Cars are getting more and more expensive, with barely any signs of vehicle prices coming down to pre-pandemic levels. This is why, sometimes, especially when you’re on a tight budget, it’s often a great idea to check out slightly used cars (around three years old). Buying a three-year-old car will help you save a lot of money while still having a good amount of useful life out of it. Especially since we’re talking about a slightly-used, three-year-old Toyota hybrid, its useful life is undeniably extremely long.
- Base Trim Engine
-
2.5L Inline-4 Hybrid
- Base Trim Transmission
-
Continuously Variable Automatic (CVT)
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
All-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
236 hp
- Base Trim Torque
-
163 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
- Fuel Economy
-
42/41 MPG
- Make
-
Toyota
- Model
-
Crown
- Segment
-
Full-Size Sedan
Though Toyota hybrids are some of the vehicles that depreciate the least, not all of them depreciate equally. This model you’re about to see is proof that sometimes, you’re probably better off going for a slightly-used, three-year-old model, although you might have to wait a few more months for the year to change to 2026 to make the most of the depreciation.
To give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturers and other authoritative sources, including iSeeCars.
Toyota’s ‘Crown’ Jewel Doesn’t Hold Its Value As Well As Its Stablemates
The Toyota hybrid that depreciates the fastest and thus, is the model that will make you think twice about going brand-new, is the Toyota Crown. Yes, the flagship of Toyota’s sedan range is an excellent, slightly used purchase.
33.9 Percent Three-Year Depreciation
Based on the list of fastest-depreciating hybrids after three years (excluding plug-in hybrids), whose data was compiled from iSeeCars, the Crown loses 33.9 percent of its value in three years. This makes it the fifth fastest depreciating hybrid and the fastest-depreciating Toyota hybrid. Though it is the fastest depreciating Toyota hybrid, its three-year depreciation is in line with the industry average of 31.7 percent, a testament to Toyota’s excellent resale value.
Toyota Crown Three-Year Depreciation Comparison
|
Toyota Crown |
33.9% |
|
All Sedans |
30.9% |
|
All Cars |
31.7% |
When put into monetary value, a three-year-old Toyota Crown will lose about $14,057 of its value. It must be noted, however, that the Crown started hitting dealers sometime in late winter 2022 or very early 2023, which means that an actual three-year-old model will still be rare at the moment. Nevertheless, we’re only a few months away from winter, and if you’re lucky, it will be a great time to snag a deal on a three-year-old Crown.
Toyota Crown Depreciation Over 10 Years
|
Vehicle Age |
% Depreciation |
$ Depreciation |
% Residual Value |
$ Residual Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3 Years |
33.9% |
$14,057 |
66.1% |
$27,383 |
|
5 Years |
43.6% |
$18,084 |
56.4% |
$23,356 |
|
7 Years |
55.3% |
$22,909 |
44.7% |
$18,531 |
|
10 Years |
67.2% |
$27,859 |
32.8% |
$13,581 |
Why It Depreciates This Way
To understand why the Crown depreciates this way, we have to examine its demand when new. Compared to Toyota’s other models, Crown sales aren’t that high. As of the latest June 2025 sales data, Toyota sold 5,054 units of the Crown, which is 64 percent down from the previous year. On the other hand, the wagon version of the Crown sedan, which is the Signia, got into the hands of 12,282 individuals.
Basically, demand for the Crown is a reflection of the shrinking full-size sedan segment. It also doesn’t help that it overlaps with the Lexus ES. Though it is available in two versions, with the other featuring a powerful 340-horsepower parallel hybrid system called Hybrid Max, customers shopping for a premium sedan at the $40,000 mark are probably considering something with a premium badge and the prestige associated with it. At the same time, this is also a price segment where most three-row midsize SUVs are priced. Demand for full-size mainstream sedans is shrinking because of a three-way dilemma with two other equally important segments.
What A Toyota Crown Hybrid Offers
Getting a brand-new Crown is expensive, though not necessarily a poor value proposition. Take depreciation into account, though, and you’ll end up with a sedan that’s opulent and efficient at roughly the price of a base-level Camry in many cases.
Delivering Genre-Bending Style Inside And Out
Is it a sedan or is it a crossover? It’s actually both, and it’s this design differentiation that Toyota is hoping will lure would-be crossover buyers into their full-size Avalon successor. While all versions of the Crown feature swoopy styling that’s matched to a relatively high ground clearance for a sedan, higher variants come with even nicer details. For instance, 21-inch wheels are part of an optional package in the Limited, or become standard once you step up to Nightshade or Platinum, the latter variant being available with a black contrasting roof option.
