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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  lexus - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By tjuris - July 27 - 2:00 am

  Not a real sporty car

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  VIBRATION: 1700rpm,esp 60mph - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By SG - July 22 - 10:00 am

  Problems: 1) Lexus dealerships stuff all options on vehicle and make it difficult to order without certain options(like third row seats, Lexus Link) 2) there is an unacceptable vibration which occurs at approx 1700 rpm and is accentuated at approx 60 mph...as noted in another review there is no fix yet. I am UNHAPPY.

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  Just needs a supercharger - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By Bertrand - July 12 - 10:20 am

  I own a 99 BMW 328i manual and a 2001 IS 300 sedan; here is my take on the two cars. Lexus has better performance all around except for acceleration. Brakes and handling are amazing on the IS and the build quality has been very good. Dealer experience with JM Lexus of Florida has been the best part of owning this car! Bottom line, give this Lexus a manual and a TRD supercharger and it will compete with an M3 on the performance front while costing 10K less after the supercharger.

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  skewed performance - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By stevenR - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Very powerful car with great amenities. But the car has a pull to to the left that the mechanics cant seem to get rid off. It is particularly noticable at highway speeds. Otherwise the car is comfortable and gets good gas mileage.

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  Very nice car - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Carter - July 5 - 7:06 pm

  This is a very smooth driving auto. Ive taken it on several out of town trips and the NAV system gets me right to the door. I cant wait to move up to the LS 430 in a few years. I love the luxury feel this car provides.

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  first Lexus - 2016 Lexus NX 200t
  By mark kopp - June 27 - 5:53 pm

  Overall a great vehicle. Nice ride. Good in snow. A little slow off the mark and brakes a a tad grabby but overall I recommend it

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  Ouch - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By BAMCL - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Go SUPERLATIVE!! Except the front passenger seat - only a 4 way adjuster, and no upgrade option- most uncomfortable on long journeys. Driver seat is superb. Go SUPERLATIVE! Except the drive train - miserable clunks in trans/transfer case. Freeway slightest slopes its shifting up and down.

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  Expected more - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By Jim - June 10 - 2:10 am

  I did not expect to have to have a valve adjustment done at 70,000 miles that cost $850. Nor did I expect climate control and steering components, as well a clock to stop functioning. I had none of these problems with our Camry.

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  Disabled the Navigation - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Wantin to Nav - June 8 - 9:33 am

  All 2007 Lexus vehicles are set to disable the navigation and phone dialing while the car is in motion. This is a huge pain!! The otherwise very good Lexus quality is overshadowed by the loss of the "override" that was present in older Lexus vehicles. I would have bought an Acura, Audi or BMW (anything, actually) if I had known the nav was disabled.

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  Best vehicle i ever had - 2011 Lexus LX 570
  By abidsid - May 23 - 8:38 am

  WOW!!! it is a amazing machine!!!. i have had almost all the best SUV but this is my first time buying a lexus SUV. i had a lexus car before therefore i knew what to expect from lexus. the ride is quite, comfortable, vehicle is very agile, responsive and powerful. all suvs have almost same gas milage in this class. but LX 570 excels them in all departments. i traded my landr rover and promised myself for not buying another european rest of my life. even after spending so much money i am really happy and do not feel got ripped off or i have made a wrong decesion. it is really a amazing machine. trust me cut all other expenses and just get one. i got fully loaded with all the feaure