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:

• 

  Great Car - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By advancing - July 12 - 10:00 am

  A great car for the $$$. My car history started out with a small Toyota truck for 2 yrs., a 94 T-Bird for 3, I went through 2 VW Jettas over the course of 6 yrs., and now have advanced to the SportDesign IS300. It is amazingly smooth, and hugs the road like a glove. The auto-shifting is seamless, comfortable seating, and superb sound system, comparable to JBL or Bose.

• 

  Great vehicle with untapped potential - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Unclecheeb - July 12 - 10:00 am

  The new body is very nice, however it resembles the Camry too much. Fit and finish are suburb. Night time instrument panel is magnificent. The car is full of little conveniences like the drivers dead pedal,tilt out coin holder, compass in the rearview mirror, auto dimming mirrors, overhead grips for driver and passenger, and wippers that can be pulled out of the way for complete windshield cleaning.

• 

  Clean - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By irishchad - July 11 - 11:30 am

  This is the best value on the road! I love the air-conditioned seats and the keyless entry is a great feature. Just push a button to start it. It handles great, the suspension is above average, but Lexus could make it a little softer. There is plenty of room in the back seat and trunk. It looks like the impressive luxury car it is and you cannot beat the price. If you ask any mechanic what is the best low maintenance car is they will tell you I never see a Lexus in my shop. I highly recommend this car.

• 

  Second Lexus - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By RDJamison - July 11 - 10:53 am

  This is by second RX, I previously had a 2000. The 2005 model had greatly improved acceleration performance and turning radius. I love this car!

• 

  The best car you can get for under 5K - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By Brian - July 10 - 10:00 am

  I Purchased this car in June of 2009 and it had 105k miles. It is now at 120k miles and runs great. I have never had to take it to the shop for anything other than maintenance. It is very comfortable and reliable. This is the 3rd Lexus in my family. My mother has had an IS and a RX hybrid. all great cars. It has a good amount of features. The gas mileage is ok for a V6. I get 19 combined and I have gotten 28 on a road trip averaging 75 mph. I would highly recommend this car. It is very solid, I never have to worry about my car breaking down. As a college student, I cant afford to pay for costly repairs. This car has Toyota reliability. I think this car will go for another 100k miles easily!

• 

  One of the Great Ones - 2002 Lexus LS 430
  By Doc - July 7 - 11:50 am

  Ive owned this car for 2 years. Ive put 20k on it, and the only trouble has been the battery. Ive owned 6 s class Mercedes, a 5 series Bmer, 2q45, a qx4 and loads of caddys and lincolns. They all have their strong points. This is my 2nd Lexus, and it has been trouble free. Time for another Lexus.

• 

  Best Car I ever bought - 2003 Lexus GS 300
  By cube - July 6 - 2:00 am

  This is the best car I ever bought. It rides smooth and you can barley feel the car shift gears. I like the Bodystyle also. Its perfect if you want to put bigger rims on it.

• 

  Best Car on the Road - 1998 Lexus LS 400
  By The Juice - July 6 - 2:00 am

  I have to say this car is truly astonishing!!! No comparsion with the previous year model. This car just glides over the road. Why buy a new car, when you can purchase a used Lexus LS400 that will simply be a better car, unless of course it is a new LS430. Believe me, you cannot buy a better car for the money, new or used than a LS400. Nice part is everyone will really believe youre loaded, even though you paid under $25K for the car.

• 

  Best luxury SUV in the World - 2004 Lexus LX 470
  By sea3 - July 6 - 2:00 am

  This SUV is for riding in style. It is not for the family of 5 or more, but if you want to ride in style, this is the suv for you. All of the other suvs (navigator, escalade, range rover, etc) ride like a brick. This is pure luxury and if you can afford, dont miss out on it. This is the bentley of SUVs.

• 

  This is a great car - 2004 Lexus LX 470
  By hlhma - July 6 - 2:00 am

  Compared with any other SUV, this vehicle is definitely the best. The design is so impressive. It is fun to drive, easy to handle. It is classified as an SUV, but it feels way better than many smaller sedans. Acceleration is amazing. You barely can hear any noise inside this vehicle. I agree that this vehicle does not perfectly fit into the SUV category, but rather it is an LUV for "Luxury Utility Vehicle".