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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  Perfect All Purpose Vehicle - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By David - December 7 - 9:30 am

  This is the best car Ive ever owned regardless of price. Its quick, smooth and extremely solid. Im getting over 25 mpg on my first tank of gas driving at normal speeds on both highway and city. This is a great vehicle.

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  Great car - 2006 Lexus LX 470
  By jake - December 7 - 12:46 am

  very luxerious, great vehicle, VERY SAFE

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  A Dream Car - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By Jay - December 6 - 4:10 pm

  I bought my 2003 SC430 with 50k miles on it for $20,000. Everything is immaculate on this car, always serviced when needed. The drive does have that sport car ride to it due to the low profile RFTs. The sound system sounds amazing although it is very expensive to replace just 1 speaker at $320. The rear seats (golf bag holder) are useless for people to sit in. The trunk surprisingly does have decent space when the top is up. Being that the model is still the same as of 2010. I will upgrade some of the standard parts to the newest style.

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  The BEST ! - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Big Stash - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I love the looks of the new E 500 Mercedes but after test driving both cars buying the LS 430 was a no brainer. It rivals the S430 for about $20,000 less! I believe it is the best luxury car value on the road today.

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  Smooth and Silky - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By dave22750 - December 6 - 10:00 am

  The quality of the ES 330 is outstanding. The ride is smooth and very quiet. The navigation system is remarkable. Dealer was very courteous and helpful.

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  the best car you can get - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By danzx - December 6 - 10:00 am

  lexus is one of the best cars you can get right know in the market this is my third rx and its the best car ive had the land rover every car you name it this is by far the best in its class.

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  Whatelse can you say - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By mad99 - November 30 - 2:00 am

  I just picked up used 2003 LX470 and what can I say. It is the greatest SUV, I was looking to buy the GX470 but with the many complaints about the GX I was able to find used LX470 for the same price of a new GX.

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  Great - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By NIck - November 30 - 2:00 am

  UI love this car it is quite when yiou drive and it has a lot of cool gadgets

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  Reliability is out of this world - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By adam2009m - November 29 - 10:10 am

  Everyone thought I was stupid when I decided to drive this car from Chicago to Miami when it had 328K miles on it. I had 0 incidents during my round trip of over 3500 miles. Enough said, the best car ever built in my opinion.. I have more confidence in this car than driving a brand new car from any manufacturer. I change my oil every 5000 miles and it has a minor oil leak which I decided isnt worth fixing. I just top it off and it has been like that for couple years now. I bought this car used with 254k for 1700. I have already put 100k on it lol. I definitely got my moneys worth.

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  Great, but a few flaws - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By LA-Dave - November 28 - 12:40 pm

  Overall, I am very happy with the car. It performs well, rides very well, and is a real joy to drive. Though I paid dearly for not buying OEM-specified tires, I have dealt with a few defects (AC vent sweep, passenger mirror failure, headlamp gasket replacement, and a manufacture- defected windshield). Also, (as a safety issue) I have a problem with the mirrors rotating in before exiting the vehicle, especially when parking on the street. Even with these drawbacks, I would definitely recommend this vehicle.