\u2026 I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u30dc\u30af\u30b9\u30bf\u30fc\u70b9\u691c\u306e\u4ee3\u8eca\u3067\u304a\u501f\u308a\u3057\u305f\u3001\u30c8\u30e8\u30bf\u30af\u30e9\u30a6\u30f3\u30a2\u30b9\u30ea\u30fc\u30c8\u3002\u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u4e57\u308a\u306e\u592b\u306e\u8a55\u4fa1\u306f\u3044\u304b\u306b\u2026\uff01\uff1f","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":15675,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_locale":"en_US","_original_post":"https:\/\/www.panamera-life.com\/?p=15648"},"categories":[72],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"Trying Out the Toyota Crown Athlete as a Loaner for the Porsche Boxster - \u30dd\u30eb\u30b7\u30a7\u304c\u308f\u304c\u5bb6\u306b\u3084\u3063\u3066\u304d\u305f - \u30aa\u30fc\u30ca\u30fc\u30ba\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Borrowed a Toyota Crown Athlete as a loaner while my Porsche Boxster GTS (981 model) was in for service. 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