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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  Noisy start and rattles - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By BIGGUY - March 13 - 2:00 am

  Not many people can say they ve owned 2 2003 ES300s.. I bought one in Oct/2002 a 2003 model.. Brought it back to the dealer 3 times for an engine noise on starting the car.. They attempted to fix it numerous times and I finally said. I don t want it.. Enough is enough.. Well I traded it in last week for another one with Nav system and ML stereo pkg which I m very happy to have done the second time around.. The car itself is nice to drive, luxurious and quiet well except for a rattle in the front dash or upper window.. Still needs to be determined where.. The Nav system screen is also loose..

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  Fun to Drive! - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By GB - March 10 - 10:03 am

  Bought new. Currently 58,000 miles. Only one problem related to an ignition switch that was very hard to diagnose. Paint is very prone to chips and swirls. Graphite polished wheels prone to damage when tires are mounted. fuel economy isnt fabulous for HP level. A little small for infant seat when rear facing. Oil filter difficult to extract without a mess. Other than these items above, this car has been a joy. Still makes me smile when I blast an exit ramp.

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  Squeaky Luxury - 2014 Lexus LS 460
  By jirehrep - March 9 - 3:53 am

  BEWARE of the large brakes on the F-Sport model. I bought my 2014 in August 2014 and with only 2K miles, the brakes are driving me nuts. Lexus is aware, as my car is on version three of the brake pads, and these dont work either. "There is a price to pay to have this much performance" Hogwash! Thats PC for we cant fix them. Driver interface with the car via the mouse is circa 1995, very clunky and not intuitive. Love the ride, but shes underpowered. Would NOT buy this one again....and I love Lexus!!

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  On month 7 - 2005 Lexus IS 300
  By Kevin - March 6 - 12:06 am

  I love most everything about this car aside from the craptacular gas mileage. The ride is also a bit harsh, but that might be just me getting older :-) To date I havent had any warranty work done to the car - a primary reason for buying this car for me was Lexus reputation. If you are considering buying this car I would encourage you to do so.

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  What savings on gas? - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Woody Kaplan - March 1 - 6:16 am

  After owning 99 RX300, 2002 RX300 and waiting almost 2 years from time order was placed for Rx400h I trurly expected better gas mileage. Wife has been driving 04 Prius past year and is getting 48mpg. My expectation was set very high for my 06 RX. Second week of ownership we took off to Denver from Palm Desert, CA. On open highway with Air on always, going up and down hills with full load in car, driving as if egg was under gas pedal, we could only squeeze 24.7 mpg over all. Once back home in P.D I have been driving in city 100% of time. Can not get more then 21mpg while Pruis gets 48mpg with same gas from Costco. Lexus claims 28mpg highway, 31 city or so the sticker said.

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  Cool RX3 00 - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By gq008 - February 22 - 4:50 am

  Bought My 2001 RX 300 used in Sept 005. I test drove a new Murano, used X5, MDX, Highlander and a bunch of domestic SUVs. None of them rode as smooth and quiet as the RX. The good thing about the RX is that it only requires 87 or above octane. However, my best mileage has been 19 mpg. I average about 17 mpg. But I have a very heavy foot. I disliked the two tone of my RX. So I painted the models to match the paint on the body. The Silversport or Coach edition alleviates this problem but are very rare to find in the AWD. And I test drove the silversport and the b/c of the sport suspension the ride was not at all smooth. However, My RX will be replaced with another RX if and when I decide to get rid of this one.

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  Bit disappointed - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By AndyH - February 12 - 2:00 am

  Poor performance, not enough horsepower. Poor fuel economy. A MB V8 has better fuel economy not what I expected from Lexus. Also quite noisy. Too much body roll. Should have bought MDX or MB.

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  There is always one! - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By Richard D - February 10 - 10:00 am

  Guess Im just the luck one. I have had nothing but problems, defective fuel guage, defective outside temp guage, cracked leather seat, scratched glass, over 25 paint chips, incomplete "clear bra" that resulted in more paint damage and parts replacement, dealer induced body damage. This is my second RX 300, and I regret the day I bougtht it!

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  Great Value Package - 2010 Lexus HS 250H
  By EEnglander - February 10 - 9:06 am

  Ive had the car for three weeks and its awesome!!! The car handles very well for a hybrid but it would be nice to have the option for more zip in acceleration in exchange for a few less MPGs. The suspension is a little soft and the driving experience could improve if the suspension were sportier-maybe similar to the IS. I have the HS Premium with navigation and the gadget loaded interior quickly makes you forget the drive-train and truly enjoy each drive.

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  Pursuit of perfection? Please catch up. - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By dbllc - January 29 - 1:36 pm

  I agree with a writers assessment about noises, poor highway handling and the so-so radio. The important problem is the highway handling. At 60 to 65 mph and above, the car seems to have a wobble, and the steering wheel actually shakes. I am still working with a dealer to fix this. From day 3 of owning the car I have had noises, creaks, rattles, whatever inside. Most of the dashboard noise has been fixed now, but other noises are coming from pillars or doors. I drive a lot, so the problems are very disappointing.