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:

• 

  Lexus from columbus - 2000 Lexus ES 300
  By vhchambers - October 7 - 2:00 am

  In only three years the emission sensor went bad and didnt not pass State of Virginia inspection. $450 to replace. Service is very expense from the Columbus Lexus dealer.

• 

  Its everything you want in a luxury car - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By new450 - October 5 - 12:43 pm

  The car has everything I was looking for -- the SUV seating, the car like ride, the Lexus luxury, the MPG, and a high tech toy. This is my first hybrid and the transition is indictable. Other than watching the screen, you can not tell when you are using gas or electric. Its amazing. This is a very high tech vehicle and you need to be prepared to study the manuals. Its hard to appreciate touching the car door and it opens, then having the seats conform to your driver position, and then touching the start button only to hear the silent sound of the A/C working. Oh yes, and your phone was also connected in the process. This is an amazing vehicle!

• 

  they dont make em like this anymore - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By hawaiijoe - October 4 - 3:30 am

  I bought it used form a lady who only put 4000 miles on it in 10 months. (guess why she was selling it.) cons: only a four-speed auto -- old school. lexus stereo is average. cup holders are junk -- they dont keep your cup or bottle from tipping. pros: everything else. quiet, ride, reliability, fit and finish, room in the cockpit up front. A snap to wash because its low and doesnt have the slab sides the newer models do. I only have 75,000 miles on it now, but Ill trade it in for a new 350 -- as soon as Lexus makes one I like better than this one. I dont like the 2010, and I sure didnt like the body style before that. Ill keep my 99, thank you very much.

• 

  This RX 400h is great! - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Gene Knight - October 4 - 12:03 am

  I really like the vehicle, its got a really smooth ride, and very quiet running, in both gas and electric modes. I traded in my 2003 RX 330, and the 400h gets about 5 mpg better fuel economy than my 330. There is a lot more passing power in this RX 400h than the 330 had, it sort of lagged at times but the 400h has instant power.

• 

  Great Car!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By HC - October 1 - 7:46 am

  I have been driving this car for 3 months now, I have to say that Im really impressed with gas mileage, HWY 26mpg, CITY 18mpg for a 400+ hp is really good, ride comfort is not bad, I live in The Woodlands TX and we have no bumpy roads which makes it a pretty smooth ride so far... The Power is amazing, really fast, and also very good looking. If you are looking for POWER and LUXURY this is the car for you.

• 

  Even more impressive in the snow - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Snow monster - September 29 - 7:40 pm

  We have owned our RX330 for about 6 months and have only good things to say. It is the smoothest driving suv we have ever seen. The navigation is great and is user friendly. It looks amazing and we are always getting compliments. It also has the BEST gas mileage of any suv with its amount of power. 21/25.This is the best vehicle i have ever driven in the snow. Coming from a Jeep, the Lexus didnt even slide once. We would see larger suvs sliding around in front of us, as the Lexus drove perfect

• 

  My latest Lexus - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By MikeW - September 29 - 5:06 pm

  Bought my first Lexus in 1989 - LS400. Have bought or leased 9 since then. The ride of this RX350 parallels my first ride experience of the original LS400 - quiet, safe, in command, plenty of power. I am still learning everyday the new features. Clunky GPS of my 2005 RX vastly improved in this model. Transmission provides great power on the hilly roads where I live. Safety features give me a feeling of confidence every time I get behind the wheel. Everything I hoped for in my latest Lexus has been delivered.

• 

  2 months and counting - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Jimmy - September 28 - 8:00 am

  This is now my 3rd Lexus. Prior vehicles were the ES and IS 300s. The GS is by far the most refined of the trio. Before purchasing the GS I test drove both the IS 250 AWD and the ES 350 and although I was impressed with both cars, once I got into and began driving the GS it was then easy to decide this was the car I wanted.

• 

  RX 300 - quite a package! - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Rocky Mountain Man - September 28 - 4:30 am

  This car is great. I had to replace my Maxima because it handled poorly in the snow. Cant wait for the first snowstorm! We had lots of luck with Toyotas over the last 9 years with excellent reliability, and low maintenance. This car handles well, though you can certainly tell its not a performance car with its heft. The 3 liter V6 is adequate and I have actually been getting 22 to nearly 26 mpg for an AWD car, which is amazing! It rides very nicely, and handles bumps well. Its a great cruiser on the highway, or great on rutted dirt roads. We had it on some pretty rough roads and it was great. I hope the Lexus reliability that I found during my research is as good as our 4Runner.

• 

  its a keeper - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By D. White - September 26 - 10:00 am

  The car handles well! It has excellent visibility all the way around the entire car while driving it. The cars in my past experienceS, after I have own them for a while I would be interested in another kind of car but not this one.