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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  What more do you want? - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Lexussailor - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This car si the best car that Ive ever owned. It has a ride quality equal or better than cars thousands of dollars more expensive. Any trip short or long is a pleasure.

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  sweet ride - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By wakler - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a beautiful piece of machinery. The car is suprisingly very quick but then again did we expect anything less. The car does surpise of few people when they see that its a wagon. Body style is perfect.

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  SMOOTH AS SILK - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By EGORE - April 3 - 2:00 am

  ZERO PROBLEMS IN 2 YEARS,BEST TRANSMISSION OPERATION OF ANY CAR I DRIVEN.THE ONLY ITEMS FOR CONCERN ARE THE RUN FLAT TIRE NOISE.

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  Just the best car Ive ever driven... - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By stockdoc9999 - April 3 - 2:00 am

  After many years of self-denial I finally gave in and bought an impractical car. WOW! This car is the most fun and highest quality automobile I could imagine. Sheer perfection.

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  Great Truck! - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By mark v - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased this GX470 after owning an 2003 Tahoe Z71. I am very happy with this Lexus so far, and it is a dramatic improvement in every way over other 4x4s that I have owned. I have also owned a Jeep Grand Cherokee (too small, bad mileage). The ride quality and smoothness of the powertrain is amazing and the vehicle is very quiet on the highway.

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  i love my lexus - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By lexusgirl - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I have a 2002 es300 i love it!!!!!!!!!

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  Good car with nice looks. - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By damaso - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This is a reliable, economic car with good looks as well as with a variaty of safety features. The only drawback is the unconfortable front seats in long drives. If you have chronic low back problems a long trip could exacerbate your disconfort.

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  Detroit...PAY ATTENTION - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Lexus4Life - April 3 - 2:00 am

  First import in over 26 years of driving. Will be hard to go back. Still have my Jeep with 40K miles, and its 3rd set of rotors, 4 sets of breaks, timing chain, alternator, and partial tranny rebuild. The lexus, all you do is change the oil. My friends had them and talked me into it. THANK YOU!!!

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  Great Car Value - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Big Daddy P - April 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought my 2004 ES 330 in September and I love it. Its extremely quiet and sound proof (I have a hard time knowing when the engine is running),and handles the way I expect a luxury should. Everyone knows the pickup wont give you a rush, but its plenty fast enough for me. If I wanted speed, Id bought the GS or SC (if I could afford it). My car is smooth, good looking (black with the gold package), and comfortable as hell, with nearly all the bells and whistles available. My only bad surprise was the right-rear passenger power window stopped working. I brought the car to the dearlership, and they replaced the power window motor at no charge.

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  New Lexus ES 330 - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Walter Hamrick - April 3 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car I have owned. I have owned Caddie for the better part of 25 years.