Move inside the Crown, and you’re greeted by a plush interior with a generous amount of standard features to justify its $40,000 base price. The interior is bathed in soft-touch materials and features a mix of leather and leatherette surfaces. Front occupants will appreciate the heated and ventilated front seats, as well as the generous tech features, which include two 12.3-inch screens. One of those two screens houses the main infotainment, which is the familiar Toyota Audio Multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims even get a panoramic sunroof, a JBL premium sound system, and other luxury features.
Power Comes In Two Hybrid Flavors
Fitted as standard on all but the range-topping Platinum is a 2.5-liter fourth-generation series-parallel Toyota Hybrid System (THS IV). Combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with two electric motors, along with a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery, the Crown offers a system output of 236-horsepower through an e-CVT. Electronic all-wheel drive (e-AWD) is standard, achieving a combined EPA-rated fuel economy of 41 MPG. This is the hybrid system that’s focused on efficiency whilst still providing brisk acceleration.
Toyota Crown Performance Specs
|
Crown Hybrid |
Crown Hybrid Max |
|
|
Powertrain |
2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid |
2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder hybrid |
|
Horsepower |
236 hp |
340 hp |
|
Torque |
N/A |
400 lb-ft |
|
Transmission |
e-CVT |
6-speed A/T |
|
Driveline |
AWD |
AWD |
|
0-60 MPH |
TBA |
5.7 Seconds |
|
Fuel Economy (City) |
42 MPG |
29 MPG |
|
Fuel Economy (Highway) |
41 MPG |
32 MPG |
|
Fuel Economy (Combined) |
41 MPG |
30 MPG |
Folks who want something sportier out of their hybrids should look for the Platinum variant’s Hybrid Max system. As a parallel hybrid, the electric motor is sandwiched between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the six-speed automatic, and a K0 clutch simply connects and disconnects the engine from the entire system. Offering a strong 340 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, the Crown Platinum can sprint from 0–60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. As expected, its fuel economy takes a massive hit, but at a combined 30 MPG, this is still impressive relative to the performance it offers. Finally, the Crown Platinum further differentiates itself with its Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) that improves both ride and handling.
What The Team Says About The Crown
If you’ve managed to make it this far into the article, then you’re most likely truly in the market for a slightly-used Toyota Crown. But before you jump the gun and hit the pre-owned lot, here’s what you need to know about what it’s like to drive and live with one, based on our team’s testing of a Crown Limited with the optional Advanced Technology Package.
Raised Ride Height Provides Merits
Now, whether you like the crossover sedan rendition of the Toyota Crown or not is completely up to you, but one thing it does provide in spades is comfort at entry and exit. The seat height is just right, as opposed to letting yourself fall into your seat. This makes the Crown a pleasure to own for taller or older folks in the household. Besides, it is this main reason why the crossover SUV segment has become the nation’s practical vehicle of choice. It’s also the same case once you’re on the road. The ride height is at a sort of “Goldilocks” position—not too high and not too low. Just enough to have a commanding view ahead, but not high enough to make it feel like a true SUV.
While I remain skeptical of the efficacy of the elevated ride height, it does make getting in and out of the car easier, especially for older people. What’s more, the Crown’s interior layout is spacious, comfortable, and pleasing to the eye.
– Lyndon Conrad Bell, TopSpeed Journalist.
But this taller ride height versus other sedans also affects its handling. The Crown’s mission was never about sportiness, but on the road, you can still tell it has affected its handling somewhat. Nevertheless, the Crown remained composed enough through the bends. It’s simply what you’d call “good enough” from a sportiness standpoint. Yet, when it comes to the other aspects, the Crown simply fades in a refined manner into the background, as with every other well-engineered and comfort-oriented Toyota sedan.
An Interior That’s Pleasant And Spacious
A major reason for going towards a slightly-used Crown over a brand-new Camry is the amount of plushness and prestige it offers, and you’d be glad you jumped the gun and went for this vehicle instead. Even in base form, the Crown already offers more luxury amenities, many of which are augmented by plush materials and a spacious interior—even if it has a sloping roofline. Even the trunk is very deep, making the Crown a perfect road trip vehicle.
You’ll never want for storage space inside the Crown, unless you’re a candidate for a reality TV show about people who hoard.
– Lyndon Conrad Bell, TopSpeed Journalist.
Of course, if you want even more space, the wagon body style of the Crown Signia will offer even more practicality. With this model also outselling the Crown by nearly three-to-one, we won’t be surprised if this model has a higher chance of surviving when Toyota decides to redesign this nameplate for the United States.