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:

• 

  M3-Killer - 2008 Lexus IS F
  By Louie - February 2 - 6:13 am

  Great Car, especially the USB color. I drive it daily and love it. Seems a little heavy during stop and go traffic. A real head turner everyone loves that car. No regrets, no problems as of yet. Love the fact that its a Toyota and dont have to worry about all the issues with euro cars.

• 

  IS300 Sport Sedan - 2005 Lexus IS 300
  By smedley - February 1 - 6:46 pm

  Best vehicle I have owned. Performance and comfort and reliability and "looks" are what I wanted. Not a lot of chrome- in fact there is none on body of vehicle.

• 

  Lexus Lemon Car - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By kimfrazier - January 31 - 10:02 am

  I bought the 2010 RX 450h after having a 2002 GS 300 that served me greatly for 7 years. However, the RX stranded me in the middle of a busy intersection after 1 month and 2000 miles. This car has given me nothing but problems since I bought it and it has been in the shop 20 days of the 50 days that I have owned it. Lexus does not build the quality cars it used to. I would not recommend buying this car. You will regret it!

• 

  Disappointment - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By jose maria campos - January 29 - 10:46 am

  There so many unexpected repairs on the car. Lexus have a good reputation to be very reliable. But didnt expect to have several unscheduled, unexpected repairs. I am so lucky to have purchased a extended warranty. I would suggest to get an extended warranty to all future buyers. Try to look for a warranty that would be good for 200,000 miles. I am very, very disappointed in purchasing this car. I am not sure if I would purchase another Lexus, especially this is my first time to purchase one. I am not sure how Lexus, a high-end automobile company, could sell such a defective vehicle with less than 100,000 miles with a repair list that is too long to list in this box.

• 

  Luvin my Lexus - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Jason B. kane - January 28 - 8:03 pm

  I enjoy the car. As four door sedans go, it is a sweetheart. It is very comfortable, infinitely adjustable and quiet. I got all the bells and whistles: Levinson sound system, nav, rotating headlights, Xenon bulbs, heated and cooled seats, etc. It actually has good acceleration and handles very well for a four door sedan. It gives plenty of warning before you get in over your head. It decidedly is NOT my Daytona Coupe, but only cost half as much and it gets 31 mpg on the road (the Daytona gets 22 but has 600 hp).

• 

  Sport seats are miserable if you are 38" waist - 2016 Lexus RX 450h
  By Mark A. - January 27 - 11:21 pm

  Love the car. Hate the front seats. The bolster on either side is rigid and relatively high (pointed) compared to other bolsters so a big person sits "ON" the bolster instead of between the bolster. These high rigid bolsters press against the sciatic nerve making it very uncomfortable after about 20 minutes. Small people dont seem to have a problem. There is no way around it, even with cushions that ultimately defeat the value of the AC/Heated seats. Lexus customer (no) service told me if they have enough comments they will consider a design change in future vehicles but as for now, nothing they can/will do.

• 

  New Lex RX 350 - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By ESL1227 - January 27 - 2:20 pm

  All in all Im satisfied with it, 2nd Lexus Ive owned, I cant decide whether I like it better than my 93 LS 400 though. The vehicle is so smooth that it kind of takes away from the driving experience. That and the blindspots are my only complaint. Also, the standard stereo is mediocre at best for a vehicle of this caliber. Definitely opt for the Mark Levinson system if possible. The exterior is classy and modern, the interior is gorgeous and ridiculously comfortable, and again it drives so smooth its pretty much not "fun" to drive. Thats good for some people I suppose.

• 

  LS430 - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Kevin Quadros - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I purchased the LS430 and I love this car so much. I think this is best car in the world and would never trade it for a MB or BMW. It is so quiet you have to look at the RPM gauge to make sure its on. The dash glows with delight. In bright sunlight the dash does not drown out the beautiful LED lights on it. The AC has digital read out wright in middle of the car so you can read it for driver and passanger. You cannot go wrong with the this LS430.

• 

  Only the Best - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By Michael Koerner - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Absolutely automotive perfection. Better than I could even dream.

• 

  Best Car - 2003 Lexus LS 430
  By T.Brammer - January 27 - 10:00 am

  I have owned a 2000 E450 & 2003 E320. Did not like first, though I would like second. Had lots of mechanical (electrical) problem. Wife has a LS430 and we both loved it. I traded 2003 E320 for another LS 430. Now we both have one and both of us love them. No problems at all. It makes you look for a reason to go somewhere.