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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  Overall the Perfect Family Vehicle - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By griffintish - October 3 - 10:56 pm

  Perfect car to get from point A to point B. I wouldnt necessarily call it "fun to drive" but it definitely has some power underneath the hood. Interior quality is very good, and the standard power lift-gate is very convenient. Only major complaint is the standard sound system, its not bad but definently not for an audiophile, and the Mark Levinson package is really pricey.

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  Wind noise unacceptable, comfort disapp - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By Bob M - October 3 - 9:43 pm

  I owned a 2002 LS430. This car is not as comfortable and the wind noise is totally unacceptable. The dealer has installed the factory recommended fix, but my wife does not like to ride in the car because the wind noise is so bad. The LS430 was so comfortable and quiet that I made the mistake of not road testing the LS460 extensively. My assumption was that it would be improved. That was a BIG mistake. In contrast to the LS430, the LS460s seats are very uncomfortable after a couple of hours on the road. If the factory does not come up with a fix for the wind noise, this will be the last Lexus that I purchase.

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  You get what you pay for - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By JayB - October 3 - 11:16 am

  I am the 2nd owner of this GX. So far, so good. Great ride and carries our family of 4 nicely. Very smooth. Decent amount of interior space, although I would have liked a little more interior storage. Have grown to love the navigation and ML sound system. The only CON would be the gas mileage...but I went into this purchase knowing that it would not be that good. As long as you are comfortable with that, I would recommend this vehicle highly!

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  Love my first SUV - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By DrewFromNY - October 2 - 2:00 am

  I moved from a Mercedes E class to an SUV. Bought this after looking at other mid-size SUVs (wanted a 3rd row). Came down to this and the Acura MDX. No comparison in the comfort, despite Acuras very high reviews. This drives more like a truck, but it is smooth as a Lincoln in there and VERY comfortable. Nearly silent on the hwy. Note: when the rear seats are folded up, there are definite blind spots, as they block the rear side windows, so be cautious.

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  Sweet Car! - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By KingLexBucket - September 27 - 2:00 am

  This is TOTALLY a sweet car.. cept for the MPG.. But it deffinately a head turner.. Ive owned my since 2002. I have notice that it runs real hard when the engine is cold.. Plus the noice is loud fromt he outside..

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  Who allowed this electronics interface to be released??? - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By whomp - September 26 - 2:53 pm

  Over my driving life, Ive owned more than 30 cars of many different makes and models. Ive spent my 20 year career in technology. I enjoy cars and I love tech and am tech savvy. This car, by far, has the absolute worst electronics interface Ive ever seen. I had read it was bad, but with my experience thought, how bad can it really be? Well, its awful... Im frankly dumbfounded. Toyota is known for being overly intrusive / nannyish, but this is absurd. There arent preset buttons to change the station, just steering wheel controls. It always want to show the map and overlay other info (but only for a little while). In short, it kind of ruins what is otherwise a really great car.

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  BARTELLS - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By PEAAIR - September 22 - 10:00 am

  NO GUTS, COMFORTABLE TO DRIVE, MOVES PEOPLE NICELY BUT NOT TO SPORTY.

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  Luxury from east - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Seung - September 22 - 10:00 am

  Quietness,Smoothness... Toyota products are well known as reliable car company and this one is above the limit! good car to commute around.

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  ls 430 value - 2006 Lexus LS 430
  By art - September 21 - 4:00 am

  Has navigation system, great features, sturdy and reliable. Many compliments on appearance of car and features

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  We Love It! - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By JT - September 8 - 7:50 pm

  This is the most comfortable car to ride in we have ever experienced. Ours has all the creature comforts. ie Navigation, DVD system and Mark Levinson sound. All are top rate. We are really sold on the navigation system. Once you have a good one like this, you can never go back to maps again. At this point we only have 2700 miles on the car. Will update later in the year. But for now, the car is high on the WOW scale.