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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  IS LOVER - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By ndr71 - October 21 - 10:00 am

  Owned for a little over 3 years and very satisfied. Had a BMW325 before and is very comparable with performance and handling. Shouldve waited for the manual tranny. The only problem is the CD player which had to be fixed/replaced three times. I live in the Midwest and I need Snow tires if its over 3/4" of snow.

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  RX 400h - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Bobcatmountainman - October 18 - 7:13 pm

  Vehicle feels safe, comfortable and fast for an SUV. Holds the road well. Gets good mileage. Great for passing other vehicles. Love all the featuers such as side dimming mirrors, turning headlights, bright headlights, memory seats, tilting side mirror when backing up, rear camera.

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  Not What I Expected - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By NewBuyer - October 2 - 10:00 am

  For the price I would be better off with a the Toyota version.

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  Great ride, EPA took me for ride on MPG - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Jonathan Cahill - September 23 - 9:33 pm

  A very clean, sharp, user friendly interior loaded with amenities. The exterior looks like RX 330 with larger, sharper wheels, and more angled lights. Hybrid ride is smoother, quieter, greater acceleration than 333rx. When you think hybrid, however, you think great MPG, think again. My wife predominately drives car, uses only premium, drives 90% city, never had a speeding ticket in her life, yet we have never reached 24 mpg on any tankful. Rather, via hand measurement we are at 22.9mpg, 23.6 according to the car computer after 5k miles of driving. Lexus tested car, say its fine & EPA test is outdated, and hybrid battery designed for performance,not MPG,you decide for 50k whats important

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  Previous RX Owners Might Be Dissapointed - 2011 Lexus RX 350
  By maggiemae1 - September 20 - 7:41 am

  I traded in my 2002 RX with over 130,000 and I0,000 miles and I miss it. Previous RX owners might want to spend a weekend with this car before making a decision. My main complaint is the poorly designed interior. When you cant fit your owners manual in the glove compartment - poor design. When you have to take your eyes off the road to turn on the seat heater - poor design. The driver has to reach behind to get something out of the storage compartment. The list goes on. Feel the weight of the glove compartment door or the weight of the carpet - they dont come close to previous models. This is my third Lexus in ten years, I feel let down by a friend. They can do better than this.

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  Lexus ES 350 Is A Strange Car - 2009 Lexus ES 350
  By Sam - September 14 - 7:20 am

  In many ways this car is very nice. It is solid and fast contrary to most user opinions. Even though the car is quiet....it is hard to explain you can hear rattles and noises that are annoying. BMW and Mercedes are better built cars but the ES 350 feels better when you are in the car purely for comfort. The ES 350 needs to get rid of the rattles.

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  Nice car - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By Nice IS300 - September 14 - 2:00 am

  I have the car for 3 year with 16,000 miles on it. Is nice car but it have a few complaint such fuel economy I got about 16 mpg in the city. So far this car have replaced driver side power window motor because when I pull the up position the window go up but it go back right away bring back to dealer for warranty repair. Last month I have to bring the car in to check front brake because when I go on freeway over 55mph and try top step on the brake a little and the steering have lot of vibration. Bring back to the dealer and they have to replace the front brake pad and rotor.

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  good car, just not a drivers car... - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By zimco - September 8 - 10:00 am

  I beleive that SUVs are overrated in general, but despite that, the RX330 is a comfortable, well built vehicle with many features and relatively decent pricing for the class. Fuel economy, though only acceptable, is good for the class. However, it is not a thrill machine for the driver. Overall, quality and luxury are the selling points in this car

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  Drives like a BMW - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By pixmation - September 6 - 2:00 am

  It was the test drive won me over. Totally surprised by the feel and how the car handles.

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  Transmission Problems - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By UMOX - September 5 - 7:53 pm

  More luxury, less driving fun than my 92 ES300. Major problems with the new 5 speed electronic transmission. Downshift from 5th into 3rd for passing when aggressive shift is needed delays and rpm builds for a second before lower gear engages. This has been of serious concern at times when immediate response was necessary. Lexus says they are aware of the problem. But no fix available yet.The car has sufficient power and pick up for other driving situations.