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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  Nice Move - 2007 Lexus GX 470
  By New GX470 Owner - March 23 - 4:40 am

  Just drove my new GX 470 off the lot yesterday. So far, I am loving it! It has plenty of room. Very commanding on the road with the height of the vehicle. Quality fittings. Buy the ones with Nav. Very high quality. This is something I am going to keep for a while, a new one is worth the money.

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  Less gas is great! - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By T.J. - March 21 - 4:26 pm

  Bought it for my wife. She wanted great MPG and comfort. Replaced Mini Clubman JCW. Maybe not as quick, but more than makes up for it with comfort! GPS and Bluetooth are friendly. Great ride. Enough pep to get on expressway with no trouble. Funky shifter takes a moment to get used to and keyless is a feature my wife loves. No love for the oil companies. Nice that is is not covered with "green" logos too. Third Lexus, and never unhappy with them.

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  Great car - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By Don carducci - March 20 - 12:10 pm

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  Great car - 2014 Lexus ES 350
  By Mark l - March 20 - 6:03 am

  Easy to keep clean. Gets better gas mileage than I thought it would. Averages 28 mpg. Enjoying it ever time I get in it.

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  100% Luxury - 1995 Lexus LS 400
  By Preston - March 20 - 2:00 am

  Through a dealer friend, I bought this car at a dealer auction and paid $13,000. The exterior and interior are in mint condition, the car was obviously garage kept and never smoked in. I have also owned a 1995 ES300 for almost 4 years now. The LS400 is, without question, the finest car I have ever owned or driven. I owned 7 Volvos over the past 20 years, and I have owned a Cadillac DeVille. There is simply no comparison. The car is so quiet, the only thing you can hear is the tires on the road. The Nakamichi stereo system is a plus. Anyone who has never driven a Lexus simply doesnt know what they are missing. One test drive, and you are hooked.

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  The KING - 2000 Lexus LX 470
  By MR. LX - March 20 - 2:00 am

  What a wonderful SUV to drive. Safe, comfortable, reliable. I was an owner of 3 luxury SUVs & the LX470 beats them all.

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  We did our homework - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Boiseyankfan - March 20 - 2:00 am

  To anyone looking at these 4 SUVs. Acura MDX, BMW X5, and the Mercedes. We compared everything. Lots of on- line work and dealerships.However, the Lexus up tops in almost every category and we got the car for $34k. The Acura would have been $43k. The Mercedes was $39k and the BMW was outta site at $49k. All with basically the same features. The Lexus rides/feels like a car and the others feel like a truck. So.. with the warranty and awesome Lexus service, if your looking to have your cake and eat it too, this is it. The RX has it all. This is not an offroad SUV. Its a luxury street SUV, so instead of getting it dirty, turn some heads!

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  New Fan - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By New Lexus Fan - March 19 - 5:23 pm

  I love this vehicle. It is just a dream to drive and hasnt given me any reason to regret my purchase yet. The vehicle is very responsive, floats like a cloud down the highway, has tons of power and is loaded w/ thoughtful and useful options. The handling is GREAT despite some review that said it is soft in the corners: Not sure what you have to do to get it to feel soft but highway on/off ramps are a snap at 50 mph, thats good enough for me. Other reviewers complained about the Bluetooth but it seems perfect to me. The upholstery, wood trim and leather are all smooth as butter, the engine is meaty and powerful and the cabin is quiet enough to put your passengers to sleep on a short commute.

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  Reliable - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By compcond - March 15 - 2:00 am

  I still miss my A4. 98 Avant with 49,000 miles. $5,700 in repair bills (not including cat) during years 4 and 5. No accidents, all maintenance and repairs done by Audi dealers. Car needed ECM #3 and had Check Engine light when I traded it in... and I still miss it. The IS strives to be a German car... its not. Its a great handling, super reliable, fun to drive, really nice Toyota.

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  My sexy rxy! - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By Jeremy - March 14 - 7:30 am

  I bought the RX after an extensive search and over three dozen test drives. The RX is best overall in reliability, safety (backup camera has already saved me a couple of minor bumps) and comfort for any family vehicle that I looked at. Any other car and Id be giving up on one of the three. I got the Mark Levinson (as a result, the DVD as well, cmon Lexus!) and it is awesome. The leather is very, very nice. Back seats are comfortable and recline. Rear gate can be opened and shut by remote, which is great during the school drop-off. Mileage has been around 16 around town which is not the best, but on our last 100 mile road trip, we got 28 mpg average on the highway. Thats awesome! Congrats to Lexus.