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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  Excellent - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By Ruth Mc CARTHY - September 15 - 5:13 pm

  Fun to drive and comfort on a trip. Get thumbs up on style and just a good looking car and I love my car.

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  Just love it - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By tstrauss4 - September 15 - 3:06 pm

  It handles and rides so well. Just great on highway. Around town still great. Like safety features and quiet and smooth ride. Like the low tire feature. Former car 94 ES 300. Nuf said.

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  Love the Hybrid - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Buckeye - September 15 - 2:23 pm

  Bought our Lexus 400h in Sep 05 and extremely happy with it. The fuel economy is not what was advertised... but that is to be expected. But overall we are pleased with the gas mileage. Getting better than advertised highway but lower than advertized city. Love the looks, comfort and quality of the RX400h.

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  Another Hit From Lexus - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By mike995134 - September 15 - 5:37 am

  WOW-WOW-WOW ... what an amazing car!!! Its not at all sluggish as has been written by some. Of course it doesnt do 0-60 in 4 seconds ... but we have not had any problems merging onto the freeway or climbing up hills. The Normal Mode is fine for this, but for a little extra oomph, just kick it over to Sport Mode and this thing moves. The ergonomics are great. We traded an Infiniti EX35 for the CT, so it is a tad smaller ... but no worries, we can still carry people, our pets and haul other stuff as needed without any problems. And of course, we absolutely love the fuel economy too. 42+ mpg is the norm for our combined city-freeway driving thus far. How awesome is that!!!

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  Dream Machine - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By wolverine11 - September 15 - 2:00 am

  Simply luxurious all around. Solid as a tank. A true pleasure to drive. We cannot believe how smooth the ride is. Handled Canadian snow blizzard with ease. Its difficult to imagine a better overall package.

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  The definition of how a car should be - 1995 Lexus LS 400
  By BrianV - September 15 - 2:00 am

  WOW is all I can say. I thought the looks were dull at first but in honesty theyre great. The car looks elegant and strong when on the road. The interior is uncomparable. Seats are excellent, stereo (standard Lexus stereo) is incredible, guages are neat, etc. Mechanically the car is awesome, with 100K all that has been changed was the antenna and front shocks. Car is smooth and powerful (I was surpsied with its speed), and it loves to cruise on the fwy with ease. Gas mileage is incredible because this V8 needs no effort to keep the car rolling. It gets better mileage then some 4 bangers because you never need to give it much pedal action.

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  RX300 input - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By BigEasyRX - September 15 - 2:00 am

  Best Luxury SUV for the money.

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  Excellent Used Car - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By Lexus Jay - September 14 - 6:16 am

  I have owned the vehicle for about a month, and have been impressed with how smooth it handles, how peppy the engine is, and how comfortable the interior is. Many luxury / convenience features make this an excellent choice for a used vehicle.

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  Stuck in Fresno with a GX - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By Stuck With a GX - September 9 - 10:00 am

  Our fully loaded GX was delivered and we Loved it. However we learned of a few flaws that were not traditionally Lexus.( See Improvements) NOISE & VIBRATION at 50+ mph and Fan Clutch noise. I suspect the next year model to address these issues. Problem is NOBODY WILL WANT MY USED GX then. Quite Unhappy

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  GX 470 in a class of its own - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By Mrs Sinha - September 9 - 10:00 am

  The lexus GX 470 drives like a dream. It has all the features that you would want with an SUV at the same time feels like a car. Excellent Mark Levinson system. We love the SUV, it fits our family needs. Its a very fun vehicle and we enjoy it very much.