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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  Sportcross in want of manual 6 speed - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Dan Moon - March 18 - 10:00 am

  With the conflicting personality traits of family responsibilty to a wife and two children and woeful levels of lingering adolescent car lust I have nearly found the ideal combo. Lexus is 9/10ths there, but not quite. They need M3, S4 hotcha, sports suspension, and a 6 speed manual in the Sportcross. With a bit better marketing and spec., Lexus would do really well with this car.

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  GRRREAT!!! - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By brittany - March 18 - 10:00 am

  THIS IS A GREAT CAR...IT LOOKS GREAT....FEELS GREAT....AND DRIVES GREAT

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  Nothings perfect but this comes close - 2002 Lexus LS 430
  By edavidm - March 18 - 10:00 am

  Ive owned many vehicles including MB, Cadillac and Toyota, but this is the ultimate vehicle in all respects. The quality of workmanship, attention to detail, comfort, luxuriousness is unparalelled.

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  What an SUV! - 2005 Lexus LX 470
  By Lexus411 - March 16 - 10:00 am

  This is an astonishing vehicle. It provides 8 person seating, Leather, Fold up seats, and all. It has features to the max! We had the LX fully loaded to a SUV of $80,000. It had Navigation, DVD, Night Vision, Heated Seats (Front and Back) and just much, much More!

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  2010 Lexus RX350 - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Cincy - March 16 - 10:00 am

  Lexus is world class in its cars and SUVs. But the new RX falls short in a few areas, see below.

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  Remote Control - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Teta - March 15 - 5:10 pm

  If you are ready to purchase a Lexus SUV or other Toyota vehicle, do not get remote start. It doesnt work as this is the first year theyve had it and havent been cooperating to fix it. Claim the signals are not communicating between the vehicle and key. You have to stand 10 ft. from the vehicle to activate it! Very bad feature. Even some dealers that are honest will tell you this!! Also, back hatch has to be lifted some to get it to go up automatically if doing it manually.

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  great car - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By bob1 - March 15 - 3:10 pm

  I went from a Mercedes S500 to this car and I love the difference. The HS has a nicer ride and the difference is gas mileage is great. I paid about $90,000 for the Mercedes and about $42,500 for the Lexus and I actually am happier driving the Lexus. The HS has almost all of the luxury features my S500 did with the exception of a little more room and an electric trunk which isnt a big deal. I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a hybrid vehicle and even to anyone who is looking for a luxury vehicle. Ive had Mercedes and BMWs before and nothing compares to the quality of Lexus.

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  Why not reward yourself? - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Sam - March 15 - 3:23 am

  Have you found your soulmate yet?You know the feeling if you did.I really got that feeling when I picked up my RX 400h just a couple days ago.The car is awesome in every way, shape or form from head to toe, side to side...its great!! Ive been in my boss Mercedes ML350, and other luxury cars, but there really is no comparison. The leather feels great, the ride is smooth, its got awesome power&pick up,and best of all a full tank will last you a while!! Maintenance is economical. The price is steep, no doubt about that, but I adopted a line from the Mercedes car ad: Love what you drive

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  Inferior Tires - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Joe - March 13 - 2:30 am

  Vehicle drives and handles great overall. Car had tendency to pull to right while driving. Dealer re-balanced tires and realigned front end on several occasions,but vehicle still had slight pull to right. Around 15,000 miles, car started making a roaring sound while driving (sound like excessive road noise). When I took the car in for the 15,000 mile checkup, dealer informed me that tires needed changing. Dealer said Lexus cars come equipped with low quality tires (Goodyear). Replaced the Goodyear tires with Michelin tires which were recommended by the dealer. By the way, I had to pay for two of the new Michelin tires. Never had a tire wear out in 15,000 miles (40 year driver).

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  GX470 review - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Vaughn - March 12 - 2:00 am

  Great ride, comfort, steering and handling.