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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  Company Jet - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Lil4x - August 30 - 10:00 am

  Amazing silence, outstanding handling and reasonable fuel economy for an SUV, plus incredible tactile luxury make the 330 the perfect long-distance tourer. We hated to turn our RX 300 in this spring, but the RX 330 is as big a step up in luxury from the 300 as the 300 was from my previous loaded Suburbans. A smooth, effortless inhaler of interstates, we call it the company jet. Itll do until the Gulfstream arrives.

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  New owner - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By sandy - August 30 - 4:06 am

  I have had my 2010 Lexus 350 for 2 days now. So far, Im very happy. Have driven during the day, rain and night so far and each experience is really good. The way this vehicle is build is quality. So far Im in love Hopefully it will be reliable for the long term

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  Superb car - 2009 Lexus LS 460
  By TxDoc - August 28 - 7:13 pm

  This is an amazing car. I test drove all the Germans and others and this is by far the best. I think this is one of the best cars ever made to date. You will wizz by cars you think must be going 20 mph while in reality they are going 70 mph - all while sipping your coffee in a luxurious setting while listening to amazing music. It has turned my daily commute into a delightful experience that I look forward to daily. I feel fortunate everyday to own this car and plan on enjoying it for a long time. I got the chrome wheels and it adds a nice look to the black car exterior. The car looks very stylish, not dull at all.

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  No drawbacks - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Robin - August 28 - 12:06 pm

  I love this car. The only difference between the hybrid and a regular vehicle is that sometimes the quiet operation is unnerving. It takes some getting used to. Now I find when I drive someone else car, Im surprised when the engine kicks in immediately when I start it. That does not happen with my hybrid. The engine starts only when it needs to.

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  LS 460 - 2009 Lexus LS 460
  By Driver - August 26 - 5:00 pm

  Everyone who sees the car remarks about the fit & finish. Everything fits together perfectly and works perfectly. While the exterior may share some styling with the Lexus ES, you know you’re driving a top-of-the-line car once you are inside. In contrast to many European rivals, all the controls and buttons are easy to understand. Many of these have adjustable features which can be set by the owner or the dealer (like how long the interior lights stay on after you shut the door.). Actual mileage is 22 MPG, overall.

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  Solid, dependable, still garnishes status - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By tpa33 - August 25 - 10:49 pm

  Im a technician and I know build quality. You will not find this level of precision or quality with any other vehicle with full time 4 wheel drive and true transfer case. Bought used only because its virtually still new and we should all expect 350,000 miles of hard or pampered use from the LX470/Land cruisers.

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  Want BMW performance with reliability? - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Tom - August 25 - 12:26 pm

  This car has superb handling as it almost begs to be thrown around. The fuel economy leaves much to be desired but if you cared about gas then you would have bought a Prius. Styling is very good, but the interior instrument panel could be sleeker. This car definitely turns heads, more so than a 325i. I wanted a sports sedan with actual reliability and you cannot go wrong here. This is my first Lexus purchase and I believe I will stick with them after being very satisfied with my IS 300.

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  Best Value - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By viber - August 24 - 10:00 am

  My other considerations when I was shopping for a car were: A4 3.0, BMW 325i. I finanlly picked the IS300 because of the quality and the value. A4 3.0 being significantly more expensive (however, it comes with quattro) and 325i being significantly slower and lacking in some features, IS300 provides the best value. It is an extremely fun to drive vehicle with the best handling after the A4. However, when it comes to reliability, I had to drop my bias for European cars and pick a Lexus which has the best name in liability.

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  Nice ride - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Anthony - August 24 - 1:20 am

  Smooth ride, very comfortable, luxury feeling in all aspects. I love all of the state of the art options (smartkey, navi, rear camera, ac & heated seats, auto wipers, push start, etc.), its like all you have to do is sit down and drive. The fuel economy was surprising, I consistently take weekend trips of 220+ miles and on the highway i can avg up to 30+ mpg. Only complaint is the expensive little fixes, HID headlight bulbs cost $430 at the dealership, FOR A LIGHT BULB!

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  Toyota Product Fans - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By Toyota Fans - August 23 - 5:46 pm

  We have always had a Toyota product and never had any problems. This is my first Lexus and I absolutely love it and so does everyone in my family and our friends. The Lexus had a more solid, heavier feel than the Infiniti that seemed somewhat lighter and hollow. The Lexus has a classier/rich look.