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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  great machine - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By Joe lexus - March 16 - 10:00 am

  Smooth as silk with a quiet ride and great extra features. The sound system that you can listen to with the top down and the compartment that you can hear your passenger talk with top down.

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  Lexus RX 300 AWD review - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By lovethatmustang - March 16 - 10:00 am

  Love it...great to take my dogs with me. Low enough for them to jump in, High enough for me to feel safe

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  Jans RX330 - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Jans RX330 - March 16 - 1:16 am

  This vehicle is smooth and quiet. Seats are very comfy. I took long trip, averaged 26 miles per gallon at 75 mph. I have had no problems with car at 9000 miles. Very satisfied with vehicle.

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  Best Lexus Ive owned in 20 years! - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By JP - March 16 - 1:07 am

  So Ive owned this car for almost exactly 11 months now and Ive enjoyed every single mile of driving it. I have also owned and driven a Lexus LX 470 for 10 years and compared to that monstrous SUV this RX has been such a joy to drive plus the MPG is something that you cant even compare. Ive been averaging around 22-24 mpg in this car compared to the LX I only got around 12-15 mpg. I got the black AWD 3.5 V6 edition and not the F sport. The only real differences that I disliked in this model compared to the F sport is the plasticky spindle grill and the size of the tires 18 vs 20. I also have a regular size sunroof vs the panoramic Otherwise my two tone , cream and brown interior is gorgeous, I have the upgrade 13 in screen, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, back up cameras, parking assist etc. My model was lacking the wireless phone charger which Im bummed about and it didnt come with the Lexus self drive system which is a glorified lane assist system. I managed to test that twice when I had a loaner car and the precision of the car for it to stay in the lane driving at 75mph or faster was quite impressive. It was almost like I was driving a Tesla. Styling: Rating 9.8 I love the wide spindle grill in the front and the floating roof line. Its very futuristic and quite a departure from the old school boring RXs of the past. I was looking into getting the Audi Q5 and when I saw this car I was immediately in love and forgot about the Audi. Ride Rating 9.7 Its buttery smooth and very pleasant. I do put the car in ECO mode 99% of the time so it does drive softer and slightly less under powered than when I have it on Sport mode. Materials Rating 9.3 Very high quality plastics and leather. Its soft touch plastics everywhere except the corner where the left of the steering wheel is at. That FEELS HARD AND like a TOYOTA. The wood grain is exceptional and I wanted the light wood interior to go along with the light cream interior. AWD Rating 9.8 Our house is on a hill in wintry and snowy Massachusetts and so far this SUV has exceeded my expectation being able to scale up our steep driveway without any problems at all. Noise Rating 9.8 I drive about 50 miles one way to the city and its a blessing for this car to insulate you from road noise and other noisy cars on the road Sound system Rating 6.8 Maybe I should have upgraded to the Mark Levison sound system because even though the stock sound system is good, its truly not exceptional for this class and price point. My car is $58K and its not even the F-sport Lexus Enform and NAV Rating 4.4 Ok. The screen is huge and it splits and its gorgeous. The controls though are clumsy and very tedious to use especially when you’re driving and trying to click on something on the screen using that mouse stick. TERRIBLE. I can’t wait until they use gesture controls like BMW and have a touch screen interface that is more intuitive Reliability and Service Rating 10 Ive had 7 Audis, 1 BMW, 2 Mercedes Benz and Lexus got them beat in service. We even had outdoor bbq grills in the summertime and seamless service staff that takes care of the car when you take it there for service. Kudos to Lexus of Northborough in MA. Would I buy this car again? Yes definitely ! I would like to get the Atomic silver color and the premium 20 in wheels and the F sport for sure! Overall Rating 9.4 I have driven these other cars before and compared to these other models these are my ratings: Audi Q5 Rating 7.3 BMW X5 6.8 Ford Edge Titanium 6.2

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  9.5/10, just a few things to work on - 2007 Lexus GX 470
  By Vincent - March 15 - 11:16 am

  This vehicle is amazing. It has power and is full of torque. It has great pick up and the technology is fantastic. Im very pleased with the comfort and the leg space, and the rear view camera is worth its weight in gold!

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  Best luxury value - 2009 Lexus ES 350
  By mekianov - March 13 - 8:20 pm

  The ES is the best luxury value sedan in my opinion. Its all weather friendly and it offers plenty of power and its loaded up with equipment all for $42000 for a full size sedan. Something you need to pay $10000 more for a Mercedez, BMW or Infinity and you sacrifice the fuel economy because of a heavy all wheel drive. The car is quiet and nimble, smooth and extremely stylish.

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  Great car... Love it! - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By travelingg - March 11 - 6:36 am

  I had an RX 300 for 4 years and did not think it could get any better. MY RX 330 is tremendous. I will never have a car without AWD and a GPS system. Cant recommend Lexus enough for quality, comfort, reliability and service. The Lexus buying experience is unique as they truly value your business.

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  Very Comfortable and Economical - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By Texan Brit - March 9 - 1:16 pm

  Had the car for 6 months and driven it on two long journeys over 1000 miles each way, as well as commuting to work. Journeys averaged 25 mpg, commute in traffic usually get 29 or 30 mpg which is sensational for a vehicle this size. Its only let down by the plastic finish on some of the interior fittings. Its very strange as some features are wonderful like the soft leather seats and the soft interior roof lining. Contrast this with the plastic finish of the grab handles that rattle annoyingly. Im sure Lexus will fix this on future versions. Overall though a great vehicle with good economy and pretty good performance overall.

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  Love my rx330! - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By kcarroll831 - March 8 - 8:07 am

  Im 17 and just bought my second car, and I love it. The only complaint is the power rear door.. Maybe I just dont understand it but the key fob button and the button the dash only work sometimes. Other times Itll try to open then just close. Its fun to drive, has some get up and go when you want it. Gas mileage is great, I average 23-24 in the city, 22 maybe in heavy stop and go. I hate when something raddles or shakes and this car is very solid. Even with the bass up and windows down no annoying noises! Very clean, classy, but fun car. Also I havent driven many cars but the few I have drove awful in the rain. This Lexus takes puddles better than my truck on 35s...

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  like a tank - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Charles R. Williams - March 7 - 4:53 am

  This vehicle rides like a tank. My wife likes this. I dont. She is very happy with the car. She feels safe and the seats are good for her sore back. I dont complain but I do find it top- heavy and unresponsive. Do yourself a favor and put on the best tires money can buy, get them rotated regularly and have the alignment checked. We get 19 mpg on a mix of city and highway driving. At 80000, its been reliable. I shudder to think what a serious repair would cost. For this reason alone, I am agreeable to trading it in on a certified pre-owned RX330.