Toyota Crown Comfort - Asia's Hidden Gem
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- Опубліковано 30 кві 2022
- A short overview of the most iconic taxi of the East, the Toyota Crown Comfort.
I recently imported the first Comfort to the USA, and seeing that there barely exist any videos of this car in English, I wanted to film a mini-documentary/review and spread awareness about this fleet car in the West. This is a 1996 LXS11Y driving school model with a 5-speed W56 manual transmission and a 2L-TE Turbodiesel motor from the Hilux/Land Cruiser Prado.
Eventually, the car will become a Hong Kong Taxi replica complete with the red wrap, taxi signage, and interior gadgets. Follow me on Instagram @hktaxiusa and join me on my adventure! - Авто та транспорт
I'm from Singapore, born in the early 2000s. I would remember taking a ride in one to go to the hospital, I'd come in to the sickening but delightful crown comfort smell. Constantly watching the uncle shifting gears and watching the gear stick wobble on idle. Definitely has a special place in our hearts.
Hi, another índigo here.
I know about this car because I read a lot when I was a child. I am from Mexico, and never traveled abroad, but I though that they were very comfy.
When I see now The same topics on the internet, I feel a little bit şad, because, if I go travel around the world, I could not live the world that I have seen by the encyclopedias.
The Shinkansen 100 series was retired in an independence day of 2003. The TGV that broken the 515km/h speed record went out of service in 2018. The Taipei 101 isn't now the tallest building in the world; it was overcamed by Burj Khalifa and it could be an easy objective for a bombing of PRC's army. The iconic Ford Crown Victoria that was used in NYC as a taxi, went out of service, and This taxis also could end up in Our memories and the whole majority on the museums or in a recycling plant of a chinese car brand of the future that would make a new HK taxi, but that world that we, as índigo people that we are, wanted to know live and in all technicolor and cinemascope, Will only reach us in a wedding or a Sweet 15s, if we rent an antique, and not in its totality.
Friend, I Will say, like Jackie Lee from A Gurls Wurld: "You're very lucky".
Singapore did not want to use LPG taxis, it had report said that both toyota and nissan taxi models did not offer euro 5 diesel engine option and they were stick to euro 2 engine even for new vehicle purchase at that time about in 2010. The word crown comfort did not appear in the sing market , it simply called the crown. Eventually both toyota and nissan lose their taxi market share in sing. The sing taxis stick ro diesel euro 5 engine and beyond, hyundai became a large player since then. Do take note that the last batch of crown comfort and cedic taxis equipped woth auto door, but most sing taxi drivers refrained to use it.
I'm also from Hong Kong and dream of importing a Toyota crown to the US for connection. Out of all the crowns, the two spoke steering wheel gives me the most nostalgia
In singapore, the crown comfort(simply called the crown in the sing taxi market, they were badge as crown not crown comfort or comfort). The last batch of crown comfort or cedic Y31 taxi in singapore was scrapped in about year 2010. Due to the more environmental friendly LPG taxi option was not favourable in the sing taxi market. The sing taxi stick to diesel but at that time there were reports that both toyota and nissan did only offer euro 2 diesel engine but not euro 5 engine at that time. The sing taxi market swapped to hyundai diesel taxi at that time. Eventually, toyota and nissan lose their taxi market share in sing. Only last batch of crown and cedric taxis in sing were equipped with auto door at the left rear door but most sing taxi drivers refrain to use it. Unlike in both hk and japan taxi market, all japanese taxis were fitted with auto door. The earliest or the earlier batch of sing crown and cedric taxis did not equip with auto door feature.
Im from singapore, used to ride this cab here for very much my entire time growing up right till they began phasing these out in favor of electric cars...
The sound of the engine was beautiful.
The smell in there also beautiful...
Always felt like the car ran effortlessly, almost like it was floating... I miss it all.
LPG taxi did not favour singapore at that time. While there were reports said that both crown snd cedric taxis only offer euro 2 diesel engine at the 2000s. When all the lifespan of japanese taxis were over. Hyundai became the large diesel taxi player in the sing market euro 5 or above.
I feel the same way about these things. Lived in Honkers for 9 years, so took them everywhere. Tokyo, the same, whenever I visited.
These days, they're less common in Singers than you might think. The last time I was there (2016) I didn't see that many at all. Taxi drivers use a wide range of other cars there now. All that being said, I'm buying one this year and importing it here to the UK. I miss them.
Yeah, Singapore retired them all in the early 2010s as all diesel taxis were banned. Nowadays it's just those crappy Hyundais roaming around
OHHH the memories of this car, I remember sometimes they would have adverts on the liveries - the most common one I can think of being that "POAD" logo on the green side doors. Very cool project you have here!
From 1978 to 1990, Iraq imported a lot of this type, and most of it was a taxi car, its repair was easy, comfortable and its life was long. I wonder why it is not world famous!
