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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  Luxery with Style and Fun. - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By jackpet1 - September 7 - 2:00 am

  I have owned a somewhat basic ES300 for a year and love the vehicle. Opted only for leather & five CD changer, this package is dealer standard for this area. Fit and finish is superb and dealer experience is the best I have ever experienced. Previous cars: Porsche, Alfa, Camero, Maxima and a few dogs, this is the best! Now that the engine is broken in, power is enough to impress me. Maxima was quicker off the mark but not worth the rough edges and reliability issues.

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  2008 Lexus LS460 - 2008 Lexus LS 460
  By Irfanski - September 4 - 12:06 pm

  Great car, smooth and comfortable ride. Great mileage - have driven ~5200 miles and have gotten ~22mpg in city and ~30.5 mpg on a 475 mile trip from NC to KY via the Virginia/WV mountains. Worth every penny (since I got it for a discount buying a new 2008 as the 2009 models were coming in).

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  LEXUS GX460 - 2017 Lexus GX 460
  By Jorge - September 4 - 8:50 am

  Its a great SUV. Its got plenty of power and feels great on the road.

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  No longer a German Afficianado - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Kenlc48 - September 2 - 10:00 am

  After many years of stating I would NEVER own a Japanese luxury car, I was compelled to eat my own words. I have had numerous German vehicles and thought that handling, fit, finish, performance and attention to detail was soley the realm of the German manufacturer. After being shoddily handled by a MB dealer when attempting to trade in a SC500, I drove to the Lexus dealer and found to my great surprise that I had missed the finest luxury vehicle available in the United States in the under $75k range.

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  Get The IS - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By SirFreeze - September 2 - 10:00 am

  I test drove the A4, 330, Maxima, S2000, TT and even waited 6 weeks to test drive the G35. All the above had thier plus/minuses. I thought the IS offered the most complete package of power, styling, handling and value. Great car !!

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  Love our new RX 330 - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Al B - September 2 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I just purchased the all new RX 330 and we just love it. We almost bought the Volvo XC90 I am so happy we got the RX instead.

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  RX 350 stinks - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By CeCe - September 1 - 8:46 am

  I had an RX300 and LOVED it! Traded it for a new (at the time 2007) rx350 and its been a lemon from the start. Passenger seat broke twice..dealer wont fix again. Transmission slips (dealer said the car is "thinking" what gear it should be in) Tires wont align properly - 4 sets of tires in 2 years (Dealer said must be my driving), replaced battery, brakes (after 40k miles - seriously??. I NEVER had to do this on my RX300 nor the Volvo or BMW we have!! Electrical system is wacky - sometimes radio wont turn off unless you smack it. Most recently - back seatbelt wouldnt release my SMALL CHILD and had to call 911 for them to cut her out. I may have gotten a lemon - its true - but just be warned.

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  An honest review on the ct200h - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By ctenthusiast - August 30 - 3:25 pm

  First off, let me say that I love this little car! I am a 62", 180 pound, 41 year old man... So you know a little of where my points of view are coming from. Lets address the categories that I didnt rank with 5s, first off, performance- performance is pretty good all in all, and particularly in sport mode it reacts quite well... However, make no mistake, this is not a sports car! It is a hybrid that is getting you up to 60 mpg at times. If you want to spin tires and blast 0-60 in 4 seconds you are going to have to rethink buying this car! Second, comfort- I am a fairly big guy and I find this car to be really very comfortable, I have my seat at the furthest and lowest position.

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  A Car Built Correctly - 2001 Lexus ES 300
  By w, clay - August 30 - 9:23 am

  I bought this car in June of 2002 it had 26K miles on it. Today in Nov of 2009 it now has 189235 miles. I have only had two repairs the trans and the idle control sensor. The ride is extremely smooth and road noise is low. The sound system is great. I am amazed by the power when you want to get up and go the car responds great. It is a pleasure to drive with the sun roof open and the sound system cranked up. I will continue to buy Lexus products.

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  Good, but not perfection of Lexus - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By succeedinlife5 - August 29 - 8:43 am

  Good car, but not perfection. I traded my 2000 LX 470 in for this as the fuel prices were getting high and the LX had too many things that needed to be fixed. I liked this car for it had the AWD package and was sporty. The style, layout, and overall looks were what I wanted. The problems are with the fit and finish of this car. The front dash rattles and I have taken it to the dealer 3 times for that. The wheel finish was poor, which I was able to get new wheels under warranty. The tires Run-Flat tires were great as I enjoy a stiff ride, but wore out on the insides, even with proper rotation. Get car, but Lexus fit and finish is really needing help to get back to Lexus quality.