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 Daily Driver - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By soulman - April 28 - 3:23 pm

  I bought this IS used just recently with over 100k miles. Great car so far, overall build quality is impeccable. However, there are some cheap interior pieces that have no business in a Lexus. Interior room is snug, but not entirely uncomfortable (Im only 59" and 160 lbs). My R32 probably shares the same interior volume, but feels more open and luxurious (for a VW of course). The combination of an I6 and RWD just works wonders for handling and stability. Dont know why the automakers are abandoning this concept, save BMW. The 5 speed manual works great, clutch work is buttery smooth. This car serves as a great performance substitute to my 08 R32.

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  Love this ride - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Sam - April 28 - 8:53 am

  My lease came due on my BMW and I shopped for about 2 months and test drove a ton of vehicles. I fell in love with the GS. It is no BMW in regards to driving capabilities but I am not into driving this car like I am at Daytona. The ride is great. The car sticks to the ground. Steering and handling is superb. The Mark Levinson sound is awesome and I am a huge audiophile. Its the best that I have heard. Reliability is great. Overall I am thoroughly impressed by this vehicle. Coming from owning BMWs, I am very happy with my decision.

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  The best car in Lexus and all others - 1998 Lexus LS 400
  By Allen - April 28 - 12:46 am

  I bought the 98 LS 400 from Toyota at 110K for $11K in 2007. Tried many cars including MB and other Lexus. I would say this is a car beyond belief, 10 fold better I mean. Even compare to brand new RX, it still is on different level. I plan to buy another soon. No matter how you compare, comfort, quality and reliability, it all scores top of all cars. This cars body integrity is so good, you simply feel solid and can drive confidently.

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  Lexus IS300 5M 2003 - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By John Peabody - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Have owned 16 months and thoroughly enjoy driving it. The pros greatly outweigh the cons. Purchased over Acure CL Type S because if it greater manoeverability (turning circle 35 instead of 40) and better deal from dealer. A combination of the Acura engine an smoother manual shifter in the Lexus body would have been ideal.

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  Best car ever owned - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By alpollack2 - April 27 - 10:00 am

  Smooth ride, easy to handle especially at higher speeds. Envy of everyone. Top mechanism allows retraction in 25 seconds..quick enough to retract at redlights. Very fine car..will buy another in 2 years.

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  SC430 - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By aquaregia2001 - April 27 - 10:00 am

  this is my 6th lexus. its reliable, smooth, and a real head turner. fun to drive, fast, and safe. the top is convenient and looks as good down, as it does up.

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  07 ES 350 - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By childri - April 26 - 7:06 pm

  I traded in an SC430 for this as I needed a family car. I have been very happy with the ride, comfort, and power of the car.

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  What an awesome car - 2007 Lexus GS 450h
  By supercooper - April 26 - 3:06 am

  I just drove my car home last night and still have to set up all the bells and whistles, but what a lot of fun just driving has been for 24 hrs. This car is smoking fast and the power is so smooth and linear - it just keeps pulling until you are well over 100.

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  A New Breed of Lexus ES - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Rob E. - April 26 - 2:20 am

  Ive owned many cars from all the German & Japanese manufacturers. I fully appreciate performance and luxury in a vehicle. For this purchase, I was in search of the best combination. The other cars on my list were the Acura RL & Infiniti M35. You might think that the ES doesnt belong in the same class with the others & it doesnt... for performance. With the ES Ultra-Luxury package its close to the same price class. The ES offers the best overall combination of comfort, technology, simplicity, luxury & MPG. In short, its a better value than both the others. It will not handle to the RL or M35 standards, but try it. Its a new breed of ES that is sure to please.

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  Awesome Car - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By Rob - April 25 - 1:20 pm

  I just bought an 01 with 30900 miles on it. I do wish it had a manual. I hate the lag time from pushing the accelerator to the time your car goes. An armrest wouldve been nice. But I love the feel and handling of this car. Also once you get going this car has all the power you need right at your foot. This is one of the benefits of having a Supra engine even though it is downtuned from what it was in the Supra. I love how everything you could want is a standard feature. The gauge cluster takes some getting used to, though.