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 Car - 2009 Lexus ES 350
  By MJP58 - May 19 - 9:43 pm

  Great mileage- ave 22.9, standard stereo is excellent, very quiet ride, traded in 2005 ES 330 Lexus and the 2009 is ten times the car- excellent quality- worth every penny!!!!

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  Fast and Fun Car to Drive - 2008 Lexus GS 450h
  By Agata Zelman - May 19 - 5:56 am

  Excellent quality, comfort, great performance car as compared to a BMW, Audi or Volvo. This is my second GS, but first hybrid and I love it.

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  Sharp Luxury - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By Pamela Jardine - May 17 - 3:13 pm

  We recently purchased the Lexus RX 350 and love it! The ride is so smooth. Fuel mileage is better than average and I love the rear door power buttton.

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  What a great car - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By Mr. Ollie - May 17 - 2:00 am

  Purchase a new GX470 a few weeks ago. All I can say is what a great car. It is well built with perfect fit and finish. Gas milage is running around 18mph with the first few tank fulls. The V8 is smooth and lots of power. It does sit high and does need HID lights.

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  Perfect? Close, but not completely - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Thomas Battle - May 16 - 5:16 pm

  Hoped the vehicle would be perfect (my SC 430 almost is). However, while the 400 RX is a great vehicle, it has some flaws, the main one being gas mileage is much less than expected. Got only 21.6 mpg the first 4257 miles (mix of highway and city with AC 100% of time). Note: actual calculation of mileage is about 2 mpg less than indicated on screen. (Dont say it is my driving style -- I always get no less than EPA estimated mpg on my SC 430 and other vehicles.) Dealer says others reporting the same mileage situation, but "should" improve as get more miles on vehicle. At least, uses regular gas.

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  You can almost have it all - 2007 Lexus GS 450h
  By bhamer - May 15 - 11:50 pm

  What I wanted: reliability, green car, sporty handling and acceleration, ability to fit five passengers, ultimate comfort, 4 wheel drive. What I got: everything but 4 wheel drive. What an amazing car. Dont be fooled by the similar appearance to other GS versions. I test drove the standard gas version of this car and found it lackluster, noisy and boring. This car is totally different. It is the fastest and most powerful in the GS line up and has remarkable acceleration. It gets around 27 mpg in non performance mode too. Its an amazing blend of comfort and technology.

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  Definitely worth a look - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By CC - May 15 - 10:36 pm

  Im a first-time Lexus owner. I traded my Honda Ridgeline pickup for a 2010 Lexus RX350 crossover as I was looking for something smaller that had plenty of cargo space plus the AWD capability for Colorado snowstorms. I must say I am quite impressed. I was seriously torn between the RX350 and the Volvo XC60, but the Lexus won out when I test drove both (3 times) and found the Lexus had more hip/shoulder room for my 62" frame, yet was very easy to load and enter/exit for my 50" wife. I believe the RX350 is built on a Toyota Camry frame, which gives it a great smooth ride that doesnt have that stiff "truck" ride that some SUVs have. So far, MPG are 23-24 after one tank of 87 octane.

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  My 2006 Lexus - 2006 Lexus ES 330
  By scanlon - May 14 - 6:13 pm

  Our Lexus is the ideal car for our type of lifestyle. As typical "snow birds", we spend the winters in Fla. & summers in Pa. We enjoy the year-round luxury it offers & a great selection of options which helps make it suitable for both climates, such as heated/cooled seats, powered sunscreen for the rear window, navigation system & many more which help make our traveling experience more enjoyable.

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  UPDATE: Still Happy After All These Years - 2001 Lexus ES 300
  By usedcarguyrtr - May 14 - 12:57 am

  I wanted to follow up on my ownership experience; My previous post was listed by "W." and posted on 4/26/10. After having purchased this car back in Oct. 2009, it still runs beautifully and has not left me stranded once. I have put almost 40,000 miles on the car (now @ 136.5k miles) since my last post, and I still love it! I use my car for courier work (lots of stop and go driving), and it never hesitates. I had an O2 sensor replaced, which ran about $300; other than this one repair and basic upkeep (tires, oil changes, brake pads, tune-up), this car has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I recommend high-mileage rated synthetic oil to keep the engine at peak performance.

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  2008 Lexus RX 350 AWD - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Catdaddy - May 12 - 10:20 am

  This is my 3rd SUV and it is definitely the best. My first was a 1980 K5 Blazer and the second was a 1992 Explorer, both bought new. This is also my 3rd Lexus and the build quality and service is why I like this brand. So far this SUV has been a pleasure to drive. It has the Premium Plus pkg., 18 inch 7 spoke wheels, heated seats and rain sensor wipers, towing pkg. Cargo room is a little small behind back seats but fine when back seats are lowered. I plan to use it for hunting, fishing and carrying my dogs as well as domestic uses.