1983 Toyota Crown Super 2.8 Straight 6

Summary:

An old barge

Faults:

Differential replaced at 101,500 miles.

Alternator failed at 110,000.

Heater fan was always temperamental, but I never got round to fixing that.

Rust finally got a hold of this car and I had to scrap it.

General Comments:

The Crown is a very large, luxurious car with all the bells and whistles inside.

Fuel economy was poor. 23mpg if you're lucky.

The car accelerated very well and was great for long motorway trips. Its handling was appalling sloppy though, or even scary!

The ultra-soft suspension just conspired to make you sea-sick. I guess you could say it had character, though.

Where are have they all gone?

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 24th August, 2003

24th Aug 2003, 13:47

Never heard of those cars. Did they sell them in America? From your description of its size, handling and fuel economy, it sounds more like my 1983 Dodge Diplomat than the Toyotas you see today.

5th Sep 2003, 11:56

It's funny, but the Toyota Crown was never sold in the USA as far as I know. It was similar in style and character to a large American sedan so it seems strange that they didn't sell it there. The Crown was sold in some European countries, including the UK, during the 70s and 80s, but didn't sell very well.

From 1984 onwards it was sold in the Far East only, however a mildly reworked version of the 1990s Toyota Crown was sold in the USA and Europe as... the Lexus LS400!