Overview & Reviews

Lexus has earned a well-deserved reputation for turning out utterly refined luxury vehicles. The hallmarks of this brand are a quiet, well-crafted cabin, a plush ride and commendable performance from powerful, nearly silent engines.

Lexus began out of a desire by parent company Toyota to create a world-class luxury car brand. Groundwork for Lexus was laid in the mid-1980s, when the company began tapping U.S. focus groups in an attempt to define design concepts best suited for American consumers. Hundreds of prototypes were built and tested on Germany's autobahn and on U.S. roads.

In early 1989, the company unveiled its first two models (which would debut for the 1990 model year) -- the entry-level ES 250 sedan and the flagship LS 400 sedan. The LS 400 was lauded by both journalists and consumers alike for offering a stellar luxury-car experience, with a remarkably silent cabin, superb build quality and a refined V8 engine. At the same time, the LS was priced considerably lower than smaller, lesser-equipped, six-cylinder European rival luxury sedans.

By the early 1990s, the Lexus brand was expanded to other markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. More models were added to the lineup, including the SC 300 and SC 400 coupes and the brand's first luxury performance sedan, the GS 300. By decade's end, the company had added SUVs (in the form of the LX 450/LX 470 and RX 300) and had sold more than a million vehicles in the U.S.

The first decade of the 2000s saw Lexus proving itself a trend setter with the launch of many hybrid-powered versions of its vehicles such as the RX 400h and the GS 450h. And by 2011, Lexus even introduced a world-class supercar, the LFA.

In the years since its inception, the Lexus brand has distinguished itself time and again in quality and reliability surveys. The brand's vehicles may not offer as much passion as some Teutonic rivals, but for drivers interested in vehicles that emphasize quality, dependability and comfort, the Lexus marque is hard to beat.

User Reviews:

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  THIS CAR IS BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By This car is bad!!! - June 27 - 2:00 am

  My car broke down in two hours after I got it from the dealer...Bring it back to dealer, got it back and it broke down again in 2 weeks. I should have got C-class, 3 series or Audi A4!!!!

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  DISAPPOINTMENT IN FLAWED LEXUS - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Jeannie H - April 14 - 2:50 am

  There is a KNOWN issue with my 2017 RX350. It sounds and feels like a transmission issue but have been told it is an issue with the exhaust system. They know and have know for A LONG time there is a problem and do not yet have a fix for it. I have been complaining for a year now. Initially, was told it was my imagination but since then was told it is a known issue. STILL WAITING. It is loud and sounds and feels like the engine is not wanting to shift to higher gears. This is my third Lexus as I had found them to be so reliable. Now not so sure. MPG for city is running about 14.5 mpg, should be MUCH higher.

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  I hate it - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Oculos - February 13 - 7:18 am

  The right side A-pillar is so sloped, its almost like a horizontal blind obscuring your vision to the right. The rear view mirror is so large and low, it seriously impedes your vision out the front. The lane departure steering wheel shaker is aggravating as hell. Absent these three issues I would like it a lot. As is, I hate it.

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  My Mistake - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By My Mistake - February 5 - 12:33 am

  This car is a perfect example of a good model gone bad. The drive train in the 2017 is not smooth or powerful, resulting in a herky jerky performance and uneven power even when the throttle is steady. It also has a way too soft suspension that results in instability when going over bumps at higher speeds, such as on an interstate. The drive is comparable to a high mileage vehicle with weak shocks and struts. In addition, the bluetooth set up is both confusing and difficult to navigate. So if you want a new model that is both unattractive because of grill styling, drives like a pig, and is a step down in bluetooth, this is the vehicle for you. Ive owned Lexus vehicles for nearly two decades, and this is by far the worst vehicle that Ive owned.

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  Waste of Money - 2015 Lexus RX 450h
  By Jason - October 8 - 12:13 am

  I am extremely disappointed in my purchase of 2015 Lexus RX450H. I put approx 12k miles and the mpg is a joke at 25-27mpg average. The electric hybrid does not work in excess of 30 mph. In addition, the emergency brake is positioned badly at the left leg shin. The vehicle I purchase sat on the lot for over 150 days. DO NOT take any vehicle that has been sitting around this long. I would definitely not recommend this vehicle.

