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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  GS is outstanding - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By jimyboy - January 31 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th Lexus in 10 years, and my favorite. I traded in my LS 400 for the GS simpy bacause it is fun to drive, and in my opinion a better "in town" driving car then the LS. I have never had a single repair on any of my Lexus, outstanding cars.

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  Fun Car! - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Agent Ron - January 30 - 6:33 am

  What a car. After test driving others, hands down the winner was the GS 300. The ride is incredible. The looks, the feel is second to none. Great interior with incredible accessories.

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  Good deal - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By pabuehl - January 29 - 1:46 am

  Bought this new and in 90000 had no problems at all. Very comfortable on short/long trips and milage 18 town/25 road. Everything works just like the first day and I really look for problems so I can fix them before they become big and just do scheduled maintenance/no surprises.

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  BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED!! - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By clublexusgs300 - January 27 - 11:37 pm

  i bought this car a year ago with 150k on it. i did a royal purple synthetic oil change along with royal purple trans fluid. This CAR IS AMAZING. The 3.0 v6 will get up pretty quick if you have it switched to the power mode. The car is extremely comfortable with plenty of space to put stuff. For as big and roomy as the car is you wouldnt know while driving, it feels like a fun little sports car, and the shift in the transmission is almost not even noticeable. i now have almost 200k and it looks and feels like it has under 100kI put someHID headlights& led tail lights and put some nice wheels and tires on it and it turns heads. This is the best car that i have ever owned.

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  SC 430 - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By The Haz - January 24 - 11:30 pm

  Comfortable, quiet luxury grand-touring convertible. Combined city/highway mileage 21.5 mpg. Solid body, no squeaks or rattles. Excellent performance from V-8. Bulletproof reliability. Handling good, but not true sports car handling. Very safe handling and crash protection. Overall a delightful and enjoyable automobile!

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  awsome - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By doru baragau - January 22 - 10:59 am

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  Just Right - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Ron - January 21 - 11:56 am

  Hats off to the design and engineering teams at Lexus. After a little over two weeks of driving this amazing hybrid,Im impressed with what appears to be a winning combination of luxury, technology, comfort, and handling. With 4 driving modes, all of which work flawlessly, this car is a "lot of fun" to drive. Im getting about 35 mpg which is the expected and welcome result. I think, with a little more practice, Ill be able to improve that to about 38-40mpg. The remote touch controller for the nav system is a wonder. It manages a very intuitive and simple interface with the audio, nav, climate, and phone systems thus enhancing the overall enjoyment of driving this well executed automobile.

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  Great Value for a Luxury SUV - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By kellerman - January 17 - 9:13 pm

  I live in the mountains and work in real estate. My driving habits are much more demanding than the typical buyer. I use the vehicle regularly in wintry conditions and also off road. In both capacities, the vehicle is extremely capable and gives the driver lots of confidence. The SUV is very luxurious and has much better build quality than its American competitors. Nav, Bluetooth, rear-view camera, and DVD all work well. I get around 16 MPG, but that is better than other heavy SUVs that get around 12-13 MPG in this area.

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  GX 460 Trumps - 2010 Lexus GX 460
  By Lucas - January 17 - 4:26 pm

  I was in the market for about 3 months, I looked at the Escalade, rovers, bmws and the whole gamut of luxury SUV and then i returned back to Lexus. I had an ES 350 that was wrecked by a bad driver so I set out to find what I needed and wanted. After driving all the option I fell in love with the Lexus GX 460. When i sat in the GX I said out loud, "this is it" only to seal the deal with a test drive. You might get another car that has more bling or another feature that you might want but you will never find a car that can take on the GX 460 in its entirety. This car drives like a sports car in sport mode with the tap shift and drives like a cloud when on comfort mode. I never looked back.

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  Love the Car, Hate the Stereo - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By MLBDenver - January 16 - 11:03 pm

  My RX is an incredibly comfortable, safe ride that turns heads. From hauling bikes and dogs to making the daily commute, my Lexus delivers.