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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  Tons of fun - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By snaik1 - July 19 - 2:00 am

  For the money this is a great car. Lots of fun. I have the tickets to prove it.

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  comfort and quality - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By mroberts - July 19 - 2:00 am

  Overall this is an excellent vehicle for someone who doesnt go off-road but wants a less than full size sport wagon. It rides very well, shows excellent construction and has a super dealer network that treats you like royalty. The only negatives I have found are the short turning radius, more wind noise than I expected in a Lexus when on the highway and the plastic interior moulding/trim that is prone to scratches.

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  Cant miss luxury - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By rob - July 18 - 12:56 pm

  Purchased 2000 RX 300 on 08/04. This vehicle is everything you could want in a entry level luxury SUV. I agree that the RPMs seem high (3000 @ 70 mph), hopefully this will be addressed in future. Nice styling and Toyotas famous reliability make this a great choice. If they make enough RX 400hs in the next few years, I definitely would buy another Lexus.

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  Why buy a 2006 Lexus GX470 - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Mike G - July 18 - 12:54 pm

  At the time, it was ahead of most vehicles in technology. Comparing it, today, follow this assessment: The rearview camera is something we would no longer do without! At the time, blind spot was not available, nor was cross-over. Toyota is NOT the king of technology in my opinion--but, the technology that was installed still works and has been without problems. The interior, except for wear on the driver floor mat, has held up extremely well. A good cleaning is all that will be required to look like it is brand new. The exterior of our car needs some repair--as in 2 areas of less than 2 square inches that need retouching, and a good rubbing compound prior to waxing--I think it would be considered excellent. It is almost impossible to own an auto for 10 years, drive it 90,000 miles and not have a few dents and dings--but, they are minor, and NOT the fault of Lexus. As for service, we value Kuni Lexus in Denver as the best dealership we have used. Expense? Well, maybe they are expensive--but, we never had any work done on our GX470 only to find that some "new problem" was immediately discovered--and, when I insisted on new tires (Kuni told me we still had 5,000 miles left on the old ones), they met the price of Costco......! Furthermore, the tires lasted 80,000 miles--unheard of in my experience! Same with the brakes--I practically begged Kuni to put brakes on--they lasted well beyond our expectations! But, had not been driving a Lexus prior to this one. Overall, 10 years with almost no major expense--the transmission didnt go bad, the engine didnt go bad, the electronics still work (including the heated seats, the stereo system.........nothing has gone bad on us! My only disappointment is mileage and the requirement for premium fuel. But.....15 to 16 mpg is not horrible, and it is a big vehicle.

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  My GX 470 - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By CKB~ - July 18 - 11:06 am

  I love Lexus! This LUV has a great third row seat that helps hold a total of 7 cheerleaders and one mom! It has all of the luxeries you could want and more! I have the pearl white and the paint is just awesome! I really enjoy this vehicle and I do drive it alot. It was the only midsize LUV with the extra seating room. It is stylish and practical all at the same time!

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  Loooooooove!!! - 2016 Lexus GX 460
  By Lexus fan! - July 18 - 5:29 am

  Just traded in my 2013 RX for the 2016 GX, which is what I should have gotten in the first place instead of the RX. Cant say enough about how much I love it. Great ride -- feels much more substantial than the RX (although the RX was great), and has all the features I need. Yes, the new remodeled RXs definitely have more bells and whistles but the GX is fantastic!

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  okay car - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By dake - July 18 - 12:36 am

  this is a nice car. the dealer dave mungenast is not a good dealer. the car milage is wrong. we all exepet that love our lexus rx300.

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  Satisfied - but..... - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Rick - July 16 - 2:10 pm

  Purchased the Ultimate Luxury Package - even though packed with features the car remains intuitive to operate and is VERY easy to drive - performance better than anticipated but performance is not a reason to purchase. The quality is excellent - used for commuting. Cant get over the quality. Only one nagging issue - I am 62" and am VERY close to the roof panels, even though I purchased the panoramic roof for the extra clearance - drivers over 61" beware and make sure that you are comfortable with the head room - vision at stop lights can be limited.

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  A third Lexus for me - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Salim - July 16 - 8:10 am

  This is the third Lexus I owned. I bought my first in 2000 and traded in on a 2006 RX 400H. I have very happy with the vehicle for 10 years but finally I stepped into the 2016 RX and bought on the spot. The technology is amazing, the comfort is outstanding. I expect the reliability to be great too having had the experience of owning two other Lexus vehicles. Even my wife loves the car and says a lot to me. I have owned the vehicle for almost one month and I have zero complaints.

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  my lexus saved my life - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By jfman sr - July 14 - 5:10 pm

  This happened to me on Saturday March 20th in Laurel md at approximately 4pm while driving on rte 1 as I entered the intersection of rte 1 and cherry lane a black Ford or Mercury grand marquis or crown vic ran a red light and t-bone my es 350 totally destroying my car. Every air bag on the drivers side deployed thus saving my life the other driver was dui going approx. 70 miles per hr, I dont think that I would have survived had I not been in my Lexus. That car saved my life theres no doubt about it. I called my Lexus dealer today to get me into another es 350 asap. My family and I want to say thank for building such a great car its truly a life saver. Thanks Toyota keep up the great job. Jfman