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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  Great car - 2006 Lexus LX 470
  By jake - December 7 - 12:46 am

  very luxerious, great vehicle, VERY SAFE

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  A Dream Car - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By Jay - December 6 - 4:10 pm

  I bought my 2003 SC430 with 50k miles on it for $20,000. Everything is immaculate on this car, always serviced when needed. The drive does have that sport car ride to it due to the low profile RFTs. The sound system sounds amazing although it is very expensive to replace just 1 speaker at $320. The rear seats (golf bag holder) are useless for people to sit in. The trunk surprisingly does have decent space when the top is up. Being that the model is still the same as of 2010. I will upgrade some of the standard parts to the newest style.

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  The BEST ! - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Big Stash - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I love the looks of the new E 500 Mercedes but after test driving both cars buying the LS 430 was a no brainer. It rivals the S430 for about $20,000 less! I believe it is the best luxury car value on the road today.

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  Very good car, but not perfect! - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By pahd_MN - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Bought the car new. Overall a good buy. I had to have the brakes overhauled under warranty. I also had to spend money out of warranty to repair noisy tower strut parts on the front end. Maintenance by Lexus while under warranty was wonderful, but after warranty costs are expensive. Still, this has been a very comfortable and reliable car with enduring styling.

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  Smooth and Silky - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By dave22750 - December 6 - 10:00 am

  The quality of the ES 330 is outstanding. The ride is smooth and very quiet. The navigation system is remarkable. Dealer was very courteous and helpful.

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  the best car you can get - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By danzx - December 6 - 10:00 am

  lexus is one of the best cars you can get right know in the market this is my third rx and its the best car ive had the land rover every car you name it this is by far the best in its class.

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  Unhappy with 2016 Lexus es350 Rides like a truck - 2016 Lexus ES 350
  By Mona Frame - December 3 - 7:53 am

  If you have owned a 2011 or 2005 Lexus do not expect the same comfort inside or on the road. The seats are hard, road noise inside is bad and I am very dissatisfied with its over all ride and comfort, and road noise. Mine rides just a tad above my husbands 2015 Dodge truck. I dont know what happened to the quality but I am very unhappy with my new 2016 Lexus es350. I did not test drive it and that was a big mistake. However, I did not test drive my 2011 or 2005 and I am m not sure a simple test drive would have been enough to tell me how uncomfortable this 2016 was going to be. I trusted since I was buying a high end car like the lexus it would be of a quality I had known before. I am looking for a 2012 or earlier used lexus and will sell this one. I just hate that Lexus has fallen into the cheap car routine. Why not have leather seats?? I dont want a sports car I want a car that is comfortable. Very displeased with this new car would not recommend unless a person wants an sports rcar.

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  Whatelse can you say - 2003 Lexus LX 470
  By mad99 - November 30 - 2:00 am

  I just picked up used 2003 LX470 and what can I say. It is the greatest SUV, I was looking to buy the GX470 but with the many complaints about the GX I was able to find used LX470 for the same price of a new GX.

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  Great - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By NIck - November 30 - 2:00 am

  UI love this car it is quite when yiou drive and it has a lot of cool gadgets

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  Unhappy - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Itmaybme - November 30 - 2:00 am

  This is the fourth Lexus I have owned with two of them being the RX300 so I was really excited to see the features on the RX330 and the sleek body style. I am very disappointed with this car overall though. The car is very loud and has a constant roar in the rear, the wind noise when driving above 45 is nerve racking, and the comfort of the ride is surely not Lexus quality. This car is certainly not the dream car I expected it to be. I really wish I had kept my 2002 RX300. This Lexus is a big disappointment and if this is any indication of "improvements", then I do think I will look for another brand of car.