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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  Unhappy with 2016 Lexus es350 Rides like a truck - 2016 Lexus ES 350
  By Mona Frame - December 3 - 7:53 am

  If you have owned a 2011 or 2005 Lexus do not expect the same comfort inside or on the road. The seats are hard, road noise inside is bad and I am very dissatisfied with its over all ride and comfort, and road noise. Mine rides just a tad above my husbands 2015 Dodge truck. I dont know what happened to the quality but I am very unhappy with my new 2016 Lexus es350. I did not test drive it and that was a big mistake. However, I did not test drive my 2011 or 2005 and I am m not sure a simple test drive would have been enough to tell me how uncomfortable this 2016 was going to be. I trusted since I was buying a high end car like the lexus it would be of a quality I had known before. I am looking for a 2012 or earlier used lexus and will sell this one. I just hate that Lexus has fallen into the cheap car routine. Why not have leather seats?? I dont want a sports car I want a car that is comfortable. Very displeased with this new car would not recommend unless a person wants an sports rcar.

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  Unhappy - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Itmaybme - November 30 - 2:00 am

  This is the fourth Lexus I have owned with two of them being the RX300 so I was really excited to see the features on the RX330 and the sleek body style. I am very disappointed with this car overall though. The car is very loud and has a constant roar in the rear, the wind noise when driving above 45 is nerve racking, and the comfort of the ride is surely not Lexus quality. This car is certainly not the dream car I expected it to be. I really wish I had kept my 2002 RX300. This Lexus is a big disappointment and if this is any indication of "improvements", then I do think I will look for another brand of car.

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  This car is all over the place.... - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By joem59 - October 26 - 2:33 pm

  Bought the car in 06. Needless to say Im very disappointed. The car has a nice looking exterior, great stereo and terrific gas miles (26 plus). That is where it ends. Since the first month I noticed paint chipping and scratches. I thought is was bad road luck. Then more started appearing along with blotching. I barely drive the car and never on dirt roads. Its garage kept. I have a Hyundai with 100k that gets driven every day and no front chips or scratches. The seats are very uncomfortable and feel like your sitting in a hole. I have always had rattles in dash and under carriage and door seat position buttons have always had problems and now dont work. Plus poor int lite + button design.

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  1999 Lexus ES 300 4 Dr Std Sedan - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By Steve - September 7 - 10:06 pm

  I bought the car used about a year ago because I had great luck with my 1994 Toyota Camry, 350,000 Miles before the engine quit. Unfortunately the engine is not even close to reliable as the Camry. I have spent over $2500 on repairs. Oxgen Sensors, 1 Coil, 1 Mass Air Flow Sensor, 2 VVT Actuators,2 Knock Sensors, Cam Seals. I consider myself a good mechanic and was not as concerned when I purchased the car. Edmunds dead correct when they say this engine is a problem and the parts are very costly. I read that Coils, VVT Actuators, MAF, including the transmisson are an issue and should have listened. Also the LCD displays go out. If you must go to the dealer it is $200.00 diagnostic and $$

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  Engine Noise - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Karen Ko - September 2 - 2:00 am

  HELP! Engine very noisy especially whenever I accelerate and I was told by LEXUS that it is normal. When I test drove it, it was not noisy and I thought the noise came from the tires as I was told to change when it was under 20,000 miles as the inner treads were worn.

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  Disapointed - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By dissapointed300 - August 21 - 4:03 pm

  Bought my 2006 GS300 as a certified preowned in Feb of 2008. The exterior and interior of the car was great. What sealed the deal for me was the overall consumer ratings of the car. Unfortunately, my disappointment started 2 weeks after I bought the car, I was sold cupped tires. Ever since then, I have taken my GS300 back to the shop on a monthly basis for different problems. Customer Service is great but the quality of the car is not. As a matter of fact, car is in the shop now (June 2009). Time for another car!! Any suggestions for a quality, reliable, luxury car that I dont have to take into the shop every month except for maintenance? Does it even exist any more?

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  Falls short - 2014 Lexus ES 350
  By bggiseries - August 12 - 7:44 pm

  This would be my second ES350. I liked the 07 version better but this one does have many things I like. This one is pretty much loaded. The blind spot / cross traffic alert is great but a lot of vehicles have that now. I like streaming the music from my smartphone. Acceleration is very good but sometimes sluggish from the start. The window design is ridiculous. They slope into the car a fair amount so when it rains, water will drip on your arm, leg and seat when you open the door. There is no wow factor in this car. There is just way to much wind and road noise. Most all road imperfections are felt. I will not buy another one.

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  Not for me - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By not for me - August 11 - 4:43 am

  All I can say is so far so bad. No fun at all to drive. Cant even feel the road. Armrest is worthless because it is too short to rest your arm on it. Vibrations and rattles that are very annoying. Disabling navigation and bluetooth features while moving renders options I paid for useless. Center console poorly designed.

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  the pursuit of mediocrity - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By joanna - August 11 - 2:00 am

  having bought a new 1999 es 300 that i found flawless, i traded it in on a 2003 es 300 that has brought nothing but heartache. the ride and lexus premium sound system qualities are diminished as well as the interior quiet while driving. its like a wind tunnel now. the sound systems midrange is tinny and thin while the bass booms with reverberation at normal volume. ive found no help from the dealer. my love affair with lexus is over.

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  M3 and C63 - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By s.park - August 10 - 1:10 pm

  I had 2 M3s and 1 C55 and I did test drive all new M3, C63, and IS-F. I bought this car b/c never had super sedan from Toyota (also I had modified supra). Advantage - ownership cost cheaper, better reliability, better fuel economy than M3 and C63. Disadvantage - resale value lower than M3 (not C63) even though "exclusive IS-F", M3 and C63 are more fun to drive, better build quality, and better handling than IS-F. No manual trans vs. M3 (not C63), slower than M3 and C63 (not much diff. but still)