Japan's Secret Jaguar Rival - The Marvellous Toyota Crown Majesta
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- čas přidán 18. 01. 2024
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Today on the channel, another JDM oddity courtesy of the amazing Brad. This is the rather rare and oft-forgotten Toyota Crown Majesta. Not a trim level, but in fact a whole different car - but is it worth buying?
#JDM #Toyota #CrownMajesta
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Imagine if the people of Jaguar and Land Rover visited a Toyota factory and learned how to make cars the way Toyota makes this. The world would turn on its own axis and create its own sun.
They have. They even tore down a Lexus LS
And decided that there was no character and allure in doing so
Jaguar build cars to last as long as the warranty period. After that they don't give a toss. If the sub frames rot and the engine detonates when it's 6 years old who cares? It's not their problem. They could build a car just as reliable as a Toyota but they don't care enough to bother.
I believe Cadillac tried this with Lexus and concluded that it was impossible to make a car like this in their own factory
You mean the cat would no longer escape?
JayEmm is the CZcams for the car enthusiasts who just have to know more about the obscure car they once read about on a forum, then forgot. It's incredible how much ground he is covering in the automotive world. Long may the collectors and forum enthusiasts lend Jay the cars they do, because we're getting a real treat here. As I've said before, this show is basically my replacement for TopGear. Thanks Jay.
Aww thanks Mark
Literally my thoughts word for word.
I've been following since I watched that McLaren customer service incident some years ago. F355, Lexus LS etc, those are the kind of reviews we need. 👍
The anonymity of the Crown design is, by itself, its most endearing and ironically memorable feature. I just love how it looks.
Yeah a big part of luxury is people not gawking at you, and the crown is perfect for that
No, thats not a big part of luxury... That doesnt even register on the spectrum of what luxury is. Ostentation has been a luxury hallmark since its inception.
This car is absolutely boring and uninspiring on the inside too, so its not just about people gawking at you. It was designed to be as simple to build as possible, to keep it simple and reliable, hence why it looks worse than an 80s korean car.
And lastly, you can make beautiful cars without being ostentatious too. Something for the guys who know where to look at it and be pleased visually about it too. A 406 coupe is not luxurious yet it is beautiful. The first Passat CC too. Loads of Alfas... Average cars with a bit of a character design wise too@@FireManiac58
That’s by design. Crowns are used in so many different purposes other than private car, from police car, chauffeur, taxi, even hearse. It’s designed to look “appropriate” in anywhere, any situations.
Jaguars breakdown every other day . Toyota crown goes on and on and on and on. Use as premium durable taxis in Japan and Hong Kong.
And Singapore
This engine is no joke. I had a 2004 LS 430 with the same engine. It requires next to nothing to keep going. Change the timing belt and watch the water pump. Valve train is rock solid. Starter will need replacing eventually. Maintenance is pretty easy. Best engine I've owned overall and better than the UR series.
So, it requieres the same as any other reliable engine?
@@an-dr6eu yes but that engine will do a million miles.
Converted it to lpg? Any views on affecting reliability? Would make an amazing package.
Ooooh, what a cool video it would be... or even a series. Travelling around Japan, deciding on which car you'd want to bid on, then bidding on it and bringing it home.
Mighty car mods did basically that a month or so back
Back in 70's I saw a Toyota Crown in a dealers ( I was 17, not able to buy one) it was so much better equipped than a Granada or Vauxhall of the era.
The side view gives me more than a hint of Rover 75. I think it may be the wheels and the door handles. I think if I was in the market for something in this area (and I may very well be in a couple of months' time) my first port of call would be an LS430, but I love that quirky things like this car exist.
It’s looks quite 75. M.
My first thought when saw the thumbnail was a rover 75
I thought so too. The door and wing proportions are very similar, just squared off more.
I never comment on CZcams videos but I've watched your channel for a few years now and I look forward to seeing a new upload, particularly these jdm luxury cars. Thanks for the great vids and humour please keep them coming 😊
Brilliant comment about the satnav. My cousin had one (here in St. Lucia) and the satnav indicated that we were driving in the ocean. We kept driving just for the laughs. Great car.
