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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  impressed - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By bojai - January 27 - 10:00 am

  everything about the car is great. except that the size of the gas tank is too small so you often have to go to the gas station to fill up. it only averages 300 miles on a full tank. also, it lacks power. car is very smooth and rides nice but it does not have enough acceleration for 4.7 liter 8 cyliner vehicle. other than this, everything is great and i enjoy driving the car.

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  Bought it used, but it still had zero problems! - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By gpokhare - January 26 - 11:19 am

  Bought it w/ 120,000 KMs and as a rebuilt title. Amazingly fun car to drive in the summer, and is extremely reliable. In 2 years owning it, outside of having to change the brake pad and battery, I only had to come in to the shop for oil changes and tire changes. However, the car is not good for heavy winter driving. Because its RWD and fairly light, you have to be extremely careful when driving it in heavy snow roads as it tends to slide. The stock stereo is unbelievable. I tried a 2014 BMW this year, and the stereo on that didnt even match the 03 Lexus IS stereo. Also, this cars safety features protected me very well when I was t-boned by another car. I would highly recommend this car.

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  Fuel Economy - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By mer - January 21 - 5:20 pm

  Picked up my RX 400h about 3 weeks ago and I am very pleased. Overall gas mileage is 27 mpg for the first 844 miles. My usage is about 50% highway and 50% in town driving. Lowest mileage was 25.8 and highest was 29.7. The car is extremely quiet and comfortable. Build quality is excellent and the interior design very good. It has exceeded my expectations.

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  Wind noise 2010 RX 350 - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By spagirl - January 14 - 5:50 pm

  The wind noise is evident even at relatively low speeds. The ipod is very hard to plug in and the gas mileage is about 14 mpg in the city.

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  A best buy - 2006 Lexus ES 330
  By rfabricio - January 10 - 5:10 am

  This is my second Lexus ES. The car had decent acceleration but i found it lacking when merging into an expressway. Comfortable and quality.I bought a 2003 ES300 with 33,000 on it in 2008. I drove it for 30,000 with no mayor issues. The car was like new even though it was 5 years old when I bought it. The worse problem was that a mechanic at Lexus of North Miami sabotaged the AC system. Got angry when I complained he had not changed the AC cabin air filter after servicing the AC, which included the filter. A different dealer confirmed the AC had been purposely tinkered with and gave an estimate for $900. Took it back to Lexus of North Miami and service manager had it repaired for free. Car

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  Love this car! - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By miss_mija - January 7 - 2:23 pm

  Overall great car. We were looking for a luxury family car with a quiet cabin and this vehicle suits our needs. The ride in this car if very comfortable and the cabin is quiet. Its a smaller SUV which suits me and my family fine. I only have one small child and found it easier and more practical to install the car seat behind the passenger side. Putting a car seat in the middle limits the space for another passenger. Also love that the vehicle if relatively low maintenance.

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  Lexus SC 400 Convertible - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By TrawickR - January 5 - 10:00 am

  Plenty of room for 2 passengers. Very limited luggage space. Firmest ride of any vehicle Ive ever owned. Comfortable driver seat. Not as quiet or as smooth as my Lexus LS 430. Easier entrance than most sports cars. "Run flat" tires over $300 each run about 1500 miles. No spare tire.

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  Great overall but really thirsty! - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By Thomas Lange - January 1 - 2:26 am

  Lexus just has a feel and style that cant be beat. The GX470 is a great overall vehicle but has terrible fuel mileage. I average around 13 MPG. The ride is exceptional on highways but a little top heavy around town and on curvy country roads. It is as quiet as you would expect a Lexus to be. Towing is amazing with the Class V hitch. The Mark Levinson sound system is absolutely incredible.

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  Classy Car with rattles - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By BIGGUY - January 1 - 2:00 am

  This is my 6th Lexus. . Hope its not my last.. Nice to drive but doesn t compare to my RX300 which I love to drive. Rattles galore.. frame around the navigation system loose, Noise coming from upper drivers side windshield... Hope the dealership can find it I certainly can t

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  The RX-300 is a beast! - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By roverfanatic7 - December 30 - 10:14 pm

  Have the 1999 Lexus RX-300 AWD with 260,000 miles running strong. The reliability and safety are ahead of its time! Maintenance is cheaper than any other luxury brand. The car took a massive hit from an escalade, but held up strong and protected us. Dont be fooled, the RX is a good 4 X 4. Held up through the tough winters in NC! Comfortable and will continue to buy Lexus/Toyota. Wouldnt be surprised if this car made it to 400,000 miles. Mechanic expects it to at least drive for a 100,000 more.