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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  Best Yet - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By richieb - September 10 - 2:00 am

  Just got back from Florida... Round trip mileage 27.5 mpg Comfortable in all aspects. Not a single problem.. For those who say it is underpowered I had it at 120 mph level ground without a downshift.. Extreme hill climb 90 mph before downshift.. How much power do you want... Consider it uses unleaded regular and not premium like the competition and youre ahead of the game.. Love this car to no end!!!

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  Great car - 2009 Lexus ES 350
  By Ern - September 9 - 4:03 am

  Quiet, luxurious, smooth to drive, with effortless power. A great touring car, and handsome besides.

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  Black on black beauty! - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By Kwam - September 8 - 12:50 pm

  Great car. It runs very smooth and has useful features like traction control, heated seats and memory seats. I also like the adjustable suspension. In sport mode it can almost hang with a beemer.

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  best car I have ever owned - 2010 Lexus LS 460
  By rodney - September 7 - 9:00 am

  Having had Mercedes vehicles for 25 years and being tired of all the problems I decided to switch to the Lexus 460. What an incredible vehicle. Not a single problem with the new car. Took it in once for a routine check and the service dept. was unbelievably nice. The all wheel drive let me drive on some recent ice and snow as if the streets were clear.This truly is the best car I have ever owned.

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  Great Luxury Car - 1995 Lexus LS 400
  By moshemm - September 6 - 10:26 pm

  I bought a well cared 95 LS400 with 100K km on it from a family member for my wife. Fantastic car, outstanding build quality (try the same age Benz or BMW, I did), rather boring drive, maybe because it was driven very leisurely before and it may have an adaptive transmission that remembers driving habits. No other car in that age will last. Very expensive dealer service.

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  Excellent Car - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By rjab - September 6 - 1:24 pm

  Had this car for a week now and its amazing. Getting already 45 mpg with mixed city and highway driving. Got the Premium trim with Audio package, HDD Navigaton and Leather Package. Love the drive and the sports mode. Saving a lot of money on the gas. Got the Factory Invoice price from my dealer.

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  Our favorite SUV So far! - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By car freak! - September 5 - 6:00 pm

  We have owned every SUV there is and just traded in our H2 for this great vehicle. This is our favorite by far. We are a young couple and still wanted to look young. We wanted a vehicle safe for the family, with a comfort ride without a huge size and better gas mileage than our gas guzzling Hummer. This vehicle is all the SUVs wrapped up into one. Its comfortable, roomy, looks sporty, and gets an average SUV gas milage. We get about 16-17 in the city and 20 on the highway. We also use premium gas, it burns cleaner and allows better gas mileage. This is our first Lexus and we are so pleased with it! It has given the others a run for their money by far!

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  Lexus is the best! - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By Lexus Family - September 4 - 1:26 am

  Sold on Lexus, have an LS 430 and love it so bought a 97 ES 300 for my daughters to drive. Love the classy look, safety, reliabilty and feel of a Lexus. It will spoil you forever. The V-6 has tons of power. Comfortable seats with nice quality leather. Very quiet and smooth. Get compliments on the white/tan appearance, looks like a new car. Trust this car to get my daughters home, enough said.

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  GirlGlam - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By pieta - September 3 - 3:00 pm

  I love driving my SC 430. I also love the attention I get when Im driving, anywhere. I also own a Dodge Durango, but when Im driving it, I dont get nearly the respect from other drivers that I do when Im driving my SC. It is really a glamourous vehicle that is apparently deceiving. Other drivers will pull next to me, idle at the stop light, and think theyll be able to take off and get in front of me. Ha!! My baby has GET UP!!! Every now and then I get to just blow her out, with the top down; the ride is incredibly smooth and intoxicating.

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  Love this Lexus! - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Terri - September 3 - 5:26 am

  I bought this SUV used and have had it for 6 days. So far, I love it! The ride is unlike any other car Ive ever been in - incredibly smooth and quiet. But, more powerful than I had expected for such a large, heavy vehicle with rather low horsepower (235). I love the back up camera and the Nav is very easy to use although it usually takes me through less preferred routes.