Well, St. Lucia is in the ocean !! 😀
Greetings from nearby Antigua,
which is ,too, almost in the ocean 🤗
@@chrisfranklin2104 Haha. True! 🥂
Great review! I just picked one of these up last week and it is THE most pleasant car I've ever driven. It's perfect for cruisy, effortless driving. It just glides along the road in total comfort.
If that's what you're into this is a solid choice 👍
Pleasent is a perfect word to describe these crowns. And reliable of course
Very noisy though... Big let down
I'm only ever buying Toyotas for the rest of my life, no matter how wealthy I get.
Me too!
I don't believe any human being is that rational
Lexus too. 😂
You will find the wealthy are more likely to drive a Toyota. You would not find many buying/leasing high depreciation assets.
I bought a Toyota 11 years ago for £1000. spent maybe £4000 over 11 years getting it back to it's former glory and it is worth about £10'000 now.
My kind of cars.
Good vid and interesting. The Lexus you show at 4:15 as a GS430 is actually a LS430.
I remember servicing crowns in the mid 1970's.the front looked a bit like a cruise liner.good car,didn't need repairs,just servicing .
Those UZ V8's are bulletproof and have been known to easily run for over 400k miles with maintenance
There's a guy on CZcams, the car care nut and he has one with over 600k miles on the clock.
There was a 90or so ls with something like 980k on the Matt from the smokingtire got that like every automotive journalist beat the snot out of.
No offence but most engines of the last 40 years can do over 400k with maintenance, even the modern "over complicated" ones. Now approaching double that or above, thats when its getting tricky...
@@GoldenCroc It depends how you define "maintenance." With a Lexus V8 that basically means oil changes and timing belts. With a Chevy Cruze you're talking replacing major components, possibly an engine rebuild to get it to there and even then I bet it would self destruct long before 400k. I had a Saab 9-3 which I maintained fastidiously and I still had to replace nearly every component in that engine bay just to get it to 150k. Injectors, turbo, EGR valve, exhaust manifold, clutch and flywheel, the list goes on. I have no doubt it could have done 400k, but at what cost? A Lexus on the other hand could have done the same with nothing more than regular oil changes.
Most modern german cars have zero chance of making 400k miles, far too much plastic in the engine bay, electronics pack in, all the plastic degrades anyway in time and falls apart. Toyota 400k is as you said standard servicing not replacing every engine bay component
Mystery solved. One past me when I was in Cork, Ireland a couple of weeks ago. No idea what it was and it annoyed me greatly.
Following Brexit used cars for Ireland now largely come from Japanese Imports due to punitive tariffs on UK cars. They are a nightmare as most Asian market cars don’t have alarms and immobilisers - making them theft magnets.
@@robo6548 my wife has a JDM Mazda 2 and I had an immobiliser fitted for that very reason. Cracking little go cart of a car.
@@robo6548VRT is the killer for any import in ireland. It's rediculous.
That applies for the imports from the UK or for Japan
Same platform, engine, gearbox and parts bin as a Lexus GS/LS 430. Either way, a different level of build quality & reliability compared to a Jaguar
Nope same as the LS, the majesta is an LS while the athlete and royal ride on the GS platform. Their smaller brother the mark X rides on the IS one
I can’t help but see the similarity of the silver estate version here, to the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon , with those vertical taillights .
Keep the JDM videos coming. Loved this J
Your videos always have such a great rhythm and pace, I really enjoy watching it. Thanks a lot for the great and fantastic content you are providing us with.
If you ever do go to Japan to bid on cars... I recommend seeing if you can get your hands on a Eunos 500 or 800, both are great. They are proper Japanese 90's luxury, understated, good looking, reliable, great to drive and still a bit of a hidden gem to the general public or people who don't know a lot about cars. I believe they were sold as the Mazda Xedos 6 and Xedos 9 in Europe.
This is the content we waiting for 👌
Lots of these in New Zealand
Great video Jay.
