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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  IDR Lexus - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Donald Rosuck - May 9 - 2:00 am

  Great car, smooth riding, great on rough roads and real good in the rain. Holds the road well on turns, and the newer engine gives very good acceleration when needed.

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  I Didnt Think It Could Be This Improved - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By johnp - May 9 - 2:00 am

  Traded our 01 RX300 for an 04 RX330. The improvements are astounding from an already excellent vehicle. The tilt and telescope wheel, tighter handling, more HP, steering wheel mounted stereo controls plus other subtle changes make the new RX just outstanding. The NAV system is excellent and very intuitive. The Levinson sound system is superb. The backup camera is an excellent addition. The DVD entertainment system is very good, but just a bit overly complicated to use. The dealership is outstanding. If you go in with reasonable expectations, you quickly come out with a fine vehicle and no heartburn.

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  A pleasure to drive - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By joe - May 8 - 4:03 am

  We purchased the car in Dec 2006 and I have put about 2500 miles on the car we love everything about it. It rides great and the only slight problem we have is it is a little noisy when it is not warmed up. We get a lot of compliments on the looks of the car. This is our first Lexus after owning a Mercedes-Benz truck and an Explorer truck. The quality is much better in the lexus I would definitely recommend this car

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  Wow!! - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By L3X - May 7 - 10:00 am

  Superb Handling, good acceleration, Very comfortable even with 17" rims. test drove the BMW 330Ci, glad i bought the IS300.

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  LS 400 - 1999 Lexus LS 400
  By rben - May 7 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my preowned 99Lexus approximately 6 mos. ago. A perfect blend of luxury, comfort and performance for a large sedan. It makes no pretenses for its 290HP, thus fuel consumption is a bit higher than some cars, but I knew that going into the purchase. A very quiet and "trip- worthy" machine, so loaded with features that I discover new ones each week. Ill keep this car a very long time!

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  very nice car, but crappy service - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By whatsnext - May 7 - 10:00 am

  cons: interior materials are poor quality. My steering wheel leather started cracking after a couple months. THe oem tires were terrible and blew up on me. one blew up after a couple thousand miles. Another one blew up later on. The tire recall didnt help either since they killed the new tires which I bought to replace my old tires. My center console plastic started fading. pros: very solid car. great handling. bottom line: dont expect to be reimbursed for any parts that are built below standard. Be prepared to shell out quite a bit of money to fix little things like interior parts, paint chips, tires, and so on.

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  Outstanding car! - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By Outstanding car!!! - May 7 - 12:30 am

  This is a great car by Lexus! The sound of that V8 is outstanding people all over are looking at the car like what is that most people never heard of it! This is the most fun I have had in a car I almost feel like Im on my motorcycle... lol. Great sound system, crisp sound, still reading the books that came with it. The car has so much on it! The car is fast plus it has a nice ride.

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  2004 RX330 AWD - 2006 Lexus RX 330
  By jodar96 - May 6 - 11:52 pm

  This RX is my wifes but I drive it on trips or when we are both in the car. Purchased ours in Nov 2008 with 35K miles. Had the condensation in right headlight when we bought it. While outside warranty, Lexus agreed to replace it and I paid $500 off $1800 bill!!!!! Radiator leaked. I replaced it myself but found out lexus had extended warranty that would have replaced it free. The same side hedalight had condensation again. Fixed it this time by applying silicone around the lens. It has worked perfectly. Very comfortable seats/driving position on long trips, quiet, roomy. It has aged very well. leather in seating area is top notch. Currently at 95K miles and ready to sell it.

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  2006 Lexus ES 330 Reviewed - 2006 Lexus ES 330
  By Bob Reid - May 6 - 3:46 pm

  Great all around luxury range entry. Hard to beat total value in terms of price point to features and resale value. A bit soft drive - more luxury than performance, but solid design and build quality. Great vehicle for someone interested in luxury appointments, comfort, quality, and genuine value. Fuel economy is respectable for a luxury car.

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  My latest LS 460L - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By Michael OBrien - May 6 - 5:10 am

  Once again Lexus exceeds the offerings from German manufacturers. After the numerous problems I have had with German cars it is comforting to have a car which is so smooth, well built and reliable. It would have been nice if the exterior design was a little more exciting, but I suppose at this level, cars need to be more sophisticated than fashionable. I wish I had spent more time with the dealer at the time of purchase so he could talk me through the numerous features. He did offer to demonstrate everything but I thought I would work it all out myself - wrong! The instruction book is a little complicated to follow, with so many features and variations within the model range.