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:

• 

  Peace of Mind - 1995 Lexus LS 400
  By cojrpoet - December 3 - 4:06 pm

  In the 13 years I have had this car, I have spent only 2000 on repairs and that too in its 13th year. The car needs minimal maintenance and after 13 years of hard driving in heat and snow, it still feels like a new car.

• 

  Wonderful - with even greater potential - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By unclecheeb - December 2 - 2:00 am

  A wonderful vehicle in a class by itself. Attracts attention, but the ES and Camry look too similar. Fantastic interior. Comfortable seats with a myriad of adjustments. First-class fit, finish and quality of materials, exceeds quality of others in class. Ride is plush, but not advertised as a sports sedan. Safety features abound. Excellent driver and passenger protection. Many comfort and convenience features, yet there is room to further distance the ES from the pack with the addition of convenience option features from the LS series e.g., keyless entry/ignition, storage bins, auto-adjusting steering wheel, auto door closure, etc.

• 

  ok...but, missing somthing. - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By JMan - November 26 - 2:00 am

  Good but not great. I think this car is going to have to step it up to continue to compete with the big boys. I think it looks a little to much like boy racer cars (i.e. civic and such). Does not really stand out in the looks department.

• 

  The Squeakmobile - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By Eduardo Jimenez - November 19 - 10:00 pm

  My first Lexus, but oh, what a disappointment. Love the ride and the power, but the car has developed squeaks and rattles everywhere. The whole panel behind the rear seat rattles/vibrates when I turn the radio up. The glove compartment door latch broke and wont close. It takes several tries for the voice-recognition system to get the numbers right. The interior materials are cheap: the glove compartment and coin doors are flimsy, and quality of the leather is third-rate. Also, this is not a car for tall people; all-around visibility is VERY limited; the roofline is low, the windowsills are very high and the windshield is very inclined, even the rearview mirror gets in the way.

• 

  Lexus RX 300 ,1999 RX 300 8 YEAR REVIEW - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By PowerhousePaluch - November 18 - 6:26 pm

  I purchased this RX 300 brand new, this was my first Japanese built vehicle, having owned, VWs, Volvos, Audis and BMWs and one Chev Corsica. Just as we were driving off the lot. I remember the salesperson saying "you will not have any problems with this car for the next 7 years" I thought, ok Buddy, I already bought and paid you stop the sales pitch. He was right, for the next 7 years I only had to do the scheduled maintenance and put gas in it. I am now going to trade it in. It is now 9 years old and has 146,000 km, but still looks good. I will buy another Lexus. Problems that I had with my 1999 RX 300, you ask? See suggested improvements.

• 

  Simply the best - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By fladave - November 17 - 9:33 am

  The European cars are just terribly overpriced and the American cars are all garbage which leaves room for the Japanese to dominate. Well Lexus steals the show period. Nothing can touch the design, build quality or reliability of a Lexus. After you take a ride in this SUV and then get into anything else you cant help but laugh at other carmakers and smile to yourself.

• 

  solid car, but should have done research - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By hogan1 - November 15 - 10:00 am

  The car has been good by all acounts except the transmission. It hesitates, slips into 4th and has a "jerk" to it at low speeds. I have had it in the shop on 3 different occasions and have been told the dealer can do no more. There are several customers with the same problem as I found out when I went to the NHTSA web site. This is a software problem with this car and the RX330, please do more investigating than I did.

• 

  Excellent, comfortable car - 1999 Lexus LS 400
  By micahberry - November 11 - 5:25 pm

  Excels on the interstate, where it absorbs pavement irregularities superbly. It is a comfortable traveling car for my family. This is not a back road burner – the LS400 features a lot of body roll, which is to be expected as part of the design. You will be hard pressed to find a more comfortable long-range cruising car. I purchased this car with 113k miles. As of this writing, it has 140k. I have had to replace the starter, which I have learned through owner’s forums is a wearable item. In addition, rubber suspension bushings on the car should be replaced to keep the incredible Lexus ride. Thankfully, they don’t need to be replaced but once every 10 years or so!

• 

  Lexus ? - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By M Van - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Nice car in general but has a hesitation when accelerating!

• 

  SUPER RELIABILITY & COMFORT - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By Steve C. - November 10 - 6:43 am

  Bought pre-owned @ 3 yr. old but with only 6800 miles. Have since pumped up to 56k. Now 9 yrs. old and have not put a single penny into it beyond maintenance. Drive is uninspiring around town but a champ on the highway. Cruises with uncanny smoothness. A true luxury ride with exceptional quietness. Blah, grandpa-like exterior (and who designed the ugliest alloy wheels ever?) but interior is attractive and plush. I probably wont but could keep car for another 15 years and it would still be an enjoyable ride. A bit jumpy off the mark. Even if you try to moderate throttle it tends to leap off line. Surprisingly fuel efficient on hwy (up to 28 mph) but premium a must. Mileage suffers otherwise.