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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  Lexus RX300 Transmission - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By abonte1 - April 17 - 9:51 pm

  After reading reviews I thought I would add to the pot. My Lexus RX 300 SUV transmission recently went out and is in the shop as I type. Waiting for the transmission place to give me an estimate. He has had it and had to break it down. It needs to be replaced he said but is still calculating the parts and labor. I hate to hear what that is...I thought these were long lasting cars if you kept up the maintenance, which is why I bought it. It has 170K miles, so I guess it did last a bit longer than some of the others I read on the blog. I hope it runs like it use to or better after they replace this transmission.

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  Pocket Rocket - 2005 Lexus SC 430
  By coolpat - April 16 - 8:26 am

  This car demands attention. The hard top convertible is fabulous. Low end torque not quite as good as I expected, but high end torque is amazing. The ride is a bit harsh as you might expect with a sports car. Sound system is great. Trunk is bigger than expected.

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  Poor engeneering of add-ons - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By White Russian - April 16 - 7:23 am

  Switched 2008 RX350 for this one, and I am sorry I did. All futures, which do not work by design, when driving just distract you and make you dizzy. Voice activation system is missing commands 99% of the time. Some genius put microphones in the middle of front console, when they should be in front of the driver. Central console is protruding to much into the car, difficult to see knobs and digits. Navigation system is Ok, but traffic future can not show you overview of clogged roads for better planning.

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  Suggestions - 2013 Lexus RX 350
  By builder0524 - April 11 - 3:37 am

  Bought this RX350 in March 2013 and have 30,200 miles on. We got every option except radar and front window navigation. It is what we thought a Lexus should be. If there is a next time would go with Hybrid because of intown mileage. Am not convinced the 19" wheels are right for the car and would have liked to have had 18". The odometer shows consistently higher speed by about 3 or 4 miles than actual speed as measured by radar signs and when running a side-by-side with other 2013 SUVs.

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  Transmission needs fixing - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Joseg1966 - April 10 - 10:00 am

  I had this car for 7 months and regret buying it. It looks great but the transmission needs to be fixed. Lexus says that it performs as designed. I can not belive that Lexus has lowered thier standards.

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  As long as you know that its a Hybrid - 2014 Lexus CT 200H
  By johnl617 - April 6 - 2:14 am

  My mindset while getting this car was that its not going to be as fast as my G35 coupe or my RX350 SUV. I needed a car that was good on mileage for my commutes in the New England area and had the style and technology I would love. I got the 2014 F-Sport edition in the Ultrasexy... I mean Ultrasonic Blue. It gets over 40mpg combined which is great! Its 100% Made in Japan. Yes, I still think products made by the Japanese are still far superior than other products made elsewhere. There arent many f-sport CTs on the road right now. (I guess its because of the huge price tag for a hybrid)

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  Not Quite So Nice - 2002 Lexus LS 430
  By Not Quite So Nice - March 29 - 4:43 am

  This was to be my retirement car, you know, keep forever. Got the Ultra. Bad choice. Took delivery out of front alignment. Turns out I discovered air suspension was causing a strong lean (2" shorter on right"). Didnt notice until sitting on a perfectly flat surface. Should have gotten the standard suspension. Took dealer three times to get right, had to make call to Japan.

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  Why we traded it in - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By Nick - March 28 - 1:06 pm

  Lexus build quailty and service is there but not much else. Really stiff ride and "bucks" over the slightest bump, so much so I took it in to be checked and they said its normal? Nav voice command is a joke. Audio, climate, etc. controls through the nav screen are a huge inconvenience. Third row seats are good for say what, ages 5 and under? Just really unhappy with this truck as a whole. We are trading in the GX tomorrow. I will be happy to see it go.

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  Feel the LUV in my new SUV! - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Michelle L. - March 27 - 7:06 pm

  This is my 1st experience driving a Lexus and I do not regret my choice. The day I picked up the car it was spotless clean and an absolute beauty. It drives with an heir of elegance and has an impressive pick up when you need to move! It is spacious and roomy, handles curves very well, headlights are awesome. The alleged "engine noise" is minimal and not as bad as others claim. I actually like all of the interior features but wholeheartedly agree that the position of the outlets is plain inconvenient. The fact that you cant use the nav while in motion isnt a problem if you have the destination assist feature.

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  RX 300 poor long term investment - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By mikeb - March 22 - 4:13 am

  A nice car for the missus - she loves it, size and drivability (except for the horrendous small turning circle) - Lexus reliability on this vehicle is a myth - the same things go wrong every two years - there is nothing worse than intermittent problems that leave you stranded!