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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  Tranny problems - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By frani D - June 12 - 10:20 am

  I purchased a new ES in 06/07. At 500 miles the tranny froze. It took about 3 months to get a new replacement car. The new ES still misses the shifts between 2nd & 3rd gear. There is NO FIX - this is a manufacturing defect with the tranny. I cant wait to get rid of it.

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  Bad Battery - AGAIN!!! - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By DissappointedInFL - June 9 - 2:00 am

  Nuerous problems with battery and electrical system. Spent several days in dealers shop on numerous occaisons.

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  Lexus LX 470 - 2004 Lexus LX 470
  By Steve-0 - May 21 - 6:00 pm

  Its slow--only 235HP--and prone to crosswinds on the highway. Plus the third seat is difficult to use and takes up lots of space, and my dealer in Boise is unimpressive. But the LX is very well built and has a comfortable interior...

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  Ride - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By disgusted - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Hard, stiff, jolting ride. Very uncomfortable if there are any imperfections in the road surface. Lexus destroyed the beautiful 400h to create this mobile design error. Typical stupidity was to put the only front 12 v outlet in a cavern under 3 boxes. Duh! Why not a second convenient one? The only thing luxurious about the 450h is the price. It is our 3rd and LAST Lexus unless they replace our suspension system. It is sad to see great soft riding comfortable SUVs (RX series 1999- 2009) be trashed so badly in 2010. After 6 months the car has 3000 miles on it because our Honda truck is far more comfortable. The Lexus is history next year!

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  RX330 Disappointment - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Tom from Richardson - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I am rather disappointed at my vehicle, because I had high expectations for this Lexus SUV. I am sure the engine and the mechanicals will probably be trouble free for many years. However, I dont think the Lexus engineers have paid enough attentions to small details. There are some little rattles and twisting/grinding interior noises. The brake pad also makes noise when release too quickly. The center console is weird. I cannot even find a place to put my cell phone. This vehicle also shares too many components with other Toyota vehicles, such as the engine, steering wheel, and gauges. It makes Lexus look cheap.

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  Passionate pursuit of imperfection - 2000 Lexus LX 470
  By amanthin - February 6 - 5:03 pm

  Had this SUV for a long time now, and the quality of the vehicle is terrible. Too many issues and too many costly repairs. I have under 100k miles on this. Issues: 1 CD.. Disks get stuck in the player 2 Ignition went out, and it cost me $1200 (non-dealership) to fix it. I was told that Lexus placed the starter in such a position that it takes a min of 4 hrs to replace. A similar replacement on American cars take less than 1hr. 3. The Antenna doesnt go down. Didnt fix this. 4. Shock are leaking oil and needed replacement. $2500 5. Recently the ignition switch actually broken when turning the key. What a crappy engineering using cheap metals. $1200. The dealer says it is normal.

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  An ES 330 with lots of problems - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By smirror - January 3 - 1:23 pm

  I bought an Acura TL in 2002 and had a lot of noise problems. So when I needed to buy another car last year, I went for a Lexus brand with great reputation. But I was disappointed completely. The transmission hesitation made the driving so painful, in addition to many noise problems (rattling door, overhead, steering column and front passenger seat). In fact there are widespread complaint about the transmission problem in the Edmunds Forum discussions. My mistake was that I did not read them before buying the car. Still, I am surprised that the reviews here are pretty much all good. Go check out the Forum before you buy the ES. Dont make mistakes like mine.

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  A Miss - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By Off the mark - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Give this one a miss. Cant hold a candle to the new Infiniti G35, Acura TL etc..