I have one of these in the UK in the West Midlands, but its a super rare TOMs Modellista version which is essentially the same as this one but with a TOMs Supercharger added from the factory, along with some added handling bits, a stronger 6 speed auto by Modellista, Tuned ECU by Modellista and slightly lowered air suspension all from factory. Comes with 340HP instead of 280-300 and is pretty rapid for what it is. Gets to 60 in just over 5 seconds, with insane amounts of instant torque.
Funny you mention its a great car for a young person looking for a first V8, I'm 24 and this is my first V8. I love it to bits! Pretty cheap to insure too, and ULEZ free!
Sounds pretty awesome to me
@@JayEmmOnCars please review this car if the owner allows it! Love seeing these period-modified Japanese executive sedans!
@@SaveTheV8sI want to see this review also
Japan kept so much cool stuff for itself. Would love for them to have brought an LHD version to North America. I have the 1UZ version of this engine, it's truly amazing.
Thanks for the video and Stay safe ✌️.
Hilarious comparison. All due respect , Chalk & cheese!
Total opposite ends of the scale reliability & looks wise! Amen for that! 🙏🙏🙏
We're riding with ya.Great video.
The Crown Majesta has always been on a Lexus LS platform, whilst the rest of the Crown range is on the GS platform.
Love these Japanese motors, my dad had a 1983 I think,,, bk in '91, 2.8 auto, what a machine
The oscillating vents were available in America on, I believe, the Mazda 626 sedan.
Yes they were; see the Car Wizard's programme about the 626 turbo coupe.
Interesting and innovative car packaged in a dowdy and soulless body
04:10 damn it, timing belt, the service is a bit costly, but you have a dependable engine
Watching this from Osaka! Ha. Nice shout out. Crowns are everywhere. Hit me up if you’re coming to Japan, James. I used to live here and my wife is Japanese.
Give me an email on talk@jayemm.com with your details so I can save them! A visit to Japan is a must
I now want to see a crown s220 review, I’ve been eyeing one, they look so good
Such a stately looking machine! Definitely aged very gracefully
Get one of these and have less problems. I think that is a pleasant looking car. Thanks Jay. Thanks Brad. Who in Australia fixes dash cracking?
Wow Crown Majesta what a car 😊 very powerful
JayEmm - single handedly making me look up Luxo Barges… :-)
Perhaps you want a jag but also want a reliable car... not a word used to describe the leaping cat
I’ve had many jags never had one that’s unreliable.
@@karlc4352lucky
Toyota makes legends.
Very funny (the trash dash, the Japanese control buttons, a fix available in Australia)!!!
At approx. 6:20 there is a tantalising shot of what appears to be the boot opening. Would that be remote control then? Btw love the video and the car.
This looks like the Honda Legend in 2007 / 8 model year - nice cars of course. Thanks for the review.🤣
I have the 2016 crown majesta hybrid...let me know if you want to test drive it
I would love for him to review this one
Gulp, so smooth
A friend of mine in Pennsylvania had a 2000s,can't remember the actual year,North American built Mazda 626 sedan w/ 'swinging' panel vents. That is the only car I have ever come across w/ them. Quite a good idea for the a/c on a scorching day!🌞🌞
the bonnet cam is a good look
Amazing car. Only drawbacks are the peeling wood grain dash inserts in Aussie climates
Jay, they didn't sell them outside of Japan. However...they did build them in China as part of a joint venture, for the Chinese market. Well loved.
Also, a UZ engine with a manual is a sweet machine, easiest option, find a 2nd gen Soarer/sc400, manual swap that one. Using most parts from the manual JZ Soarers. Best of luck.
The Lexus LS430 has oscillating air vents - a cool feature that I miss on the LS600h.
So did my 1985 Mazda 626 LX. Had a button to turn the feature off and on.
There are supercharged cars out there which is pretty cool.
It’s worth noting that this, being a 4.3, is the third most expensive tax bracket for a Japanese car (road tax). To tax this is £466, whereas the common 1L is £183 and a 2L is £238.
