Compare the2023 Nissan MaximaVS 2023 Toyota Crown

Both the Maxima and the Crown have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Maxima its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Crown has not been tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated lower.

The Maxima’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 64 more horsepower (300 vs. 236) than the Crown’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

The Maxima has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Crown (18 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Maxima’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 Maxima has larger tires than the Crown (245/45R18 vs. 225/55R19).

The Maxima SV’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 Maxima SR/Platinum’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Crown’s optional 45 series tires.

The Maxima has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Crown doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Maxima offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Crown; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For better maneuverability, the Maxima’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Crown’s (38.1 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The Nissan Maxima may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 600 to 650 pounds less than the Toyota Crown.

The Maxima is 3.3 inches shorter than the Crown, making the Maxima easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Maxima SR/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Crown doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Maxima has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2.9 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Crown.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Maxima’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Crown’s useful trunk space.

The Maxima uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Crown uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Maxima’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Crown does not have an oil pressure gauge.

A power rear sunshade is standard in the Maxima Platinum to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Crown doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Maxima’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Crown has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Maxima, based on reliability, safety and performance.