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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  Transmission troubles - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Warren Lieberman - December 2 - 4:43 am

  The new 5-speed transmission shifts either hard or surges with hesitation. In slow traffic the transmission falls out of gear and then surges and jerks to find the right gear. At this point Lexus refuses to find a fix for the problem with this model that now is recognized by their dealers and service departments.

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  still fun to drive after 1 year - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By JBD - December 1 - 10:00 am

  15000 miles and one year later, I still enjoy driving this car. That is a first for me. Considered BMW and I glad I got this instead. Great handling, quick, just fun. Now, how about a convertible version??

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  LEXUS 430 - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By LINDA BROWN - December 1 - 10:00 am

  PROS FAST AND GOOD LOOKING CONS SMALL LOW TO GROUND NO BACK SEAT TOO MUCH MONEY FOR CAR

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  Watch Out: Poor Transmission - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By DSS - November 29 - 10:00 am

  The 5speed automatic suffers from hestitation and lack of smoothness and feel when shifting from 1st to 2nd, and 2-3rd. The hesitation and then surge of power is not only unpleasant, but can be unsafe. Lexus has been aware of this problem on ES300 and ES330 for 3years and has no fix. Warning: check discussion groups online for information before buying!

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  Two Children or less - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By Christie - November 27 - 2:53 am

  It is a wonderful vehicle to own. The only negative comment that I have is that it is not very roomy in the back seat. We have three children and two of them are in carseats. They do not have any extra room. The third back seat does not have any leg room at all.

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  Great Car - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By meing - November 22 - 10:00 am

  First SUV, never going back to cars.

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  Problem with rustling noise - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By mml - November 22 - 4:33 am

  I bought a new one a month ago. Four- wheel drive with every option available. The car drives really nice. It feels solid and quite on highway. However, I have been hearing this rustling noise from the driver side door/window area when the road is bumpy. See if you all can produce this problem. I believe its a design issue. I was very annoyed by it at first. When the road is bumpy, or any slight uneven road, I can hear that rustling noise from the driver side door/window area. It sounds like the side window is not installed tight/correctly. Imagine you have something loose in your pocket and you hear the little noise when you jump. I heard the same thing when I drove a loaner.

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  Very disappointed - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Roger Mager - November 20 - 9:13 pm

  After owning 2 Hybrid Toyotas (PRIUS 02 and 04) I am quite disappointed with the "REAL" MPG vs. Toyota/Lexus estimated MPG. Even on a "good" day driving metro Phoenix, Az; by good I mean no need for air conditioner the best we get is 24- 25 MPG. Summertime takes it down to 21 mpg. Frankly, I didnt need to spend 52K to get a few more miles to the gallon than what a regular RX 330 gets. This IS my first Lexus, but will probably be my ONLY Lexus. Yes, its a nice vehicle, but the disappointing mileage have madeit "in my view" a poor discretionary use of my $$

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  Great vehicle but vibrates - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By musicman2721 - November 20 - 2:00 am

  Great vehicle, particularly for a SUV and higher off the road. Good for higher water in Houston roads. Engine vibrates though when car sits idle at redlights. Only feels normal when shifting into neutral while at light. Rear door has quality problems with fabric covered plastic.

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  Used to Own 2 MDXs Before - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By cooljohn - November 10 - 12:54 am

  I used to own both 2011 & 2014 MDXs but switched recently to 2017 RX 350 (Luxury Package). MDX has good acceleration/passing and excellent cornering. Other than those, RH 350 is better in every aspect. 2014 MDX had serious quality control problems like constant rattling from the under, scary noise when accelerating, steering getting stuck/making scary noise when switching transmission from rear to drive, almost impossible to drive on foggy/wet days due to defective mirror defrost function, backup camera almost impossible to use on wet days because of the stupid location of camera, and on and on. I took it to a dealer but all they said was there was nothing wrong with the car!! I got sickened with their response and decided to switch to RX 350 and I think I made a good decision so far. I have yet to drive more but so far Im very satisfied with RX 350 in every aspect.