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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  1999 Lexus ES 300 - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By Don Sherman - May 20 - 2:00 pm

  Car is in excellent condition save a slight mar on the drivers seat and a few parking lot dings. Everything works as new except for one digit on the LCD multi-CD disply. Excellent handling. Amenities are numerous and dependability is excellent. Quality control is evident throughout. Good acceleration and stopping. Great car for being a decade old.

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  Unhappy in the ATL - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Peter Billings - May 20 - 3:22 am

  I have owned a 2002 1st generation RX300. Bought it as a CPO and loved it. Smooth, tight, solid in everyway. It had good road feel. This new 2017 4th generation is none of those things. Even though my wife bought this car for the luxury and comfort of Lexus, it only partially delivers on that. The feel of the steering feels so disengaged from the road. My 2011 Genesis had complaints about its electric steering but it is orders of magnitude better. The 12" Navigation works but it is a mess. Steep learning curve and it is difficult to manage while driving. You really need to pull over or futz with it at stop lights. But the biggest issue is the lousy buzzing feel we get through the pedal and floor board of the driver. Mostly when the engine is under load. Lexus is being very cagy about this. Sometimes there is an admission of the problem, and other times, you get an answer of "this is normal". Its either an exhaust issue, tranny issue, or engine mount issue. This is at least the consensus on clublexus.com (be sure to read the over 60 page thread on this topic before you buy this car.) I wish I had.

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  Its Good To Be The King - 2000 Lexus LX 470
  By mrfogle - May 19 - 3:30 am

  After looking over many of the luxury SUVs available. The LX is hands down the best "real" SUV you can buy. This 2000 vehicle has almost all the features my new 2006 sedan has (heated seats, auto dimming rear views) and some it doesnt (electronic stability control to prevent rollovers, ride height adjustment and real time dynamic suspension, and two independent climate controls for front and rear passengers). And even though a bit sluggish from a stop, it has lots of pulling power (80% of which is available at just 1100 rpm!), the sign of a "true" SUV with an engine designed for it, not just out of a truck. You will get use to the gas mileage.

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  Bad Transmission - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By Liz - May 19 - 3:06 am

  I just got in to this 2000 Rx 300 and was great it had 113k now over 1 month of driving have 115K and the transmission is gone, I love the suv but a lots of friend said that after 100k trans goes bad , I hope some one told me that before I got in to this pay in cash over $9,000 and now new trans. is a very bad luck or they have this problem and no one report this? please let the consumer to know about this before we keep putting our money on trash.

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  new rx 350 - 2009 Lexus RX 350
  By jmartin - May 17 - 5:03 pm

  1) Navigation system, with adaptive headlights, and rear camera not worth the purchase. Save money by buying a Garmin and jawbone, which work and outperform, what is on the Lexus. Lexus needs to rethink and engineer the technology with the thought in mind that less is more! 2) Lexus reliability is reason for purchase/lease and the appointments which come with the automobile are very nice. 3) Outstanding service with loaner car is a plus as well.

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  The Best of the Best - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By scubadoc - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This is my second SC. Replaced a MB SEC 500 AMG and will continue with the Lexus nameplate because of reliability and quality.

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  My dream come true! - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By MASalvio - May 17 - 10:00 am

  I love cars, buy one every 2-3 years, and have always wanted a sports car. The Lexus 430 SC is truly the car of my dreams. It handles beautifully (except in the snow), feels comfortable as well as luxurious, and I can put the top down in less than one minute. I tell people Im not buying another car until I cant get in this one any longer. There is nothing bad to say; even the gas mileage is acceptable.

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  Great car for a tall person - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By vinterv - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Tried all the sports cars and for the tall person-this is the car. A lot of thumbs up on the highway. You wont be incognito. Just fun to drive.

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  The best even got better !!! - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By martyoooo - May 17 - 10:00 am

  I drove the first Lexus model RX 300 for 86,000 miles and fell in love with the new design of the RX 330. The car is miles ahead of the RX 300 in features, luxury, and comfort. What started out as a great car got incredibly better. Leave it to the people at Lexus !!

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  Best luxury sedan for the money - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By jeff - May 16 - 4:16 am

  Lexus makes the best luxury sedan hands down. It is both reliable and performance driven... a real head turner. This has to be the most technologically sophisticated car ever built. Lexus left nothing to chance and anticipated every need the driver or passenger could ever want. The handling and performance easily surpases anything BMW or Mercedes currently offers and the service Lexus provides is light years ahead of any car manufacturer out there today. American car companies need to wake up and realize how an automobile should be built or they wont be around in the very near future.