Imagine a sedan with a bit of a luxury twist. Drop a 2.4 liter turbocharged engine in there, and give it 340 horsepower. Make it economical too, 41 miles per gallon combined absolutely hammers most things on the road. It’s even a bit of an outlier if you’re talking about things in the 340-horsepower bracket.
And obviously, it’s a premium vehicle, so cloth seats aren’t an option. You throw leather in as standard. Add some bronze metallic accents to the cabin to elevate things a little, heated and vented seats are also included — even on the base trim.
As far as suspension goes, high-damping structural adhesive, polyurethane-coated coil springs, and other upmarket twists kill off most road noise. Because you can’t have your customers bothered by vibrations when behind the wheel. Adaptive suspension is almost expected, and definitely delivered on the top trim.
Inside, you can cram it with tech like dual 12.3-inch screens, hands-free parallel park assist, and another hands-free driving feature designed to take the sting out of traffic jams. As for speakers, a premium option from a well-known brand like JBL definitely fits the bill.
This vehicle exists: it’s the Toyota Crown, and absolutely no one is buying it. When you’re out on the street, every other car you see seems to be a Toyota these days. A RAV 4, or a Carmy, or the ever-popular Corolla.
Because while the vehicle described above sounds great, those premium features come with a premium price tag. The Crown costs $41,440 at the base level, with the top trim coming in at $54,990. That’s before Toyota slaps you with a bunch of mandatory fees.
You can drive away in a new Corolla for less than $25,000 with those fees included. The LE trim costs just $23,125. Even the Corolla Hybrid, with its excellent fuel economy, starts at under $25,000. If you want to “splash out” on a Camry, you can still get one out of the door for less than $30,000. And this may be where the problem lies with the Toyota Crown.
So why aren’t people buying the Toyota Crown?
The Toyota Crown seems to have flopped in the US, and there could be several reasons. First, there’s exposure. Pretty much everyone knows what a Camry and a Corolla are. But despite the apparent hype surrounding the vehicle’s “return” to the US after a 50-year absence, no one outside the world of automotive enthusiasts seems to actually care much.
But the most likely cause is what the Crown is. It’s very expensive for a Toyota, and while its fuel economy is great, it’s not on the level of the company’s cheaper options. So people who just want something reliable, cheap to run, and cheap to buy aren’t going to even consider it. And those people seem to be a good chunk of Toyota’s fanbase.
As for Toyota fans who want some luxury in their life, isn’t that why Lexus exists? Nissan made the same mistake a year or two ago, going upmarket with both the Armada and the Murano. Yes, the vehicles were tech-packed and had lovely interiors. But if Nissan wants to make itself a “premium” automaker, why does Infiniti even exist? If I wanted my Armada to become a luxury vehicle, what is the QX80 supposed to be?
Then you have the cold, hard facts that people don’t want to pay $50,000 for a Toyota sedan, or drop north of $70,000 on a Nissan SUV. With the exception of niche vehicles like the Land Cruiser and the now discontinued Supra, people just don’t see Toyota as a big money brand. If they’re spending in those higher brackets, they generally want a BMW badge, or a Mercedes, or some kind of Cadillac. At the very least, they want something from the automaker that actually made the thing’s “Luxury” marque.
So while the Toyota Crown is likely a very nice vehicle, it’s also a bit of a flop. The car itself is fine, but the premise is utterly flawed. The Luxury market is very competitive, badge snobbery is real, and the average American is crying out for a cheaper more utilitarian car. Not a pretty expensive luxury model.
