Compare the2026 Lexus ESVS 2026 Toyota Crown

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Lexus ES’ backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Toyota Crown.

Both the ES 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, around view monitors and driver alert monitors.

The ES comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Crown’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the ES 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Toyota covers the Crown. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Crown ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ES’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Crown’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in initial quality, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked fourth.

On the EPA test cycle the ES running on electricity gets better mileage than the Crown:

The ES can travel with zero emissions for 272 to 307 miles (dependent on model). The Crown can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lexus ES uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Crown Platinum requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

For better stopping power the ES’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Crown:

The ES’ 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 ES has larger tires than the Crown (235/55R19 vs. 225/55R19).

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ES’ wheelbase is 3.9 inches longer than on the Crown (116.1 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the ES is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 3.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Crown.

The ES 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 ES has 1.6 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, 1.8 inches more rear legroom and .8 inches more rear hip room than the Crown.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the ES 350e Luxury’s available rear seats recline. The Crown’s rear seats don’t recline.

The ES has a much larger trunk than the Crown (17.4 vs. 15.2 cubic feet).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Toyota. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 42% lower rating, Toyota is ranked 24th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Crown Limited/Nightshade/Platinum, the ES Luxury has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The ES’ 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 intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The ES offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Crown doesn’t offer headlight washers.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the ES Luxury has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Crown doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A power rear sunshade and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the ES Luxury to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Crown doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The ES has standard front air conditioned seats and the ES 350e Luxury offers them optionally in the rear. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Crown doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

Both the ES and the Crown offer available massaging front seats. The ES 350e Luxury also offers optional massaging rear seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging rear seats aren’t available in the Crown.

The Lexus ES stands out above the Toyota Crown by offering not one, but two Qi-compatible phone chargers. This convenience helps travelers with multiple devices to keep powered up on-the-go. Wireless charging eliminates lost or cluttered charging cables and one of them provide more flexibility.

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

The Lexus ES outsold the Toyota Crown by over three to one during 2025.