Compare the2025 Toyota CrownVS 2024 Tesla Model 3

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crown are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Crown has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Crown. But it costs extra on the Model 3.

The Crown (except XLE/Nightshade) offers an optional Bird’s Eye View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model 3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Crown’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Parking Support Brake on the Limited/Platinum/Nightshade automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Crown has standard Safety Connect™, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Crown and the Model 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and driver alert monitors.

The Toyota Crown achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Model 3 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Crown for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model 3.

There are over 6 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crown’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in initial quality. With 74 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota second in reliability, above the industry average. With 105 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 26th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 14th.

For better stopping power the Crown’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model 3:

The Crown stops shorter than the Model 3:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crown has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Model 3. The Crown’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Model 3 Performance.

The Crown has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model 3; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Crown offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Model 3’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Crown is .7 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model 3.

For better maneuverability, the Crown Platinum’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Model 3’s (35.4 feet vs. 38.4 feet). The Crown’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Model 3’s (38 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Crown has 2.2 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 4.4 inches more rear legroom, .8 inches more rear hip room and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model 3.

With its sedan body style, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Crown offers cargo security. The Model 3’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Crown’s trunk can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its trunk, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Crown Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Crown’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model 3’s passenger power window switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Crown’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model 3 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Crown has standard extendable sun visors. The Model 3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Crown and the Tesla Model 3, based on reliability, safety and performance.