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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  Am I the only one who finds the grill scary? - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By mmart - June 20 - 5:59 am

  I heard all the great compliments on many levels, but seriously. This car looks angry. I would never buy it. Side and back are fine, but that grill is ridiculous.

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  chrono - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By graphite - June 7 - 10:00 am

  This car is really sporty looking but it fails to deliver in terms of straight line speed. Even when I floor it, it seems to hesitate. An increase in torque would be called for.

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  ABS system Buzz... distractive... - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By honlynx - May 19 - 11:23 am

  ThereÂ’re high frequency squeaks (buzz) fr under the dash every 2-3 brake pedal application in my new GX470. It makes me feel uncomfortable & distractive when Im driving. However, Lexus said it is caused by ABS braking system and it is a normal characteristic from ABS actuator and no repairs are necessary. It could be a normal characteristic if actuator buzz from OUTSIDE car and do not bothering people in the car. However, it is problem if a noise is annoying people INSIDE the car. This is definitely an unsafe driving condition to any driver. I purchased Lexus w/the high expectation of its quality&services. But I experience the absolutely worst I have ever had. I need HELP & good advise.

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  Dont buy or lease this SUV for this PRICE !!!!!!!! - 2011 Lexus LX 570
  By luvkarz - May 2 - 10:13 pm

  Im SO glad im leasing this LX. I got out lease on MB GL 450 on Nov. 2010. Me and my wife loved it. My wife wanted to lease new GL but I wanted to something diff. We were almost got Range Rover but with 3 children (5, 3yrs, amd 6 months) it was little small. Only 2 reasons to lease this - got pretty good deal b/c I knew the GM at Lexus dealer and never had Lexus SUV. After 3100 miles, I really dont like this SUV for THIS PRICE RANGE !!!!! If this is $50k range then its acceptable. AGAIN NOT OVER $70k SUV !!! Here is why - 1. doesnt feel solid as GL 2. Horrible connectivity on bluetooth - other person can not hear well 3. ROAD NOISE compared to GL. 4. Doesnt feel like this $75k Luxury SUV

• 

  Disappointed - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Karen - April 29 - 9:30 am

  This was my 3rd RX. Fell in love with the look of the car. But it has a loud droning noise, vibration that you can feel from the tires to the steering wheel. I have had it in the shop and they claim its the exhaust. I hate driviving the vehicle. So disappointing.

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  Never Again - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Don - March 13 - 7:43 am

  I have had 4 Lexus models, LS 400, SC 430, GS 470 and most recently GS 300. Have to say this is the last Lexus I will ever drive. Have had an annoying clunk in the front end when backing out of a parking spot. Although everyone I have had in the car asks what the clunking sound is, mysteriously, it never occurs at the dealership. They have been unable to fix this ongoing problem. Also, tires had to be replaced at 24,000 kms approximately 15,000. Tires are rated as all season. Do not attempt to drive this car in snow conditions without snow tires. 10 months left on lease, cannot wait till end of term.

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  Disappointing - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Jim R - February 25 - 2:23 am

  I have been so disappointed with this truck that, in the middle of my lease, I ordered a BMW X5 (Im going back to this better performing, more luxurious SUV). The GX 470 is boring to drive. It lumbers down the highway like a full sized American car. The "premium" sound system is no better than average. The gas mileage is worse than the X5 - I rarely get more than 12 mpg. The interior is average - the leather and wood trim are not nearly as nice as what is offered by BMW or Audi. Overall, I paid 55,000 for this truck and its worth about 35,000. I cant wait to get back into a BMW.

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  F Sport. Think twice before purchasing this car. - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By Lee Hagen - February 24 - 1:02 am

  My wife wanted a Lexus... Bad. I tried talking her out if it but she wouldnt listen. When it came time to pick one out, I made the mistake of pushing for the F Sport because it was much better looking than the rolled under front bumper standard version. The big problem with the F Sport is the ride and the transmission. We live in Wisconsin and test drove the car in the summer on decent roads. The ride is stiff... really stiff. I was concerned but the style got in the way of my judgement. Now that its winter and the roads are crap (you know what I mean if you live here), I hate the ride. Our subdivision is older and the heaving on the street makes the car feel like youre riding a bucking bronco. I actually drive on the wrong side of the street in some places to avoid the bumps. The stiffness has gotten old in a hurry. The other issue is the transmission. Its a joke. Why on earth would Lexus put in a eight speed tranny when theyve programmed it to get into top gear as soon as possible? First gear is way too low. You step on the throttle from a stop and if you dont ease back to almost an idle position, it over-accelerates and makes it feel like youve mashed the pedal to the floor. Theres a very fine line between idling away from a stop and lunging up to second gear. Then it shifts...shifts...shifts... and by the time your going twenty miles an hour... youre in fifth gear. Hit forty... youre in eighth. The engineers have programmed the trans to get into top gear as soon as possible to save fuel. Then comes the downshift issue. You get off the freeway, slow to thirty, as you step on the throttle to accelerate off, it doesnt downshift. You press harder and it still wont downshift. Not until you really give it some serious throttle, it will finally decide to downshift. The other annoying thing is... youre moving along at 70 and you hit a headwind, or the road heads uphill. It immediately downshifts as soon as you give it the hint of more throttle. Oh... one more transmission programming oversight. The paddle shifters. Youre driving along at 55, you apply throttle to accelerate, it wont downshift as usual, you pull the left lever to downshift... and it goes from eighth to fifth. Whats up with that? I want seventh, then sixth. Dumb. On the good side... Styling is nice, considering these cars are so cluttered trying to find their identity. Interior is very nice. Stereo is good. Seats have everything including the drivers side moves back when you shut it off. Its quiet. Motor goes well (when you really press on the gas) On the not so good side... For a $53,000 car, the steering wheel isnt heated, its hard and has no grip at all. The exhaust is annoyingly loud (another brilliant marketing move just for egotists). The car developed an rattle in the left front fender that took a couple trips to the dealer before the they found the problem. They thought I was nuts after multiple complaints and in the end my analysis was spot on. The tire pressure monitor had problems after a few thousand miles and weve been back twice to balance and rotate the tires trying to eliminate noise. Hasnt helped. To me, the cars a loser. I pushed hard for the Pathfinder but lost out. My wife keeps a stiff upper lip and says she likes it. I guess thats what counts in the end. I bet its gone at the end of the lease.

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  Buy something else. - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Sade - February 13 - 10:00 am

  Look, I owned this SUV for two months and all I can say is that I bought my RX330 based on the name of Lexus. Dont make the same mistake. The turns are sloppy and the engine noise is horrific. Rides a little bumpy, maybe due the fact they lowered the clearence.

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  My old one was better - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Unhappy buyer - February 5 - 1:53 pm

  I had written in before when we first got this car about how uncomfortable the seats were. I should have listened to the prior posters. We finally realized that no amount of breaking the car in would make the seats comfortable so we had to take a loss and got rid of the car. Lexus needs to realize that quality and comfort counts and that it is not about technology and gadgets. My 2007 was better than the 2010. If you have a lease ending on the older model I would not recommend the new one. Perhaps Lexus will fix the issues with this SUV and go back to the luxury, comfort and quality it was known for. I would not recommend this SUV.