These large displacement cars are better served overseas than in Japan, so I’m glad people are seeing their value and exporting them before they’re all crushed! 🤗
1 thing a fact, 10 yrs ago CROWN was in fact a level similar to LS in Europe-a luxurious car (actually CELSIOR/LS is derived from CROWN), just LS is growing and CENTURY appeared in Japan, although it’s platform is close to MARK II/mark X, therefore it’s actually a very good car
I had an old Crown in the 80,s lovely comfy Luxury Car
I think if anything what this car shows is what Hyundai was benchmarking when they looked for some influences in their early Genesis designs.
Is it just me or does the Crown Majesta have a strikingly similar side-on look or a Rover 75?
I was thinking the same.
A good spot. It is just a bit bigger, with some origami on the headlights.
Curious comparison . Bought a very low XJ ten months ago at one fifth new price after having driven one of these . I liked both but my wife LOVED the Jag because it IS a Jag and felt like it.
The low km Majesta was half the price and I did like it but I’m driving this XJ( which BTW sits at just under 8L/100km from the diesel motor). I’m in Australia and Australians love these grey imports
Lovely Toyota
the difference between the toyota and the Jag is simple........ IT IS RELIABLE.
Bro …I’m in the US watching this & hands down I prefer this more than anything else they have here 🤦🏾♂️ originally am from Jamaica 🇯🇲 but I luv the looks of these Japanese cars they just so much cut above the rest 😁
The unique thing, that distinguished the old Jag's, from all other Super Sedans, was their Height. the X300/X308 series only had a Height of 1,31m
Compare that to any other Super Sedan brand, while also offering Manual by J-Gate..
U ever got wild on that J-Gate in a XJR X308 James?
Braking on engine, while cornering?
There is no comparison to the Jag!
Love how 90s these cars look.
This is a 00 car though
Yes, I wanted one of these last year, but needed a diesel as the V8 would have cost to much to the run. So I bought a XFS 3L D.
Great car. Enjoy it.
The regular crown was equivalent to the gs and majesta to ls but in 2018 majesta and crown were merged into one right below the ls
Ask him to get you a mark x. The replacement for the mark ii.
The 1GR-FE equipped 3.5l GS iteration with a Tom's supercharger is a screamer.
We need a review on the Nissan laurel
The Majesta was a wider longer Crown than the Athlete/Royal, with the V8. The GS was on the same platform but always a different car in Japan, the Aristo. The LS was the Toyota Celsior.
Love Toyota switch gear, same buttons in my 2004 Corolla Verso that you see in a Crown or a top of the range Lexus. 😅
You have a little advantage in England when it comes to JDMs. For that price and IF it was LEFT hand drive I would have taken it today! 😅
I like it alot
Thinking of swapping my cerato GT for one of these...
The Japanese just can't do the wood effect inlays. In most Toyotas it's bright orange. Here it's a very dull greenish grey on the wheel and on the doors it's insipid.
Nice video! Just a note. In terms of ranking the high end models from very best downwards it goes: Toyota Century, Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS), Toyota Crown Majesta, Toyota Crown (Varients) and so on. In comparision the Celsior and the Majesta have the same engine and transmission but generally thats where the similarities end. Both fantastic high quality and luxurious cars!
Looking forward to your test on a 4th Gen Lexus GS350/Toyota Crown S210
James you don't want the flights to Japan! Especially if like I found out, there is an ash cloud stopping flights and end up stuck in Japan for an extra three days!
The dashboard cracking was design defect for Toyota in the early 2000’s, it also affected the Lexus RX and ES, and also the Toyota Prius.
Reminds me of the Avensis , just bigger and better?? Ok Avensis has top quality leather seats ( very comfortable even for persons with back problems) though , 2 litre economy and fair power.
My 2001 UK spec LS430 has oscillating vents.
Good luck with the Japanese auction house systems !!!
The Crown Majesta was originally introduced during Japan's bubble economy era in response to new dimension (or tax) regulations. Basically manufacturers rushed to design wider, longer and fancier versions of their existing big saloons. My personal favourite is the early Nissan Cima, which is like a cross between a Jaguar and a big American hardtop from the 60's, with an engine from the Z-car.
