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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  Excessive noise and vibration - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By KenK - March 5 - 1:36 pm

  Wish I had read all those posting on this matter before I purchase this car, go to club lexus website and read all about this problem. I just purchased this last week and realize this problem after the purchase. Cant believe Lexus is allowing this to pass QC.

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  Underpowered!!!! - 2016 Lexus CT 200H
  By Robert - December 25 - 6:27 am

  This car struggles to merge and uphill. It turns out this is more like a Prius with some nicer interior and better design. I would not purchase this vehicle ever again. Good thing I leased and in 3 years or less I will be out of it. I would recommend the Golf GTI or the Mazda 3 S Hatchback over this expensive Lexus.

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  My new GS300 - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By jerome - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Ive had nothing but problem after problem with this damn car. Its spent more time at the dealership than with me and the jackasses at Lexus wont even contend that the car may be a lemon. Waste of $$ and couldnt have asked for more horrible dealer service!!

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  Probably my last Lexus - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Longtime Lexus Owner - December 20 - 11:52 am

  Been a Lexus owner since 2003. This one measure up in so many ways, but the noise, drone, and vibration though the pedals, steering wheel and center console are terrible. Lexus tells me thats the nature of this model. My Chevy truck is a dream to drive compared to this one.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By Tom Michalek - December 19 - 4:20 am

  The Lexus brand is by far the greatest rip off in American history. The transmission failed at 100K, and the car has more sensors than any car I know. We have spent over $7,00o in repair fees on this car. I can not believe the reputation gets in the media. They give the Japanese car companies a bad name. Beware.

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  Overpriced gas-guzzling clunky dinosaur! - 2018 Lexus LX 570
  By Anonymous - October 24 - 11:57 am

  One word to describe this SUV compared to others in its class would be: Overpriced. You are simply NOT getting anything worth it’s hefty tag of $100K! Let’s start with what it is LACKING that SUV’s 1/2 its price have.....NO Lane Assist, NO Panoramic Sunroof or Power Sunshade (manual only), NO Quiet Cabin (I clearly hear all road noise and the super irritating noise of the fans whenever the cooled/heated seats or cabin controls are on anything but low...(no excuse for this CHEAP design), NO Touch Pad screens, NO Color Changing Ambient Lighting, NO Choice of Engines, NO Keypad for phone dialing, NO Easy Interface (I am very good with technology but this thing is a joke), NO Rear USB ports, NO Digital Clock (only a hard-to-read analog one). In addition, it has poor leg room in the third due to bad floor design, Poor Cargo Space due to poorly designed folding seats, and ready for this one???!???...it comes with a car starter, but you only get to use it for ONE YEAR before they force you to pay for their Lexus Enform App to keep it going! NO yearly $300 App = NO Starter!! The drive is so clunky and tipsy around turns that I would compare it to navigating a tall cinder block on lego wheels. Oh, and the split truck is actually a big pain b/c they “forgot” to add power to the lower hatch, so if you have something heavy in your arms, you have to set it on the ground to manually open the dang lower trunk first! The controls are in horrible spots (coffee cups will block the single USB port and phone “cubby”, no other place for your phone. I have to constantly take my eyes of the road to try to navigate through the dinosaur limited options screen and buttons. Seriously, every question I have for Lexus on if there is something I might be missing, is met with a resounding NO! Unless you think it is ok to pay $100K for a vehicle that raises and lowers (no big deal since many other SUV’s do this too), and you’re OK with getting 10MPG b/c they didn’t bother to improve consumption, then save yourself from this headache and buy something else. Anything else.

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  Not what I expected - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By big spender - September 17 - 10:00 am

  Even though I bought this vehicle in May. I wish I had test drove it a little bit more. The engine noise is awful. Im getting average performance. I should have look at some other vehicle.

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  Want more Hourse Power? - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By Hourse Power - August 28 - 10:00 am

  Most of the negative feed back has been about the transmition and hourse power...If you want the handling and luxury of the ES300 but with a flaless transmition and a lot more power check out the Infiniti I-35 (255HP 246 ft- lbs) and it costs thousands less! Thats what I did and I dont regret a thing!

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  ES 330 Bad Transmission - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By billp1 - July 7 - 10:00 am

  My ES 330 has a transmission that has significant hesitation between gears. I reccomend not buying this car. This is Toyotas premier car line and the transmission doesnt even work correctly.

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  Long waiting for part replacement - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By algebra1 - June 18 - 3:06 pm

  I bought this car in August 2011 waiting four months for its delivery. On Oct 29 my car was slightly hit from behind and required auto-body repair. It turns out that there is a long waiting time for part delivery. I was told that it will take three weeks at least. That implies that I will be without the car for at least one month taking into asccount the repair time. I wouldnt advise to buy CT200H unless Lexus will correct this unacceptable situation with part delivery.