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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  The "Perfect" Vehicle - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By lexusguy311 - October 24 - 2:10 pm

  In searching for the "perfect" car I found at that their was no such thing. However, I feel that the RX330 came as close to perfection as one could get. The RX330 has beautiful lines, decent power, good fuel economy, and an interior that one could live in. The RX330 doesnt have the sporty ride of my "perfect" vehicle, yet it makes up in other areas. Being my first luxury car I can not say enough about the interior of a Lexus. The leather is soft and beautiful, the maple trim is very classey, and the navigation system w/rearview camera is awsome. The interior space complements my 63" frame and gives plenty of room for an average size adult in the back.

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  Excellent car - 2008 Lexus LS 460
  By Derek - October 23 - 4:33 am

  Extremely comfortable, quiet and smooth car, yet surprisingly powerful and fuel efficient, a great car for commute and family trips, cant find anything wrong with the car. Lexus service has been excellent, no complains at all! This is my first Lexus and Im very happy with it so far. ML audio is superb, got to get it if you want good music while driving!

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  Great value for the buck - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Johnny - October 22 - 9:43 pm

  Been driving GS for about a week. Got a great price - $3K below invoice w/ all sorts of options including nav. Ride is smooth. Been getting 34.9 MPG average! Thats not a typo! Im picky about noise and thus far road/wind noise is relatively mute. Tire noise is minimal on most surfaces. No squeaks and rattles so far. Researched my purchase up the ying-yang. I compared M35 and RL but always came back to the GS b/c of its sporty looks, quality, and overall value.

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  Smooooth - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By bigt - October 21 - 4:23 pm

  Weve had this car for a month now and it has been everything we could want. Its stylish, very comfortable, great handling, and fast. The best way to describe it is it is the ultimate in smooth. Every electronic feature I could imagine is included.

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  GREAT GREAT CAR - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By BILL SCHACHTER - October 20 - 10:00 am

  WHAT A RIDE ESPECIALLY WITH NAVAGATION SYSTEM AND MARK LEVINSON RADIO,A DREAM TO OWN.MADE CROSS COUNTRY TRIP,FELT LIKE U ARE RIDING ON AIR,SOUND PROOF. HANDLES LIKEA BABY TOY

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  Great Truck - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By sayahhhhhhhhhhhhhh - October 20 - 10:00 am

  I love my Land Yacht

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  Best piece of machinery i ever owned - 2002 Lexus LS 430
  By hf hunter - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Great ride, handling, uncluttered instrumentation, more than enough power, lots of trunk space -- non onstentatious styling.

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  Love, love - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By carrie - October 19 - 7:50 pm

  Have really enjoyed my GS 300. smooth, quiet,comfortable and beautiful. Have been stopped in store parking lots and asked all about my vehicle. I love the sportier look also. The only negative items I can mention are the truck configurations and that the owners manual does not fit in the glove compartment (for petes sake). The lip spoiler also makes the vehicle look even prettier.

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  Cant Beat a Lexus - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Doug - October 17 - 8:36 am

  I am a car nut and really critical of everything I drive and I have had most every car on the market. I bought this GX with 94K, it now has 125K. I cannot believe this vehicle was any smoother or ran any better when new. Awesome vehicle! Not one problem of any kind.

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  Hard to beat - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By lou - October 14 - 1:26 pm

  This vehicle is probably the best I have ever owned and Im 80 yrs old and over this many years Ive owned a few! Its been a while since Ive liked a car well enough to just sit in it in my garage! Buy it youll love it !!!