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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  Perfect city car. - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By jsu888 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Im probably the least likely buyer for this car. My last car was a BMW 7 series. I just got tired of all the repairs required by the German cars. This year alone I spent over $10K on over 7 trips to Dinan on everything from leaking transmission oil gasket to air conditioner rebuild. Im returning to Japanese models. I wanted something small for San Francisco and with navigation system. Not too many to choose from. I evaluated Mercedes C230, Toyota Prius, BMW 3 series. This is the only one with DVD navigation system. That means only one disk is required for the entire North American continent, and about $6K less than a comparably equipped BMW 325.

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  Another Perfect Lexus - 2007 Lexus RX 400H
  By Low CO2 - May 1 - 8:26 am

  I researched and test drove the following: Acura RDX, MDX, BMW X3, X5, the Lexus blows them all away. As a former 4Runner owner, I again am more than satisfied with the typical perfection in Japanese build quality. The complaints I have heard on the 400h I have yet to experience, i.e., the jerking sensation when shifting from electric to gas.

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  RATTLE MOBILE - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By sprete - April 30 - 7:16 pm

  I purchased this car brand new about 1.5 years ago. Ive had lots of annoying problems with it ever since (too many to list). Im lucky to go 2 months before having to bring it back to dealer. The car has more rattles and noises than a 79 corvette. Dealer replaced a roof hinge that was squeaking so loud that the Mark Lev sound system couldnt drown it out! They finally fixed that and the the passenger side started squeaking. The drivers seatback had to be repaired for a clicking noise-- again, once that was fixed the passenger side started acting up. Run flats are terrible! Thank God the car looks so good and the sound system is the best Ive heard otherwise Id junk this mother!

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  Excellent Value - Great Car - 1997 Lexus LS 400
  By JayNRocky - April 30 - 12:16 am

  Ive had my LS 400 for 11 years and it runs like the day I bought it. I have 172,000 miles and it still runs strong. When my Mercedes was totalled in 2006, I was back to driving my old LS 400 full time. I was planning to sell it and buy another car, but I was so impressed how it still drives, that I just decided to clean it up and keep it. Dont be cheap about maintenance. I do all service at the dealer, and have no problems. It passes smog tests with flying colors and the gas mileage is not bad for a car this size. I plan to keep this car for as long as i can!

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  Not what I expected for gas mileage - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Laurie - April 29 - 9:16 pm

  I purchased this vehicle to get lower gas mileage and enjoy Bluetooth phone tech. I am disappointed with both. I get 24.2 mpg and interupted phone service. I paid $10,000 too much for this vehicle.

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  An Absolute Dream Machine - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By spinedr - April 27 - 10:00 am

  The quality of this automobile is unsurpassed. We had the opportunity to take an offroading class with Landrover. As it is a remarkable SUV, it is simply that, an SUV. The Lexus GX deserves the title LUV! Its smooth quite ride, amazing cabin appointments, and functionality are stellar. We cant drive it enough!

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  Very nice, but needs some tweaks - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By BrianGgg - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Driving this car is like piloting a cloud. Incredible ride - very quiet and very smooth! The 3rd row seating is a bit of a joke though. Im only 57" and I couldnt bare to sit back there for more than 10 minutes. Theres no way you could get 3 adults back there comfortably. Plenty of room on the 2nd row of seats, so much so that they should have moved those forward 3 inches to give the 3rd row more room. The Radio controls kinda suck since they put many of them on the video display screen which takes a long time to navigate, and a lot of attention which would be better spent driving.

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  2004 Lexus RX330 Review - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By nickname - April 27 - 10:00 am

  It is really fun to drive and the styling is superb! The interior is elegant, but could be improved.

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  Get what you pay for - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By RX330 Lover - April 27 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best SUVs out there. If you are looking for one with confortable ride, but dont care about the horse power, this is the SUV to go. Very attractive interior design.

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  Review after first week - 2016 Lexus ES 350
  By waspenx - April 27 - 9:11 am

  Overall experience is great. It feels like a driving a spaceship! (Considering that I have never driven a luxury car before). One thing I am not crazy about is the door slamming. Those doors dont close easily. Both I and my passengers find ourselves miss the first try a few times. The acceleration is not the best which I have expected but somehow still feel the need to say it here. The look of the car (in and out) is awesome. I am a fan of the spindle grille (that is all that matters). Somehow the feeling of sharp image but comfortable ride works out for me. The white color (eminent pearl white) I chose does bring some challenge in the days after a snow. The fact that this is a nice and new car make the dirty mud on the car less bearable.