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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  GREAT VEHICLE - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By JMLarson - August 14 - 10:00 am

  It is a fantastic Vechicle

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  Love it - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Josie - August 13 - 10:56 pm

  This is the nicest car Ive owned. Its beautiful, comfortable and easy to drive. Gas mileage is better than advertised. Nav, bluetooth are easy to use and self-explanatory.

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  Love/hate relationship - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By rggsims - August 13 - 7:53 pm

  The car came with defects that Lexus wont fix. Seats are very uncom- fortable. Thin people bottom on on the seats supporting wires. Inadequate foam was used in the seats. Who placed the wiper stalk- you cant see it while driving. Auto lights keep turning dash lights on and off at dusk. Handling is poor at highway speed. Stereo is only fair. Horrible center storage. Minimal storage. Interior plastics are poor quality. Voice activated bluetooth doesnt like zeros. The car has rattled since day one. Poor quality interior carpets.

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  09 Lexus LS 460L Love it - 2009 Lexus LS 460
  By lj - August 13 - 2:10 am

  Second LS for us. previous 2003 LS w/ 185,000 miles and did have some issues w/ suspension reliability, but otherwise bullet proof. 2009 LS Luxury package, longwheel base, is a real cruiser, loads of power, owned now for 6mos. w/o any complaints. Mark Lev.stereo is a dream. recent cross country trip, was shocked to look down to notice speedo @ 100mph by mistake on open road and ride was effortless and under total control, scary quiet. best mileage at 65, was 28mpg figured by hand. still discovering buttons and features.

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  Lexus RX330 - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By AGenuinebrat - August 11 - 11:03 am

  This SUV is great fun to drive. The only negative is a blind spot on the sides. If you are extremely short, like I am, this is alittle troublesome when changing lanes.

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  Luxury???? - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By TB07 - August 11 - 5:46 am

  If you noticed, the annual mileage portion of this review was left blank. I couldnt comment, as I have only had my RX for 6 months, 3 of which Ive been dealing with nothing but problems. 20 days post-warranty, my short block of the engine needed replacement, as it was burning excessive oil. Lexus stood behind the motor, but left me with the $2500-3000 labor bill. Dealership was horrible-- referring to me as a person looking to get an extra buck anyway I can; telling me I didnt appreciate any of the work they had done; and my list could go on! Will never deal with Lexus or Bergstrom ever again!

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  Over priced car - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Bob - August 10 - 8:26 pm

  I have had this car for 7 months now with 20000 miles on it and I should have walked into the Toyota dealer next door and looked at the Land Cruiser for a lot less. I am a big guy and this car is hard to enter and even women say that. The gas mileage is terrible. I think Lexus did a great advertising campaign to sell this overpriced car. The effort it takes to remove the rear seats is unreal and you would have to have no legs to sit in them.

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  Better than expected..... - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By MyNewLex - August 10 - 2:30 am

  I purchased my new ES 350 a month ago today. I must say I continue to look forward to every time I drive it. Sometimes I think it was built for just for me. The driving experience has been very fabulous, the creature comforts incredible, and my fav feature is that its not Camry looking. I have the Nav system and its great (first vehicle with it). Sometimes I just want it to get dark outside so I can see my HID lights adjust as I turn. Acceleration is much more improved over the ES 330 and the transmission is agile and responsive. You will not be disappointed with this car. Im gonna buy a spoiler for it as this will complete the sporty look with the awesome dual exhaust. No regrets here!!

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  Comfortable but No Soul - 2011 Lexus GX 460
  By ponch - August 9 - 5:21 pm

  This is a quality vehicle with nice features. I could not believe how comfortable the driving position was and how smoothly it drove around town. However, I ended up trading out of it for the following reasons. 1) It LABORS on the highway and is a tiring ride on long trips. 2) It feels unnecessarily big 3) The NAV and iPod systems are annoying 4) It chugs gas making you ask the question, "Do I really need this vehicle?" 5) Overall, this is a very pretty vehicle, but it has no soul. If you absolutely need a USEFUL 3rd row and you dont care about sending your college savings $$ to the Middle East, then this vehicle might be for you. Otherwise, I would absolutely recommend a BMW X5.

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  I now understand the meaning of quality! - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By Rick in Lyndhurst - August 9 - 2:33 pm

  I purchased this car about a year ago with 180,000 miles on it. Since then I have put about 15k on it with absolutely no problems. I have had Toyotas exclusively in the past, and have loved them. I figured I would give this 9 year old a shot since it was priced at only $3500.00 and I needed something different. I could not be more pleased. It rides like a dream and I get surprisingly 25+ mpg on regular gas. Only problem was when I took it to the NJ state inspection. They said I had an "exhaust leak". I must have been the designated "quota failure" that day, because I drove it back to the same station in the afternoon and passed with flying colors. 2 words... GREAT CAR!!