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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  Not an SUV - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By EDOman - April 23 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for 14 months. It still attracts attention here in Los Angeles and is alot of fun to drive. Tested it in rural New Mexico where it handled very well on a straight stretch of open road at 130 mph. The car apparently was not designed for sport conditions as I have beat the hell out of the front dam on curbs and crossing intersections in the city and the cute low profile tires do not hold up to either urban or cross country conditions. Why call it a sportscross if you cant drive it that way without the tires falling apart!!!!

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  My DreamCar - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By jutz - April 23 - 10:00 am

  The moment I had myself holding the steering wheel and drove it on the highway for a test drive, I knew on that moment that RX330 is the car I dreamed to have. My very first luxury car..and really very very proud to own it. One regret I have, is not taking the ultimate optional package. I settled for Premium Plus Package. Overall, it is still the BEST CAR!!!

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  Fabulous ride - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Tony - April 23 - 5:06 am

  Ive been driving a Mercedes ML350 which Ive loved and have honestly always disliked the soft look of the Lexus RX. Always considered it an SUV for soccer moms. However, after test driving the 2010 RX350 I was so impressed with the acceleration, smoothness and overall quietness and quality, I went back to Mercedes to test drive the 2009 ML350 and it drove like a truck in comparison. I am now a very happy owner of the 2010 RX350. Yes, it still lacks visual muscle in terms of exterior design with Lexus obviously not wanting to scare off the soccer mom fan base. The dash is somewhat confusing and not the prettiest but the mouse navigation is terrific and the ride is just plain fabulous.

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  2006 lexus gs300 - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By chuck otto - April 23 - 4:50 am

  Smooth ride, good handling, fun to drive. All of the features are functional and easy to use. Many positive comments from others about the styling and color.

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  Lexus 470 2005 - 2005 Lexus LX 470
  By brddog-pheasant - April 23 - 1:26 am

  This is my 8th SUV over $50,000 and my 1st Lexus. It is so much nicer than any of other vehicle I have driven in this class. I actually look forward to being in this vehicle.

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  Disappointed - 2014 Lexus ES 350
  By texas81 - April 21 - 8:06 am

  After owning my ES 350 with Ultra Luxury package for 3 months, I am truly disappointed. Several rattles have developed in the doors, dashboard, and sunroof. When washing the car, water accumulates inside of the rear taillights. Overall, Im dissatisfied in the build quality of the new ES.

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  Better than any malibu - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By jdm699 - April 21 - 4:27 am

  After my head gasket blew on my malibu, and I was broke as a joke I had to buy a reilable to and from work car. With $600.00 I was super suprized I found this Lexus. It is decently fast at the drag strip runs in the low 12s. Better build quality then any Ford, Mercury, Chevy, GMC or Honda! Thinking about giving this car to my sun but it is to fast. I believe it will keep up with any Turbo Honda on the road.

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  F-Sport not comfortable - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By scott261 - April 21 - 3:26 am

  I want to begin my review by saying the ct200h f sport is a good car, but it is not comfortable, especially if you drive long distances. Stay away from the F-sport. The bucket seat design offers no support, despite the built in lumbar support. And once I highlighted the problem I have had very poor support from Lexus themselves, giving me contradicting information. I have had a physio and an occupational health advisor state the seat is causing my back problems, and had no prior problems with Audi, bmw, Ford or Peugeot. All cars I drove long distance. I had no problems with the seat of the regular ct200h, Im curious to know if anyone else has had problems with the f-sport??

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  Not the Bells and Whistles of a 350 or 450 - 2016 Lexus NX 300h
  By Tnroses4me - April 18 - 6:09 pm

  This is my 4th Lexus. I had an RX300, an RX350. The last one was an RX 450h. Ive been a little disappointed with the lack of amenities that come at this price tag. I still wanted a Lexus, but wanted to go a little smaller...no kids to haul around anymore. So I thought this would be perfect. It handles like a sports car. Love that! It maneuvers well on the highway in heavy traffic. But it is a rougher ride that the last three cars. And for the price, I was startled that lane drift alert of any kind was not standard. In fact I was told it doesnt come with that at all. Seriously? My sons Hyundai has that!! So does my husbands Tundra. It is a pretty standard feature. The tundra also has a touch screen (nope, not in this Lexus) and bluetoothing the phone does not operate as Im accustomed (it wont let me dictate a text response). It is a bit smaller inside, so the seats are a bit tighter fit and at first I experienced hip pain until I got used to the narrowness of these seats. The back seats, though, are roomier than you would imagine. It was between this Lexus and a couple of others and I chose the NX300h because of the good experience Ive had with Lexus in the past. But now Im not sure it is worth the price. I almost got better gas mileage in the 450h. The tank is VERY SMALL so I am still stopping pretty frequently to fill up. Just driving a "Lexus" doesnt increase the value enough for me to have given up the other amenities I liked. I should have read closer when the information said this was an "entry level" model. Thats a bummer. A Lexus should be a Lexus. And by the way, all the free maintenance stuff is not honored if you take it to another Lexus dealership. This was pitched to me as a Lexus benefit, but evidently it is a DEALERSHIP benefit! Imagine my surprise when the next dealership charged me $80 for an oil change. No thanks. My car is going to the Toyota dealership for service where, even though it is not free, it counts toward warranty compliance. Note to Toyota: Spiff up that RAV4 with better seating and youll be my next car. Id rather save the $20K!!!!!!!!!!!

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  Love this car - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By drbalboa - April 17 - 2:00 am

  I sold my 99 RX300 thinking that a BMW X5 was the perfect car. While the performance was outstanding, it made me drive too fast. I missed the RX quiet, creature comforts, 12 CD changer and quality (tho I never had a problem with the X5 in the year I had it I bought a 2001 RX with a Navigation system (which I love and use), heated seats, & Xenons, I added X5 Michelins and chrome mags. Now it handles nearly as good as the BMW X5 did. And Instead of 16mpg I am getting 21 (on regular gas). In short, I love this car, and it was alot cheaper.