Toyota Majesta_ rear wheel drive madness!

This new 2005 model Crown Majesta Athlete follows in the footsteps of the Crown Royal Series, which has for years been the obligatory vehicle in the Japanese local government motor fleet. It is a handsome car with little changes being made over the years to its exterior looks. On the inside, Toyota has thrown all their latest engineering wizardry to keep owners and drivers happy on the road in almost all conditions. What was even more surprising as we took delivery of our test unit courtesy of Naza World was its rear wheel drive layout. This means possible tail happy driving around fast corners and ‘U’ turns.

All About the Majesta Athlete
Put simply, this is a Japanese car with European pretensions (which is not a criticism, instead it is all very positive). It might not be as big as some of the European luxury sedans that are coming into the market but it’s still about the same size as the popular 5-series and E-Class. Front passengers have little to complain with its spacious armchair like seats, while legroom in the rear is adequate rather than generous for three but shoulder room is more than adequate.
The driving position is excellent, with a multi-adjustable electric seat that wraps you up with support in all the right places and offers a commanding view up ahead. The steering wheel is electrically adjustable, and it is easy to find a sweet spot. Looking behind you though, is a different matter as the chunky headrests on the rear seats and the thick C-pillars obscure some important spots but it is all soon forgotten when you start the drive. The cabin is well-equipped with all the usual driver aids and luxury appointments, including a navigation system that has been preloaded with only a map of Japan (you could get a local map loaded in with the right application professional), multi-CD player (which needs some learning to operate since the instructions are all in Japanese), an onboard computer and an on screen climate control system. The steering wheel is covered in leather and provides a very tactile experience as you feel your way around it.

Majesta Athlete Rear Wheel Drive
Ignite the 3.5cc V6 and it murmurs with a faint soundtrack. Prod the accelerator and the volume moves a smidgen up with the solid cabin insulation in place. Lower your window and the volume not only gets louder but also interestingly intoxicating. We start our test with little enthusiasm as we make our way to the open road. Acceleration is surprisingly good with just a light prod of the pedal. Mid-range trust is even more inviting as we exit the roundabout in section 14 and head to the open LDP highway. The tarmac opens up and we let the V6 sing. Piloting the Majesta Athlete is a joy. The rear-wheel drive, for the most part of our drive gives it the handling of a much smaller, nimbler, sportier car. The steering is positive, cornering is very sharp, and the ride is smooth without being soft leaving us to wonder if this is really a product of Toyota. The fitted stock 225/45/18 wheel tyre combination also made good work of grip levels even when we tried smoking the rear end with full throttle at the lights. Where the performance of the Majesta Athlete is impressive is in the low rev range there is little to complain as you can take the engine up to a generous 7,000rpm without any problem. This means that even at very low revs the car pulls away magnificently and at full throttle the response is astonishingly good and evenly distributed along the torque curve. Overtaking is a breeze. As is changing gears with the slick six-speed steptronic gearbox, which operates as a full automatic or a semi-automatic, and it moves up and down with impressive fluidity.

The ride is unspectacular without being unpleasant and, together with the handling, makes this executive sedan feel more like a grand tourer rather than a boring mobile boardroom. The six-speed semi-automatic gearbox is well-tuned to the V6 and gives the Majesta Athlete a fair amount of grunt in almost all gears right up to the restricted 180km/h. We are sure an additional 40-60km/h can be reached if the engine is allowed to show its true hidden talents.

Majesta Athlete Conclusion

The look of this car is somewhat bland in comparisons to the GS300 and even the Camry and it definitely won’t send the neighbors gossiping about your new found wealth but behind the wheel excitement is where it all counts for a car like this and it is a real sleeper. At a selling price of just over RM300K, it might have a tough time beating off the European and even some Japanese competition, but the Majesta Athlete certainly makes Toyota a real player in the performance executive segment, and the most significant thing about this car is its rear wheel drive happiness and its ability to perform like a hot headed sports coupe.