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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  A look at the Lexus 430 - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By Quirky - June 10 - 10:00 am

  Other than the low mileage even though I am a regular complainer, I was not able to find any bad to say about the Lexus 430 or Meade Lexus my dealer where I always find a cheerful, respectful, and knowledgeable person to deal with.

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  Garnet Pearl ES330 - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Garnet - June 10 - 10:00 am

  The ride is smooth and quiet, with quality evident from the sound of the doors closing to the extensive standard features. The Black garnet pearl color is a real head turner and the real wood interior is rich looking and attractive. The new voice activation makes the navigation system easy to use. The flexibility of finding destinations and large point of interest data base are especially useful. The standard suspension is set up to be comfortable. the optional adaptive suspension is better suited to sporty driving. Power is adequate and the transmission shifts smoothly and quietly, with no hang ups between gears.

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  RX Eval - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By pburke - June 10 - 10:00 am

  Pleasant surprise from my Caddy DHS. Easy to drive. Kind of a personal vehicle.

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  Brakes do not work - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By edah2002 - June 9 - 8:10 pm

  Brakes did not work. Was traveling at 10 mph , braked at a light and went into the car in front of me. The brakes DID NOT connect. Hitting the car in front stopped my car Lexus said it was Not their fault BE CAREFUL! Anyone have similar problem?

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  Nice Car to Drive - poor rating because of droning - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By KenSW - June 8 - 6:48 pm

  Do not buy or lease an RX350 unless you like consistent droning from the drivetrain. Mine was super quite until around 1800 miles and then something changed. There’s a low pitch droning sound with a vibration all the time - especially at about 1400 rpm. The nice ride and comfy cabin does not make up for this serious flaw. Search “RX350 droning sound” before making the investment. Look elsewhere for a midsize SUV.

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  Love it - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Ed - June 7 - 9:56 pm

  I have had the RX 400h for 2 years now and my wife and I love it. The power and quick acceleration when needed was a surprise. The turning radius is extremely small and steering is the best Ive ever had on any vehicle. I think the ride is exceptional and quiet. My first experience with a hybrid and it has exceeded my expectation.

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  lexus gx - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By alison - June 7 - 5:10 pm

  I love this unit. I had a RX300 for 2 years and wanted a bigger car. THIS is it! It has the room inside. The outside is gorgeous! It has room for my growing son. And room for hauling.

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  ARCHAIC NAV SYSTEM - 2011 Lexus RX 350
  By mnorth509 - June 7 - 1:29 am

  First of all, why hasnt Edmunds talked about the archaic nav/radio system in any of their reviews???? I come from the world of Ford/Sirius/SYNC and I was shocked when I realized how old-fashioned the Lexus system is. Yes, I know, I should have kept it for a weekend to discover what a terrible system it is - but I listened to friends who were already Lexus owners, and I read Edmunds reviews and NO ONE told me!!! Have these people never driver another brand of car? You have to jump to two screens to see the title of a song, and then jump BACK to get to the next channel. No color, no logos, just plain old letters that are truncated - you dont even see the whole song title.

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  Great Commuting Vehicle - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By jjnd - June 6 - 2:00 am

  This car provides and excellent ride and fantastic fuel economy. I regularly exceed 25 mpg with in town driving and 30 mpg on the highway. This car is more comfortable than most. I am regularly on the road for several hours at a time. Being of small stature I appreciate the compact interior. My husband, a large man, finds the front seat comfortable but the back seat is limited in size and you wouldnt want to spend too much time confined there unless you were a small person. The suspension and steering on this vehicle make it feel like a sports car and the traction control is a nice feature in the north country where I live

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  Great car - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Andy - June 6 - 2:00 am

  I owned a 1999 BMW 3 series and 1993 Mercedez-Benz C-Class. I think Lexus ES 300 is much better than those cars.