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:

• 

  My 1st Lexus - 2016 Lexus GX 460
  By Paula - September 8 - 8:38 pm

  I love this car! For all the complaints listed in the Edmunds rating, Im not finding them to be true. I will definitely be buying another in the future.

• 

  We Love It! - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By JT - September 8 - 7:50 pm

  This is the most comfortable car to ride in we have ever experienced. Ours has all the creature comforts. ie Navigation, DVD system and Mark Levinson sound. All are top rate. We are really sold on the navigation system. Once you have a good one like this, you can never go back to maps again. At this point we only have 2700 miles on the car. Will update later in the year. But for now, the car is high on the WOW scale.

• 

  First but not the last - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By s - September 7 - 12:53 pm

  I never thought I would buy a Lexus but Im very impressed with the RX 330. The car is very quiet, picks up speed when needed and the interior and exterior is stylish for a SUV.

• 

  SUV that feels like a luxury car - 2000 Lexus LX 470
  By rb - September 7 - 7:13 am

  The interior of this vehicle is beautiful. When you get in it, you are bathed in luxury. The engine is very quiet and the ride is nice. You are amazed how fast you are going when you look down at the gauges while on the highway. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone who is looking for the ultimate luxury SUV. Lexus is second to none.

• 

  Great Car - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Joe3 - September 7 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car ever. I love the navigation system. This tortally beats my preivous infinite q45. This is very reliable and luxurious. If you are looking you a really nice luxury car get the ls430.

• 

  First New Car in 18 years - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By rgacpa - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Incredibly built with great power. Extremely comfortable with tons of space and torque to handle any load. Great family vehicle thats a pleasure to drive. Quiet, quiet and more quiet with all the electronics you can hope for.

• 

  Best Value - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By Sutton Place - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Superb engineering, smooth as silk and fit and finish of interior is like a hand-made Bentley. Leg and headroom is generous.

• 

  One good feature - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By Raven00b - September 7 - 2:00 am

  My car is in really good condition, in spite of the mileage it had when I had intially bought it (over 100,000). Ive had some problems such as the presence of some burned rubber smell in the car when I turn up the heat, but other than that and a few other problems, Ive had had no real trouble with the car so far.

• 

  great car - 2002 Lexus LS 430
  By Scott in CA - September 7 - 2:00 am

  Awesome car -- a little stodgy but perfectly built and equipped. The GPS is 1000% better than the Mercedes or the BMW.

• 

  Exceeds our expectations - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Suzanne Swetnam - September 7 - 2:00 am

  This vehicle has exceeded our expectations in all arenas. We have put over 6000 miles on it in 3 months. It has had zero defects. On acceleration, it has more than enough power for us. We drive 70 miles per day on the interstate and it makes the drive seem short. On long trips, it has gotten 28 to 30 mpg. In town 25 mpg.