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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  Best... Hands down - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By B-Pak - February 21 - 3:56 pm

  Guys, I drove everything... From Benz to Jaguar. Nothing has the quality, class, luxury, or reliability of the Lexus. The car sounds like its off while you driving on the freeway, its that quiet! This is hands down the best sedan on the market today. Sorry to the benz, BMW and jag loyalists out there. The Lexus is the king.

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  Delighted Customer - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Mary Spendy - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Incredibly quiet with excellent performance. Reliability beyond expectations. Customer service has no equal. Fuel economy is great considering the performance. 20+ MPG including city driving.

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  great car! - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By pleased - February 20 - 10:00 am

  just bought the car 2 hours ago, and boy to do I love ultra-luxury package! great value. had considered 745i/Li and S500; LS430 is the best car in the world!

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  97 ES 300 - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By lexuslarry - February 20 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car. Totally reliable with lots of style and performance and a great interior!

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  2 Months and still smilen - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Mindbogler - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Tradded in my 99 Caddy on this 03 ES and am really happy with the car. I get home from work and the car will not turn down my street, have to go around the block a few times.

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  Excellent balance of tech and elegance - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By Chilango - February 20 - 1:00 am

  I had a Camry Hybrid Special 50th Anniversary Edition, which had a lot of luxury and high tech features. This Lexus has all that but in a better designed package and its more fun to drive. It feels more "European", tighter and more solid than the Camry, better handling, brakes and a zippier response and torque. The console is a triumph of ergonomic design and aesthetics. It has more trunk space than the Camry,and a better, stiffer suspension. So far, Im very satisfied with it and also saving money because of the special December deals at Lexus!

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  The Best - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By casting223 - February 19 - 2:03 pm

  Getting real good gas mileage 26 MPG in town, 36 MPG on the highway. I have nitro in my tires and a K&N air filter. Both of these really help.

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  Very disappointed - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By dpolizotto - February 19 - 12:53 am

  Very hard ride when you hit bumps you get jolted When you hit a pot hole even slowly jolt sent up your back NAV system screen has too much info on it unsafe Backup camera has no assist lines on it and as soon as it rains gets coated with drops making it difficult to see Voice recognition system gives wrong info half the time Local gas mileage terrible approx 12 mpg average mpg 17.5 Noisy ride For a luxury vehicle really disappointing

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  2008 Lexus RX 350 AWD, the best RX yet - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By N.Ross - February 17 - 8:50 pm

  This is my third Lexus RX and by far the best yet. The previous were 2004, and 2005. The 2008 is smoother, quieter, faster and slightly more fuel efficient than the 330s. The transmission shifts seamlessly and the power comes on more smoothly. This car is one that can handle many needs. Its very comfortable and all the controls are easy to use. Everything works perfectly. The back-up camera and gen 5 nav systems are definitely upgrades over the 2005. Both previous RXs were very reliable with no service issues at all, and this 2008 should be the same. Has no problem in snow. Gets you where you need to go in comfort and without any worries. This is where it excels.

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  Great Car - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By merlin 21 - February 16 - 10:00 am

  New to Lexus. Very impressed