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:

• 

  Great car - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By SOURS - August 18 - 8:53 pm

  First I would like to comment on the issues that people are having with the nav system: if youre driving and need to find a restaurant you can call Lexus destination assist by just telling the car call destination assist. You will then talk to a Lexus representative that will find you what you are looking for and the send the directions to your nav system, if thats not luxurious and intuitive i dont know what is. The car is pretty quick, quicker that a benz ml350 and rides very soft. The quality of the materials inside is great. The only complaint is that the seats may be a little firm , but you get used to it quickly. The car is very quiet, but if anything just turn on the audio system!

• 

  New RX a hot hit! - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By hckydude814 - August 18 - 10:00 am

  This car is so great. Lexus took all the problems with the original RX (a tiny number) and fixed them. They did a great job!

• 

  4 Great Years - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By Brooksie - August 18 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my GS300 since July 99 and have thouroughly enjoyed the car.

• 

  Love My RX330!!! Best car I ever had!!! - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By LadyK - August 16 - 9:56 am

  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS CAR!!! Its fun to drive because it rides like a dream. As a first time Lexus buyer, the comfort, the handling, the ride and the quality are excellent!!! I am truly impressed. I like the attention it gets when driving around town. The interior is beautiful and the features are great. I love driving on the highway at night now due to the tinted back window and the glare blocking side view mirrors- this feature alone is PRICELESS!!! My concerns are: The transmission stalls when switching gears. Inside interior including tan rugs, get dirty easily. Using the seat warmers while wearing dark clothes, stains the leather.

• 

  Missing it - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Happy to be here - August 16 - 2:03 am

  Wifey and I had our GX for just over one month. We loved riding in it. It does ride more like an SUV than a sports car. The stereo and NAV system are terrific for factory. The best feature about this vehicle is one I hope that not many ever have to test... Safety. We were in a major wreck and the vehicle is totaled with less than 800 miles. We rode up a guardrail and hit a tree head on at about 35mph. The truck also rolled onto the drivers side. The integrity of this vehicle is first rate.

• 

  GS300 - 2001 Lexus GS 300
  By tie - August 13 - 10:00 am

  great car, really reliable. Especially for those that have long commutes.

• 

  Best car I have ever owned - 1997 Lexus LS 400
  By k.cruikshank - August 13 - 10:00 am

  Best car I have ever owned! I have owned a Lincoln, Mercedes, Cadillac and they do not compare to the Lexus.

• 

  One Great Car - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Gary Janssen - August 13 - 10:00 am

  I have only had the ES 300 for a month but so far I am totally impressed with I have seen so far. We purchased the fully loaded version with the Nav and Mark Levinson stereo system. I find the ride to be great and use the active suspension on the way to work driving a bumpy curved filled road. My parents have a Delux Seville and said it rides better than their Caddy. For those who have said it needs more power I say for what? To me anyway it has more than enough power and was impressed with the pickup. I do however think the transmission could use a little work as I have found getting on the gas a low speeds cause some slightly rough shifting.

• 

  Simply Fantastic - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Bosky - August 12 - 2:40 pm

  The car has much more power at all ranges than I expected -- unbelievably quick. Its also incredibly quiet and holds the road really well. Great build quality and fit and finish. Ive even getting about 27 mpg in my first few hundred miles, and it apparently improves after about 5,000 miles. Its perfect.

• 

  Best price for luxury - bar none - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Lawrence - August 10 - 10:20 am

  I test drove several competitors during my search. Once I test drove the Lexus ES 350 the search was over. I had owned Lexus cars in the past and thought I would prefer a sportier car like the BMW however after test driving the new ES 350 I knew this was the car I wanted to drive each day to work and around town. The ES 350 provides an excellent combination of efficiency and luxury. On the efficiency side the car gets great gas mileage while having 272 HP. In addition the cost of the car is reasonable. As for luxury the car is plush with superior quality in terms comfort and ergonomics. The ride is extremely quite.