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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  Exceptional SUV - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By Mark - December 19 - 5:50 am

  Have had it for two months. Great SUV to drive. Very comfortable ride. MPG is better than other 6 cyl SUVs. Goodyear tires a bit noisy on concrete. High intensity lights are great at night. Bluetooth is great. Owners manual is very good and describes all the features. Navigation should be a standard feature. Its worth the extra cost.

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  Loving this Car! - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Nancy Boyken - December 18 - 11:13 am

  Ive driven the RX300 for 5 years, and knew when my lease was up that I wanted to upgrade to the hybrid version. It is everything that was advertised, and more. The ride is zippy and fun, the interior luxurious, and the amenities abound.

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  Navigation problem - 2012 Lexus LS 460
  By larryhur - December 18 - 9:07 am

  Very disappointed at the nav system on my new 2012 Lexus LS460. On several occasions, the system gets confused only blocks away from final destination. The red dot Indication on the map at any intersection is off by about 0.1 mile, very confusing to users. Wont allow you to input address while vehicle is moving for safety concerns, but thats stupid, what if I have a passenger trying to put in a new address while I am driving? Unnecessary constraints! Nav is slow to respond, typing address must be done VERY slowly. I already need a update to the Nav, where is it, Lexus?

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  I should have bought something else - 2007 Lexus LS 460
  By Callie - December 17 - 8:20 pm

  This is a great vehicle, but with one real problem and a few minor problems. A couple of months after owning the car both my wife and I started to notice that the front seats were becoming less comfortable. It feels like there is a bar across the back of the seat and down the middle. Theres no way I could drive the car for some hours. My Lexus dealer says this is normal stretching. Very limited access to the navigation system while moving is a pain. There is an annoying tick from the engine compartment at idle which the dealer says is normal. Wind noise is present at above 45 MPH.

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  Avoid the run-flats - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By cameron durrant - December 17 - 2:00 am

  You will pay more to get run-flat tires. You will get scared when cornering or traveling over uneven toads with these tires. This will change to a feeling of being both terified to drive faster than 30 MPH, expscially in the wet, and annoyance that you will then have to pay even more to change these tires to something like Michelin Pilots which do hold the road. You will be irritated that Lexus chooses to ignore customers who suggest the run-flats do not hold the road. Happy driving, or happy sliding, if you have the run-flats and cant afford to pay more to change them.

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  LEXUS 2004 LS430 RATING - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By jvmclean - December 17 - 2:00 am

  The Lexus LS430 2004 model is the best vehicle on the planet - without a shadow of a doubt!!! I have driven all the "wanna bees" and I confirm this from experience. Fast, smooth, reliable and extremely durable it leaves the competition gasping for "air". It is also the most quiet car in the world, inside and out. Say no more! The real difference between the LS430 and the competition is in one word:- ENGINEERING If you go no to include price, then it is a "slam dunk" for the LS430.

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  Really fun. - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By Yahoo - December 16 - 10:00 am

  Its always a joy to start the engine. Ive had more fun in this car than any other Ive had...and believe me, Ive had some great cars. Turn of the Traction control for more fun on windy roads...and dont worry about storage space...the trunk is very large.

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  So nice we bought it twice - 2016 Lexus NX 200t
  By Eric M - December 14 - 8:41 pm

  I am already the owner of a 2015 NX F-sport which I gave a 5 star review back in November 2015. We recently became empty nesters so my wife decided it was time to downsize from her 2009 Mazda CX-9 GT and move into a 5-seater CUV. She test drove the Mazda CX-5 GT (loved it but needs more power), the Nissan Murano (very nice and would have bought it except it rolled too much in the turns - she had gotten used to the CX-9s excellent steering/handling which feels like driving a much smaller sedan) and the Acura RDX (very well designed, but she found the exterior styling bland and boring). She had already driven my car before and decided other than a slightly smaller cargo space, it was better than any of the vehicles she test drove. We found exactly what she wanted - a base unit with the premium package and no NAV. She absolutely loves the vehicle from the unique exterior styling to the smooth acceleration, ride and handling and its very comfortable, luxurious interior. The main differences between her base model and my F-sport are the paddle shifters and the additional turbo boost and accelerometer gauges. The handling advantage in the F-sport is only really noticeably in very hard and fast turns and I think a lot of that has to do with the better grip of the summer tires. Also, since she doesnt have the NAV system, the infotainment controller is a dial with a push-button selector. I find this much easier to use than the track-pad system on my car because it is overly sensitive and requires too much concentration if youre trying to use it while driving. Sometimes simpler is better. We only have a few minor issues with the car. We wish the BSM had an audible tone when you signal and a car is in your path in addition to the orange light in the side view mirror. Her former CX-9 and all the vehicles she test drove had this feature so Im surprised its missing. Also, the low fuel warning comes on at a way too early 12.5 gallons. You still have over 3 gallons remaining so I find the warning a little too aggressive as I often havent reached 300 miles yet when the light comes on. But these are minor quibbles. All in all, the NX200t is an excellent choice if your looking for a compact CUV.

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  GREAT CAR - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By DEXMON - December 14 - 4:40 pm

  This is the best car I have ever owned. I bought it on 1/31/05 and have already driven more than 25000 miles and have no problems with this car. The ride is so smooth you feel like you are riding in the clouds. I love the navigation controls and the touch screen. I will buy another car except the ls.

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  The BEST CAR - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By j - December 14 - 10:53 am

  The interior is so elegant, so simple, so clean. The looks are very sharp and it runs very well. Transmission and engine are spectacular.