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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  Dont buy in snow country! - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By slimpiks - June 29 - 12:20 pm

  Great dry road car and fun to drive. In our first snow of season, unable to move due to vehicle control system. At stop sign on snow/ice, car would not move and had to back out of traffic situation. Talked to Lexus dealer and no lock out for vehicle control system, which is on other Lexus models. Had to trade car for Camry, which has the vehicle control system lock out. Camry performs much better on snow/ice. Buy a Camry, which has almost same expected mileage.

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  Lexus lacking! - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By Ed Brown - June 23 - 4:20 pm

  Great vehicle overall, but found some things annoying for this kind of price! Tire pressure monitor only shows that "a" tire is low, but no hints as to which! My 2005 Suburban showed me a reading for each tire, Lexus says maybe next model year! Navigation is quirky, put me out in the middle of nowhere on several occasions while saying "You have reached your destination, the route guidance is now finished!" Fortunately I could backtrack. Overall I like the SUV, but you would think that for over $50,000.00, you would get more refinement than it provides. Lexus is very proud of their vehicles, $80.00 for a synthetic oil change!

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  Need Avalon Interior - 2017 Lexus ES 350
  By Lexus Daddy - June 22 - 1:07 am

  Love everything about the car EXCEPT the interior storage is VERY limited. No storage for glasses under the rear view mirror and the doors will not hold a soda bottle. Avalon has Lexus interior beat. Also, complimentary maintenance is better in Avalon. For purchase price difference one has to hope resale will return a portion of price increase. Remote start is ONLY available if you subscribe to the Lexus suite after the one year subscription expires. $35 a month is TOO EXPENSIVE to continue remote start and from what I am told, is there is not a dealer or after market remote start available.

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  Great Fun - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By nssc430 - June 20 - 2:00 am

  This car is fun to drive with the top up or down, in the summer or the dead of winter with snow on the streets.

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  Wind noise ruins the Lexus experience - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By AP - June 18 - 11:20 am

  This is a good reliable car with some nice bells and whistles but I would never call it a Premier Luxury car. It is one of the noisest cars I have ever owned and with its price tag and rave reviews about how quiet the car is I expected a lot more. The wind noise is terrible. It sounds like the window is cracked when driving at 55 or greater. Lexus insulated the roof posts and replaced side windows with insulated glass but it helped very little. Very annoying and it makes me cringe when I think about what I paid for it. Also an annoying rattle the dealer is trying to correct with little luck so far. Also very expensive to maintain. $200.00 for an oil change and tire rotation.

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  Seats made of Stone - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By PWSHMOM - June 16 - 8:20 am

  Ok this is my 3rd RX350 and the seats in this car feel hard as rock while riding more than 45 minutes. What is this a Jeep Wrangler?! I feel every friggin bump in the road. Had I know this ride was going to be this bumping and loud I would have bought the darn small Ranger Rover instead. The design is not the my favorite either. Now some will say why did you buy it? Loyalty. Well now I know that should not be the reason if the brand is not going to be loyal to me. The cost is higher and I cant seem to figure out why. Overall I am just not as happy with this model thus far. Keep in mind I have only had the car for 5 days as of May 17th 2016. I purchased mines from Park Place Lexus in Plano, TX.

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  Drivers seat - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By JR Cole - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I drive about 100 hundred miles a day and find the drivers seat the most uncomfortable and painful. The front of the seat is mounted ~2" higher in the front which positions all the weight on your thighs. Ive tried all the adjustments the seat will allow with no relieve. I spoke to the service manager about my problem his only comment was "ya that seat sucks!". Dont get me wrong all the acculades given this car are well earned and if you only drive around town 10 to 12 thousand miles a year you will probably never notice the discomfort.

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  One year after purchasing... - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By nanday - June 10 - 10:51 am

  I just passed one year driving my CT200H. Firstly, I live in the subtropics in Australia, so driving in heavy snow or ice is not a concern. I wanted fuel efficiency, safety and reliability and this car delivers, and also gives a very comfortable ride. It is not a standout in appearance but is better than the blocky looking Prius. It is an exellent car for a single older person, or a couple (and maybe ones with small children), but the back seat cramped. It delivers everything I wanted and I would recommend it on the fuel savings alone.

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  ARCHAIC NAV SYSTEM - 2011 Lexus RX 350
  By mnorth509 - June 7 - 1:29 am

  First of all, why hasnt Edmunds talked about the archaic nav/radio system in any of their reviews???? I come from the world of Ford/Sirius/SYNC and I was shocked when I realized how old-fashioned the Lexus system is. Yes, I know, I should have kept it for a weekend to discover what a terrible system it is - but I listened to friends who were already Lexus owners, and I read Edmunds reviews and NO ONE told me!!! Have these people never driver another brand of car? You have to jump to two screens to see the title of a song, and then jump BACK to get to the next channel. No color, no logos, just plain old letters that are truncated - you dont even see the whole song title.

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  excellent SUV! - 2000 Lexus LX 470
  By Jammin J - June 5 - 7:46 pm

  Just the best large SUV out there. Ive not found a better ride in any comparable size. I love the quiet cabin & stable feel. Ergonomics are great!