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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  Luxury Ute - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By bc - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Talk about a luxury vehicle! This is the first Lexus Ive owned and Im very impressed. I like the fact that there was only 3 main options to this and everything else was standard. It made shopping for this so much easier.

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  Best Ever - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By Sandra Saxman - August 28 - 3:23 am

  This is the best car I have ever owned. It is far far better than either my Mercedes SL or Cabriolet. It is beautiful and fun to drive.

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  Fun drive - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By Dennis - August 24 - 11:16 pm

  Its a fun vehicle to drive around town and just as comfort for longer journey. Impressive pick-up and go too.

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  Beautiful Vehicle! - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By lleika - August 24 - 12:08 pm

  If you are trading in, go to CarMax first and see what they would give you for your car. Know what you want to pay before you go to the dealership. The exterior of this car is amazing....drivers sear could be a bit wider, to make it easier to enter-exit the vehicle. The center console is very high, almost like a table...makes it difficult to reach over to the passenger side or glove compartment to retrieve items. Overall: love the car!

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  This car is a dream to drive! - 2006 Lexus LS 430
  By The Big Dog - August 24 - 5:50 am

  I have had many cars in my life and this car is one of the best cars I have ever owned. It is very comparable, but drives like the BMW 745. I raced one of the BMW 745s the other day and we never left each other. So for those out there who think Lexus is only an old persons car, you are mistaken. I am 32 years old and have four other cars including the BMW M6. And the Lexus is still one of my favorite cars to drive!

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  Good stuff - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By JHLohnes - August 23 - 9:10 am

  The quality of the experience is in the ability to easily hold a normal volume conversation going 65 mph with the top down. Interestingly, women in particular love the design. Having owned the prior SC400, Ive gotten many comments from people I know and many I dont, about how they like the style. 75% have been women. It is a tightly engineered, refined use of power.

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  Matador Red....G Spiders....Run Flats - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By GS Driver - August 22 - 7:10 pm

  99 GS 300 owner no more. Lexus nailed it with this one. Corners very well, no give or roll during high speed cornering. Run flats did not interest me, but I liked the look and drive of the car, sprung for the 5 year tire road hazard for $385. Car has 900 miles on it, already had a flat. Tire was not defective, so the $385 warranty already paid for itself ($381 to replace/mount the tire). Overall a great car, Lexus service and quality has always impressed me. Compared to my 99, the 06 mpg is impressive. seeing a 4mpg improvement.The G Spiders make this car.We get many WOWS when showing it off. also, RWD has spare tire std since run flats are an option (AWD has std run flats).

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  LOVE This Car!!!! - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By Brian - August 22 - 6:46 am

  This is by far the best automobile Ive purchased. Extremely reliable and has 115k miles on it... only minor standard maintenance required. Engine performance is very good, firm acceleration, but a few more horses under the hood, I wouldnt turn down. The car is almost 10 years old and the only thing that has needed fixing (above regular minor maintenance) is the rear drivers-side electric door-lock motor. $375 to fix, but was getting very annoying because it was affecting the car alarm when using the keyless entry. Overall; I rate this car an easy 9 outta 10. LOVE IT !!!

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  Best car - 2008 Lexus GX 470
  By AnthonyL88 - August 22 - 1:53 am

  I was driving a 2006 Acura MDX. I then decided to take a look at Lexus. Well, so far the GX470 drive like a GEM. The ride is very smooth and I really couldnt be happier.

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  Another great Lexus product - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By steve - August 20 - 5:23 pm

  This SUV has delivered on all counts. Excellent build quality, equipped almost the same as an LS430 and getting 27 MPG (manually calculated) combined fuel economy - 40:60 city and hwy. City MPG about 2 MPG better than hwy. Our 2002 RX300 averaged 18.1 MPG lifetime with the same driving habits so the hybrid has improved our fuel economy by 50%. Its an all around excellent vehicle.