Compare the2023 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2023 Toyota Crown

The Arteon has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Crown doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Arteon and the Crown have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Arteon the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 220 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Crown has not been tested, yet.

The Arteon comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Crown’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Arteon’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Crown’s (7 vs. 5 years).

The Volkswagen Arteon’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Crown’s engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Arteon’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 64 more horsepower (300 vs. 236) than the Crown’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Arteon uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Crown Platinum requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Arteon has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Crown (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

A seven-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Volkswagen Arteon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Crown.

The Arteon offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Crown doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Arteon’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Crown:

The Arteon’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Crown are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Arteon has larger tires than the Crown (245/45R18 vs. 225/55R19).

The Arteon’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Crown’s standard 55 series tires. The Arteon SEL/SEL Premium’s tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Crown’s optional 45 series tires.

The Volkswagen Arteon may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the Toyota Crown.

The Arteon is 4.6 inches shorter than the Crown, making the Arteon easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Arteon’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Crown doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Arteon’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Crown’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Arteon has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Crown doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Arteon also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Arteon has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Crown Limited/Platinum.

The Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Crown.

The Arteon is available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Crown doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Volkswagen Arteon, based on reliability, safety and performance.