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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  Very Versatile SUV - 2007 Lexus GX 470
  By L J - July 27 - 5:50 am

  Traded in an RX for an SUV with more room, comfort and performance. So far, this truck has not disappointed. Great looking without being flashy, lots of room for large items, very comfortable on long trips and can get up and go if you hit the gas on the freeway.

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  Great SUV! - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By nydriver3 - July 27 - 2:00 am

  It drives like a Lexus sedan! Quiet and refined but fun as well. Nice pickup for such a big car especially off the line. An absolutely gorgeous interior. Its like getting the LX for 15K off.

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  lexus - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By tjuris - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Not a real sporty car

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  Lexus Rx 300 - 2003 Lexus RX 300
  By edrosen@shaw.ca - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Vehicle is very comfortable to ride in, almost car like, in ride and handling. Reliability and quality are excellent.

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  Smooth and Classy - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By cypress - July 26 - 8:56 pm

  From the moment I left the dealer I have been thrilled with my Lexus GS 300. It has classic yet new lines, and drives very smoothly. The look to me, the color and everything about it exude class. I am once again thrilled to own a new Lexus.

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  Solid family SUV - 2014 Lexus RX 350
  By anonymous70 - July 25 - 11:42 am

  This vehicle is excellent. My wife loves her RX 350 and even though its not as fun to drive as my Jaguar I can say with complete sincerity that if I had to choose between the two the Lexus would win every time. Handles well. Quiet. Extremely comfortable seats and ride. Id highly recommend this SUV to anyone with a family. There is plenty of room for the kids in the back.

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  Love the car - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By SCDriver - July 24 - 8:16 pm

  I traded in my 911 for this car. While I miss the responsiveness of the 911, I wont miss the hassles with ownership, repair costs, etc. The SC430 is a pleasure to dive. The build quality is outstanding. I have the top down all the time unless its raining or sunny and over 90 degrees.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By lex-on - July 22 - 10:00 am

  When you unlock the car the lighting seems to softly glow to on. It is very welcoming. The seats are very comfortable and it was easy to get them into the right setting quickly. The Nav must be the best on the market.Loaded with features and all of them are easy to operate. The Mark Levinson system sounds amazing. Controlling it from the steering wheel makes it very easy to use. Cruising at 70-75 the engine is very quite with an MPG of around 19.

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  VIBRATION: 1700rpm,esp 60mph - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By SG - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Problems: 1) Lexus dealerships stuff all options on vehicle and make it difficult to order without certain options(like third row seats, Lexus Link) 2) there is an unacceptable vibration which occurs at approx 1700 rpm and is accentuated at approx 60 mph...as noted in another review there is no fix yet. I am UNHAPPY.

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  Lexus GS-300 - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By midmac - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Bought the Lexus after looking at Infiniti G35 and Mercedes. It is a great car. We travel from Texas to the West and East coasts annualy. The car cruises all day effortlessly at 70 plus. The build quality is superb and the dealer service experience is excellent.