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  Unhappy RX350 Customer -2017 - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By JTucker - May 31 - 12:56 pm

  Please be sure to drive this vehicle in traffic and slow RPM. Has a shifting issue when you roll in and out of the throttle. Lexus says it is a "characteristic" of the vehicle. It is very frustrating to drive and has turned me into a Lexus hater. Shame on Lexus QC! Would not purchase another.!

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  Try Again 2016 RX - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By mrnew2008 - May 2 - 9:49 pm

  I own a 2008 & 2013 RX; I had my 2013 serviced and they gave me a 2016 RX as a loaner. I am not happy with the UGLY black plastic around the wheel wells of the 2016 as it looks so cheap for a luxury car. The front seats are so hard that my back and buttocks were hurting even after trying to adjust the seating. The navigation and entertainment is difficult to operate while driving. I dont have this issue in my 2008 or 2013. The engine noise while accelerating is horrible; it sounds like 4cyl engine struggling to move the car. This is not something that I would expect from Lexus. The inside looks absolutely fantastic; however using the technology is difficult. The AC sounds as if its about to blow me away; however, living in Houston, TX I can appreciate that it cools very quickly as our summers can be brutal so I can deal with the noise (i guess). My 2008 is not as noisy but it does take a minute to cool off in Texas heat. I hope Lexus makes some changes to the 2017 RX as I will not purchase this generation RX.

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  Trust is completely broken on Lexus brand. - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By DanK - February 19 - 1:48 pm

  This was my first Lexus with some positive expectations based upon the reputation it has carried for decades. After one year, the whole family has concluded that the car was actually not good. I drive 4-5 cars concurrently and have experience most foreign cars including German luxury ones, Japanese luxury brands and many Korean brands. I would say this is the worst experience I had. Performance is bad. Horse power is not enough, handling is rough. Surprisingly, pretty noisy car. Comfort? I don’t know what today... I just feel more tired when I drive this car compared to all of my cars (Mercedes, BMW, Honda, Acura, Hyundai, Kia, even Proche, etc).

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  Making Lemonade With This Lexus Lemon - 2016 Lexus RX 450h
  By Mike Tinsley - September 29 - 5:50 pm

  Hopefully, the problems Ive had are unique. At 1438 miles, had to replace the fuel tank, fuel pump, fuel gauge and brake pump booster; in shop 21 days. At 10,019 miles, scheduled lift gate recall repair and oil change; took 45 days to get part and second trip to dealer for installation of part. At 12067 miles, replaced leaking transaxle oil seal. At 20,140 miles, replaced same leaking transaxle oil seal for second time and replaced transaxle itself. According to my service adviser, the transaxle was scored and was a factory defect; took 6 days to receive part. At 20,153 miles, the air conditioner on the drivers side quit (I live in Texas and the temp was still near 100); took 16 days to get damper servo so it could be repaired. On one occasion, the radio was on, but no sound would emit regardless of what I tried; restarting the engine caused it to work again. On one occasion, several warning lights flashed, but I couldnt tell which ones they were since I was driving. Ive been driving a Lexus hybrid for almost 4 years, and know how to start it. About 20% of the time, I have to try a second time to start the car. None of the electrical problems created an error code and the service department cant replicate them. Fortunately, I leased the car, and it will be returned at the end of the lease. My wife and I really wanted to keep this car (I even flew at my expense from Dallas to San Antonio to get it as it was exactly what we wanted and was the only one of its kind in North America), but its been far too unreliable for us to do so. Im grateful all these problems have been handled under warranty, and Im grateful that the dealer always provides a quality loaner for us to use when our car is in the shop.

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  Do not buy or lease this car! - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By John - August 23 - 7:01 pm

  Bad transmission , vibration most likely caused by muffler. Lexus will not do anything about it. Should have purchased a Ford -much better quality. Dealer will not tell you about the problem the RX350 has- DO NOT BUY! Will never purchase another Lexus.