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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  Exceeded My Expectations - 2008 Lexus RX 400H
  By T Owens - May 2 - 1:50 pm

  Extraordinary would be the best word that describes my driving experience in the Lexus RX400h AWD. It came with all the bells and whistles that one would expect from Lexus. The vehicle is exceptionally comfortable, fun, and easy to drive. Although this is my 2nd SUV and 1st hybrid, it is by far superior to the 16.5 MPG Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer that I use to own. Whats truly remarkable is the outstanding power performance when you need it, and the equally outstanding fuel economy in stop and go city traffic. Knowing that the 400h is very quiet in the hybrid mode has heightened my situational awareness when people are nearby on foot, as its almost as loud as an electric golf cart.

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  Performance - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By david h. sager - May 2 - 3:03 am

  This is a truly great automobile. Quality is unsurpassed, trim, fit are done right. The engine is the finest I have ever driven--quite powerful and never shows strain. only regret is I didnt reach this level sooner!

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  Great Little SUV driving it for 5 years - 2003 Lexus RX 300
  By Ferres - May 2 - 1:44 am

  I had my RX300 for 5 years now, it has 175k miles and still drive like new, no problem of any kind , just oil change and brake in 3 years tires still good after 3 years of heavy driving, smooth ride, ok on fuel, AC and heating is great accelerate good for AWD , reliable, I had a lot of cars in my live Jeep, BMWs, Kia, Honda, Nissan X terra , ford, Montero, Mercedes Isuzo , Hyundai this Lexus IS the best if u find one buy it no matter what is the miles on it it will last for ever

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  RX300 gets even better - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Ted Bretschger - May 1 - 4:56 pm

  After happily owning an RX300 we were blown away by how much better the RX330 is. More interior room, better ride, better turning radius and the Nav system

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  What a beautiful car - 2007 Lexus SC 430
  By Starstruck - April 30 - 8:40 pm

  It is the car that you cannot keep your eyes off of. Perfect in almost every aspect.

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  You know you want this car! - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By lexi300 - April 30 - 12:23 pm

  This is a car you need to drive. Pure fun and driving enjoyment. The perforated and ventilated seats are top notch and make you feel great. Instrument panel is intelligently laid out and intuitive. All instruments are easy to find and automatically adjust to be read in all lighting conditions. The straightforward, bright-white numbers are elegant and simple. Interior and exterior design are cutting edge -- utility with a real flair. Car drives and accelerates like a dream. Engine purrs. Car is soundproofed so ride is quiet, but not so quiet that you dont get needed feedback. Brakes are sure and confident. Tires are right grip and size for the car. All-wheel drive is perfect.

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  Cant complain too much - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Rita - April 29 - 1:20 pm

  Roomy, Reliable and Comfortable. The acoustics are great with the upgraded sound system I had installed. Quiet car with the proper tires. Knock on wood, no major problems.

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  Disappointed - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Karen - April 29 - 9:30 am

  This was my 3rd RX. Fell in love with the look of the car. But it has a loud droning noise, vibration that you can feel from the tires to the steering wheel. I have had it in the shop and they claim its the exhaust. I hate driviving the vehicle. So disappointing.

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  lexus gs300 - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By ael77 - April 28 - 6:34 am

  i had a gs300 for a long time it has about 140,000 miles on it n it runs great built great good quality the interior is nice seats r comfortable n so is the ride performance is good i like sports cars but the peformance is good enough its an 11 year old car n i still drive it like a sports car so it can handle the abuse not that i do but sometimes i need to boogy the top speed i ever did on it is about 125mph n im not scared to boogy on it cuz i know it can handle it the snow option helps out alot in the snow with good tires for n rearwheel drive its pretty good doesnt need alot of maintenace n the sound system is pretty good on the platinum edition so its a good car still runs awesome

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2009 Lexus RX 350
  By Gill - April 28 - 4:56 am

  I was looking for a FWD and Lexus dealers on the North East do not stock FWD vehicles. Visited my daughter in Atlanta and drove a 2009 RX350 from Atlanta to NJ. The fit & finish is great. My first luxury vehicle and the ride is a real luxury, quite cabin at highway speed, plenty of power to accelrate. Good MPG and I got about 27- 28 MPG on the highway. Experience with Nalley Lexus of Roswell was even better than the vehicle itself. We have lot of old cassette tapes and love the full logic cassette deck.