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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  Still Going - Best Car Ever Built - 2001 Lexus LS 430
  By lexusls430 - June 21 - 4:12 pm

  Its 2012 and my 2001 LS430 is still running strong. For all who have the Levinson system, its great until the speaker rattles. Dont buy a new one, you can have it re-coned for $40.00 rather than $400.00 for a new one. Ive done that twice and replaced an o2 sensor. Aside from regular maintenance those are the only issues Ive ever really had. I have a buddy who racked up 280k on his and still going. Im now at 160k and have no plans for a new car. Before this, I was a euro lux driver. Ill never go back.

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  A second look at the Lex - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By DadMan - June 21 - 6:06 am

  Im updating a review I posted in April. Things have happened since then. The RX was involved in a moderate collision ($2500 in damages to the lower front end) but was able to drive away from the accident. I cant say that for the other vehicle. The Lex is indeed a safe ride. That aside, the only thing I miss about my 05 Solara convertible is the stereo, oh and the convertible part. At the first service interval, I had the dealership install a hitch receiver so I can use a bike rack. Not cheap but worth it, just like the car itself. The only thing that has failed is the express-close feature on the moon roof. The shop was able to reset it.

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  my favorite car - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By dajetman - June 20 - 12:46 pm

  it is the most comfortable car i have ever had. i dont like the darkened rearview mirror that must be manually turned off. I love the navigation systemwhich is basixcally an expensive oy, but it has come in handy. i only have 5000 miles so i dont know about reliability, etc, but it sure is a great car. cant wait for the hybrid to come out.

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  Enjoy So Far - 2016 Lexus NX 300h
  By Nancy - June 19 - 12:23 am

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  Great ride/ quiet - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Ron - June 18 - 8:00 am

  Ive owned my ES330 for 10 months. Overall I love this car a lot. This is my third Lexus and would definitely buy another. A very quiet and comfortable car on long trips, great leather interior and feature comforts. Very smooth and quiet interior cab.

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  MY VIEW ON IS300 - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By Glenn Sussman - June 17 - 11:46 am

  EXCELLANT CAR, WELL EXECUTED INSIDE AND OUT

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  Car King - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By Mike Mc Nish Pak - June 17 - 10:00 am

  I caught a Porsche! A BMW 745iL! S500! Forget about Caddies and Stupid American Cars! It ride super smoothly, I cant believe its a car! Like youre cruising through a lake! It just consumes only 22 mpg however an S320 consumes like 20 to 22! My only little objection is if you could change the rear light style to a more sporty one. By the way, my girlfriends S600 with its V12 engine is worth about 65,000 GBP; why should we pay 28,000 GBP to get the Lexus tunning package of 590 BHP? And why should we have to pay 9,000 GBP for an AWD car!? Have you ever thought that its almost 7,000 GBP more expensive than the S600!? Come on men!

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  Always lexus suv - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By sunny - June 13 - 3:43 am

  Last 10 years driving lexus, never a complaint, my first es-300 than rx300 now rx 330. If lexus would make a 6 seater it would be the best, i always loved that car.

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  Love the ES 350 - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Ray DiMaio - June 12 - 5:03 am

  When I took delivery of my new ES 350 I really did not know how much I would love the car. I can now say I am really happy with the car. It was such an improvement over the Cadillac 3.6 L CTS that I had. Fit and finish, ride, performance, comfort and general looks were all better than the CTS. I got the Ultra package and I am thoroughly satisfied with all the equipment that the car has. Absolutely nothing was wrong with the car. I have driven it over 2,000 miles so far mostly city driving. For the money you cannot beat this car for what it offers you. I researched cars before finally getting the ES 350, nothing came close to the value.

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  Good family sedan, plenty of room for four - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By nikormat - June 11 - 10:42 am

  I bought this car right at the height of the accelator problem that was two years ago. To be honest, I was scared of the possibility that it might happen to me so I brought the car in for Lexus to fix the accelerator pedal issue. So far the car has been good to me, I now have 58000 miles on the car. The ride is smooth, and the sound system just very nice to listen to any kind of music -- rock, jazz, country, classics....I really like the car.