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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  $45K Tin Box - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By mikefoley9 - February 8 - 8:56 am

  I have 1500 miles on the car. I traded a BMW for this "tin box". Do not believe Consumer Reports about how great the car is. It is very light bodied with a lot of road noise, sloppy steering. Lexus Quiet!!! This car has a lot of noise. I will be trading for a BMW or Benz in the spring. Do not be fooled. Drive a BMW or Benz before you purchase a RX350. Yes, it is just a dressed up Toyota for 10K more. The RX350 compares to a Ford or Chevy not a BMW or Benz.The only saving grace is the dealer service and the fuel economy is great. I did have two small problems that have been corrected.

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  Poor fuel economy and disappointed in first Lexus. - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Ann - February 1 - 11:18 am

  The Rx is advertised as 20 mpg city and 28 hwy. I have been getting 13-15 mpg city and 21-24 on hwy. I took it to Lexus for review and they also could not accomplish 28mpg hwy while they were driving 62mpg with cruise activated on highway. I cant imagine driving 62 mpg on highway. They were able to accomplish 20 in city by just barely pressing gas in city.. Not sitting idle.. There is a loud noise coming from engine area when AC fan is turned on. The navigation option is difficult and I would rather use my iPhone.

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  Who invented the electronic transmission - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By very angry - February 1 - 2:00 am

  Dont get me wrong, I love the look of this car and the handling. The navigation is great! But... the new electronic transmission is awful. In stop and go traffic is slams into gear actually throwing you forward in your seat. The worst is in passing situations: Ill floor it and nothing!!!, it sometimes takes a full second to respond, and its not predictable, it doesnt always do that. Lexus says they are aware of the problem, but it meets factory standards so "too bad". A waste of $48000 bucks!! its just plane dangerous to drive!!

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  Beware - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Mrbmom - January 6 - 6:46 am

  This car has a terrible blind spot , making it very dangerous to back out of parking lots and other road situations. No amount of luxury can compensate for this flaw. Also, it is inconvenient for me to be able to open the trunk only with a key, since I usually have my hands full with packages and the key is buried in my purse.

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  Transmission break down. - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By saimatha - December 28 - 12:23 pm

  I have 115000 miles. The transmission had failed on the freeway. Cost to have it fixed with a remanufactured transmission from same dealer is $3400. Surprized to find this failure at 115000 miles. did not have this problem with US cars even with mileage more than 150000. Are we blind sighted to the quality of Lexus? This dos not complain about the failing door locks and engine light on etc.

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  Disappointing - 2011 Lexus RX 350
  By simsim_23341 - December 28 - 4:09 am

  I had high hopes for this vehicle but sadly it didnt deliver. Its built like a toy. Never again.

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  They are not as good as they say. - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By Michael OBrien - December 23 - 3:13 pm

  My LS430 has been plagued with some minor and one major problem. Lexus and the dealership have given up. Is this what I paid $70k for? It is not the reputation I had heard about and influenced me into buying a Lexus. Navigation system very unfriendly and at times useless. I think I will try an XJ8L - at least it looks more stylish.

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  First and probably last - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By David Moore - December 16 - 9:00 am

  I bought this car fully loaded. I would not consider the stereo system to be premium. I feel the car leans too much on turns. On a highway, you can feel every bump in the road and I feel the ride is jittery and tosses you from left to right as you travel. Too much engine noise when car downshifts. Not expected in a luxury car.

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  Rattle Box - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Eric - November 22 - 10:56 pm

  This Lexus has soooo many recalls for dash squeaks and rattles that its amazing it got out of engineering. Ours has been in the shop 7 times in 2 months for interior noises. The air conditioning vents rattle and click, the instrument cluster bezel squeaks, and every loaner we have gotten does the same thing. The engine is buttery smooth and very reliable, but we have to get rid of this car. My wife and I spend countless hours driving around trying to find the sources of all the plastic rattles. LOW BUILD QUALITY on the interior. Too much cheap plastic. Its too bad, we cant figure out what other car we would want more.

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  gives only 22 MPG vs 30 - 32 as stated on sticker - 2013 Lexus RX 450h
  By neelimag - November 13 - 3:11 pm

  I traded in my Lexus GX470 after 6 years for the 2013 450h. The estimated mileage on the sticker is NO WHERE close to what the vehicle actually gets. I am getting 22-23 average miles per gallon! I called the sales man and he asked us to bring it in. Service dept told us there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The dealer told us to call Lexus corporate office. We are very disappoitned with the way the sales maanger treated us. He was insensative and blew us off. My family has been buying cars from LONGO Lexus (El Monte, CA) for 30 years. We will nto buy from LONGO again. I sincerely hope that taking the time to post this review will sufficiently warn others fo the this disparity in mileage