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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  2 time owner - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By fashiondiva - May 7 - 2:23 am

  I owned a Lexus 300 put 100,000 miles on it in 3 years, could have driven many more years Im sure, But I like to get a new car every 3-4 years. I shopped every car ended up with an RX330 no regrets

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  awesomee - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By awesome - May 6 - 7:03 am

  awesome , my first lexus. ive owned many bmw, mercedes, porsche , volvo. you cant beat the price and build quality and reliability. once in the car its so quiet, all sound outside is blocked out taking all the stress out of driving. the ride smooth ,nice just like a cadillac. you have to get used to the way it drives and how its geared so plot your coarse but awesome. great gas mileage , meant for long distance for sure. very safe. im going to buy one for my wife , love it.

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  Glad I leased - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Fang - May 6 - 3:00 am

  Good comfort and ride. Gas mileage is surprisingly good, between 18 and 24 mpg depending on how much city vs. highway driving we do. Room inside is good for four people. Cargo area is disappointing with rear seat up. Rx is easy to drive and park. Im not really overly impressed with anything about the RX except the power plant, it has very good power for a car of this weight. I will return the RX in 23 months but feel satisfied so far. Just not impressed enough to want to buy it.

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  Terrific Car - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By chippy - May 4 - 11:50 pm

  Utterly reliable. Near supercar braking. Superb handling and ride with L-Tuned performance springs and swaybars that makes stock car seem too soft. Silky smooth engine. Crisp 5MT. Very comfortable driving position. Good controls layout.

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  A solid SUV/vehicle - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Cailor - May 4 - 4:06 pm

  Came from an Audi S4 Avant, and while not a sports vehicle, it does well while providing great space for driver+4 passengers while still getting great gas mileage for an SUV (I am getting approximately 22MPG with highway and city driving). The rear camera very helpful for otherwise difficult to view backwards. Drives like a car.

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  Lexus GS 300 - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By emebane - May 4 - 2:00 am

  Fun car to drive. Looks good on the road. Acceleration is a bit slow initially but car has power. Blind spot is large. Gas mileage is standard. Quite, smooth ride. Hand conrols are easy to use.

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  After two 3-series and a Saab Viggen - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Frequent Car buyer - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I am very impressed. Silly. But I keep finding my self driving the longer routes just to enjoy the driving in the IS300. this car is at least as agile as my 3-series (if not better) - efinately better than Saab. Also to mention is that I chose IS300 after extensive test drive of A4 (3.0) and Infinity G35. For the money, performance and reliability, IS300 came ahead in my analysis. For the first time in my (long) car buying experience, I have no buyers remorse.

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  An Almost Perfect Car - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By topken - May 4 - 2:00 am

  This car has everything I was looking for. Sure, the design from the outside is undistuguished, but heck, when youre driving it you dont see the outside. The Smart Access (like MNs "Keyless Go") is wonderful. I had the XM radio added and when heard through the Mark Levinson sound system- -WOW. Bluetooth compatibility means I dont pay ANYTHING to hook my mobile phone to the car. Like the Smart Access, when youre in the car your phone works through the radio. Hundreds of little well-thought out features, like that extra wipe you get 10 seconds after youve used the windshield washer to get that last drip.

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  Awesome! - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By gtfly - May 4 - 2:00 am

  This is the the seventh Lexus I have owned, and it is by far my favorite. Our LX470 is also great, but this is more sporty, with more get up and go, and more sun to drive. The sound system is fantastic.

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  great vehicle - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By rochy - May 4 - 2:00 am

  I really like my new car. I think it is a very sexy vehicle and it rides extremely well. There are a lot of great options in it at a very low price compared to other vehicles in its class.