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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  My Best car - 2003 Lexus RX 300
  By Marcello - January 16 - 2:00 am

  This SUV handle like a car and is fun to drive. Very well built and sharp looking.Very please with the vehicle.

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  win win - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By rghouse - January 15 - 5:59 pm

  I have yet to be disappointed with a vehicle made by Toyota and this car is no exception. Purchased with 150K 4 years ago from original owner, now has 197K. The only thing to go wrong since purchase is the driver door out side handle became non-functional after the clip inside the door broke. It was $1.75, but I had to take the door apart to fix it. I use synthetic oil (previous owners used synthetic also) every 10k miles and the oil is still golden brown after one years worth of driving. My only complaint is when the family goes on a trip the rear sags and sometimes the tires scrape (they are slightly oversized vs stock b/c of BBS rims). Awesome stock stereo,very comfortable n dependable

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  From a Mustang GT to a Family Car - 1998 Lexus LS 400
  By Ben Logan - January 15 - 5:36 am

  The car is solid as a rock. It has never once coughed or buzzed or knocked. I feel very safe driving my family around in it. Switching from a Mustang GT stick, it took a while to get used to the delay in jumping off the line. If you want power immediately, or are doing an instant merge to freeway speeds, you better be power breaking it from the get go. It has plenty of power, even more than the GT, but that half second delay can get you if you arent used to it. I am still finding cool features. It is luxury at its finest.

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  Pretty good, but expect more from Lexus - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By BryanW - January 15 - 12:03 am

  After reading so much about Lexus reliability and dealer service, Im underwhelmed. Its not bad, but its not great, certainly not a rating of "5" that every dealership employee begs that you give them. Our car had been good - good power, good comfort, decent reliability. The suspension in tuned too soft for my taste, and the FWD is not ideal. In the 33k miles weve had the car, weve had several items break. This includes the HID headlights, Brake master cylinder (took 3 trys to get this one fixed), auto climate control still does not work right, rear power liftgate problems, and driver sun visor. Stock Goodyears wear out in 20k miles.

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  Great Hybrid - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Dave in Prescott - January 14 - 8:16 am

  This is a performance hybrid so we did not expect to get the stellar MPG people seem to expect from any hybrid (we own an 04 Prius too). Current MPG is 26 but it is still 30% better than the 2004 RX 330 we traded for it. This car is much quicker and quieter so the better MPG is a real plus. The power delivery is incredible and no more shift points!

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  Great Car - 2006 Lexus ES 330
  By Scott - January 13 - 2:03 am

  Just bought 2006 ES with navigation. This car is the smoothest, most quiet car I have ever purchased. The build quality is excellent and the fit and finish is best Ive seen. The car handles better than I thought it would and the ride is impeccable.

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  GS Ride - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By GS Ride - January 11 - 10:06 pm

  The new GS is an excellent machine... the ride is very firm, and solid and feels like a SPORT luxury car should. Still breaking in my car (less than 400 miles) so I cannot comment on the aggressive performance and handling yet, but this car has a silky smooth transmision, and good visibility. I have read about the "tight" drivers seat, but I am 62" and have no issues with getting a very comfortable driving position. Plenty of room for me. Expect a lot of smiles and looks while driving this car!

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  Helluva Car - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By J - January 11 - 1:10 pm

  Fabulous car, well designed and extremely fun to drive

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  LUXURY OVER HORSEPOWER - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By HAROLD WILSON - January 11 - 10:00 am

  I TEST DROVE THE CADILLAC CTS,ACURA TL INFINITY I35 AND THE MAZDA DIAMANTE BEFORE I PURCHASED THE ES300.THEY ALL FELT CHEAP COMPARED TO THE LEXUS.THE TL WAS FASTER BUT NOT AS QUIET OR SMOOTHER.THE INTERIOR OF THE CADILLAC LOOKED TOO PLAIN COMPARED TO THE LEX.IF I WANTED POWER,I WOULDVE PURCHASED A CORVETTE.THIS SMOOTH DRIVING CAR ATTRACTS A LOT OF ATTENTION.IN THE 30-40 THOSAND DOLLAR RANGE,THE ES300 IS THE ONLY TRUE LUXURY CAR AVAILABLE.

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  Sunglasses Mandatory! - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By OskiGuy - January 11 - 10:00 am

  Was very much impressed with the overall product. Roominess in front and rear was exceptional. Ride totally Lexus. Acceleration and "punch" OK. Quiet like a Lexus should be. Exterior design is appealing and has an "edge" (good one).