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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  lexus is the best - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By marquezshaka - January 13 - 10:00 am

  once youve driven a lexus, youll never want a different car again and youl always compare the others to your wonderful lexus!

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  Best Car I Ever owned, - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Big-O - January 13 - 10:00 am

  Great Car, extremly reliable,Have owned other but......surprised when I got 28mpg on highway & get 21-23 in city. Super soft & quiet ride. Cant say enough good things about it. "Its just a Car" ...But what a car. More Power than my old Muscle cars of the 70s. Ive "drug" a couple of 5.0 mustangs to name a few...hee hee.

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  A Great Driver - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By H. Neiderhoffer - January 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my 3rd LS Lexus...and the best. It is a great road car, quiet with excellent comfort, quick, with a great GPS that is user friendly...our other car is a MB CLK430 Cabrio that has had continuous mostly minor problems..but lacks the build quality of the Lexus.

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  Th Best Car Ive Ever Purchased! - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Robert J. Landi - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Lexus LS 400 in 1991 and it lasted over 180,000 miles with no major, or minor problems. I purchased the LS 430 when it came out and it is better than the LS 400. The ride is worth every penny and I know this car will go 250,000 miles easiely if I dont "tire" of the design. For my money, I wont buy any other car but Lexus!

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  HIM - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By herb MEYERS - January 13 - 10:00 am

  better than my mercedes

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  Poor brake design - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Bud Hudson - January 13 - 10:00 am

  The only complaint abaout this car is the very poor brake design of the front brakes. The pads needed to be replaced and the disc turned, the dealer informed me that this will need to be done again after each 20K. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR THIS CAR.

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  Awesome - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By Dw4653 - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I had the RX300 before this, and to believe that the GX470 is twice the car is an understatement. It is truely an amazing car.

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  Lexus = Luxury - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By friday9 - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I am so very pleased with this car! I had to special order the vehicle to get the options I wanted, but it was well worth the wait. Nifty gadgets abound, and the ride is ultra smooth and quiet. Gas mileage is averaging around 20mpg with mixed driving (and premium fuel), which is better than I expected.

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  Best SUV ever - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By dsgsdg - January 13 - 10:00 am

  This is the best SUV out there in the SUV class. Alot more options in less amount of money compared to the ML Class of Mercedes-Benz. I would also include that it is smart of them not add a third row because they know others that have third rows do not have alot of safety as the safety passenger compartment framing is only the first two rows, the third row is very dangerous to sit in, this is where Mercedes-Benz ML Class lost marks for in safety. I would like to give credit to Acura for thinking the same way.

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  Yawn, Yawn - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By jimbo - January 12 - 4:40 pm

  For the past 9 years I have had an ML320 and was persuaded to trade it on a new Lexus. So I get the RX 350 and all I can say about it is that the fit and finish are great. For the rated horsepower it seems to underperform. I was used to a car that was much heavier with a lower horsepower rating that outperformed this dog. All I can say about the handling is that it reminds me of an old man car like the old Buick LaSabre. Very boring and no feel of the road. If you own an M Class hold on to it and treasure it.