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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  SC430 - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By bartnfw - November 18 - 10:00 am

  Comfort and handling make the car treat to drive. The fuel economy for this level of performance is outstanding.

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  An attractive car - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By JFMC - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I have tested BMW 325i, Benz 240, and Audi A4, and x-type before buying this car. It is a very good value for what I have paid. It is really a joy to drive. The dealership is a valued-added feature.

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  Love it - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Alexas - November 18 - 10:00 am

  This is the smoothest ride you could ever have.

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  Nice, But Not Great.Quality Has Declined - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Blair - November 18 - 7:36 am

  Although the RX330 has some improvements, there have been some steps backwards in my opinion. The car is much noisier than the RX300, particularly noticeable at speeds over 50. Highway noise is NOT muted as in other Lexus models, wind noise is a constant. Transmission shifting from a start is laborious and loud. The Mark Lev radio is nothing special and its volume controls are make it hard to find a volume that you can keep it on. The radio lite is too bright. The back-up camera is weak: at night the screen "whites out",and there is no useful depth perception. The adaptive headlights gyrate and flit around constantly as you go up and down hills and are of dubious benefit and value.

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  225,00miles & still our most reliable - 1999 Lexus LX 470
  By sara - November 16 - 10:00 am

  We bought this car over 11 years ago and it is still our most reliable vehicle. no one can believe it is as old as it is! no rattles-has never broken down! ever! drives like our 2007 Lexus sedan. we will NEVER get rid of this vehicle!

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  Poor fuel economy - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By Richard - November 16 - 10:00 am

  I have had this 2010 Lexus RX450H for about 3 months. One thing disappointments me is the actual mileage I am getting. I use it for commute from home to work in San Francisco. So far the total mileage is 880. I have been getting 21 MPG in city and 23 MPG in the city. My combined average MPG is 21.9 MPG. The advertised fuel efficiency is 28 MPG on highway and 32 MPG in the city. Not sure it is just my car or it is the city that has lots of hill and traffic signal. My round trip from home to work is 12 miles. One reason we want to switch from our 2001 BMW330CI (which runs 14 MPG) to this car is hoping to save gas. I have not bring this car to long trip yet, will test that out later.

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  Nearly flawless - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By wjohnstone74 - November 15 - 12:59 am

  After owning 7 North American automobiles (4 of them brand new), I cant believe I am about to complain about my Lexus - just nit-picky stuff really. Reliability wise, the car has been flawless. I have 138,000km on it and the only issue I have had was a hole in each side of the stainless steel exhaust pipe right before the secondary cat converters. This was a $1400 repair, so I got a local muffler shop to weld on two 1 foot sections of pipe and now its fine. Except that they fried an o2 sensor on me while welding. I have the creaks and rattles in the dash like everyone else. That is annoying. Also, the tranny seems lost when feathering the throttle below 20km/h.

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  Will not buy another RX - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By DROBB - November 14 - 3:46 pm

  We bought our RX used, with very low mileage. After having owned 5 trouble free Toyotas, we were shocked when the transmission of our well maintained RX failed at 80K miles. It was an expensive and very time consuming repair, as the parts were very hard to locate. We still are not happy with how the transmission hunts for a gear at lower speeds. Cargo space is terrible, interior is a bit cramped and not all that comfortable and the center console and cup holders are poorly designed and flimsy.Turning radius is bad and acceleration could be a lot better. No more RXs for us. EVER!

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  Reliable but the buy a self-battery jumper because the starter battery will die on you - 2008 Lexus RX 400H
  By greyhounds3 - November 14 - 10:11 am

  I bought this used and the hybrid system was not explained to me at the dealership. I had to go to another dealership which took the time to explain the hybrid system to me. (I stayed a customer at that dealership) The starter battery dies in cold weather on a regular basis and also will die if the vehicle has not been driven for a week or so. Do yourself a favor and purchase a chargeable self-battery jumper, which will save you a lot of time waiting for AAA. I bought the hybrid to get better fuel economy. I havent seen the fuel economy of the Rx400h go above 26. The features and gadgets are simple and easy to use, and the seats are super comfortable.

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  Great Car - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By R. H. Jackson - November 13 - 3:20 pm

  I purchased this car new and have been very pleased. The Homelink malfunctioned during the warranty period and was replaced. The only other problem was the radio display which was replaced recently when the car was nine years old. The car runs and drives like new. It is by far the best car I have ever owned.