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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  sporty luxury - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Sporty Luxury - March 21 - 10:23 pm

  fun to drive with the optional standard feature & extremely easy to handle! great feel of control on the road and yet smooth and quiet. sporty luxury!

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  Engineering Masterpiece - 2007 Lexus GS 450h
  By jmh - March 21 - 8:26 pm

  I understand the lack of trunk space - where else to put the battery. Worst mileage is around town at 23; best mileage 28.5 at avg. 75 mph on a 500 mile trip. Navigation system and electronics, particularly LED interior ligthing, are way ahead of competitors. This one was equipped with the collision avoidance package - speed matching on cruise takes some getting used to but is easy to over ride with the gas pedal. I honestly believe you could set the cruise at 80 and head for a obstacle or wall and the system would stop the car well short of it.

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  great fun car but not a BMW - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By hog4oc - March 21 - 10:00 am

  I had this car for 1 week, my wife and I love driving it, we also own BMW 5 series, it is definitly not a BMW, but different kind of fun car to drive around. It is a good experience for us, much better than any Toyota cars around.

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  Love my RX - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By Barbielou - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Have now put on 25K miles on my Lexus RX 300....still couldnt be happier after three years driving. Cars were just transportation before I got this now I have a whole new outlook on getting around. Also, everyone who rides in in loves it as much as I do. No repairs yet worth mentioning.

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  Fantastic Car, Only Minor Quips - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By my03tundra - March 20 - 10:03 am

  For many years prior to getting my Lexus, I had been driving trucks and SUVS. I had a 2003 Toyota Tundra, 2007 Honda Ridgeline, 2008 Honda CR-V, and a 2011 Ford F-150. I loved my F-150 and for a pickup it got good mileage. Sadly, I was in an accident in May that totaled my truck, but I wasnt. After that, I was without a vehicle until September when I stumbled upon the car. Literally. I had told a family member "Im thinking about buying a used luxury car," when she did a Google search and found my car! I love the car. Comfortable, handles confidently, and has everything but USB and Bluetooth connectivity.

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  Money is better spent elsewhere - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By Angela Marshall - March 20 - 9:10 am

  I had been a Lexus-for-life customer until this purchase. There is a vibration in the vehicle that resonates in the passenger seat that I am told after three trips back to the dealership is coming from the transfer case and is characteristic of all GX 470s (we also own a 2004 Tahoe that has a better interior ride). I have owned two LX 470s prior to going to the GX and regret every penny spent. When I contacted Lexus corp they were simply complacent about my dissatisfaction, they thanked me for the call and, in essence, recommended that I shop at a different Lexus dealer next time. Recommendation: buy a different make, for the money there are a lot to choose from.

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  Terrible gas mileage, no back seat room - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By slow_jim - March 19 - 2:44 pm

  Surprisingly little room for a luxury car. My wifes 2010 Insight had more room. We bought this hoping that the gas mileage would be better than rated, as I had heard some owners were getting 30mpg highway. We did not find that to be the case. Even without the PWR button on, we were only getting ~22mpg highway on premium. Simply unacceptable for such a small car. Also the dash on these has a chronic melting issue on the passenger side airbag cover. Interior really does not hold up well over time. My car was an 04 but felt more like it was 15-20 years old. Got rid of it in less than 6 months and gladly took a loss on the sale. Maintenance at Lexus dealerships is expensive, take it to Toyota

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  Review of LEXUS RX 330 - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Roxanne - March 19 - 7:43 am

  This is the third SUV (LEXUS) we have had since 2000. They keep improving each year. Nothing ever goes wrong with these cars although we admit that we do not drive them hard nor do we put a lot of miles on the vehicles. The major factor is that they are very safe vehicles along with all their luxery.

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  Wow. Run (dont walk) away from this car. - 2011 Lexus LS 460
  By doughroller - March 16 - 3:45 pm

  The NAV system is much worse than the 430. To push a button on the screen you have to press the screen and then release the finger press before the system acknowledges the button press. This effectively doubles the amount of time it takes to enter an address. There is a knocking sound that is an inherent design flaw. The sound is caused by the fuel pump. The dealer repair shop at first pretended they couldnt hear the sound. Then they admitted it was a design flaw they couldnt rectify. De-contenting is a term that means the manufacturer has removed features that used to be there. This model has been decontented from the prior 430 in many ways.

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  Love it - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By dan - March 16 - 3:16 pm

  I have had my ES 350 for a month now and I love it. I looked at a lot of other cars before buying this one and it is well worth the money. After buying this I would recommend this car to anyone who is thinking about buying one.