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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  Comfortable but No Soul - 2011 Lexus GX 460
  By ponch - August 9 - 5:21 pm

  This is a quality vehicle with nice features. I could not believe how comfortable the driving position was and how smoothly it drove around town. However, I ended up trading out of it for the following reasons. 1) It LABORS on the highway and is a tiring ride on long trips. 2) It feels unnecessarily big 3) The NAV and iPod systems are annoying 4) It chugs gas making you ask the question, "Do I really need this vehicle?" 5) Overall, this is a very pretty vehicle, but it has no soul. If you absolutely need a USEFUL 3rd row and you dont care about sending your college savings $$ to the Middle East, then this vehicle might be for you. Otherwise, I would absolutely recommend a BMW X5.

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  WISH I HAD MY CORVETTE - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By TERPSMIAMI - August 8 - 2:00 am

  THE SC 430 IS A VERY SUBMISSIVE "SPORTS TOURING" AUTOMOBILE. I TRADED MY CORVETTE AND LEASED THIS CAR FOR MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER WHO IS NO LONGER WITH ME. (LESSON LEARNED) IF YOU WANT TO SPRUCE UP YOUR IMAGE GET THE SC 430. HOWEVER, IF YOU WANT TO "DRIVE" THE NEAREST THING TO A RACE CAR FOR AROUND $50,000, GET A VETTE. YOU WONT REGRET IT. THE NEW CORVETTES (C5 OR LATER) HAVE PERFORMANCE ONLY RIVALED BY CARS OVER $150,000. THE VETTE IS THE BEST SPORTS CAR VALUE AVAILABLE.

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  It could be better - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By catbluesky - August 8 - 2:00 am

  I really like the look of this vehicle and the seats are comfortable, for front and back passengers. (I wish the back seats were heated, too!) The gas mileage isnt what I expected, and the ventilation system leaves lots to be desired - ie: better rear controls, weird working defrost, and intermittent odor with use of heat and defrost system. Not what I expected of such a high end vehicle - just goes to show me that a car/SUV, etc is a car/SUV, etc.

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  Money well spent! - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By Singh - August 8 - 12:20 am

  I was looking for a reliable car for around $5000. Took my own sweet time to drive a lot of cars, check there edmunds.com reviews. Fell in love the very first time I drove this car, it was just great. Lot of power, space and comfort. Fuel economy is around 15 mpg in city but on highway its close to 30 mpg. I feel safe inside the car even while driving it even at high speed.

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  Nav lockout a big thumbs down - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By Greg Bastug - August 6 - 12:26 pm

  Ive owned the car for a month and a half now, and the Lexus lockout of much of the navigation, phone, and even audio functions while the car is in motion is a major issue - had Lexus been honest and forthright about this in their sales literature and through their dealership, I would have not purchased the vehicle. Overall, the car rides nice, but a bit insulated. My previous car, a 2006 750li, handles better, provides better tactile road feel, has far more comfortable and adjustable seats, and, with its active suspensions, corners mush better than the LS. I do like the exterior styling of the LS better

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  6 months old and we hate it - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By GER12 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  This is my wifes car and weve had it for about six months now and have put maybe 5,000 miles on it now, because we both cant drive it for long drives. We get motion sickness in the car for long trips, because the suspension is always rocking and the ride is ultra smooth becase of it but it rocks back and forth while your on the highway over the little ridges between where the highway was poured. Look at the 745i we love ours and the new A 8 looks nice and neighbor seems to like theirs.

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  Fits me well - 2009 Lexus RX 350
  By gasser - August 1 - 6:33 pm

  My third RX. Ive only had this one for one week and 500 miles. Excellent build quality, beautiful paint and leather/wood interior. Great acceleration and smooth performance. Still has the soft suspension and a bit of body roll on turns which may not suit everyone. Front seats could use a longer cushion and more fore/aft travel. I value comfort and reliability over high speed performance and sports car like handling. The Lexus RX is, for me, the best vehicle on the market.

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  Great family car - 2015 Lexus RX 450h
  By GoGo Tomago - July 29 - 10:34 am

  Ive had the car for about a year and a half. Really like the luxury and performance. Some of the cool features includes an auto setting for the windshield wipers that has it automatically engage when it rains (and if its raining harder, the wipers will go faster), lots of cupholders, seat adjustment options (forward, backwards, tilting, up and down, lumbar), the blue lights that go on to indicate that you are driving in eco mode for better fuel consumption/mpg. This is my first hybrid so in the beginning it was hard to know if the engine was on since there is no noise initially, but after about 5 seconds or so the noise will tell you its on. Its roomy and the second row fits two booster seats with enough room for an adult in the middle. One issue that I have is that the MPG only averages about 25 combined city/hwy rather than 30/28. But its better than my last compact SUV, a Honda CRV.

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  Honest Review of 2013 LS460 by Don - 2013 Lexus LS 460
  By donisland - July 27 - 1:59 am

  Before I purchased this car I talked to a number of people who owned one and generally everyone gave it an "A" grade. Now that I have purchase mine, I AGREE COMPLETELY, with the exception of IT NEEDS MORE HORSEPOWER to keep competitive with the Mercedes S550 and BMW 750 series. I always enjoy getting into my new Lexus LS460 to drive it, and on top of my enjoyment I have received numerous compliments.

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  Smooth rider - 2009 Lexus LX 570
  By vikster - July 24 - 6:40 pm

  People who buy Lexus want the reliability and quality of a Toyota but the luxury of a German SUV and the maintenance of a Japanese car. That is what I get in this SUV. Great amount of technology, decent ride. Seats could be better and the ride and handling needs to be improved by a long way when compared to the range rover which feels more sturdy. For someone that has owned range rover, bmw x5, merc ML I have to say this does compete with them but it too has its shortfalls like the other SUVs.