The owner of this also had a Cima! And that's a great fact to know, thankyou
@@JayEmmOnCars Oh, that's cool.
The Crown is practically anything you can think of..
A luxury sedan? ✅
An SUV/Cross-Over? ✅
A Wagon/Estate? ✅
A taxi cab? ✅
A hearse? ✅
A race car? Surprisingly also ✅
Nice car majesta 👻
Looks like a rover 75 from the side and the back.
@ 16:00..."heads-up display"?
Plenty JDM cars like this in Australia.
I think I'd like to meet this "Brad" 😅
Hi Jay,
How about the output in KW (along with HP) even if only as a graphic? Asking obo South Africa(n) followers.
beauty
Here we go again - straight to autotrader - you know the routine by now.
Rear end reminds me of a USA Crown Victoria, overall it looks like lovechild of a Lexus & Mercedes S class.
Looks like a lexus LS430 - we didn't get this model in the US
Brad has a long driveway
Your local toyota dealer will,service them no issue toyota uk will get the information to the dealer on the service schedule the plug in but does take longer doe to data and who owns what
Ever had the feeling of de ja vu? This is a previous video, that's been slightly edited and re-released, or am I going mad?
🤔🤯 Quite possibly the later ?. In any event, I have never seen this video before !...
You are going mad. Lol
2x Crown Majesta owner/importer here: JayEmms point about the dashboard cracks depending on leather or vinyl interior is bollocks. I have had both leather and cloth in my Majesta's and both had dashboards made from the same material and both were cracked. Brad's car looks particularly bad in this regard though. Incidentally I heard a rumour that a Toyota executive committed suicide after he took responsibility for this defect; whether that's true or not I don't know but it's an interesting story.. By the way UZS-186 is rear wheel drive and UZS-187 is all wheel drive.
They definitely didn't do a leather dash?
@@JayEmmOnCars I've never seen one. It might have been offered as a quality aftermarket solution to hide the cracks though. My first Majesta had factory leather and my current i-Four has cloth, both have the same dashboard.
Update: Just had a quick look online and there is a company selling refurbished dsahboards with leather coverings. They look very good. This might be what you have seen, but there was definitely no factory leather dashboards offered.
All dashboard came trimmed in leather as show in your video. Toyota actually issued a recall for this defect.
Also, you can still get new OEM dashboards for around 90万円/£470
@@TheKingsCrownJapan I've owned two of these cars and neither had leather dashboards. What you see in the video is an aftermarket dash top that sits on top of the dashboard.
Got to love Japanese names for cars……”Majesta” !
Not quite in the league of a “Cedric” or “Gloria”…… but fantastic nonetheless.! 😂
Hey Jay, just to correct you on the dash cracking regardless of seat trim they all do it, I had the leather GRS 182 athlete and a majesta identical to the one you are driving with leather and they both did it, I think it’s down to the glue they used, the Land Cruiser Prado of the same Era does it just not as bad.
Ah I was under the impression the cars with leather interior also had a leather dash
@@JayEmmOnCars yeah I’d hoped so too as both of mine were imported for me, the photos showed a “good” dash but it quickly came unraveled when I saw it in the flesh, I think from memory a new dash from Japan as about 1500.00 AUD at the time less shipping and it was 2 days labour to fit, hardly worth it when a 50.00 dash mat hid most sins.
I have several JDM Toyota's, not all dashboards are cracked. It depends on how and where the car was kept. On the southern islands the heat would crack the dash boards of any car stored outside. I still find a few cracks in the dash preferable to the rust cars in the uk suffer from.
Yes indeed, all the Lexus (XE20, GRS190 etc.) models of that era do the same thing, except in them even the door panels are affected. The glue they bought back then melts the dash material, many other Japanese car makers used the same glue too. You just don't see it in Central/Northern-Europe because it isn't hot enough.
Mazda had ocillating dashboard fan vents on their 6 series cars in the US. Pretty neeat feature, but they never brought it back on their cars after the 80's.
Has anyone noticed that there are hardly any Ls430 for sale anymore. I wish I hadn't sold mine in 2021 😢