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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  If I knew then & Look Before You Leap - 2007 Lexus GX 470
  By NJC - August 21 - 12:30 pm

  Service, build quality, and drive could not be more impressive but this is the first car I have not connected with. It just seems to have no soul if you know what I mean. Its personality is vanilla - unless u frequently drive off road. I loathe the navigation system. You cant do anything with it while u drive (including read song and artist names of music u are playing). No rear heat controls nor rear heated seats. 3rd row is a joke. My 51" wife cannot put the rear seats up or down... Terribly difficult. Not enough cabin storage for this size vehicle. Spend time with this car before you own it. This is a real SUV - Not a fun car to own just to carpool around town in.

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  Lexus `SC430 engine blew up - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By Ronald Sage - August 21 - 10:00 am

  In about nine inches of water on the road the car stalled and the engine blew. Lexus could not explain it and refused to cover it. Apparantly in any situation where there is water over the lowest point of the bumper it scoops into the engine compartment. This appears to be a serious design defect.

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  Reprieve for AWD - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By NoDuplicates - August 21 - 7:10 am

  I wrote the "Great Car but Performance Lacking" review on 10/3/09. This is an update based on new info. In the prior review the RX350 and RX450h were both FWD. I went back and "put-the-pedal-to- the-metal" on the AWD versions of both cars. Only when "Eco-Mode" was turned off (RX450h only), RX450h acceleration from standstill was nearly as good as the RX350 - a significant improvement. The RX450h engine does roar at first as it seems to lag in realizing you want to lead-foot it. On the highway, there is no difference. With Eco-mode on, you cannot get away with such rude behavior. This mode was probably on in my first review. Also, realize that with Eco-mode off, mpg will be less.

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  Dont drive it... youll have to buy it. - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By Bob - August 21 - 4:00 am

  My mistake was test-driving a used RX 330, which prompted me to go to a Lexus dealer to check out a new one. My mistake! The 07 RX 350 has enough added zip to eliminate any doubts that this may be the perfect car. Smooth, silky ride with more than enough power when you need it. Everything you might think of as a "wouldnt it be nice?" option has been thought of and tastefully designed in the car. Every detail is perfect. It is truly an amazing vehicle. I was not one who fell in love with my car... until now. As I said: dont drive one. Youll have to buy it.

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  Loooove it! - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Liz - August 20 - 6:20 pm

  Actual mileage about 23-24. Best vehicle I have ever owned. Only defect is paint, Bamboo Pearl. There seems to be something wrong with it.

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  Nice, but could be better - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By Mike B. - August 19 - 5:50 pm

  Traded a Honda Pilot for the GX. Looks bigger than the Pilot, but its not on the inside, especially the 3rd row seat. Build quality is great. More like a truck than the Pilot, which I like-better 4 wheel drive system. Overall, very nice vehicle and I will buy a Lexus again.

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  Liked it so much... - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By MichaelCMTX - August 19 - 11:26 am

  My wifes choice. Definitely not the place to look for sportiness, but for a relaxed, comfortable ride thats roomy and reliable - very tough to beat. Fuel economy pretty doggone decent for a car of its size. The price of getting it CPO was right up with a new Camry, but we made the right choice. Traded it in today for a CPO 2006 ES330. Sad to see it go, but not so sad we didnt get basically the same car in a different color (albeit with heated/cooled seats!!). Figured if I was going to drop $1000 for a timing belt, why not just upgrade? Some tires ride nice but wear fast, so be careful.

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  After 4 days, I am on my 3rd Jump Start! - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Winning2000 - August 18 - 7:20 am

  This is unreal!! Purchase date Wednesday 8/25/10 car had 94 miles on it. On Sunday 8/29/10 at 9:00 am. I needed my first jump. Had to call road side assistance. At 4:00 pm while at the mall same day, I needed a second jump start. Then only to find that the dealership was not open on Sunday so the car could not be towed. On Monday 8/30/10, Again My brand new car would not start. I then needed a third jump. After complaining to the dealership, they stated they were going to bring me a new battery. They then called back as said no battery was in stock. I am now driving a loaner vehicle. This has been by far the worst car buying experience ever!

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  closing in on 200k - 1997 Lexus LS 400
  By mike - August 18 - 2:10 am

  this car looks as good is it does from the day I bought it back in 2002. I must admit I dont wash it every day but I do garage it. This car runs great and is a dream to drive. One knock I have on the car is it is not a car you drive in the winter, even with the snows on. But I will put up with that because there are so many positives to this car. I have a brand new American made car and the Lexus is so more of a car than the new ones. I will be driving this car until the wheels fall off

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  Best in its class! - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By gr8blazerfan - August 18 - 1:00 am

  After driving much of the competition, we decided on the ES 350. It was leaps and bounds above any of the vehicles that we drove in luxury, performance, and comfort. It drives and handles like a dream, is extremely comfortable to travel in and has all of the incredible amenities you could want. Drive a Lexus and you will buy one. These cars sell themselves.