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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  my review - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By thisflyguy - July 1 - 10:00 am

  grows on you after you drive it!

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  Waste of Money - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By CarProfessional - June 29 - 10:30 pm

  The purchase of this vehicle is now my most costly mistake. Based on the quality of Toyota trucks I have owned, I bought the RX330. The RXs interior is luxurious, and has nice features, but it is the poorest performing vehicle Ive ever driven. The transmission can take over one second to shift. Very dangerous when a car is coming toward you. When accelerating on freeway, RX goes through 2 gears to find the right one. Slowest responding transmission on the market Ive driven. Also the windshield fogs so severely inside that you have to constantly run the defroster which runs the A/C. Significantly reduces gas milage and visability for yet another major safety issue.

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  Better than my 99 rx300 - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By harvey brown - June 29 - 2:33 pm

  A pleasure to drive. Very comfortable and has a very heavy comfortable drive. Great on long trips. Easy to manuver. Love it.

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  Love This Vehicle, Glad I Got One! - 2008 Lexus GX 470
  By The Dre - June 29 - 11:13 am

  Traded my 2001 4Runner for a 2008 Lexus GX. What a great upgrade from the Toyota model to their luxury brand. This vehicle rides amazingly smooth. It is a little thirsty on the tank, but hope this improves over time. The seats are extremely comfortable and all the features in it are just wonderful to use. We love the looks we get riding around town in this. You see why Lexus is at the top of their game.

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  Small touches - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Robert pinto - June 29 - 10:06 am

  Missing drivers cup holder. Storage under center console. Could use passenger dash tray. No audible lane change alarm. No engine shut off at stop. Bad phone compartment, strange.should be no charge for phone app.

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  This thing is a BEAST! - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By KT - June 28 - 6:46 pm

  Ive driven a lot of sports cars and this is among the most fun. I tried the M3/5 and the AMG and just preferred the way the IS-F is tuned. It is a lot more like a muscle car than the Ms and I guess Im just not a Mercedes guy. Plus, with Lexus, I dont have to worry about all the reliability issues of the Germans. Love the grunt, the automatic is buttery smooth and the manual mode is actually decent (from a diehard straight drive fan). Dont understand people whining about the ride. This is a SPORTS car, and its actually not even that bad for a sports car. Plus I can get 25-27 easily on the highway, 28 if I try hard. Overall an awesome car. Would like ventilated seats, but small gripe.

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  Great Luxury Flagship - 1998 Lexus LS 400
  By 90lsguy - June 28 - 4:16 pm

  After my 250k miles 1990 LS400 got trashed in a hail storm, I had to find a suitable replacement. After extensive research the 1998-2000 LS400 models fit the bill-40 more hp(290), 5 speed transmission, VSC and V8vvti engine. I bought online a one-owner, dealer-serviced, full records 1998 in mint condition that sold new for $59k. My test drive was the 1400 mile effortless drive back to Denver. Got 30mpg hwy doing 80mph with A/C on. The car absolutely looks and performs as new. The service history consists only of factory-recommended maintenance; nothing ever broke. A full dealer inspection after my trip revealed no issues. Spectacular vehicle for one-tenth cost new.

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  Understand what youre buying - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By 03is300 - June 27 - 8:14 pm

  Note: I am a car guy, Im not even 30 and this is my seventh car (not an idiot, just an enthusiast with a few extra nickels to burn on car payments), this is not a worthless review where I talk about how I dont like the cupholders or the color..... Aside from a few minor issues, this vehicle is a great choice, especially now that the prices have dropped dramatically. This is not your grandfathers lexus, it does not ride like its on rails and a lot of the luxury options are simply not included with this model. Previous vehicle: 2005 Audi A4 with every option imaginable, the two are not comparable on any level beyond purchase price. Overall a fantastic car, just understand what ur buying

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  best car for the money - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By kobe - June 25 - 10:00 am

  test drove A4 1.8, Acura TSX, and Acura TL Type-S and none of them were as fun to drive as the IS. At the time of purchase, the Type-S has 2.9 apr which was why it was in my price range, but it was too big for my taste and the styling was not aggressive enough. Although the Type-S is an excellent car, it didnt turn the heads like the IS.

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  Disapointed - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Jayson - June 24 - 11:55 am

  This car is not as Refined as the past RX SUV. The Shifting is rough and the 8 speed Tranny is very Rough ,it seems like it is not sure sometime between 7 and 8. I think they should remap the Trans. I finally just use manual and use #7 and that stops all the up and back shifting for now. The engine is Very Loud and I hate that.I I really think Lexus should give is some help with these things. My Truck rides 100% better and quit too.