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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  Too good to ignore - 2006 Lexus LS 430
  By Marti - January 2 - 4:20 am

  It is quiet, luxurious, excellent responsive air conditioning, love the GPS, it is very comfortable to ride in, the sound system is great. Find the radio controls on the left just below the steering wheel get "accidently touched more often than I would like resulting in a change of the radio station.

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  Excelent SUV - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Alex - January 2 - 4:10 am

  Ive had the car so far for about 3 month and put on about 3500 mi, switched from the MDX to RX. Absolutely love the car, very comfortable interior, great stereo, very responsive engine. Great body shape. At first I thought Id miss an extra room that I had in the MDX via 3rd row, but not really, I actually like that it is a bit smaller. The interior noise is practically nonexistent. Already trying to convince the wife to also switch to the Lexus

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  Lexus GS 300 by Vic - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Victor - December 31 - 2:26 am

  I traded in my BMW for this machine and let me tell you something, I do not regret it at all. This car is awesome. A lot of technology comes standard, unlike other cars that you have to pay extra. Very good experience.

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  Beauty is a SC 430 Lexus - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By Mina J - December 30 - 10:00 am

  It was love at first sight when I saw my Egyptian Sand Pearl Lexus. The interior is a rich saddle that looks perfect with the exterior color. I researched this car for a year before I decided to make such a major purchase. When I saw it, the money almost seemed insignificant. The ride is fabulous, the power is great, and luxury abounds. Its my retirement car. 2006, here I come!

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  Surprised Me! - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By Dr.Kev - December 30 - 10:00 am

  I was all set to buy a 4Runner when my wife slyly suggested we drive an RX300. Wow, what a difference! I was very pleasantly surprised by the acceleration and ride compared to the 4Runner. This isnt a sports car, but its still a very pleasant vehicle to drive. It grows on you. You start to appreciate the competent, well thought- out features and the very high level of quality. Every time I use the turn signal, I appreciate the "feel" of it. Its a nice car and it does what I need it to do.

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  A true luxury car! - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By Tim - December 30 - 8:20 am

  I traded a 2004 LS 430 for a 2005 LS 430 - wanted the 18" wheels and a lighter color. Although the Black Cherry Pearl of my 2004 was beautiful, it was a nightmare to keep clean. Traded for the Crystal White. Much easier to maintain the appearance and I love the sportiness of the bigger wheels. They cause a slightly stiffer ride, but coming from a cloud to a lesser cloud...? One amazing experience: I traveled from York, PA to Williamsburg, VA on a business trip so I had the opportunity to check strictly highway gas mileage. Amazing - I got just over 30MPG! 271 miles on nine gallons. In a V8, rear-wheel-drive car. Unbelievable if I hadnt done it myself.

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  We Love It - 2008 Lexus GX 470
  By Lexx777 - December 30 - 8:03 am

  This is my 5th Lexus, had two ES 300 sedans, and this is my third GX 470. We love the luxury ride, the look, the amenities, the comfort, and the regular mountain driving is superb. I trade every two years, and dont think I would ever consider another car as nothing I have seen matches the quality and the Lexus service.

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  Unintended Acceleration Warning - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By r2theman - December 29 - 1:41 pm

  We are or have been very loyal Toyota and Lexus owners for many years. Our 2010 RX 350 was an upgrade from the 2006 IS 350. The Vehicle is a great ride except for the unintended acceleration. It came very close to tragedy 2 weeks ago on an interstate. I have heard about the Toyota problem but didnt want to believe that it would happened to our RX. There is less than 20k on the vehicle. It started acting up a few months ago, it would accelerate over set cruise speed by 10 miles hr but wasnt life threatening, braking stop the acceleration. This happen twice with me & twice with my wife until the brake didnt stop the problem acceleration. She couldnt get it stop by jabbing the brakes hard,

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  Never was a Lexus fan but - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By Chris - December 28 - 10:00 am

  I have always steered clear of Lexus thinking it was more hype then anything. But I bought a 2002 ES 300 with 90k on it. In 6 months I have already taken it over 100k with trips to Dallas from Houston and also Houston to Chicago. It has performed really good. I have a couple issues the cup holders broke, the interior trunk/gas release doesnt work and the cd player jams occasionally but considering the car is 8 years old and has over 100k miles I cant really complain. Its quiet. Rides smooth and has averaged 23 mpg pretty much since I got it. Avg almost 30 mpg on the road. All in all a very nice vehicle that seems like it last quite a while. My previous ride was an 07 m35.

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  My New Lexus - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By june - December 27 - 11:03 am

  I like my new Lexus, and I am having a great deal of fun driving it. I dont see a great deal of difference from my old Camry, but its nice owning and driving a luxury car.