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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  Sticky catalytic converter - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By Pattyk - May 9 - 9:26 am

  Leased this car new. Has a good ride, not as quiet inside as I would have expected, dealership says its the wind shear from the side mirrors! When I have to accelerate a bit hard, the catalytic converter smells really bad. I had this problem with my 2005 es300 too. Does anybody else experience this? Also the drivers side seat belt buckle digs into the back of the seat and marks up the leather when you get in the car. The heated seats dont get very warm as other cars I have drove with this feature. The bluetooth does not always work properly. The front tires wore out at 10K and I did have them rotated by the dealer. The paint scratches very easily. Major torque pull could have accident.

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  Im impressed ! - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Dave Robb - May 7 - 5:36 am

  Im in my middle 50s and this is absolutely the nicest car I have ever owned. The performance is lack luster but that is not why I bought this car. The ride feels like Im riding in my living room easy chair. Ive only had the car for a month but have 4500 miles on it. Ive just returned from a five day, 3000 mile round trip and this car performed flawlessly. Im almost ready for my 5K service and the ONLY problem Ive experienced is some intermitant XM Radio reception. I do not have the hesitation complaint seen frequently on this site. My last new purchase had been a 2000 model GM product and my 5K punch list had 18 items.

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  Glad I leased - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Fang - May 6 - 3:00 am

  Good comfort and ride. Gas mileage is surprisingly good, between 18 and 24 mpg depending on how much city vs. highway driving we do. Room inside is good for four people. Cargo area is disappointing with rear seat up. Rx is easy to drive and park. Im not really overly impressed with anything about the RX except the power plant, it has very good power for a car of this weight. I will return the RX in 23 months but feel satisfied so far. Just not impressed enough to want to buy it.

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  Absolutely Wonderful Car - 2013 Lexus ES 300h
  By guidobill - May 2 - 8:27 am

  I put 120K trouble free miles on my Altima Hybrid. Really liked the Altima This is basically the same car since Nissan "borrowed" Toyota technology. I expect the same reliability from the Lexus. The difference is in the luxury ride and feel of the Lexus, as well as the outstanding build quality. I get 37 to 40 mpg in mixed driving. Now have 11K miles on Lexus and it has been reliable. The hybrid technology is not "state of the art" but I like that. Its proven. The Nickel Hydride batteries are "bulletproof."

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  Still the best car - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By JDM Superstar - May 1 - 3:50 pm

  I wish I have all the money to own it since new, anyway, purchased at 66k miles for $12k, just put another 5000, so far, did tune-up, O2 sensor replaced. Looks new and still shiny paint.

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  First Time Lexus Owner - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Pepper - April 30 - 5:00 am

  Purchased a pre-owned 330 with 5000 miles. Very good overall vehicle. Thoroughly enjoy long drives and the sense of watching your travels on a large plasma screen when you nestle in the front seat and enjoy the window and roof views.

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  Proven faster than an M3 - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By Max SPek - April 28 - 2:00 am

  No regrets other than not holding out for the manual transmission. with no upgrades 0-60 is 6.35 on mine, which edges out my friends stick M3 from 1999 by about a second. The best part is, it goes way faster than the Beemer, 165 MPH and the doors start opening up with vacuum pressure so i didnt try to go any faster. The A/C is automatic contrary to the editors beliefs and if anything feels like a corolla its the little twitchy German crap buttons on the M that require you to carry a set of pencils to press accurately.

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  ES300 - 2000 Lexus ES 300
  By awesome - April 26 - 10:00 am

  excellent power and handeling. very reliable and comfortable. rides on air and breaks well too. seats five adults comfortably

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  Mixed review - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By erin - April 25 - 11:53 am

  Great deal of comfort smooth quite ride with fuel approx. 28 mpg. Lower mpg on highway. Largest complaint Tires wear out at a much greater rate than any car I have previously owned. Checked alignment etc. to no avail a constant issue. Also have had two batteries!

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  Cool looking and fun to drive - 2013 Lexus CT 200H
  By danupsman - April 24 - 9:28 pm

  Weve logged several hundred miles on local road trips so far. It would seem with just 140 or so HP that it would be sluggish up hills but we havent found that to be the case. Its surprisingly more powerful than we though it would be. We took a trip to our local mountains (8,000 ft plus) and we never felt at all like it wasnt powerful enough. It just wasnt an issue ! It handles very nicely but there is a little more road noise than I liked to compared to our infinity G35. The interior is a little tight and it takes a little more effort to get in and out of because of that and its lowness to the ground, but we expected to give up some of that for the increase in fuel economy. Love it !