{"id":32927,"date":"2024-06-28T14:18:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T18:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=32927"},"modified":"2024-06-28T14:18:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T18:18:00","slug":"payne-toyota-crown-signia-move-over-lexus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/payne-toyota-crown-signia-move-over-lexus","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Toyota Crown Signia. Move over Lexus."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Charlevoix<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Rather than offering one midsize crossover, Toyota is offering a shelf-full of products for different tastes: Highlander, Grand Highlander three-row, electric Bz4x, Land Cruiser off-roader. \u00a0If your taste leans to an upscale road tripper, the midsize Crown Signia fits like a favorite pair of jeans.<\/p>\n

Roomy, good looking, durable. Slip into Signia and you forget you\u2019re wearing it, so easy is it to drive. Well, until someone gives you a compliment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWow, I like that Toyota,\u201d said a gas station attendant in Charlevoix County as I entered his store after a long trip up north for the weekend. \u201cIt really looks nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia is an AWD, mid-size SUV with style and good on-road manners. It’s part of an expansive Toyota SUV lineup that includes the Highlander, bZz4x EV and Land Cruiser.<\/em><\/div>\n
Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Never heard that about the vanilla Venza that Signia replaces. Toyota has built its brand as a leader in reliability and value, but its reputation for style and technology has not come as easily. With the all-new 2024 Crown Signia, Toyota steps up its game to compete with midsize, two-row segment leaders like the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda Passport, Chevy Blazer and Jeep Grand Cherokee.<\/p>\n

Once the class geek, the 2024 North American Car of the Year Toyota Prius is now class prom queen, its fashionable wardrobe the halo for the brand\u2019s model lineup. Its simple, timeless lines and slim fascia are mirrored in the Camry, Crown and Crown Signia models. Gone are the huge, sperm whale maws that looked like they could swallow an ocean of fish.<\/p>\n

Indeed, I prefer it to the polarizing, look-at-me stylings of the Lexus RX, its luxury stablemate that costs a cool 5 grand more. The Lexus is the bell bottom pants from fashion week compared to the Signia jeans.<\/p>\n

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With a sippy 36 mpg, the 2025 Toyota Crown Signia can nealry make a round trip to Charlevoix without stopping for gas. Not had for a big ute. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Toyota crossover is as easy to operate as it is on the eyes.<\/p>\n

Cargo space is generous and dexterous. For my trip north, I needed the latter. I was carrying a Honda Motocompacto electric motorbike that folds up into, essentially, a 40-pound card table that has to be laid flat. I arranged a carry-on suitcase next to it, then laid flat one of the second-row seats to accommodate a long tennis bag as well.<\/p>\n

With the second-row seats up, legroom is generous and can fit six-foot basketball players with room to spare. We were the easy choice to shuttle friends during the week on the way to large gatherings.<\/p>\n

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The 2025 Toyota Crown Signia is a comfortable place, though six-footers will find the roof a bit too shallow. Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI have the best seat in the house,\u201d marveled pal Kay from the backseat, lounging beneath the full-length panoramic roof and generous side windows. Though she noted the panoramic roof was an issue with my 6\u20195\u201d giraffe neck stuffed into it. Anyone taller would have an issue.<\/p>\n

Front-row seating was comfortable with lush leather appointments and trim that rivaled its Lexus peers.<\/p>\n

I had no issue with the controls, a welcome relief as both Toyota and Lexus brands have strayed toward the unconventional in past models. Toyota has experimented with guitar-shaped consoles in the Highlander and mousepad infotainment controls in Lexus. Crown Signia, by contrast, is built for comfort. Dare I say, its ergonomics even rivaled Chevy, the segment standard.<\/p>\n

The Toyota shares features with other automakers to provide a superb driving experience in this electronics-rich age. Like current Chevy models, Signia deploys dual digital screens set high on the dash. That made for easy operation as I cruised I-75 on a busy weekend \u2014 periodically adjusting Google Maps to check for traffic backups as well as choosing Spotify playlists.<\/p>\n