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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  Disappointing - 2011 Lexus RX 350
  By simsim_23341 - December 28 - 4:09 am

  I had high hopes for this vehicle but sadly it didnt deliver. Its built like a toy. Never again.

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  Great Used Car - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By ISDriver - December 27 - 6:23 am

  Bought In 05 with 80,000 miles. It runs great and is lots of fun to drive. I get a lot of compliments on the style of the car. I drive it daily to work and get about 18 mpg and have driven the car to South Dakota and to Florida and if I kept the speed around 75 I got about 27 mpg. I cant complain about that. If I average closer to 85 it drops to 23. I dont mind the miles since it is a Lexus.

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  Dont Believe The J.D. Power Report - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By tlwpb - December 26 - 10:00 am

  This is the best SUV I had drive, Ive test drive the MDX, ML320, FX45, before buying the GX470. This SUV is very smooth, quiet, and powerful, and the quality is the best compare to other SUVs company. Recently, I have checked the J.D. Power wed site about the GX470 rating, and I believe they have made a big mistake in rating this automobile or the people that do the evaulation did do it right! So, dont believe every thing you read or see.

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  I want my BMW 5 series back - 2002 Lexus GS 300
  By ParkPlaceBAD-TX - December 26 - 10:00 am

  My GS has been in the shop 10+ times. Sounds like a friggin alian spaceship landing in the FR at 40-55, Lexus says "its normal" but they cant reproduce on another car. Replaced the rack, tires & other parts with no results. Slight presure on the brakes & the noise goes away but they wont replace the caliper - too logical maybe? First 8mo they said "absolutly, theres a problem", now they claim its fixed & its normal noise. Also, the car wanders horribly on the highway, thats why they replaced the rack - no change. They took the front end out of spec & did help the drift but its still miserable. A bit of wind on the road pushes me around, bummer huh?

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  Good....not great - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By jm641 - December 26 - 10:00 am

  Overall, the LX 470 is good, but falls short of what it could be. As has been noted, even w/ the 5hp increase and new tranny for 03, the LX is 35-50hp short of where it ought to be. In addition, the general age of the platform has began to show. It is not as space efficient as newer alternatives, and for a $70k vehicle, there are things that should be standard that arent avail (no park distance control, no window sun shades, etc). Sadly, when this vehicle is replaced w/ a Sequoia- based product, there will be a void in this size range (its a big jump from a GX to a Sequoia!). In all, cant say Im disappointed, but Im not gushing.

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  new 330 awd - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By volvonewbie - December 26 - 10:00 am

  was going to buy volvo xc90 until i drove by the lexus dealer and spied the new 330. bought it and never looked back. everything so far is really good except has blind spots but will have to get used to it. to new to see if there are any quality problems. curious as to how it will perform in ice/snow.

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  How to combine a hybrid and luxury car - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Steve - December 25 - 3:23 pm

  I drove other hybrid sedans before buying this Lexus. It is excellent because it has the fewest trade offs compared to most other hybrids with very comfortable seats front & back, an excellent radio, easy to reach and understand controls, a simple yet informative dash, high seating with good outside views, a luxury level climate system, and 32-38 mpg in most conditions. Acceleration and power are good but more pedal push is needed at times compared to gas cars. Steering is very responsive with good road feedback. I live in the hybrid eco mode with best mpg in normal driving. Power mode uses more gas with faster acceleration and is mostly not needed. Overall, you get what you pay for.

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  Great experience - 2002 Lexus GS 300
  By Canton MI - December 24 - 1:26 pm

  Residents of south east Michigan (Motown)are not supposed to drive foreign cars. And until my Lexus, I only drove domestic. What a great experience. The powertrain and build quality are fantastic. Dealership service is only marginally better however.

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  They are not as good as they say. - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By Michael OBrien - December 23 - 3:13 pm

  My LS430 has been plagued with some minor and one major problem. Lexus and the dealership have given up. Is this what I paid $70k for? It is not the reputation I had heard about and influenced me into buying a Lexus. Navigation system very unfriendly and at times useless. I think I will try an XJ8L - at least it looks more stylish.

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  All but the selling - 2001 Lexus LS 430
  By kennethmdavies - December 23 - 1:20 pm

  No problems, comfortable ride, good power.