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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  Buy it now!! - 2004 Lexus GS 300
  By HHGSOwner - January 23 - 10:00 am

  Traded in my C-Class and am completely thrilled. GS-300 has plenty of power, dont listen to the nay sayers!! Smooth, quiet, touch of understeer which I happen to like. Test drove the A-6, new E-class, 5 series, and TL; this one beat them all out, and got an amazing deal with payments less than my 2002 C-Class!! Buy this car!

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  the best used car to buy - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By alexstano - January 23 - 10:00 am

  already over 230,000 mile still drives like a dream.

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  Look for an adventure - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By looknow12 - January 23 - 10:00 am

  With this vehicle, you look for places to drive. Its comfortable, smooth, quiet, surefooted and handles better than most cars. Every feature and button is laid out where it should be. Navigation system is by far the best in the industry. Touch screen also carries the radio, climate control & DVD. MBs is frustrating to use. Vehicle is unstoppable. Ive had journeys through 40" snow storms with ease and have traversed uphill dirt piles for fun. Of every 4wd vehicle Ive had, this is the most capable.

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  Love My GX470! - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Jerp - January 23 - 10:00 am

  The GX 470 is a dream of a car. Solid handling, plush interior, sharp lines and great ride for such a short wheelbase. Very quiet and roomy.

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  Nice hybrid SUV, not so nice GPS - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By SJFK from Seattle - January 19 - 11:50 pm

  Decided to trade in our 2001 RX 300 Silversport for the RX 400h when price of gasoline skyrocketed. The first 5000 miles has been a fairly pleasant and uneventful experience getting a decent 26 MPG on mixed highway and city driving (compared to 19-20 MPG on the RX 300). I find myself constantly playing the game of trying to maximize the efficiency and in the process developed a lighter right foot to allow the car to "glide" more (CVT is gearless so no downshifts like the conventional transmission when you let go of the accelerator). The car slows down mainly from the force of friction between the road and tires. Hate to admit it, but the car has trained me to become a better driver.

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  Smooth - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By A. Marie - January 19 - 1:38 am

  If satin and velvet had a baby, it would be called Lexus. I have no complaints. Reliable, practical, safe, and rides/drives like a dream.

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  Owned 2 And Love Both Of Them!!! - 2003 Lexus RX 300
  By Fred Yanner - January 15 - 12:03 pm

  This is our second RX300. AWD The first was a 2000 with 52,000 miles when we bought it. It now has 227,500 and Runs & looks just like when I bought it. I found a one owner 2003, RX-300 AWD 91,100 miles on it with navigation plus other updates. Lots of nice upgrades from 2000 to 2003. Both Fantastic cars. I cannot say enough good things about the Lexus RX-300. If you want a car that will take you where you want to go, again & again & again with pure luxury car comfort, plenty of cargo space and 4WD like a snow plow this is the car you want. Knock on wood but we have had little minor problems almost not worth mentioning. #1, A window control switch acting up, #2, A windo oh wait I already mentioned it. We are now selling our first Lexus but I have not listed it in over a month. I am having a hard time letting go of a vehicle that has been so good to us. Your first big tune up is do at 125,000 miles. Timing belt, Spark Plugs, Water Pump, Maybe valve adjustment. Average cost. $2000.00, then you should be good to go for 100,000 more miles. Fortunately the first owner on our 2003 did it early. Thank You!!

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  Great Car But Beware of GPS - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By jpm - January 15 - 6:20 am

  I love the car, which overall is bulletproof in terms of reliability. The GPS system, however, is as non-intuitive as you could get without showing instructions in a foreign language, and the directions are terrible, taking you on all sorts of wild goose chases. My wifes GX 470 has the same problems. Why Lexus cannot come up with a decent GPS system is beyond comprehension.

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  Metal Found in Filter, Heads came off - 2012 Lexus RX 350
  By hwindish - January 14 - 9:09 pm

  At 5000 miles the Head Gaskets had to be replaced gave some lame reason blaming Canada for that no extended warranty offered just sorry. Lets see dealer did oil change at 10,000 I had it done at 15,000 and the mech showed me metal in the oil; filter. Since when are you ever suppose to have metal in the filter, NEVER. The dealer says sorry but factory rep says normal, not in my life time no customer support call the factory their answer since when do you buy a car from the factory. Lexus Carlsbad shame on you don,t buy.

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  add those turbos - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By Aaron J. Lexus - January 14 - 2:00 am

  The 5-speed is definitely the way to go. Add aftermarket air induction, a turbo, and a back-cat exhaust. This alone will up the performance value to a 10. I want to directly port a 50- shot or 100-shot bottle of NOS on mine for some real big horse power gains. Some aftermarket turbos, although reaching about $6,000, offer a boost of up to 500 horse power! Improved handling and a slammed stance can be found in an AEM suspension system. I would think that this car would have a little more room in the cabin since it is a sedan. And Ive always liked 2 door coupes so much more. Its still really phat for being a Lexus.