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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  Where is the gas savings? - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Jon G - June 26 - 8:26 am

  I love the car, and Im glad I have it, but I dont have a clue about fuel economy. I traded in my Ford Explorer for the Lexus when MY gas prices hit $4/gal. Ive never gotten any better then 22mpg.

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  Awesome - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By fred - June 26 - 1:13 am

  This car really is fun to drive. I had a VW Toureg before the Lexus and this car so far is more reliable.The fact that the Toureg used high test at 13mpg made me look for an alternative ride. I am happy with the choice I made.

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  Driven to perfection - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Byu1 - June 25 - 9:50 pm

  The GS300 has plenty of great features, but the user interface to those features is horrific. If pushing 4 buttons and messing with the touch screen is your idea of how to mange the heater, then you will love this vehicle. I do not want a vehicle which is constantly drawing my eyes from the road, and causing distraction.

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  Get Real-Greatest Hype Ever - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Steve - June 25 - 8:36 pm

  DO NOT PURCHASE THIS HYPE Vehicle! Seats are hard, rear end cramps on longer trips, Blind spot looking back over left shoulder. No coin slots, no place to house phone, bluetooth uses speakers which sound like a tin can, no access to radio control to improve sound. 20MPG, Factory rep and dealer said OK and meets factory specs?? You cant see a child in front of this vehicle or anything else lower than the hood, no sensor system in front. The LS 430 is a luxury vehicle, this is not. The Toyota Sienna has electric fold down rear seats this one does not. Space in rear way too small.Instrumentation is very poorly designed. Over priced 4 what you get. Gets stench from Air Conditioner.

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  Worth the extra cost over time! - 2007 Lexus RX 400H
  By Don Benton - June 25 - 1:16 am

  This has been an exceptional vehicle in all respects! The local dealership has been excellent since purchase. All service has been completed in a timely fashion and with great care for our time and convenience.

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  The Relentless Pursuit of Luxury - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By SCamp - June 24 - 2:00 am

  Relax, grin like a fool and enjoy a friend, the scenery and your favorite music for a 10 minute or a 10 day drive. Meander, wander, toddle & wave - plenty of people will likely be watching. The sc430 handling will not excite the "pure" sports car enthusiast: BMW & Audi handle better, Corvette launches faster, and so on. The sc430 can be made to go fast and corner hard, but the suspension, steering & seats are not really set up for it: This is a modern day Packard! Yes, this car *is* fast, as an artifact of excellent engineering, but that is not the main point. Luxury is. And BMW/Audi/Corvette &c cant match it.

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  Red Hot SC430 - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By Eantonoff - June 24 - 2:00 am

  By far this is the best car Ive ever owned. This car rivals a F-16 with afterburners at full throttle. Since the day Ive owned it, not one day has passed without getting the attention of another driver or comment in a parking lot. But that is nothing to the feeling of hopping into it, putting the top down and the incredible Mark Levinson Stero on some really fine tunes and cruising the roads at high speeds and quick subtle turns. Like I said, this car is RED HOT !

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  Best Fun Car - 2006 Lexus SC 430
  By Orange - June 23 - 6:53 pm

  What could go wrong, its made by the most reputable and reliable car makers in the world. Forget about the bucket seats, everyone knows its a car made for 2 people and that is fine by me! We bought it for the reliability and quality of the car.

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  Overpriced vehicle - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Mark - June 23 - 9:16 am

  Poor tires, poor transmission, poor gas mileage, no performance for the money,car has no traction in snow and we had to change the tires almost immediately because they could not handle wet conditions in New England. The new tires have excellent traction but are considerably more noisy. A little stiffer ride but worth the change.

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  Solid, powerful and reliable - 2007 Lexus GX 470
  By active_dad - June 22 - 7:40 pm

  We owned a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee for 6 years before this, which was a solid and powerful SUV, but this GX is several rungs up the quality ladder. Ample, smooth power, VERY comfortable and quiet even at freeway speeds. Rock solid in the snow and rain and very reliable. 3rd row seats are handy, and easy to fold up or down. Anyone who says its difficult is mechanically inept. Literally takes < 1 min. Not the best mileage at 14-15 mi. combined avg per gallon, but it is a fairly large SUV with a V8, so actually not too bad. Handles great for its size, and the driving modes and right height adjustments really help for specific driving and road types.