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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  2005 ES 330, My Impression - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By alboy - November 4 - 11:06 pm

  Overall, this seems to be a very comfortable and smooth vehicle with one major exception, the transmission hesitation and lurch. When slowing down and then accelerating without stopping, there is a brief hesitation and then a jerk or lurch. I understand that Lexus has issue a Technical Service Bulletin to the dealers about this. It involves installing a software update for the transmission. The Service Rep at the dealer adised me that sometimes it makes things worse and, once installed, they cant undo it. I therefore choose not to do it at this time. Otherwise, its a very good car with many nice features as long as youre not seated in the back, poor legroom.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2002 Lexus LS 430
  By Garry Willis - November 4 - 8:33 am

  Trouble free, low maintenance, smooth, efficient, powerful and a huge trunk over 20 cubic ft. Just change the fluids and youre good. Classic good looks and good re sale value.

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  An excellent car - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By becknsteve - November 4 - 7:03 am

  I did a lot of research on this vehicle before buying and driving, and it has lived up to the Lexus reputation and more. I did seriously consider the Toyota Avalon, and found I could buy the ES 350 and get more amenities for less money than the Avalon came fully loaded. For space and comfort that I was looking for, the only other car that came close was the Infinity and it was more out of my price range. I hear a lot of "sour grapes" rap out there about Toyota products, but they are still the most reliable and top quality large automotive manufacturer in the world today.

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  Best Car Ever - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Batteryman - November 1 - 12:20 pm

  This is the best car we ever had. You sit up high and get the SUV feel, but still get pretty much the 18/24 mpg advertised. It may be slightly under- powered for some, but thats the price of decent mileage. It has been completely reliable. The controls are ergonomic - placed logically just where they ought to be. One exception: the GPS navigation system is complex and somewhat counter-intuitive. Expect a learning curve of some weeks. The low-profile tires are more expensive than the regular kind, but they look great. I replaced them at Walmart in 2009 with top-quality for about $1,000. Groceries tend to slide in the cargo area - the "cargo net" sold as a $60 option is useless.

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  German fun - Japanese reliability - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By thomasrex - November 1 - 10:00 am

  Excellent handling makes fun out of any canyon roads. Engine is like butter, and the 2002 Auto is smooth

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  The Legend - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Bhavin B. Mehta - November 1 - 10:00 am

  I looked at Mercedez, Audi, Acura and a whole bunch of other cars. I decided to settle for a Lexus ES300 because all the features that I was getting as an option in some of the other vehicles were all standard in the ES300. It is a great drive. I already put in 1400 miles in the first 3 weeks. The dealer was great and definately deserves commendation.

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  Poor door design - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By TSPHOGG - November 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought a brand new Lexus RX330 5 days ago. Although I love the cars overall design, features and handling, Lexus really didnt think through the door design. The roof line over the door is set back over the seat. There is no channel on the roof to force the water to drain properly. Water drips off the roof on to the seat and floor when the door or window is opened. Water is also trapped between the door and frame of the car (even from road spray). I have contacted Lexus directly about this problem and await their answer.

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  Fun to Drive! - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Dave - October 30 - 5:20 pm

  This is the most fun to drive of any vehicle I have owned - and I have owned a lot of them at age 71. I find it responsive and a joy. I drive mostly highway miles and really like the gas milage - beats my 2002 Honda Accord by 15%.

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  In A Class By Itself - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By Paul - October 30 - 12:03 pm

  We have had many Benzs over the years, and we just got tired of all the mechanical problems and costs. We were ready for a car to rely upon, that was luxurious, comfortable and beautiful. We got it with the LS 460. The car is awesome. We considered BMW also, but I know we made the right choice. Until you live with the car, you cannot appreciate it.

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  So heres the deal... - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Greenespace - October 30 - 11:06 am

  Overall, its a great and reliable car. The pluses include a quiet ride, extreme reliability, plenty of legroom, and an excellent stereo, even if its just the premium, not the Mark Levinson version. The biggest negative I can think of is that the transmissions in these cars are awful in lower gears. You WILL be jerked around, especially if you are rolling at low speeds and then accelerate. However, other than that, an excellent buy and a car that is hard to go wrong with.