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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  Pleased - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Walter McGuinness - November 3 - 8:30 pm

  This car has everything you would want in a car. When you need power it is there. The ride overall is very comfortable. With the front seat back there is still plenty of room in the back seat. The trunk is larger than it looks from the outside. The car holds the road very well. My only real complaint is the sun roof. I get a lot of road noise with the lid open. Close the lid and the noise just about stops. Would I buy another Lexus, I sure would. I avg. about 26 mpg in town and over 30 on the open road.

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  great suv - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By harlan - November 2 - 10:36 am

  Only had the suv for 8 days and love the luxury and the handling. It is a really beautiful vehicle. I was driving an 8 year old Toyota 4-Runner with 142,000 miles. Quite a change from the Toyota. Gas mileage is not too good, but I knew that before I bought the vehicle. I was looking at the MDX but it was not a luxurious as the Lexus

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  Fun in the Sun in So CAL - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By Victoria - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Picked up the SC 430 Ive wanted ever since its debut in 3/01 and it is everything I wanted and more. Lexus left no stone unturned. It is sleek, sexy, and solid. The cockpit envelops the driver. Is there a world beyond its doors? Handling is tight and sporty; the 300 hp blew away a Boxster off the line. Dont worry about the noise from the run flats, its barely noticeable and a small price to pay.

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  Love it. - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By LuckyMe - October 30 - 6:05 am

  The great thing about this SUV is that the body changes so little each year that the car seems like new, at about a third of the price of a new one. I dont like the big new grilles Lexus has been making anyway, I think they cheapen the look. I prefer the more refined grille of the 2010. Despite that mine had somewhat high mileage, it was extremely well maintained by the previous owner and seems like new. I have had no problems with it thus far except I occasionally get a little carriage squeaking on overpasses for some reason, but not on regular paved road. However, otherwise, the ride is as smooth and quiet as silk. My favorite things about this car are the cushy interior and the high ride so that you can practically walk in and out of the car. No having to bend way down to get into the car. The quality of the interior is great, soft leather, nice wood on steering wheel and other locations. The only things that are cons for me are that the charger outlet and usbs are not in a good place. You have to remove a storage bucket in the front center console to get to them. It would be more convenient to have them in the dashboard area. However I guess it allows you to store things that are being charged or played out of sight. Heated seats are very nice. I like the auto lights and being able to talk on the phone handsfree via bluetooth connected phone. Mine is silver (tungsten pearl, to be precise; it is a little different than silver, Ive noticed) with black interior and some light gray around the window area. I love it. Sometimes after I get out of it and walk away, I look back at it just to admire it. I am getting good mileage, averaging about 29 mpg thus far, and thats on 87 or 89. By all means, buy the luxe car a few years later at a fraction of the price!

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  Great - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By Marcelo Cohen - October 30 - 2:26 am

  Great durable plush car

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  Outstanding Surprise - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Paladin1940 - October 29 - 10:00 am

  I thought I wanted an LX430, but the tax incentives forced me to consider an SUV. I looked at several, and fell in love with the GX470 "mid-sized" Lexus SUV. It is definitel "full-sized", but my very tiny wife LOVES to drive this car, as do I. I am a big man, and comfort is very important to me, as well as style, convenience and performance. I have owned several luxury vehicles, and this is my favorite so far. EASY handling, nice ride, beautiful sound system, great finish. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a top notch SUV.

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  none - 2002 Lexus GS 300
  By emschneider - October 29 - 4:20 am

  very enjoyable driving experience.the car is smooth and quite,with lively performance.it was delivered in perfect condition,not one flaw that i have found.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By axhandlebill - October 28 - 5:23 am

  Yep, it is the best car I ever owned, I traded my 2008 Chevy Impala LT that I bought new for a yes used Lexus with 25,000 miles on it 10,000 miles less than the Chevy and a year older, it came with a bumper to bumper warranty for 100,000 miles from Lexus...You dont drive a Lexus, its more like you wear it, its part of you when you drive and it will make a better driver out of you, because you dont mind slowing down for others because you know in seconds you can be up to speed again and with the auto/man shift 6 speed, this makes it like a real sports car and handeling is a snap. Braking like you have never seen and with all the safety features I got a $350.00 year discount from my Insurance.

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  225,000 Miles and no issues - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By RD - October 28 - 4:22 am

  Okay, so the car looks a bit boring, but well over 200,000 miles without a single maintenance issue. This car just keeps going and going. Keeping my fingers crossed on the hybrid battery, but no signs of any issues.

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  Not so much fun to drive - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By SUV_owner - October 27 - 2:53 pm

  This is an overall good SUV, mid-sized, practical and reasonably priced. Handling of RX 350 is OK and it has a very comfortable and quiet ride. Navigation is good, I havent seen real-traffic info in action. Mileage stays around 21 city/hwy combined. Biggest hassle is to go through all the manuals, there is a 500-page thick manual just for Nav. Otherwise, we like it so far.