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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  Nice car but not Lexus nice - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By sue - January 25 - 4:23 am

  This is my third RX (2004,2008,2010) and my least in love of the three. Like the HP, Nav, and dash design, but I think theyve seriously underestimated the Lexus buyer. Being a repeat buyer, its quite evident that theyve cut cost on the areas that make the Lexus a standout luxury car. The RX back seats are no were near the quality of previous RXs. Seats are no longer have that thick forming design. The side door designs have been stripped bear. No more leather like stitching and padding on interior doors. Doors look like what you get in an American made suv. And quality of carpeting has also been downgraded. And no longer a full spare tire. The outside does not match inside.

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  SC 430 - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By The Haz - January 24 - 11:30 pm

  Comfortable, quiet luxury grand-touring convertible. Combined city/highway mileage 21.5 mpg. Solid body, no squeaks or rattles. Excellent performance from V-8. Bulletproof reliability. Handling good, but not true sports car handling. Very safe handling and crash protection. Overall a delightful and enjoyable automobile!

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  1st time Lexus Owner - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By NJ Owner - January 24 - 8:03 am

  Overall, a very nice car. Cost of operation is very good. Oil change charge is the same as a regular Toyota. Not like Mercedes or BMW where its $30 for the filter alone. MPG is 26. Good highway performance. More of a cushion ride, not a tight ride like BMW or Mercedes. Purchased pre-owned with 20K miles for $19K, with 6 months of original warranty. My only dislike is wind noise coming from moonroof. Great value!

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  One of the best cars ive ever owned. - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Len - January 23 - 9:00 pm

  This is a great SUV it has well thought out features, quiet, great powertrain and roomy inside. I wish it had XM or Sirius radio but i have to live with AM? FM CD.

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  2nd time around - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Pete in Rome - January 23 - 8:53 am

  This is my second RX. First was the 300 and I have loved both. Top quality of build, no problems at all, and just the best overall quality around. I love the treatment at the dealer, and love that I just never have to go back! I am tempted to buy my third one in a row. That is the best compliment I can think of.

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  A disaster for Lexus and for your $$ - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Gubbins - January 23 - 3:13 am

  For this kind of $$ this car lacks a lot: -Practical cabin storage (the Prius is better) -Seat back pockets -Decent brakes -Engine noise refinement -REAL fuel economy that can actually be amortized over the life of the car (unlike the delusional types who are so happy with mid 30s in a $40K car) -Driver engagement (can you say Novocain?) -Steering feel -More effective cooled seats -Drive line refinement (the surging can drive you nuts) Lets see, anything else? Oh yes, styling befitting a Lexus instead of a Corolla w/Premium package. And yes, Ive put over 1000 miles on one in a variety of traffic conditions. Lexus sold a grand total of 165 HS250Hs last month; that tell you something?

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  awsome - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By doru baragau - January 22 - 10:59 am

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  Just Right - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Ron - January 21 - 11:56 am

  Hats off to the design and engineering teams at Lexus. After a little over two weeks of driving this amazing hybrid,Im impressed with what appears to be a winning combination of luxury, technology, comfort, and handling. With 4 driving modes, all of which work flawlessly, this car is a "lot of fun" to drive. Im getting about 35 mpg which is the expected and welcome result. I think, with a little more practice, Ill be able to improve that to about 38-40mpg. The remote touch controller for the nav system is a wonder. It manages a very intuitive and simple interface with the audio, nav, climate, and phone systems thus enhancing the overall enjoyment of driving this well executed automobile.

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  Quite Pleased - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By 4 time lexus owner - January 20 - 10:00 am

  I am quite pleased with GX 470 I purchased in late July. My Blizzard Pearl GX has turned several heads. I havent seen this clor as of yet on the road or at any other local dealerships as of yet. However, I plan to trade in my 2003 for a 2004 because I just cant live with the after market installed DVD system. I will definately get the factory DVD this time. The current system doesnt take full advantage of the factory installed features like the Mark Levenson system or the factory installed system integration. The backup camera in the 2004 will be a blessing.

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  Second Time Around - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By CTraylor - January 20 - 10:00 am

  The RX is my second Lexus. I owned an ES before. The RX interior is awsome, comfortable, well appointed and visually pleasing. Honestly, the exterior grows on you. In terms of performance, the turning radius really is bad and fuel economy dissapoints. But what I like least is the choppy acceleration. Lots of lag and downshifting at full acceleration. All in all though, a very nice compromise for someone who needs veratility.