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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  Stylish, sporty, stellar - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By jstxlr8 - February 1 - 2:00 pm

  I have liked the IS since it came out and was thrilled to be able to buy one 2 years ago. In two years, I have had no complaints, just a lot of compliments and a lot of fun. Id rather have this car used for the 20,000 I bought it for than any new car on the road for the same price. I drive my cars pretty hard, and this has been one of my favorites..have had a Prelude, Maxima, and Probe GT, but the IS spanks em all. I do use the E shift alot, makes for a more fun driving experience, especially with the traction control off... it tends to kick in early sometimes, which is fine if Im not having a little fun with the car. Great luxo-sport car, that acts like and even looks like a coupe.

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  My Third RX & Still Loving It! - 2006 Lexus RX 330
  By Lexi Luvr - January 31 - 6:30 am

  This is my third Lexus SUV and I am a very happy customer! The drive is good, the looks are good and the price is good! You cant beat the price for what you are getting. I bought 2 RXs in a row. Then decided to try another Make of SUV and what a mistake that was. So I traded it in a year later for the RX 330 and Im happy again. My passengers love it also. I have only had my SUV in for oil changes & tire rotations. There is never a problem. This SUV you can count on! The stereo system is great, the seats are comfortable and the ride is smooth. I love new cars, so I do a lot of research before making a purchase and I keep coming back to the Lexus. In my book, its top rated!

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  GS is outstanding - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By jimyboy - January 31 - 2:00 am

  This is my 4th Lexus in 10 years, and my favorite. I traded in my LS 400 for the GS simpy bacause it is fun to drive, and in my opinion a better "in town" driving car then the LS. I have never had a single repair on any of my Lexus, outstanding cars.

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  honest review - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By zatez - January 31 - 2:00 am

  drove toyotas for years always thought Lexus was overpriced toyota until I bought my sivlersport what a difference!! The ride quality,comfort,handling,and the way the dealership treats you blows out toyota and I reguard toyota as on of the best products out there. It takes all the qualitys of the BMW/MERCEDES/and all other luxury makes and either beats them or does almost as good very nice ride worth the money believe it or not!!

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  Whats with the paint? - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Tom Nagle - January 30 - 10:25 am

  After many other makes of SUVs, this is the first "luxury" SUV Ive owned/leased. There are many well thought out little things - mirror tilting, rear wiper hidden, door panels folding out, lights for easy entry, options on a whole host of things - radio, lighting, sound effects - all of which I enjoy and appreciate the designed thoughtfulness. However, the paint job is another matter. After 3,500 miles I have a half dozen paint pits , most in the front, but others on the side and back. I have a heavy coat of wax and have not been following any gravel trucks. Never had a vehicle do this and in such quantity particularly with so few miles.

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  Fun Car! - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Agent Ron - January 30 - 6:33 am

  What a car. After test driving others, hands down the winner was the GS 300. The ride is incredible. The looks, the feel is second to none. Great interior with incredible accessories.

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  Good deal - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By pabuehl - January 29 - 1:46 am

  Bought this new and in 90000 had no problems at all. Very comfortable on short/long trips and milage 18 town/25 road. Everything works just like the first day and I really look for problems so I can fix them before they become big and just do scheduled maintenance/no surprises.

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  BEST CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED!! - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By clublexusgs300 - January 27 - 11:37 pm

  i bought this car a year ago with 150k on it. i did a royal purple synthetic oil change along with royal purple trans fluid. This CAR IS AMAZING. The 3.0 v6 will get up pretty quick if you have it switched to the power mode. The car is extremely comfortable with plenty of space to put stuff. For as big and roomy as the car is you wouldnt know while driving, it feels like a fun little sports car, and the shift in the transmission is almost not even noticeable. i now have almost 200k and it looks and feels like it has under 100kI put someHID headlights& led tail lights and put some nice wheels and tires on it and it turns heads. This is the best car that i have ever owned.

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  2003 IS-300 review - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By Todd - January 27 - 3:16 pm

  The car is outstanding - fun to drive, and absolutely reliable. Mine has a 5-speed transmission. Quality of everything is top-notch. My only complaints were the way the transmission shifted for about the first year - clutch was very difficult to engage smoothly, but it eventually broke in and is now fine. There has not been a single thing wrong with the car since the day I drove it out of the showroom.

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  an awesome car but awful GPs - 2016 Lexus NX 300h
  By mushroom - January 25 - 5:22 am

  Ive driven many different cars and i love this hybrid its comfortable and beautiful, the mpg is good (could be a bit better i thought for a hybrid) drives nice, quiet.. but for an expensive brand this company uses absolutely the worst GPS system!!! its so frustrating for someone like me who has no sense of direction and rely on my GPS full time. it does not tell you the correct time with traffic (which it should because i pay for satellite) and it doesnt re-route you if theres heavy traffic like all my other cars did, cant choose min toll, never re-route to a side roads plus when i know my roads and im on a straight line home it tries to put me back on the highway to go 3 miles further to get home its ridiculous!! this company needs to use a different GPS system, the MDX even cheap FORD has a better system!!