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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  Lexus LS 400 1998 - 1998 Lexus LS 400
  By jim_fun - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Great car... no problems

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  Mercedes is loosing ground fast - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By Concho - April 16 - 10:00 am

  Can not find anything that is not well beyond my expectations. This vehicle is a drivers dream. This vehicle replaces a SL500.

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  Pocket Rocket - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By coolpat - April 16 - 8:26 am

  This car demands attention. The hard top convertible is fabulous. Low end torque not quite as good as I expected, but high end torque is amazing. The ride is a bit harsh as you might expect with a sports car. Sound system is great. Trunk is bigger than expected.

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  Poor engeneering of add-ons - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By White Russian - April 16 - 7:23 am

  Switched 2008 RX350 for this one, and I am sorry I did. All futures, which do not work by design, when driving just distract you and make you dizzy. Voice activation system is missing commands 99% of the time. Some genius put microphones in the middle of front console, when they should be in front of the driver. Central console is protruding to much into the car, difficult to see knobs and digits. Navigation system is Ok, but traffic future can not show you overview of clogged roads for better planning.

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  GS300 Sport - 2002 Lexus GS 300
  By fs - April 14 - 10:00 am

  The GS300 is a pure delight to drive,the car is fun to drive,excellent ride with Sports design package. The interior is well laid out and very comfortable. If there is one area of improvement it would be to increase horsepower,that could be done by dropping in a twin turbo like the Toyota Supra or increasing the size of the engine. The car is very reliable with no problems to date.

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  A Drivers Car - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By TM - April 14 - 10:00 am

  This is an outstanding car to drive! Great handling, good fuel economy, and excellent interior. The only problem I have is being charged $30 to have turn signal changed!! ( I tried to figure it out myself but just couldnt.) Anyway, highly recommended, mine has 100000 miles on it and is still running strong.

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  Replaced 2006 LS 430 with 2009 RX - 2009 Lexus RX 350
  By Lucca27 - April 13 - 3:53 am

  I loved my LS 430, however it was terrible to drive on the hilly and winding roads of North West CT in the winter because of its rear wheel drive. The 430 has a superb ride - the RX ride is not quite as good but better than I expected. All in all I am very happy with the RX and believe it to be a better value for my money than the LS 430.

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  Not What I Thought - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By sorry4me - April 11 - 10:36 pm

  I must be an idiot !! My girl convinced me to buy this car. I was perfectly content with my Gorgeous 50th anniversarry Corvette. From the day I bought this so called "certified" car I have had nothing but problems. Thank god its still under warranty !! Then my dad said something very true...the SC430 is nothing more that a jazzed up Toyota!! Remember that when you buy this overpriced wanna be sports car. You would expect that they put some thought into the suspension. My Ford F-150 rides smoother than this. Today I brought it in yet again because it keeps eating batteries. Three visits and they cant figure out what the problem is - they are talking about replacing the harness now.

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  Suggestions - 2013 Lexus RX 350
  By builder0524 - April 11 - 3:37 am

  Bought this RX350 in March 2013 and have 30,200 miles on. We got every option except radar and front window navigation. It is what we thought a Lexus should be. If there is a next time would go with Hybrid because of intown mileage. Am not convinced the 19" wheels are right for the car and would have liked to have had 18". The odometer shows consistently higher speed by about 3 or 4 miles than actual speed as measured by radar signs and when running a side-by-side with other 2013 SUVs.

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  great car - 1995 Lexus LS 400
  By happ400 - April 10 - 9:48 pm

  bought car from aunt 3 months ago(stole for 1000$)loaded with i think all options,have had several Volvos in the past .their is no way to compair,with a 188 thousands miles,runs and drives like a dream,have nothing bad to say,,,,Brad