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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  Luxury & Excitement - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By J Rok - January 9 - 8:53 pm

  This vehicle is absolutely phenomenal. The AWD system is excellent, I never had any concerns this winter driving the vehicle. The interior decor is top- notch, beautiful leather, wood-grain, I really like the simple layout of all the buttons and controls for the vehicle. The standard sound system is of good quality. It has good acceleration combined with a silky smooth ride. It doesnt handle like a 5 series Bimmer but it certainly makes up for it with a phenomenal exterior design, great build quality and more importantly, overall reliabilty. Definitely a 10 in my book.

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  Lexus Nailed This one!!! - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By BigAl - January 9 - 8:36 pm

  What a car! It rides smooth and it has a very slick design. The cops pull me over at 90 mph and I didnt even know that I was speeding. The engine is powerful, but they say the V8 is even better.

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  Thank God i bought a 5 speed - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By RJ Rafael - January 8 - 3:36 pm

  I know this sound generic but "I love my car!" this was my first new car and it is still my daily driver. I currently have 88,090 miles and I am still running on the original front brakes, clutch, belts & shocks! Driving stick really extends the life of your car. Only had to replace 1 bad shock, the battery, rear brakes and everything else is from 2004. About to change the timing belt, water pump, etc. but Im almost at 90,000 miles so my is 300 has done me proud. You expect quality and reliability from Lexus/Toyota and they delivered. Mine is is so much fun to drive, its quick around corners and the ride is very smooth. The transmission is the smoothest I have ever driven.

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  Who makes up these changes? - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By robertintpa - January 8 - 11:00 am

  I just dont understand how some of these changes make it out of engineering. Coming from 2005RX, the two buttons I press the most everyday are now 5 times smaller. The temperature buttons are like little pin size buttons compared to what was normal in RX. The stereo volume knob is 3 times smaller. Is bigger always better? The auto-close button on the hatch, smaller. Glovebox - smaller. I noticed in the 2005, the felt was "plusher" than in the 2010. The rack on the roof - GRAY on a black car? It should be the same color. Who makes these decisions? Joystick control on NAV systems is not as easy to use as just pressing your finger exactly what you want - especially the keyboard.

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  Wish I had my old one - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Lexusreview - January 8 - 10:33 am

  Traded my 2000 for this one. The 2010 has a very stiff truck like ride. The seats are hard and uncomfortable and there are many rattles all around. I prefer my 2010 Tundra, the ride and quiet exceed this Canadian attempt at a Lexus.

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  Great Car~!!! - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Jacob Lim - January 7 - 2:00 am

  I have some friends who own BMW 325i and Audi 1.8 quatro. I am sure they are good cars,too. but then their major issue is reliability. I think BMW is worse than Audi. Definitely I enjoy driving my car and look as well~

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  Outstanding Quality & Ride - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By MAB430 - January 7 - 2:00 am

  This is my first Lexus and luxury car and I cant be happier than I am. The quality of the car is incredible. The details are dramatic. The leather is soft and the seats are very comfortable. All the vehicle controls are at the drives fingertips and all the features are easy to operate.The sound system is outstanding. I dont have the Mark Levinson system but the "premium" system is quite sufficient for those who appreciate a quality sound system. The car is easy to drive and has an incredible turning ratio. And of course it has all the bells and whistles you would expect to find in a Lexus.

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  Forget it take the lost - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Lawrence Liew - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Paid $46,000. Dealership should makes enough profit to cover all services cost. Five times within 9 months return for the same porblem. I guess this is why you drive or own a luxury car. Becasue you dont need to go to work got too much extra time to kill. I am very disappointed with this new world class lexus RX330. It does cost too much for a bag of LEMONS. Dealer no help or not even try to help at all. What a service means?

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  Excellent SUV - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Love it - January 6 - 5:23 pm

  Test drove the MDX, ML500, BMW X5, and also the Tourage. They all drove nicely. But Im glad I bought my GX 470. Its comfortable and everything you can ask for in an SUV.

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  Great purchase - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Mohammed J - January 5 - 12:23 am

  Just traded in my 2001 GS300 for 2006 GS300. All in all it was a great purchase and good value. Surprisingly, I posted 29.8 mpg on highway from DE to NY and back for a total of 220 miles trip. But I do not get anything better than 19 mpg in the city.