You might get judged for joining the dark side in some other far-off galaxy; but here and now, you can do so worry-free thanks to cars like this 2025 Toyota Crown Nightshade Edition, part of a larger trend of sprinkling stealth on everything.

We’ve seen Toyota give the Nightshade treatment to several other vehicles, but this is a first for their sedan flagship. As expected, it swaps out the reflective trim for a black set: Badging, window trim, door handles, mirror caps… it’s all here, riding on matte black 21-inch wheels.

Based on the Limited grade, Nightshade models include a panoramic roof and 11-speaker JBL sound system. Crown-standard is the 12.3-inch infotainment unit and equally sized digital gauge display. New for ’25, the top Platinum grade receives a Head-Up display, while all models, including the base XLE, benefit from heated and ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.

Under the hood is the same hybrid 2.5-liter four-cylinder paired with an ECVT, rated at 236 horsepower. All-wheel drive is model-standard, and with the Crown’s softly tuned suspension, bumpy backroads spelled little turbulence.

ALEXANDER KELLUM: “Honestly, when the Crown was first coming out, I didn’t really understand it all that much. But every time I’ve driven one since, I’ve started to understand it a little bit more. And I think this Nightshade sort of sealed the deal for me. Now, that’s not just because of the way it looks, though I will admit I like the stealthier appearance.

The suspension, for example. Yeah, there’s a little extra body roll and I’m not super crazy about that. But it’s also very smooth. It’s very comfortable and it soaks up the road, and I do appreciate that. Now, there’s not a lot of road noise, another thing I really like, but there is a little bit of noise with the powertrain; but it’s very smooth, especially with this transmission. And the standard all-wheel drive is a nice touch.”

The 2025 Toyota Crown Nightshade starts just under $50,000 with delivery – about $7,000 more than the XLE and three more than the Limited it’s based on. If you’re ready to embrace the dark side, the Nightshade is available now. And we’ll have more Quick Spins… soon!