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:

• 

  RX300 End of Lease - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Buckeye - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Extremely reliable. Luxury sedan with the benefits of higher ride position. Comfortable interior.

• 

  Super Car - 1999 Lexus LS 400
  By Mike - September 13 - 10:30 am

  I bought the LS 400 certified pre-owned. The car is now almost 8 years old and it rides beautifully to this day. I had one minor mechanical issue early on fixed under warranty. Overall I am very happy.

• 

  Overall very good, but not perfect - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By DCAir - September 11 - 8:46 am

  I bought this car new and have taken care of it ever since. All complaints have been fixed or Im able to live with for a 10 year old car. Still looks excellent and drives very well.

• 

  This review for 2001 -- Still has bugs - 2002 Lexus LX 470
  By RL3 - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I had a 1998 LX470 with several problems. It always pulled to one side or the other (steering wheel never centered correctly) on highway; emergency brake cable rattled near/at right rear wheel; tilt/telescope motors went out several times. Lexus never could fix either problem; took back under lemon law. I bought a 2001 just like it hoping they would have fixed problems. New 2001 pulls to left at highway speeds; same emergency brake cable rattle at right rear wheel; tilt/telescope motors already replaced once; transfer case replaced (vibration); Several rattles interior. Very disappointing to have basically same problems on same vehicle 3 model years later.

• 

  103,000 Miles and going well. - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By TimSmith - September 2 - 8:16 pm

  I have put a lot of miles on this guy and have yet to do anything but scheduled maintenance. Rides like the day I bought it, gets great mileage, and still is in very good shape.

• 

  All good but mileage - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By BCOHEN - September 1 - 11:46 am

  Very comfortable car to drive. Really enjoy sitting up higher than other SUVs. Only complaint is the mileage - 17 on a good tank.

• 

  Lexus is Luxury - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By DanoDano - August 28 - 2:00 am

  We have owned this car for 3 weeks and have been pleased so far. We drove a BMW330i, Audi A4 and a Volkswagen Passat before buying the Lexus.Sitting in the Lexus for the first time, my wife and I looked at each other and said "wow, this is nice". Driving, the ES was serenly quiet, the Mark Levinson stereo and Nav system are great. What sold me more than anything on this car was the dealership experience. They were even going to deliver the car to our house and pick up the Acura we were trading in.....and we live 60 miles from the dealership.

• 

  Love it so far - 2016 Lexus NX 200t
  By Fyrcat - August 22 - 9:16 pm

  I traded my 1999 RX 300 towards the purchase of the 2016 NX f-sport. I got the ultra-white with black interior. So, I was disappointed in the materials used for the interior. I came from wood and leather in the RX. I though Lexus was strictly top shelf, and was disappointed in their using nuluxe, aka, pleather, aka vinyl. And NO wood, and NO options for an upgrade. I am hearing that the non f-sports may offer a leather option. Also, only two color options..one all black, one mostly all black with red accents. I would have liked a lighter interior...black shows EVERYTHING! So, in addition, not thrilled about Lexus Enform. Perhaps I am in the minority...I only drive less than 5,000 miles a year. My trips tend to be the same, grocery shopping and errands. We dont tend to go on long road trips. In addition, we live in the trees, and our roads are covered in trees and satellite goes in and out..so I will not subscribe to Lexus Enform...which after the first free year runs some $300.00 a year. There was a bit of hard sell on this at the time of purchase, seperate from our actual car salesman. I spent 1-2 hours with a technical advisor..just wanting to get out of there. I am one who reads manuals, and learn what I need to. The vehicle itself is super fun to drive..is super comfy, and drives a bit like a sports car. I love it so far, and am hoping it is as reliable as my old friend the 17 yr. old RX300. And perhaps, someday Lexus will offer leather seats for the f-sport, and I would look into trading out my vinyl ones.

• 

  Great but has problems - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By HikeAz - August 17 - 10:00 am

  This is our first Lexus. We purchased this brand to avoid trips to the dealer for repairs, etc. Unfortunately, it hasnt turned out that way. We have had either an engine or transmission howl that is getting progressively worse. Perhaps if the rest of the car wasnt so quiet, we wouldnt notice the howl. To the credit of the dealership, they have bent over backwards to attempt to correct the situation but so far, no results. After this experience we would think long and hard before we spent the extra money on a Lexus. I think we will go back to good old Toyotas ... same or better quality at far less cost.

• 

  Not up to Lexus Quality - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By R. Thompson - August 17 - 10:00 am

  Love the way the car drives. Love the look inside and out, but---- Much noisier than the RX300 I had before. Transmission very rough and jerky. Air conditioner VERY noisy. Too many interior rattles. This one has to go back to the dealer for many problems--transmission, air conditioner. Not used to taking Lexusin for problems. Car has been disappointing--overall.