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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  sad - 2008 Lexus RX 400H
  By jfinley - January 21 - 6:16 pm

  It is unfortunate that the new Lexus gets nothing near the promised gas mileage. you will be lucky to get 17/22 with the hybrid. I wonder if the non-hybrid gets worse gas mileage? Also, the battery and engine make a lot of noise. The CVT is awkward at best, and not a luxury item. Kinda of like calling a dude ranch luxury hotel. It still a ranch and smells like a ranch no matter how nice the beds. I am not even going to mention my unhappiness with the lockout function on the nav and blue tooth. If I could do over, I would save 15 grand and buy the 350 or the Acura RDX. I feel like such a sucker for buying the "hybrid."

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  Maybe good/Maybe not. - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By PaPa - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Dissappointed. This is third lexus I have owned. There is an old saying, Dont buy a first year car.I didnt think this would apply to a Lexus,But it does.I have had many problems so far. I should have waited.

• 

  lexus GX 460 - 2013 Lexus GX 460
  By ron2004 - January 20 - 4:30 pm

  Fuel comsumption should be better since the LS models gets a Hwy. average of 25mpg. The rear door should open up and not to the side since all of Toyotas SuvS open up, which is not only safer,but also keep the rain off when loading. Leg room in 2nd row could be better.

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  Very disappointing - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By ttt - January 19 - 6:36 pm

  Very smooth and comfortable ride, but overall very bland. The experience is ruined by a hopeless navigation system that falls way short of Garmin or even mapquest. The dealer has looked it over many times and confirmed "it is what it is". It only seems to want to calculate straight line routes, even if highways are much quicker. The iPod connector is also buried in the center console - which is a really awkward design anyway. A lot of the components and switches have the same look and feel as a Toyota Prius. I wish I had gone for the BMW instead.

• 

  RX 330 AWD 2006 - 2006 Lexus RX 330
  By CL - January 18 - 8:13 am

  This is my 1st RX 330 after years of survey. The driver side seat belt hinge keep scratching the door and leave scratch marks, the distance of the inner door of the driver side and the driver seat is too close that each drive try to pull the seat belt, the hinge will most likely be in a flip up position that driver inadvertently just keep pulling until the hinge flip down and sqeeze between the door and driver seat. I have several marks left on the inner door aleady. Wind noise also a bit loud while on the high way. Every thing else is as good as a LEXUS should be.

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  Stylish Fuel Sipper - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By orangelebaron - January 14 - 5:20 pm

  I have the 2012 premium fire agate (brown) for 13 months and 14,200 miles. Most people give 5 stars and rave about this car. Im not so easy. Fuel economy has been 37 to 44 depending on time of year. The handling is fantastic. But ride is hard due to low profile tires. The brakes are extremely powerful. The seats? Good for 100 miles after that my legs go numb because the cushion is too soft in the middle, causing circulation to get cut off to my legs. Better for short trips. Back bolsters are too aggressive. Rear passengers cannot place feet under seats because of HVAC. Nav system is way too complicated and frustrating. You end up giving up and using your iPhone many times.

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  Im disappointed - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By Mark N - January 11 - 2:00 am

  I had reservations regarding this ES300 for me. Not enough performance and nose heavy. Changed to 215/60/15 Pilots which helped the nose heavy ride. Now at 48k, the transmission needed to be replaced. Bad enough at 48k. Lexus of Austin installed a rebuilt under the 100k warranty. Guess how I feel now. Looking a at Maxima GLE or Accura RL. Should have bought the 528 BMW in the first place.

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  CT 200h Lexus 2012 - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By ld14 - January 10 - 4:48 pm

  I just bought this car a couple weeks ago. The mileage is amazing; I am getting about 44-45 MPG, better than I expected. The car drives nicely and hugs the road tightly, so that i feel in good control. It is sporty and fun, and looks like a technologically advanced car inside. The use of space is very good. The only thing better would be the same car in a larger version.

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  Meets Expectations - generally... - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Mojo - January 7 - 7:36 pm

  The ES300 has been a very high quality and reliable automobile requiring very few repairs above and beyond the required scheduled maintenance. This vehicle gets decent gas mileage and generally averages about 21-23 mpg, and also has a very quiet and comfortable ride. However, I would be remiss if I didnt mention that this specific model has a slight hesitation in acceleration that the dealership was unable to correct. The automobile also has a fairly fragile paint job that scratches easily and is susceptible to rock chips. Reading the center console displays of radio/CD and heating/AC settings can be difficult when wearing polarized sunglasses.

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  Uncomfortable drivers seat. - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By Joel - January 4 - 9:30 pm

  You would think that Lexus would have spent more time testing the drivers seat comfort in their "flagship" sedan. I have owned this car for a month and will sell it as soon as possible. It feels like you are sitting in a hole the longer you sit in the drivers seat. In addition the armrest is uncomfortable due to lack of adequate padding and large seam. My other car is a 1999 ES 300. It has the most comfortable seats and driving position of any car I have ever owned. At any rate, my next car will be a Jaguar or Mercedes (with 100K warranty) more exciting design and road feel but less reliability. The trade off will be worth it this time around.