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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  Happyissimo - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Slope - March 17 - 10:00 am

  Totally satisfied. Drives like a car. Totally practical.

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  Great Car, Love it! - 2000 Lexus GS 300
  By Great Car - March 16 - 4:50 pm

  I bought this car used with 85k last month, great for a 10 year old car. It is truly a wonderful car. I immediately changed oil, front rotors, front pads, rear pads and rear rotors(all were original). I have put about 3k miles in about month. This car rides like its brand new. This is definitely a keeper. If you can a find one with good miles, you cant go wrong. I checked all the review sights prior to buying. No one believes its 10 years old when I tell them. It looks and rides great.

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  Great SUV...Very Satisfied - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By RXDRIVER0509 - March 16 - 4:16 pm

  I bought my RX330 about 3 1/2 months ago. Pearl White with Beige leather. Overall I am very satisfied with the RX. I think the exterior is very attractive...clean and not over the top. The interior is also very nice. The leather has held up well. The seats are long haul comfortable. The power tilt steering wheel is a nice touch. The power rear door has also come in very handy. I get a respectable 23 mpg city/28 mpg highway. The transmission is very smooth, but I feel the engine is a little underpowered. Mine has the 18" chrome wheel pkg, which seems to ride well. The dual DVDs are nice, but not something I needed. No issues with anything, and the Lexus dealer has been top notch.

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  Mostly better, but interior brain burps! - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By archiefriend - March 14 - 3:20 am

  Mostly better than LS430. Most important, much stiffer spring rates allow still supple ride, but much better roll resistance, and much less lean in turns. Bridgestone Turanzas give vastly superior dry and wet handling. Engine much more powerful and responsive. Interior ergonomics disappointing. Placement of gear shifter much too close to dash, requiring awkward access to buttons for AM/Sat, FM, and CD. Why does the car over-ride selected air-recirculation when in reverse, allowing exhaust gas to enter cabin?

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  Big Ticket Repairs - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By michele55 - March 12 - 10:47 am

  Last year while far from home my RX400h stopped dead on the highway. After having it towed 145 miles and losing 3 days of vacation, Lexus replaced the computer to the hybrid system. The car was under warranty so other than a LOT of hassle, it only cost me $150 not $10,000+. Two weeks ago, I was driving in town and my car died again. Luckily I was able to get the car over to the side of the road--all the systems died. After about a week of trying to figure out what was wrong, Lexus determined it was the inverter and gratefully, even though out of warranty, the dealership replaced the part ($10K+) for free (98K miles on my Rx). My gas mileage has never been much more than 24-25mpg.

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  Big problems at 89,000 but loved my little RX300 - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By milomadison - March 11 - 12:39 am

  I loved this car and miss it but it wasnt worth the problems we ended up having at only 87,000 miles. Especially after paying what we did. Transmission issues a known problem I see now. We bought it used in 2005 with only 41k miles on it from a Lexus dealer in CA and it was certified (which means nothing). We loved it until this year, the transmission went out, which Lexus agreed to put in a refurbished tranny and we had to pay the labor $1500.00. Then the battery went and then we started having lights go on, the traction control light would not go off, then the driver window would get stuck! You would think a higher end car would be built better!

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  Best car I will EVER own - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By Emil - March 10 - 1:06 pm

  Absolutely remarkable, so full of features and quality, in the snow it is no problem at all.

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  Great SUV - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By Steve - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Great SUV. Drives like a car and performs like a SUV. Very dependable and fun to drive. Having a few problems, fuel coils, windshield washer motor, wiring harness, less than 80k.

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  Awesome Used Car - 2001 Lexus ES 300
  By W. - March 9 - 3:43 am

  I bought my ES300 back in Oct. 2009 after reading over Edmunds and various other websites. I finally caved in and traded my old 1997 MB C230 (210k mi, saggy headliner, expensive to maintain) for a more reliable car. While looking for cars like newer Accords & Camrys, I lucked up and this appeared locally on a car lot. For an older car, the ES300 feels right at home and better equipped compared to a newer Accord or Camry. I compromised and bought it with 98k miles (kinda high mi), and Had to recently service it for new belts & water pump at 105k miles. My mechanic stated "its basically an expensive Toyota," which is exactly what I wanted: Everything works well, and it starts every time.

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  Very Happy!! - 2016 Lexus NX 200t
  By Frank Merritt - March 8 - 2:07 pm