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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  Lexus 330 - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By hamathome - June 12 - 2:00 am

  a real dog. Transmission problems make the drive jerky. Have been told by repair people they have other similar compalints about transmission problem. We were told car will "adjust to our driving style." What???

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  noise in low speed - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By mike - June 9 - 7:25 am

  this rx350 has been in shop three time in less than 6000 miles viberates or grinding noise mostly on take off . hesitates when you give gas.they donot have fix. lexus will not stay number one if this is what they putting out.

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  rx 300 lexus - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By kosudo - June 6 - 5:31 am

  i had transmission probrum 53,000 miles replaced new one after 50,000miles later transmission fell again in right middle of in death valley ca. it was so bad we had to wait 3 hours to toeing truck to arrive.i called lexus on thursday 4-16-20013 they told me get back to me on tuesday on 4-23-20013 still no answer. they told me to wait one more day. i am so angry about whole thing taking such long time to get back to me. i have rental car, have to return.

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  To start or not to start - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Annie Keenan - May 28 - 2:22 am

  There is a technical glitch with this model that Lexus hasn’t come up with a fix for. Periodically, about 4 times a month, the car won’t start when first turned over. A message appears that states “ Braking power low. Pull off the road. Check owners manual”. Lexus says to keep trying, push the petal harder and the car will start on the second, third or fourth try. They claim the car is functioning normally. My other Rx’s never had this problem. Be prepared to face this surprise each morning!

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  Poorly Built - 2007 Lexus RX 400H
  By GKC - March 11 - 6:23 pm

  You should think twice before buying this vehicle. I am only 56" and when delivered, the front seats of my 400h would not go back far enough and had to be unbolted and moved, at a $500 expense to me. Also my head is against the roof with the seat all the way down.The front seat belts are too short and extensions have to be used which compromise safety. The car lunges forward, usually in park, when it switches from electric to gas engine. Gas use runs 20 mpg in town and 17 mpg on the road. It has been back to the dealer and they say there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.

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  Defective transimission - 2014 Lexus RX 350
  By ybtruth - March 10 - 12:13 pm

  I just bought a brand new 2014 RX 350 SUV from IRA Lexus in bedford nh. When we drove the car home we noticed vibration when switching gear on the freeway. The transmission was defective and needed to be replaced.

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  Fail Lexus, The Buick of Japanese Automakers - 2011 Lexus GX 460
  By tazdevl - October 24 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th Lexus. In hindsight I should have bought something else. I dont know if Ill buy another one. Lexus has gotten complacent and are seeing declining sales for this very reason. They had an opportunity to improve the GX470. Instead they have made a series of poor design decisions and dropped the ball on acceptance criteria which resulted in a subpar and dated product making it to market right out of the gate. Couple examples and it gets worse. 2010 RX350 has compass in mirror, offroad SUV does not. Have to use remote to turn on rear ent, no way via nav. Lexus needs to respond to complaints and do something, instead of just giving lip service. No longer the Lexus of old.

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  Should have kept my Audi - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By StikW/AUDI - September 10 - 10:00 am

  If all cars drove as poorly as mine wed all take public transportation. The dealership, when they can be bothered to return my calls, tells me its normal for a Lexus to have an extreme amount of vibration in the steeringwheel, even on the smoothest roads you can find in southern California.

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  A poor excuse for a Lexus - 2010 Lexus GX 460
  By GX 460 - August 8 - 2:00 am

  This is my 3rd GX vehicle 05,08 and now a 10. This vehicle with all the hype about how this one was suppose to be the best. No power, very uncomfortable, when opening the door sounds very tinny and cheap. On a trip, seats are very thin when compared to the 05 and 08. Engine has no zip like previous models. I strongly recommend someone to check these items prior to purchasing.

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  Disappointing quality - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By wdh - August 7 - 6:52 am

  I purchased my RX after owning a GMC Envoy. Unfortunately, I cannot say the RX is any better than the GM product. I think Lexus is really slipping on their vaunted quality. On the plus side, the RX is very well behaved on the road. It handles well and is a comfortable ride. Luxurious interior and nice ameneties. My problems began shortly after the warranty period expired. First, the clips that hold the cargo cover in place quit working. They just snap loose and will not hold. The next problem was with electronics. The sun roof stop sensors quit working, so that the sun roof overshoots the closed position. Very hard to get a rain seal. The switch for the left rear window also quit worki