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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  Great but could be better - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By yellow enzo - October 13 - 11:33 pm

  The only regret i have with this car is ours is without the kenetic dynamic suspension. i would consider this a must have option the fit and finish in our car is not up to lexus standards. The fuel economy is the biggest suprise it can easily get upwards of 24mpg on a road trip and about 17-19 on the twisties

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  Meets expectations - 2016 Lexus NX 200t
  By Diana - October 13 - 11:32 pm

  We recently purchased an NX200T relatively base model ( couple small options but nothing major ). Overall it is a good car and no complaints other than it would have been nice if a couple items standard on non luxury vehicles were included or offered without having to take a pricey package but for a low to mid 30s Lexus you cant expect too much and you cant get too hurt when trading it in. This vehicle was essentially a hold over vehicle for us while we await some new offerings in the small 7 seat cross over segment ( Toyota Highlander refresh and new Mazda CX9 to name two ). If there was one thing that would have given us some buyers remorse it would have been that this is not a good family hauler. The back doors are kind of tight for getting car seats in and out and our 2 years olds feet easily hit the back of the front seats but based on our currently family size it is acceptable. On the positive side of the NX we did test drive Rav4s and CX5s as other options but the they just seemed a little too slow as they are both 1 to 2 seconds behind when accelerating to 60 but the equipment and options standard or offered in vehicles thousands of dollars less was significant. A Rav4 with decent options and the Lexus engine in the low 30s would be the best of all worlds.

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  Amazing Performance/ Poor Cabin Usablity - 2007 Lexus GS 450h
  By LC Boca Raton - October 13 - 6:36 am

  Hits: Car performs great lost of power and quality all over, Nice features (when you can use them). Clean lines - Lexus legacy luxury in a sport sedan. Great car !! A+++ Misses: dash usablity. Lock out when driving of features on most items, song list of CDs. (Only can play MP3 CDs (255 song limit) NO DVD MP3 even though it is a DVD changer.) Radio list remains at speed (why is this so different than a CD list I have no idea). 2007 Acura MDX have it right when it comes to the Glass Dash. You can use the features as expected. Lexus (Toyota) has taken conservative to a new level. I hope they lighten up and come up with a software update. (Ill even sign a waiver.) PLEASE LEXUS fix this!

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  ES300 could be a lot more comfortable - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By ed65 - October 7 - 10:00 am

  enjoy most everything about this car except the build of the front seats. Theyre just not comfortable. even with the lumbar support, which is a good one, I had a terricic back ache after the first two hours driving the ES300. Otherwise, its a geat automobile.

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  Lexus luxury - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By TAR - October 5 - 8:33 pm

  Very comfortable, smooth and quiet ride but very poor turning radius. I love driving this car--it feels like I have arrived!

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  My Rx Rocks - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By Jeff - October 5 - 3:53 pm

  Ok I got a 99 2 months ago. Its got 130,000 miles. Love it. Great power. Lots of options. Seat is worn from last owner pretty bad, drives great. Turning radius is fine. Gas could be better but oh well my last car was a Saturn. I had to tint the front windows to match the rest of the car and I dropped a couple of subwoofers in to juice up the radio. The deck was unchangable which kinda stinks. Its got a stock Nakamichi stereo tho. I bet in 99 this was the hottest car out.

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  Kinda disappointed - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By carmoo - October 3 - 4:23 pm

  I have driven an Acura TL for the last five years. Let me unequivocally say that the TL is a superior vehicle except in one area. The lexus has a plush and very comfortable ride. The panel on the Lexus is completely dull. The low roof line really compromises us guys over 6 feet tall. The lexus lacks many features that are standard on the TL, like satellite radio. Upgrades on the lexus like land navigation are very expensive to add. This is not a sports sedan, lots of body roll in the curves. Decent power and excellent fuel efficiency for a v 6. BE AWARE: the paint job on this model really sucks! Two paint chips the day after I drove it off the lot and there are more! Loud engine!

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  Stylish well built car, not suitable for families! - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By Richard Waldron - September 29 - 10:43 pm

  Had this car almost 3 years now, just reached the 30k mark. It is a great little car with good gas savings. We seem to average about 40-45 mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. I really only have 2 complaints.. 1. It is very low. So low I can not drive it up my drive without scrapping the bottom. So I have to park it on the street. 2. It is great for 1-2 people, but the back is too small for adults. With a baby on the way we will have to trade it in. Definitely no room for a stroller in the trunk! Trunk can not even fit a regular size suitcase. Tip: go to Toyota not Lexus for any servicing. A major Lexus service costs around $750. Toyota charge $200 for exactly the same service

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  sweet ride! - 2001 Lexus ES 300
  By nwowner - September 28 - 10:00 am

  I just bought a used 2001 ES300 with 35K (23000 miles) and I love it. I have owned 4 Hondas/Acura in a row and never understood why people bought Toyotas. After driving this car I have a new appreciation for the quality of the build and the resulting ride. Acuras do not compare in quietness and quality of materials. This car is sooo quiet and relaxing. I look forward to long trips in this car. Although it is not a corner hugging rocket in the City it is still fun to drive. The stereo is awesome, I love the seats, front and rear. I think I will be looking at Lexus in the future instead of Honda/Acura

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  2002 Lexus ES300 - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By justreviewer - September 24 - 9:30 pm

  It is a comfortable car to drive. Smooth and quiet. No seat warmers. I dont know if that was even offered as an option at the time. It would be better if its performance was as good as its luxury.