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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  Performance, Comfort and Reliability - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Jose R. Nevarez - June 4 - 12:30 am

  So far this vehicle has given us great service with no mechanical problems at all. Its quite comfortable, great for long family trips, excellent power and lots of features. Services at the dealer were a rip-off though. Trying to push services like changing wipers that were perfectly fine with the oil change. If you didnt take those services, they gave you a little attitude. I was able to find a certified mechanic that specializes in Acura and Lexus that was able to service it for about 1/2 the price of what the dealer charges by concentrating on things that really need servicing. I guess he doesnt have the overhead of the dealer.

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  Love my Lexus - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By Dan J. - June 2 - 12:56 am

  Great car, however hunts for gears while crusing at 80mph plus up and down hilly terrain. Nothing a supercharger wouldnt fix! I hope TRD is reading this.

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  Some design flaws - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By oldgolfer - May 27 - 4:56 pm

  I have owned 5 Lexus. 1st was 1990. The best was last model of the 430. The new model has the following flaws, 1) Seat comfort is not the same as previous. 2) The rear view window is not large enough an one suffers from not having the same visibility as previous models. 3) The trunk is smaller due to the larger indented wheel wells that result in loss of space. 4) The design doesnt say, distinctive or luxury... instead it says, "this is a pregnant Camry."

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  so far so good - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By niteflite - May 24 - 11:33 pm

  Have put on around 1,000 miles on the 06 300 AWD i bought used while it had 36k on it. Overall its been ok. Not the best but decent acceleration, smooth enough braking, ride comfort however has been just average. I feel and hear all bumps.. i thought luxury cars were supposed to smooth them out for you? i think id take ride comfort and smoothness over the bells and whistles any day. the car feels too heavy.

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  Reliability Rating? - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By Esdrvr - May 14 - 10:03 pm

  Disappointing reliability. I had to replace the transmission (failed solenoid pump) at 150k mi. You have the option of "rebuilding" or "replacing". Lexus wanted $3400 for this, I rebuilt it for a hefty $2600. The "new" 99 tranny is twice as expensive to fix as a 99 Camry due computer chips in the transmission. All 4 struts needed replacing at 150k mi as well. The "check engine" light has proven quite annoying as it appears a few times/yr due to a fuel system anomaly. This automatically disables the Traction control system and a dummy light appears for it as well. 21-23 mpg as I would guess this is standard for a 3 ltr V6. Poor turn radius. Disappointing reliability overall.

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  great car - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By sam song - May 6 - 10:00 am

  very good experience. beautiful inside and out.

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  Snow Performance - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Clarence - May 6 - 1:23 am

  Definitely not a snow car. First real snow test. Very poor performance. Perhaps snow tires would make difference.

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  A sportier 3 series for $10 grand less - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By Zeus - May 4 - 10:00 am

  The car is a pleasure to drive. Love the manuel stick. Engine revs nicely and steering is laser sharp. Feels well put together and trust that it will easily last 10 years. An excellent buy.

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  Great car but watch out for rattles.... - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By RSinTx - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my ES300 for about 2 months now. I love it except for the fact that I had to take it back 6 time to get rid of a rattle comming from the passenger door. (After sending out a factory engineer, it was determined that the car needed re-welding.)While they were at it, Lexus also got rid of a couple other rattles. Rattles notwithstanding, however, this is truly a wonderful car to drive.

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  Bad HID - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By R. Lefleur - May 2 - 10:50 am

  I find the HIDs very bad in hilly driving. I constantly have to put on the high beams to illuminate the road properly. They are nice and bright but set too low. I find no fault with the transmission. In town mileage is poor... avg 16- 17/mpg. Highway is about 22mpg. Dealer service is excellent, build quality excellent. Had a chance to use the AWD this past weekend in snow and ice... very good!