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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  Excellent - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Alina Espinosa - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Before buying my lexus I test drove BMW, Mercedes, & others. I am very happy with my Lexus and Im ready to buy another. The dealer is wonderful when I take it in for service, thats just an oil change and air filter never any other problems.

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  Excellent but.... - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Good Looking - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Very nice car but the body resembles the Solara way too much

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  HarWadds Lexus Review - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By H. Waddington - January 24 - 10:00 am

  When I traded down to the ES from a GS I was prepared to be disappointed. to the contrary I am extremely pleased with the performance and fuel efficiency of the ES. I am totally satisfied! Peerformance is fabulous and the car is fun to drive.

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  Claras Review - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Huxtable - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The vehicle is all that it is protrayed to be. It is a sleek luxury car without the extremely high costs. The vehicles performance is superb both in the city and on the highway. The quietness and comfort of the ride make it truly an enjoyable driving experience.

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  My Third Lexus - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Cece Krumrine - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Had it since March, 2004 and purchased on basis of satisfaction with the previous GS300 and ES300.

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  Excellent - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By J HAYZ - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The Lexus ES 330 is a outstanding car. I have owned mine for a year and I am extremely happy with it. I will definitely buy another Lexus in the future.

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  Faulty Transmission - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Lucy Ricardo - January 24 - 10:00 am

  This car has a definite problem that Lexus is well aware of. The problem is Lexus does not have a solution to the problem so they say the car was designed to drive this way. Every person that I have spoken to at any Lexus dealership and into management has told me the same thing. The ES 330 has a transmission problem big time, it slips and shifts very rough...no way to correct the problem. Lexus stands for Luxury export US....there is no luxury in whiplash...thats the effect of the transmission shifting!!!!!

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  ES 330 - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By L.Hedden - January 24 - 10:00 am

  After owning a 2002 es300 this 2004 has several outstanding improvements. The mileage, power, comfort, stereo, seats, handling, and general overall design has been GREATLY improved. The 2002 es300 was a great car and we had over 23,000 miles on it, but the opportunity became available to upgrade to the 2004 and it was a very pleasent surprise! The color, interior and accessories, are all identical to the 2002, but it has so many little improvements, that this was definitely the right thing to do. Service at the dealers has been exceptional.

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  acceleration very poor - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By seawolf - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The new and "improved" computer controlled throttle is dangerous. The vehicle hesitates for one to two seconds whenever the accelerator is pressed; generally, when you need to move out or over, there is no pick up at all. Even the Lexus mechanics told me they would not drive it.

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  Id buy another one - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Linda lou - January 24 - 10:00 am

  I love my new Lexus. Previously I drove Volvos but wanted to try something new. I am so happy I did. It is a fun car to drive and very pretigeous. Handles well on the road and in town driving. Gets fairly good gas mileage.