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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  More than I needed - but dependable - 2002 Lexus LX 470
  By Justin - December 7 - 5:00 am

  Bought the car 4 years ago because we thought we would be going into the woods and hauling. Well we never did either, although we live in Chicago so its nice in the snow. Everything about the car is great, the ride, interior, dependability, lost cost of ownership, except for gas. So my biggest complaint is MPG. I get 13-15 in suburban driving and 15-16 on the highway. For this size car there other options that get 20+ MPG such as the Honda passport. No serious mechanical issues, in fact no minor mechanical issues except a leaky CV boot, which is good since I bought it used. Height/level adjustment is nice but unnecessary unless you are towing. I recommend for people towing/traveling.

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  Bought New - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By Mermi - December 6 - 10:00 am

  This is a WONDERFUL SUV. I did upgrade the tires to Pathfinder SUV and find they are better than the original ones. Ive had really no problems of any magnitude. Would I buy a new Lexus again? Definitely YES!

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  Nice Car - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By Tinka - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Brought my 2001 RX300 AWD/w Navigation in May 2004 the overall cars is nice, it has SUV performance with a luxury sedan style and drive. I got rid of my 1999 Acura 3.2TL for the RX and the ride is alot different. The pick up is alot slower on the RX, the leather in the RX is too soft, easily wrinkled. Both have all of the same features. Salesman at Lexus dealer-superb.

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  Great ride - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Jmwme - December 6 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle is a great ride compared to my Mountaineer (which we also love). The Lexus actually has several less features than the Mountaineer, including the hatch door, key pad entry, and adjustable pedals. The navigation system is very nice visibly, but the voice recognition does not really work at all. I tell it to, "go home" and it shows me courthouses. I mean it is not even close. The ride is what makes the vehicle, no comparison to the aviator in my familys opinion.

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  Class-action suit needed - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By M. Marcotte - December 6 - 10:00 am

  Our ES330 is our second Lexus. But the transmission in the ES330 is rougher than a stick shift. It lurches, pauses, hammer-upshifts, and hunts for gears. These shifting patterns could produce unsafe conditions and loss of control on slippery roads. Lexus needs to fix! But they deny the problem. I was told by Meade Lexus service that the 2003 transmission software correction helped, but that the softwear update for the 2004 actualls makes conditions worse. Anyone interested in a class- action suit can have some of my $ and time to pursue.

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  Excellent Car - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Chris - December 5 - 8:03 am

  Leased this car last december. Very good car. Had several cars before getting the ES again, and it still is at the top of its class. Even though we had a problem with the A/C where the air was coming out hot even though it was at 60 degrees, Lexus fixed it with no problem.

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  My 3rd Lex - 2005 Lexus GX 470
  By maliksul - December 5 - 5:43 am

  This is my 3rd Lex still own the the 2nd one which is a 2000 RX300, this is one big bad ride the v8 is nice and smooth and has a great growl, the Mark Levinson sound system (14 speakers) is outstanding, great suv overall.

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  Think about it before you buy this car - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By mike - December 5 - 3:13 am

  If you are a driver, this is not your car. Transmission control is poorly designed, hurts economy and has safety issues as it coasts. Too quick to downshift on slight inclines. Driver has no control! Handling feel is not too bad. Pushed hard, exhibits roll. Front drive in any car has handling problems. This car is powerful and has torque steer that can take the car in dangerous directions if pushed hard from a dead stop. Be prepared if hard acceleration is planned or required. Inside lighting is extremely poor. Design goof again. Paint may be thin and prone to scratches. Do not have the dealer service. Charges are 4x what you can by at a service shop.

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  Great luxury and value - 2006 Lexus ES 330
  By muister - December 5 - 3:00 am

  For the price of the car, you cannot find a more luxurious car. This is not a sporty car and please do not rate this car with that angle -- just as one should not compare apples and oranges. The interior is amazingly plush and beautiful; you cannot find it in the BMW 3 or 5 series, nor the E or C-class MB sedans. If you want sporty drive, take a look at the IS or the BMW. If you want ultra-luxury, try the LS or the MB S-class.

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  Nice Luxury SUV - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By TXGAL - December 3 - 3:06 am

  I have owned my RX for one month now. I have had no mechanical issues at all. The car rides very smooth on the road. You cannot even hear it running when inside the car. Mileage is not that great but then I already knew that when I did my research. Big change to go from a key start function to an electronic key fob and you just press the Engine Start button. Neat feature - just took some time to get use to. I purchased the Luxury package in Silver (Tungsten Pearl) with the wood grain wheel. Very happy with my car. Just a few plastic pieces on outside like the shark fin part and the bumpers. Didnt expect so much plastic for the price of the car.