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 Luxury SUV with Great Gas Mileage - 2008 Lexus RX 400H
  By Peter M. - June 20 - 7:16 pm

  This is an incredible car, granted it is expensive, but well worth every penny. I dont understand the complaints about gas mileage. With a little coaching from the onboard "consumption" feature in the navigation system I am routinely getting between 29 and 30 mpg. 24-26 is a high speed highway average, 28-30 around town, and 30-33 in stop and go driving.

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  Radio and CD - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Diane - June 20 - 3:00 pm

  My Lexus only has 20,000 miles on it, but the CD player is already going out. I can only play one CD instead of the 6 that are available. I took it to a place I know is reliable (they work on car sound equipment) and he said it is almost gone. Other than that I love the car..

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  25000 and rolling - 2006 Lexus LS 430
  By KEITH HARTMAN - June 20 - 2:30 am

  The best car Ive ever owned, so good that mentioning a few nit-picks seems out of place. Still, the front door are too long for easy opening in a parking lot. The nav. system was very hard to me to learn. The voice-operated controls are not useful and I keep hitting the "on" button for them with my left knee. But -- the mileage average over 25 in my rural medical practice, the sound system works flawlessly, guests in the backseat keep raving about their experience.

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  Some major problems - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Karen - June 19 - 6:06 pm

  While I love driving my Lexus, I have had some major concerns with design problems and one significant safety issue with my rotors. Twice it was necessary to machine my rotors because of warpage from overheating and which caused significant and uncontrollable shaking of my steering wheel. Also, if only a rear window or sunroof window is opened, an intense vacuum is created in the interior which hurts my ears. I must open my drivers window to eliminate this vacuum -- very poor design! I have also had problems with my rear window spoiler weatherstripping, several scratches on the exterior finish, intermittent unworkable power rear door, and transmission surges and jerks from shifting.

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  Lexus SC 430 - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By Judy Konos - June 19 - 5:26 pm

  Simply put, I love my Lexus SC 430! It is drop dead gorgeous and commended by everyone, especially drivers on the road traveling beside me. The Amethyst color changes continually with the sun and shade and at nightfall. It hugs the exits from interstates as though there were no twists nor turns. It is extremely fast, comfortable, fun and most of all EXCITING. Lexus should be commended for all the time and effort that went into building his automobile.

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  Absolutely red :) 5M - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By oceanis361 - June 19 - 6:48 am

  Have to agree on the fun-to-drive factor!! Whew! this car is a blast to drive! Love the orange interior lights at night! Guage package likened to a wrist watch face is an original touch. Shifting is solid quality feel. Love the sound of the engine. Handles like shes on rails. Just bought a set of 18" rims (all black) with potenza s-04 pole positions, so the ride should be on fire soon. Im driving a Subaru GT wagon in the winter but my life is changing so Im selling Suby after 13 yrs of ownership. :( But Looking forward to buying a set of micheling Xi3, dedicated winters, to be mounted on the stock rims. Should handle the snow just fine and be a lot of fun in the drift too!

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  Lexus rx - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By billy joe - June 18 - 11:13 pm

  A great SUV. Interior little small for six footers or over. Gas mileage sensitive to speed. Would purchase again because of quality and reliability. Can put up with minor inconveniences in the "cockpit", e.g., the big hump in the cener that bumps your knee when you enter the vehicle and in the way of your right knee when driving.

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  Great Car, Disappointing Mileage - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Robert - June 18 - 12:40 pm

  The vehicle is a delight to drive -- great acceleration, quiet, comfortable, reliable and more. The only two negatives are mileage much lower than advertised and I wish the body style was different than the RX 330.

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  You Must Drive This Car - 2013 Lexus ES 350
  By wofat - June 17 - 4:21 pm

  I spent several months researching vehicles before finally making a purchase. I was focused on a mid to large sedan that would be very comfortable for my long commutes, that would get at least 25 MPG, FWD or AWD, and that would LAST for at least 200K miles. The final list was the 2013 Audi A4, 2013 Hyundai Azera, 2013 BMW 328xi, and the Infinity G37x. After driving and pricing, the G37x and BMW were eliminated. They were simply under-equipped compared to the others at the same price point. The BMW especially was bare bones unless you dropped another 10K. The Audi was eliminated for reliability (big issues with burning oil). After driving the ES350 I was in love. Not squishy at all.

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  A family luxury car for the money - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By Nandu - June 15 - 10:56 pm

  I bought my lexus in 2001 and now it is over 100000 miles. Its an awesome family friendly car with basic luxuries like power seats, 6 cd changer, premium sound, no noise driving. Great suspension and brake system. Its a reliable car offering great driving control.