My dad used to drive the longer wheelbase version it is really a "work horse" as a taxi in Singapore. As taxis in Singapore normally runs almost 24 hours. My dad had relief driver to drive at night and only 5am in the morning the taxi finally gets a rest of two hours before it is being driven by my dad. The taxi interior might be outdated compared to modern cars. But, who cares. It is a very comfortable car. In the longer wheelbase version you get many legroom and it's space actually similar to a merc s300. That why passengers always sitting behind in this comfort crown.😊
Column manual shifter is quite something. I remember many taxi cab drivers customized them with big crystal shift knobs:)
2:18 I love how I can go anywhere and hear that Step Brothers reference lmao
getting very comfy vibes from this video, highkey wanna see more! Should do one on the Elgrand, it'd be sweet. Keep up the great work ✌🏼
Great video!
3:49 EDIT: Full-width tail lamps were still halogen; LED third brake light was added in the 2004 refresh.
Proud of your work always bro 💪❤
Thanks Kelvin for always supporting me since day 1 ❤ hopefully we can meet up again someday!!
Can you post an update video? Like how it’s to drive, what you like, what you dislike, comfort and size compared to newer cars etc
Beautiful Comfort!
You have probably the coolest import to america there is)))
Please make a POV Driving around town. Please minimize the conversation and focus on hearing the engine noise and other ASMR of this piece of history. Cheers!
Plenty of room for activities 😂
Very informative video mate! Glad you finally got yours.
Thanks Reece! Can't wait to get it polished up.
I love these! I think I'm right near you once I saw Sierra Madreblvd. This is on my list for a secondary car once it's possible. i love the review.
Thank you! Hope you can see it driving around soon :)
Good video! Still waiting to finally import one myself. Love this car since the age of 6.
Same here!! All because of Jackie Chan movies set in Hong Kong.
I like to share that I found out there are no reinforcement structures in the back body quarter. Just a thin wall of sheet steel. Once I bought a watermelon and took a taxi like this model. When the watermelon rolled to the side, it created an outward dent. Just a a tin can of a car. but spacious.
This structure is specifically designed to absorb the shock during collision and protect the passengers inside the car.
I have seen some of these converted to left hand drive here in the Philippines but I think that was done using 90s Toyota Crowns (not Comforts) that were manufactured as left hand drive until the late 90s here.
Super reliable car on the world ~
Never breakdown and low cost maintenance~😘
Also, auto parts life is long lasting ~
I am from Hong Kong,
Before is a H.K. Taxi Driver.
I hope one day, i can import to UK🥲
hi there i also have this car here in africa particularly in dr congo . i bought it in 2018 in Japan . i like it very much.
I love cars with a really solid axel 😘
@1:49 It is a Diesel engine. They pretty much all sound the same.
@4:54 This car resembles pretty much everything that is uncommon in the US of A, Diesel with manual transmission and compact design.
Congratulations on being the first one to import one to the US! Did you have a hard time finding a 25+ year old model? I actually looked into buying one a while back but the oldest one I could find was from the early 2000's.
Thank you! Yes, the 25 year old models are extremely hard to find as most have been scrapped already. In the past year or so, I have only seen less than five pre-97 models for sale
I would love importing one to Germany one day, and perhaps make it look like a Hong Kong taxi!
Cool car
My grandpa also has one but it's now completely not working
I like it I like this model I like
Now paint the lower-half of the body red and put Hong Kong taxi decals and drive it all the way to Vancouver, watch as the immigrants from Hong Kong scratch their heads wondering if a Hong Kong taxi uncle got so lost he ended up in Canada.
It's been fully wrapped! On my insta @hktaxiusa 😀
@@MajorSir holy fuck it looks very accurate, complete with a hong kong license plate
imagine if a drunk person from hong kong hails over tho and then ask you to drive to idk, aberdeen
@@JustAlice_Mai I'm just waiting for some old 婆婆 to mistakenly flag me down 😂😂
But thank you, it's been a wild journey so far. It's still in the shop but I'm picking it back up on tuesday
If sedans of today were this roomy, the SUV wouldn't nearly be as popular as it is now.
Crown comfort toyota from early 1996 to 2017
I would love to turn one into a Japanese taxi replica.
As a Hong Konger myself I'm half tempted to import one to the US if there weren't so many emissions to worry about😂
Are you in California?
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Thanks for your sharing. Did you do all the car purchasing and paperworks yourself? Or do you have a broker do for you? If broker, would you be able to recommand it to us? Thank you very much.
I think it's only fair to call this Asia's Crown Victoria.
2L turbo engine.....no wonder why HK taxi are like race cars on the road
Hellor 💀 I second commentor 💀
hellodian 💀
師傅，你做唔做生意㗎？