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:

• 

  Best car bar none - 1997 Lexus LS 400
  By Phil57 - May 21 - 10:00 am

  This car is a joy to drive. I have owned it for 18 months and I look forward to using it every day, whether for work or with the family. I have a stressful job in real estate, with lots of stop and go driving to visit properties. The Lexus smooth performance and luxurious interior are very relaxing and dont intrude on my workday. The entire car is well thought out, simple to operate, performs excellently and is rock solid reliable. I cannot imagine owning another car.

• 

  ny new "H" - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By bonnie call - May 20 - 11:00 pm

  This is my 3rd lexus. Going from my RX 300 to the 400h was a natural move. I am disappointed in the mileage and the fit of the driver seat. I also am having a bad time with the big blind spots on both sides rear. Compared to all of my other SUVs ( I have had many), I feel like I am looking through a tunnel when using the rear window. I do not trust the mirrors and when you try to turn around to look, you only see the interior post. There is no place to put my purse! There is no place to put coins or my phone! Except for those issues, the car drives beautifuly and I love the "greeness" of it. The aluminum interior is very attractive and green and I love the nav system.

• 

  Rolling Valium - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By RI Car Guy - May 8 - 5:50 pm

  The Lexus ES350 pampers the driver and passengers in quiet isolation. The ride quality is best in class and fuel economy is excellent for a car this size. I averaged 27.5 mpg over 37K miles and typically get 31 mpg on highway (+75mph). I do a lot of highway driving and the New England winters are tough on any car, but the paint on the Lexus has more chips than my 6 year old Honda. Recommend getting dealer applied plastic film on hood to protect the new eco-friendly paint.

• 

  Great, But Not Exciting - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By cecurr - May 3 - 10:43 am

  This is an excellent car. The LS 400 is all a luxury car should be. Its quiet, comfortable and powerful. The fit and finish is unmatched. Im still amazed with the car power and acceleration, yet how quiet it is at all speeds. The tranny shifts so smoothly you can barely feel it. Great gas mileage for car size @ 18/25 city and highway. The car is so good to ride and drive, its almost boring.

• 

  Perfect city car. - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By jsu888 - May 2 - 2:00 am

  Im probably the least likely buyer for this car. My last car was a BMW 7 series. I just got tired of all the repairs required by the German cars. This year alone I spent over $10K on over 7 trips to Dinan on everything from leaking transmission oil gasket to air conditioner rebuild. Im returning to Japanese models. I wanted something small for San Francisco and with navigation system. Not too many to choose from. I evaluated Mercedes C230, Toyota Prius, BMW 3 series. This is the only one with DVD navigation system. That means only one disk is required for the entire North American continent, and about $6K less than a comparably equipped BMW 325.

• 

  RATTLE MOBILE - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By sprete - April 30 - 7:16 pm

  I purchased this car brand new about 1.5 years ago. Ive had lots of annoying problems with it ever since (too many to list). Im lucky to go 2 months before having to bring it back to dealer. The car has more rattles and noises than a 79 corvette. Dealer replaced a roof hinge that was squeaking so loud that the Mark Lev sound system couldnt drown it out! They finally fixed that and the the passenger side started squeaking. The drivers seatback had to be repaired for a clicking noise-- again, once that was fixed the passenger side started acting up. Run flats are terrible! Thank God the car looks so good and the sound system is the best Ive heard otherwise Id junk this mother!

• 

  Not what I expected for gas mileage - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Laurie - April 29 - 9:16 pm

  I purchased this vehicle to get lower gas mileage and enjoy Bluetooth phone tech. I am disappointed with both. I get 24.2 mpg and interupted phone service. I paid $10,000 too much for this vehicle.

• 

  Very nice, but needs some tweaks - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By BrianGgg - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Driving this car is like piloting a cloud. Incredible ride - very quiet and very smooth! The 3rd row seating is a bit of a joke though. Im only 57" and I couldnt bare to sit back there for more than 10 minutes. Theres no way you could get 3 adults back there comfortably. Plenty of room on the 2nd row of seats, so much so that they should have moved those forward 3 inches to give the 3rd row more room. The Radio controls kinda suck since they put many of them on the video display screen which takes a long time to navigate, and a lot of attention which would be better spent driving.

• 

  Get what you pay for - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By RX330 Lover - April 27 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best SUVs out there. If you are looking for one with confortable ride, but dont care about the horse power, this is the SUV to go. Very attractive interior design.

• 

  Review after first week - 2016 Lexus ES 350
  By waspenx - April 27 - 9:11 am

  Overall experience is great. It feels like a driving a spaceship! (Considering that I have never driven a luxury car before). One thing I am not crazy about is the door slamming. Those doors dont close easily. Both I and my passengers find ourselves miss the first try a few times. The acceleration is not the best which I have expected but somehow still feel the need to say it here. The look of the car (in and out) is awesome. I am a fan of the spindle grille (that is all that matters). Somehow the feeling of sharp image but comfortable ride works out for me. The white color (eminent pearl white) I chose does bring some challenge in the days after a snow. The fact that this is a nice and new car make the dirty mud on the car less bearable.