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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  Love My Lexus - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By Vance Gillette - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Excellent quality makes Lexus a pleasure to own and drive. Reliability is very key on my dission to purchase a Lexus.

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  Best SUV Ever! - 2004 Lexus LX 470
  By johnnyjjjj - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned many SUVs. Not one can compare to the Lexus. The drive and technology are unsurpassed. The service and follow through from the dealership are unmatched. Im definitely a converted Lexus owner.

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  Best Sport Sedan - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Retroman Driver - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Best Sport sedan I ever Had!! In the past I own BMW 1600, Audi 90, Datsun 240Z, But this is by far is the near perfect sport sedan. Buy it stick shift to enjoy it. 3.0 liter engine has plenty torque to spin tires. I got the "SPORT DESIGN" (list $1,335), which has nice features: 11-spoke tires and 8-wat adjustable seets(a must). By the way, before I got my Lexus, I test drived all the other sport-sedans + one sport car. Infinity G-35, BMW 330, Mercedes 320, Acura and Nissan 350Z. They were all nice, but I liked the way IS 300 held the rode, its quality and the tastefull interior and exterior design.

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  ABSOLUTELY SUPERB! - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Imac - July 16 - 2:00 am

  My 2004 Lexus ES330 is absolutely SUPERB all around. I loved my old 2000 ES 300, but this 2004 is even better. It is smoother, quieter, more powerful, gets better milage, more luxurious, more beautiful inside & outside and just oozes quality all over. The new ES 330 is the best mid-luxury car on the road.

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  Lexus ES300 - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By m54steve - July 16 - 2:00 am

  My prior daily driver was a Mercedes C320. The Lexus is quieter, bigger, more comfortable, better equipped, and significantly less expensive. Im a convert!

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  1 month ownership - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By S-TONIT - July 15 - 8:23 am

  Purchased this car late June 06 and immediately took it on a trip. We started with 43 miles on the car and drove from Florida to the N.C. mountains. We averaged 26.3 mpg on the highway with the a/c on. In the mountains we averaged 24.6. Back in Florida, we are averaging 28.8 around town with the a/c on. It has surpassed my expectations. We traded an 04 330 awd on this vehicle and we do notice quite and improvement. Nice job Lexus!

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  Great Purchase! - 2011 Lexus GX 460
  By csmith37 - July 14 - 8:39 pm

  We couldnt be happier with this purchase. When you buy a Lexus, you know its going to be pricey, but you also know its going to be outstanding in its quality. Although its big, you dont feel like youre driving a bus like some of the others SUVs. Of course, the gas mileage is not ideal, but you know that going into buying any large SUV. This is our first Lexus, but I have a feeling it wont be our last!

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  Most fun I Have had in many years - 2005 Lexus IS 300
  By Wolfpodd - July 13 - 2:13 pm

  The only problems I have had was scraping the front right bumper on a high curb!! My Bad!! This vehicle is a ton of fun to drive. Handling is great, powertrain is strong. I have a 5 speed manual so gas mileage is better.

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  Love my NX 300h - 2017 Lexus NX 300h
  By Beth Baker - July 13 - 7:22 am

  Enjoy driving my new car and get loads of comments. Comfortable and fun

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  Excellent car - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Rajeev - July 13 - 12:06 am

  I have only 1000 miles on it and Im getting 37 - a lot better than my 9 yr old Camry V6 (25 mpg) which I traded in. Im very technical and I observe all the activities happening very minutely. In short, this is the car of future, this car will not have been possible 10 years ago without the advancement in computers. I now realize, its a paradigm shift in automotive transmission technology. Even when its just rolling, which I can see from the engine display monitor, it can go more distance than any other cars Ive driven. When braking, generate power and reuse that later. When going through busy areas, use most of the battery power (thats when gas engines burn most fuel).