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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  One good feature - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By Raven00b - September 7 - 2:00 am

  My car is in really good condition, in spite of the mileage it had when I had intially bought it (over 100,000). Ive had some problems such as the presence of some burned rubber smell in the car when I turn up the heat, but other than that and a few other problems, Ive had had no real trouble with the car so far.

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  An honest review on the ct200h - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By ctenthusiast - August 30 - 3:25 pm

  First off, let me say that I love this little car! I am a 62", 180 pound, 41 year old man... So you know a little of where my points of view are coming from. Lets address the categories that I didnt rank with 5s, first off, performance- performance is pretty good all in all, and particularly in sport mode it reacts quite well... However, make no mistake, this is not a sports car! It is a hybrid that is getting you up to 60 mpg at times. If you want to spin tires and blast 0-60 in 4 seconds you are going to have to rethink buying this car! Second, comfort- I am a fairly big guy and I find this car to be really very comfortable, I have my seat at the furthest and lowest position.

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  Good, but not perfection of Lexus - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By succeedinlife5 - August 29 - 8:43 am

  Good car, but not perfection. I traded my 2000 LX 470 in for this as the fuel prices were getting high and the LX had too many things that needed to be fixed. I liked this car for it had the AWD package and was sporty. The style, layout, and overall looks were what I wanted. The problems are with the fit and finish of this car. The front dash rattles and I have taken it to the dealer 3 times for that. The wheel finish was poor, which I was able to get new wheels under warranty. The tires Run-Flat tires were great as I enjoy a stiff ride, but wore out on the insides, even with proper rotation. Get car, but Lexus fit and finish is really needing help to get back to Lexus quality.

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  About what I expected - 2013 Lexus ES 300h
  By socal21st - August 21 - 12:25 pm

  Ive been driving this car for about three months now and I finally feel as if Im qualified to write a review. Im coming from a BMW 525i 2005 model. Overall it compares favorably. Its not as sporty as a BMW. Signature Lexus features such as mushy steering, floaty suspension and certain accents you know they got from a Toyota. I paid $47k out the door for the luxury option model with heated/cooled seats, parking assist, side sensors, smart cruise control, voice command, GPS, etc. About the mileage. Im getting 37 on the city and 42 on the highway for about 39-40 combined. You need to learn how to drive this car for efficiency if you want the full hybrid mileage advantages.

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  Poor Design, Horrible resale value - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Tony - August 18 - 3:00 am

  Purchased the FWD 08 RX350 in NOV 08 with 16,000 miles it was certified pre- owned. I like all the bells and whistles that it came with, such as the telescoping steering wheel and leather seats just to name a few. I drove it from SC to TX and the drive was excellent, nice and quiet. I do not like the front design, it looks too feminine and also the so claimed re sale value is terrible. I tried to trade it in and was sadly informed that I would be 10k upside down if i traded it in with 27,400miles in excellent condition. Although it is a nice vehicle it does not hold its value.

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  OK - 2008 Lexus GS 450h
  By Mary K Hood - August 17 - 8:40 am

  This is one of the best performance cars in existence, BUT I bought it for the mileage it says you get and it doesnt come anywhere near what it is supposed to do. If you want a performance car and dont care about the validity of the hybrid performance then it is an exceptional vehicle. My goal was to have a true hybrid. I am very disappointed.

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  02 Lexus GS 300 Soldiers On - 2002 Lexus GS 300
  By 2002 gs 300 - August 16 - 2:36 pm

  This has been a very good car for me, a salesman traveling around Ohio, Ky and Indiana. At 191,000 miles, it runs exactly as it did when I bought it new. I have one complaint-it uses a qt of oil abt every 1,400 miles in the last year, using full synthetic. I still get compliments on the millennium silver color and the light grey leather interior. The handling and acceleration are crisp, for the size of the car. A good value!

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  clunky drive train - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By mountaineer - August 10 - 2:00 am

  Better riding than an "M" class. Do away with the drive train noises and hesitation in the shift from first to second and this might be a SLV.

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  Almost as Good as an AWD LS 460 - 2007 Lexus GX 470
  By Top Dog - August 2 - 9:30 pm

  We purchased this car when my Sequoia died and I was left with an LS with RWD. I compromised with the GX thinking to replace it when the LS came out with AWD. Now, Im not so sure. The GX is almost as good. Im 62" and at 285 lbs, having done more than my share of weight lifting, I need comfort for my frame and plenty of space. The GX does it. It goes anywhere if you keep it shod with good tires, and never ever breaks down. I travel a lot and need absolute reliability and this vehicle delivers. It draws positive attention without being obnoxious. Fuel economy, at an average of 18.9 is actually outstanding for a vehicle of this size. Would I buy another--Yes.

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  2007 Lexus RX350 - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By henry121999 - August 1 - 2:09 pm

  I recently picked up a 2007 RX350 I purchased from Carmax. The SUV has 68k mikes and looked to be in good shape. Since you only have 30 days with Carmax to request repairs (I opted out of their exctended warranty), I took it to my local auto mechanic for a "once over". The mechanic found that the rack and pinion as well as the rear struts were leaking. I drove about an hour an a half back to Carmax in PA for what I thought would be a battle over the repairs. Much to my surprise, the confirmed the leaks and said they would order the parts and replace them. No problem. Hopefully that all works out.