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:

• 

  Dissopointment - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By raj01 - April 8 - 8:15 am

  from 1999 corolla to a 2004 camery then to a 2006 lexus gs 300 awd..I have come to one conclusion....totoya mades good cars, but very bad engine. all their vicheles born oil. Ihave had my gs for seven years now, and has 174000 km, and It has been burning oil since 96000km. I have done everything that ther dealers have required, I have questioned lexus headquaters, but still no solution for my problem. Though my research on all three of my vehicles as well as connecting with other owners and toyota specialty machines, have learned that most totoya and lexus model have that issue once you pass the 100000km mark

• 

  Affordable luxury in the Lexus ES 300 - 2001 Lexus ES 300
  By MKE - April 7 - 2:43 pm

  If you want a luxury car with an affordable price, buy the 2001 ES3 00 Lexus. The ride is extremely smooth and road noise level is low. The sound system is awesome. I am amazed by the pep when I press the gas pedal. It is a pleasure to drive, and I can now relate to other Lexus owners when they brag about their vehicle. I will continue to buy used, low-milage Lexus autos.

• 

  It really is THE best SUV - 2005 Lexus LX 470
  By vdragon - April 7 - 1:26 am

  It is a little expensive. It could use a little more HP. Wish the fuel economy was better. But the ride, the quality and reliability, the safety features, all the electronics, are truly the best. You cant beat it in any of those categories. You have to test-drive this vehicle. Drive all the rest, and then drive the LX. Its truly something special.

• 

  Amazing - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Melissa Perea - April 6 - 5:03 am

  I love this car! I had a 1987 Chevy Blazer for the past 7 years and now I know why people buy luxury cars. It has been the best experience ever driving this car and I cant imagine my life without it now. Very luxurious and comfortable. Its the perfect SUV.

• 

  fine car back dealersip service - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By good car bad service - April 4 - 2:00 am

  The car overall is fun to drive, its fast and great when going around corners. The body looks great and interior is cool looking. BUT BOY DOES THE DEALERSHIPS HAVE BAD SERVICE...so BEWARE!! ex. watch for door digs and when they give u an oil change, cause they cracked my under carriage and wont fix it!

• 

  My first Lexus - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By sp8891 - April 4 - 2:00 am

  I bought this used with 50,000 miles...have put on 10, 000 since. Great ride, luxury feel, but still functional. I especially like that its lower to the ground to get into but high enough to see the road ahead clearly. I drove an Infiniti Q45 before this one, and was sure I would miss it, but I am happier with this small SUV and would buy it again.

• 

  Simply the Best - 2006 Lexus LX 470
  By carnutinca - April 3 - 1:03 am

  This is my 2nd LX 470 (1999) and my 5th Lexus model. I test drove and researched every competing model before I purchased this vehicle. Previous years owners will love the added horsepower. The quality and workmanship is superior to everything else available. I completely disagree with every complaint in the category - I dont think they understand the market. The one drawback is size. If you are looking for a larger SUV (Tahoe, Sub, etc.) the LX 470 will be too small for you. Also, for towing, I just purchased an 07 Escalade ESV. The LX470 is not large enough for towing but its also way easier to park than larger SUVs.

• 

  Too early to tell - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By raviola4 - March 31 - 1:46 pm

  I purchased a certified 2007 ES350 in Oct. 09. So far so good. Got 33 mpg on only trip. Low 20s in local driving. One gripe is having to keep 36 psi in tires. On smooth surfaces fine, but do notice every glitch in road surfaces. Dealer says they put at least 36-37 in to avoid low tire pressure light coming on. Why? Door indicates should be at 30 psi. Being certified a lot of things were fixed, new tires, brakes etc. before purchase. Im also concerned about the massive recall of ES350s along with other Toyota models for sudden acceleration problems. Many unrelated to the floor mat problem that has received most of the press. Visibility as many have noted is not great.

• 

  Highlander has better interior and ride - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By Fred MacMurray - March 31 - 8:58 am

  This review is based on a test drive, not ownership. Shopping for a mid-sized, crossover for the wife to replace her 15 year old Sequoia. The kids are grown so it was time to move down on size and up in luxury. I really thought the RX would be a great fit. The wife wants a Toyota as we have had great experience with them from a reliability standpoint but she wants something easier to handle in parking lots (which would be damn near anything compared to the Sequoia). We dont like the wild styling of the new RX so we went to look at CPO 2015s. As soon as we got in, we were both taken back. Everything I read talked about the quality of the interior materials. Huh? Where are they looking? I saw a sea of cheap looking, hard plastic. The door panels were just slabs of plastic as was most of the dash. The Sequoia has a much nicer interior. Then we drove it. I didnt expect a sports sedan, or even an engaging driving experience but this was horrible. It wallowed around turns and floated over undulations like it was on springs with no damping. Disappointed, we went down the street to the Toyota dealer to check out the Highlander. What a difference. The interior was much nicer, with nice, soft simulated leather covering the dash and soft inserts in the door panels. And it drove much better, handling seemed secure and bumps smoothed out. I just amazes me that for these two corporate cousins, the Toyota drives better and has a more luxurious interior for a lot less money than the Lexus.

• 

  Great MPG - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By feng2 - March 31 - 12:23 am

  Due to my long distance commute, I perchased the CT200h. I used to drive my Porsche Cayenne S to work. The MPG was about 18 MPG on average. I had this CT200h for three weeks now. The MPG is 44.3 on average for about 500 miles. Today, I filled up the tank with the regular non ethanol added fuel. The MPG is 49.7 MPG with 35 mile on the freeway in the Sport mode and 5 miles in the Normal mode. I am sure the MPG will reach 50 MPG if I drive it in the Normal mode full time. In Chicago area, the fuel has 10% ethanol in it. I have to add the non ethanol fuel in Indiana where I work. The non ethanol fuel does increase the MPG by at least 15%. I will stick to the non ethanol fuel then.