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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  the car is the best car i have evea been - 2004 Lexus GS 300
  By aaron jason - September 16 - 10:00 am

  well i dont have this car but my friend doz and it realy took my heart away the frist time i got in to it i was stund at the smoothness and how u can not hear the engen as other makes. all in all this car if it where up to me would be the best car known and on the road! im saveing 4 1 now and i will get it! there realy is no qustion about this car im geting it and thats that!! ps it realy is a beautifull lovey sexy car and will not stop loveing it.

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  excellent - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By disreal - September 16 - 10:00 am

  beauiful car the ride is second to none. i will buy another in a few years

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  best vehicle Ive ever owned - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Stan Fleck - September 16 - 10:00 am

  this has been the best vehicle I have ever owned and takes less maintenance of any vehicle that I have ever owned. I have told all my friends about it.

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  Dream car - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By vicki - September 14 - 11:13 pm

  I owned a GS 300 a few yrs. ago and sold it to drive a practical car. I bought a Yukon. Every time I saw a sporty Lexus I longed for another one. I stopped by to check out what Lexus had in the way of sporty and fell absolutely in love with the sexy looks of the SC 430. I knew I was in love! I bought it after only 1 test drive and have loved it every day since.

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  Amazing car. One of a kind! - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By mike - September 13 - 10:03 am

  The Lexus IS300 is an absolutely amazing car. This car is the most solid-built, reliable car I have ever owned. My previous vehicles - an unreliable Volkswagen and cheaply made Civic - will never be missed. This car runs and drives so smooth you forget its even running. I bought this gem at 98k miles and it still drives like brand new, Ive NEVER done any repairs other than maintenance (tranny flush, timing belt, etc). Like many IS300 owners, I feel like I want go buy a new one when this one dies off. Too bad they dont make the IS300 any longer.

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  Great car - 2006 Lexus LS 430
  By roger - September 11 - 10:10 pm

  What a great car. you only hear good things about this car but once you drive it, or in my case buy it you cant stop raving about how well built it really is.

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  If u just care about Reliability - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By bush1965 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  this car beats Mercedes and BMW by far when it comes to reliability...it goes for ever if u deal it good ..I know a guy who has a 1991 LS400...he had 1,000,000 kms on it!!!!...and it is still working fine...however, I have to say that BMW is more fun to drive and Mercedes is still more integrated...but all in all...it is a 9/10 car...

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  Beware of this car - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By jp_60173 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  The ES330 has a plush ride, is very quiet and has a nice looking interior. However, the transmission shifts very roughly. Also, many exhibit a hesitation that makes the car feel like an old car with a dirty carburetor that bogs down when trying to accelerate. It does not happen to every car but tends to get worse with time if your car is one of the unlucky ones. The service people at two dealerships admitted to the problem but said there is no fix and that this has been a issue since the 2002 models. They believe it may be a computer software problem. Lexus does not admit they have a problem and offer no fix. Ultimately, I got rid of my ES330 after 4 months. Stay away from Lexus.

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  The Current Logical Choice - 2008 Lexus RX 400H
  By sawjai - September 10 - 12:53 am

  Lexus has always been cushy rides, but definitely not on the sporty side of the equation especially since our everyday vehicles are a C230 and G35. The steering is a little vague steering into curves. Acceleration is good at all speeds, but youll need to get used to the way the engine buzzes from the CVT. Gas mileage has averaged 27 mpg w/cruise control active even around 70 mph on the freeway. On a recent road trip on very hilly terrain we still averaged over 27 mpg, light on the gas. Brakes are a little difficult to modulate because of the regenerative system. We preferred the ML styling and driving dynamics to the RX, but so far find that the RX400h is a very nice ride indeed.

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  Luxury SUV With Great Gas Mileage - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By Shawn - September 9 - 5:10 am

  We have had our RX 350 for over a year now and enjoy driving it. The overall performance is excellent and it shifts so smoothly. Our only complaint is the tire wear. Our current set of tires is Goodyear and has less than 30% of the treadwear left. Our gas mileage is far better than the actual sticker. Close to 24 MPG in the city and 28 MPG on the highway!