A surprise wagon that never excels
2025 Toyota Crown Signia review by The Road Beat
Words and pictures: Mitchell Weitzman
In the midst of a vast and vastly needed model refresh across their range, Toyota has also snuck a new model bearing a returning nameplate. Called the Crown, it's an oddball pick for anyone, mostly undone by its exceedingly strange aesthetic that isn't really a car, but isn't really a crossover either. A spinoff in name and concept, Toyota has now released the Crown Signia, which fills another oddball niche mashup of wagon and SUV. It's a decent enough car on its own, boasting a hybrid-only powertrain and nice interior (for a Toyota), but the looks miss the mark (to my eyes at least), and the dizzying price leaves the Crown Signia stuck between the trenches in no man's land.
Don't be too tempted by the 37 MPG promised on this tester's window sticker, as the real-world mileage returns a still-reasonable 33 after several hundred miles of mixed conditions. What's very curious is the onboard range estimate, initially showing a staggering 591 miles with a full tank when I first received the Crown Signia. However, on a short road trip to Donner Lake, the final estimate (adding remaining range to miles driven on the trip computer) did not even total 400 by the end of my test term. How can a range estimate be so wildly untrustworthy? To be off by over 30% is painful for such a simple calculation in the present day.
Speaking of the hybrid powertrain, while Toyota continues to be the leader in seamless transparency among hybrids, exhibiting zero hiccups nor any herky-jerky hesitations, the combustion engine itself is a nasty little moaning and groaning four-cylinder unit. It's loudly apparent at all speeds, and undoes the apparent luxury that the Crown line is striving to perpetuate; Both my friend and his wife commented on the sound even, that's how obviously unpleasant it is. While 240 combined horsepower is hardly worth shouting about over $50K, the Crown Signia at least labors its way to 60 MPH from rest in seven seconds flat. With the responsive nature of the power unit and CVT transmission, passing is easily done at your command, but it sounds terrible while doing so.
The good news includes the usual suite of Toyota safety systems that work mostly well, and the intrusive radar cruise control can thankfully be disabled if you (including me) prefers resorting to manual control. There's a big 12-inch display that is among the easiest in the business to navigate and use, and I appreciate the presence of physical buttons for the climate that are welcome in a sea of digital capacitive alternatives. As far as the cabin goes, this is among Toyota's nicest work ever, with soft and plush materials meeting the usual Toyota solid-build quality with nary a rattle nor squeak to be heard. For the carnivore crowd, the seats on this Limited are genuine leather, too. Road noise isn't particularly appropriate for a library, but this is a comfortable car overall for longer drives with good rear legroom for passengers courtesy of its long 194-inch total length.
Comfortable as it may be, the Crown Signia is uninspiring and unengaging to drive with it muted steering and rubbery handling. Granted, a car like this is not meant for carving canyons, but I still would like more composure and willingness instilled, a formula that brands like Mazda and Genesis have perfected in the past few years. Honestly, this is such a boring car to drive that there really isn't much else worth mentioning. Then again, it's not exactly designed nor made to thrill, with the emphasis on effortless and numb transportation being top priority. When you do enter turns with higher velocity, there is lots of mass heaving about causing body roll and lessening its grip on the road. It may look like a normal wagon, but it's lazier and more dynamically inclined to a lumbering SUV.
And then there's the price, which starts at $52,565 for this Limited trim and poses a tough question: who is the Crown Signia for? If you want a big Toyota SUV, there are better choices like the Highlander and Grand Highlander, which offer convenient and useful three-row seating. But the real kicker with the Crown Signia comes from within Toyota, by swapping the Toyota badge for a Lexus. Currently, the price of the Crown Signia overlaps with the Lexus RX 350h, which features the same engine, has more attractive looks, and boasts an even nicer and increasingly upscale luxurious cabin. If they're close enough in price, why would you choose a Toyota over a Lexus? They're both the same 194 inches long, too, and the RX has five feet of additional everyday storage volume behind its rear seats. And then Lexus offers the slightly smaller NX 350h, too, which drives quite a bit better with its tighter body control.
Sense should not be taken for granted, and maybe there are the few people out there for whom the Crown Signia is their perfect car. But, with so many alternatives from Toyota and Lexus, not to mention all the other crossovers from other brands, there isn't a reason to choose this one unless the admittedly subjective looks completely win you over. As for me, I don't like the squinty eyes that look sleepy (like pop-up headlamps that aren't raised all the way) and out of place, not the rest of the the exterior aesthetic. It's a bold and brave move from Toyota, but Toyota is not a brand known for carving niches, and there's little reason here to deserve and establish its own.
Bottom Line
Get the Toyota Crown Signia if you desire a Toyota with a nice cabin and unique look. But for over $50,000? There are more compelling choices that go further on luxury for the dollar.
2025 Toyota Crown Signia Limited
Price as-tested: $52,565
Pros: One of the nicer Toyota interiors; It's a wagon
Cons: Moaning and groaning engine; odd big-wagon looks; Overlaps with Lexus RX 350h
More photos of the Toyota Crown Signia
Thank you for reading The Road Beat's 2025 Toyota Crown Signia review. For more honest takes on cars, please subscribe. All photos by mitchellweitzmanphoto.com.
