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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  How to combine a hybrid and luxury car - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Steve - December 25 - 3:23 pm

  I drove other hybrid sedans before buying this Lexus. It is excellent because it has the fewest trade offs compared to most other hybrids with very comfortable seats front & back, an excellent radio, easy to reach and understand controls, a simple yet informative dash, high seating with good outside views, a luxury level climate system, and 32-38 mpg in most conditions. Acceleration and power are good but more pedal push is needed at times compared to gas cars. Steering is very responsive with good road feedback. I live in the hybrid eco mode with best mpg in normal driving. Power mode uses more gas with faster acceleration and is mostly not needed. Overall, you get what you pay for.

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  Great experience - 2002 Lexus GS 300
  By Canton MI - December 24 - 1:26 pm

  Residents of south east Michigan (Motown)are not supposed to drive foreign cars. And until my Lexus, I only drove domestic. What a great experience. The powertrain and build quality are fantastic. Dealership service is only marginally better however.

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  All but the selling - 2001 Lexus LS 430
  By kennethmdavies - December 23 - 1:20 pm

  No problems, comfortable ride, good power.

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  FSport Hybrid--UNBELIEVEABLE! - 2016 Lexus RX 450h
  By Brock Bizzell - December 21 - 5:34 pm

  We started out only looking at the regular RX, but after much deliberation about what packages we wanted, we decided to choose the FSport Hybrid. That was the best decision we have ever made. We are extremely happy with all the features this vehicle offers. UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!

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  SIMPLEY SUPERB - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By imaciasjr - December 20 - 2:00 am

  My white 2004 Lexus ES330 sparkles like a diamond. The ride is quiet, smooth and luxurious, and the 225 HP 3.3 V6 is responsive, powerful and agile. The added leather/wood steering wheel and shift handle gives it an eye-catching extra that gets great comments from all admirers. Way to go LEXUS!

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  07 ES350 - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Bob - December 17 - 5:03 am

  The car is still brand new, but we are pleased with the purchase, as well as with the ride, comfort and handling . The new ES offers a lot of near-luxury features for the money. With options, it does cost a little more than some of its direct competition, but that should be made up when its time to trade it in. At this early stage, Id recommend it to someone looking for a car in this segment.

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  excellent ride - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By john - December 17 - 2:00 am

  wow.what a ride

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  My first lexus - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By wesley callaway - December 16 - 5:46 am

  I purchased the Lexus Ultra. This model has all the creature comforts available. All the extra gizmos take a engineer to figure out how to operate.

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  Glorious Automobile - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Denny G - December 14 - 9:36 am

  Gorgeous Royal Ruby Metallic ES 350 purchd in Newport Beach, CA, Oct. 2006. Not easy finding this color with all the extra features. ES has full Ultra-Luxury Pkg, chrome wheels, window tint, and satellite radio. Looks like a fine piece of jewelry. ES replaced 88 Cad, Eldo, and beats Eldo hands down for fuel economy, acceleration, ride (YES!), and features. Love all the techie gadgets/features; discovering more each day. This car can play CDs, DVDs (also movies on 7" screen), and MP3 & WMA audio. Made a music CD in *.wma audio that contained 10 hours of music. Played beautifully in the Mark Levinson audio system.

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  Great Job Lexus! - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By Dermas - December 14 - 2:00 am

  Great car! Quality is superb. Everything about this car is perfect!