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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  SUPER RELIABILITY & COMFORT - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By Steve C. - November 10 - 6:43 am

  Bought pre-owned @ 3 yr. old but with only 6800 miles. Have since pumped up to 56k. Now 9 yrs. old and have not put a single penny into it beyond maintenance. Drive is uninspiring around town but a champ on the highway. Cruises with uncanny smoothness. A true luxury ride with exceptional quietness. Blah, grandpa-like exterior (and who designed the ugliest alloy wheels ever?) but interior is attractive and plush. I probably wont but could keep car for another 15 years and it would still be an enjoyable ride. A bit jumpy off the mark. Even if you try to moderate throttle it tends to leap off line. Surprisingly fuel efficient on hwy (up to 28 mph) but premium a must. Mileage suffers otherwise.

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  OWNER REVIEW - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By ALLAN - November 10 - 3:50 am

  very comfortable user friendly handling good interior noise level very good

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  Love it Love it Love it - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Dan Cacich - November 9 - 11:33 pm

  This was my 1st luxury car. Looked for 18 mths. Compared to BMW, Benz and Acura I felt I got the best bang for my buck. No other vehicle had the ride. Mileage is unbelievable at 33 mpg highway. Took it on many trips. Currently shopping for the wife. Looked at a 2010 RX 350. Of course, had to look at everything else again. Decided on the RX. Nothing else comes close to a Lexus. Son in law is a mechanic. He says you can never go wrong with a Lexus.

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  2003 Lexus IS300 Sport Design - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By Justin - November 9 - 12:26 pm

  I bought my 2003 black on black Lexus sport design in 2009 with 86k miles on it. The car drove and performed awesome the whole time i owned it. The interior is classy/sporty and stylish. Every girl Ive taken on a drive loved the car. The cars chrome shift ball is F1 inspired i love the look. The door stiles have silver step plates. Car never fail me but the previous owner never changed the factory battery and it died on me twice. Thats the only problem i had but the battery was 6 years old so go figure. Love the car had to sell it because i need money. The sport design is 300 is a great car. Get you one!

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  Please make a V8 4Runner again Toyota! - 2016 Lexus GX 460
  By Mike - November 8 - 9:14 am

  Let me start by saying we did NOT buy this because of the badge on the hood! I have read so many comments at the bottom of reviews for the GX that rip it shreds and proclaim it nothing more than a mall crawler, trophy wife truck and an outdated one at that. I will not disagree that in many instances those comments apply, but I applaud Toyota for offering a BOF SUV with a V8, I only wish I didnt have to buy a Lexus to get it. This vehicle is for my wife, and yes shes my trophy and yes she does a fair amount of mall crawling, BUT....we also regularly tow a travel trailer and arent afraid to traverse trails, cross small streams or other off road activities with bikes mounted on the roof, kids and dogs in the back. We actually NEED capability and USE it! I am a long time Toyota fan, having owned multiple Tacomas and Lexus LS400s when I was in sales and I cant say enough good about their quality and longevity. I sold my last LS400 with 267k on the odometer running strong! With a travel trailer, two kids and a dog the 03 Tacoma double cab V6 wasnt cutting it for tow duties any longer and we test drove and fell in love with the 4Runners looks and attitude. What I didnt fall in love with was the 4.0L V6 and 4,700 lb tow rating. With that bad news, my research led me to the "Lexified" version of the 4Runner, aka GX460. From the moment we drove it, she loved the interior feel, looks(controversial) and smooth V8. I liked the 6,500lb tow rating and the interior upgrades over the 4Runner. We looked at Tahoes/Yukons but didnt need that much size, looked at Jeep GCs but wanted a 3rd row and also looked at the Land Rover LR4. I absolutely loved the LR4 and was smitten with its feel, looks, heritage and off road prowess. She didnt care for it at all, and since we plan to keep this vehicle for a long time I figured it was much wiser to go with a Toyota rather than a Land Rover. I quickly realized that Toyota took a smart pill and figured out "Why sell a V8 4Runner, when you can push consumers to the Lexus brand?" We bought in hook, line and sinker. Its a great truck, albeit heavy,thirsty, and expensive but if you want or need to tow and go off road your choices are pretty limited these days. Im confident it will serve us well for years to come. If you dont have a need for "duty" get an RX or one of the other countless lifted sedans out there.

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  Best SUV - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By SUSAN - November 6 - 8:06 am

  I have had this SUV for 9 years now and the only problem I have had is that in cold weather the fan belt sometimes squeals. A little grease eliminates the problem. I do regular oil changes every 5000 miles (use Mobil 1), and thats about it.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Lexus RX 300
  By RPLexus - November 6 - 2:00 am

  This is the best SUV I have owned.

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  Over Rated Toyota - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By Don Hollywood - November 6 - 2:00 am

  I have never been so disappointed in a vehicle!!! My 2003 Lincoln LS V8 out performs the Lexus, hands down. As far as luxury features are concerned, there are non, other than a great navigation system. The seats are hard, the accelaration is fair, at best. The styling is unique but, you cant see the front, much less the rear, of the car from the drivers seat making parking a nightmare. I was considering a Vette but, went for the Lexus SC for a better ride, boy was I wrong! Handling and ride are both far less than my Lincoln. Overall, I find the car to be a real ripoff and Im about to loss $10,000.00 + just to get rid of it!

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  First Lexus still remembering my Benz - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By First Lexus - November 6 - 2:00 am

  First Lexus. I looked at all of the competition:Mercedes,Jaguar,BMW,Audi and Volvo.After owning a Benz my 1st thought was to get another one. After reading some reviews on Edmunds, I decided against it. As for the Lexus, good car but a little dull. I love the interior and the navigation and the overall space. I still havent gotten used to the exterior styling, the headlights in particular. I have had squeaks, rattles and a thumping sound in the trunk during initial acceleration. Turns out the dealer has been getting this complaint. Problem is when the gas tank is full, the fuel swishes and makes a pounding sound. Reliable, but vanilla.

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  Beautiful auto! - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By yeahright30 - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Beautiful car inside and out. Good amount off the sticker price these days too. I was able to get even lower than tmv. Absolutely the most gorgeous car for the price. especially the interior with leather and wood that is unsurpassed in its class.