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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  Solid, dependable, still garnishes status - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By tpa33 - August 25 - 10:49 pm

  Im a technician and I know build quality. You will not find this level of precision or quality with any other vehicle with full time 4 wheel drive and true transfer case. Bought used only because its virtually still new and we should all expect 350,000 miles of hard or pampered use from the LX470/Land cruisers.

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  Want BMW performance with reliability? - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Tom - August 25 - 12:26 pm

  This car has superb handling as it almost begs to be thrown around. The fuel economy leaves much to be desired but if you cared about gas then you would have bought a Prius. Styling is very good, but the interior instrument panel could be sleeker. This car definitely turns heads, more so than a 325i. I wanted a sports sedan with actual reliability and you cannot go wrong here. This is my first Lexus purchase and I believe I will stick with them after being very satisfied with my IS 300.

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  Size vs me - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By mark - August 25 - 5:13 am

  The Lexus ES 330 is a nice car. However its a bit cramped inside. The between the seats cup holder is terrible and the acceleration is weak. Fuel mileage on trips is good, but poor around town.

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  Best Value - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By viber - August 24 - 10:00 am

  My other considerations when I was shopping for a car were: A4 3.0, BMW 325i. I finanlly picked the IS300 because of the quality and the value. A4 3.0 being significantly more expensive (however, it comes with quattro) and 325i being significantly slower and lacking in some features, IS300 provides the best value. It is an extremely fun to drive vehicle with the best handling after the A4. However, when it comes to reliability, I had to drop my bias for European cars and pick a Lexus which has the best name in liability.

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  Nice ride - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Anthony - August 24 - 1:20 am

  Smooth ride, very comfortable, luxury feeling in all aspects. I love all of the state of the art options (smartkey, navi, rear camera, ac & heated seats, auto wipers, push start, etc.), its like all you have to do is sit down and drive. The fuel economy was surprising, I consistently take weekend trips of 220+ miles and on the highway i can avg up to 30+ mpg. Only complaint is the expensive little fixes, HID headlight bulbs cost $430 at the dealership, FOR A LIGHT BULB!

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  Toyota Product Fans - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By Toyota Fans - August 23 - 5:46 pm

  We have always had a Toyota product and never had any problems. This is my first Lexus and I absolutely love it and so does everyone in my family and our friends. The Lexus had a more solid, heavier feel than the Infiniti that seemed somewhat lighter and hollow. The Lexus has a classier/rich look.

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  The poor mans exotic - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By NOB - August 20 - 2:00 pm

  Despite the recall on the tire valves, and the battery that could never charge, and the broken 6 disc CD changer, this is an awesome car. The closest thing to a lemon that toyota has ever built, but im in love with it.

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  Its so easy to love a Lexus - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By Jack - August 19 - 3:30 am

  Ive owned Audis, BMWs, Saabs, and many Japenese and American cars and by far this is the best car I have ever owned. Its also my second Lexus with the first having been a 98 that still ran perfect at 160,000 miles when I traded her. Sure there is some truth about the drive-by-wire delay but its ever so slight and I got used to it within a day and Im about as fickle at they come. I urge anyone who wants sportiness, reliability, luxury, and just plain old grinning ear to ear every time they get behind the wheel to buy a Lexus ES. You cant go wrong with a used Lexus either as they present one hell of a value.

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  Best reliability of the three vehicles Ive owned - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By cjopil - August 18 - 3:24 pm

  Ive purchased a Ford Taurus and a GM Alero brand new and both vehicles had $2-$3k issues just after 3 years of ownership. I bought a 2006 RX400H used in 2009 (from dealership, it was leased). Initial problem was the battery in the CPU; I dont believe the dealership changed it out and I couldnt start the vehicle if it sat for longer than 24 hours. Since then, no problem - just regular maintenance. Put one new set of tires on it, avg MPG is 27 (being very conscious to "coast." Best savings: my husband sat in 3 hours of traffic to drive 45 miles due to a snowstorm and used less than 2 gallons of gas.

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  AwEsOmE - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By Alyssa - August 18 - 2:00 am

  This is an awesome car to travel in