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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  Best Car I Have Ever Owned - 2004 Lexus LS 430
  By gatto01 - September 9 - 2:00 am

  The car drives like no other Ive owned. Very smooth & exceptionly quiet.MPG isnt bad, considering the 4.3 liter engine. The pick up is fine, the turning radius for a car this size is exceptional.Overall this car has to be rated one of the top cars in its catagory. The Lexus service is also a big plus.

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  My Lexus - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Ron Myers - September 9 - 2:00 am

  The es 330 has lots of power,and is a real pleasure to drive. It is very well built,and has the real feel of luxery.

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  RX330 Fan - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By pmonson - September 9 - 2:00 am

  Best luxury SUV in class. Styling is very pleasing to the eye. Too many wonderful features to list. Compared to MDX, FX35 and XC90, RX330 wins hands down. Lexus dealership experience much superior to Acura, Infinity and Volvo. Build quality is supurb.

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  Great Car - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Andy07030 - September 8 - 9:56 pm

  I had stuggled between the Acura RL and the Lexus GS. I have had the car for about 3 weeks and I really love it. The ride in the GS is very smooth and quite peppy. Simply put, the GS is classy. So if you are looking for a refined car that is great on gas and has a nice ride this is it. I leased my car and in 3 years who knows what will be out there.

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  LS400 - 1997 Lexus LS 400
  By Anetha - September 4 - 10:00 am

  I have owned several fancy cars and this is the second Lexus I have owned and I have loved both of them. The first was a GS300 and it was wonderful. A little smaller then the LS 400 but still a great car to drive. I will continue to drive them. Couldnt ask for a more great looking and driving car.

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  My MSM RX330 - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By msilverIS - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Im not too pleased with the transmission, which has a mind of its own sometimes. In stop & go traffic, it sometimes hunts for gears and gives a manual transmission-like shake. The overall ride is very smooth and quiet. No coin box. Faulty-designed mirror visors replaced, rear-door computer being replaced soon (hatch wont automatically open/close sometimes).

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  Reliable and Luxurious - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By kristeen - September 3 - 1:16 am

  We bought this car 2 years ago and it has been very reliable and convenient. With Lexus, you cant go wrong mechanically-what you get for your money is a total bargain. When you are in this price point, you cant skimp on some items and the navigation system is one of them. Of course if you choose to go with a stock stereo system its a good system as well, but dont expect the best if you dont want to pay for it. The interior spacing is very comfortable-we often seat 4 adults and 3 kids in carseats in our vehicle. Of course that is using the third row - which is ideal for carseats or children who do not really need leg room. Driving it is a dream - I feel safe in all weather conditions.

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  Theres NO better ride on the road - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Flutertuter - September 2 - 10:00 am

  This car is an absolute joy to own. Have driven many different comparable cars and this one is 1st class in its handling, braking and sound systems. The roominess of the interior is also a big plus. It gets extremely good gas mileage and is as much a pleasure to me after 15 months as the day I drove it off the lot!!!!!

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  2nd ES350 - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By Bob - September 1 - 5:06 pm

  I traded in a trouble free 07 ES350 for the 10. Separately, the changes for 2010 are minor, but collectively they are well done and really add to the overall appeal of the car. We cross shopped the new LaCrosse, Infiniti G37x and some other imports, but for the price and our satisfaction with the 07 it was an easy choice to go with the Lexus. We are enjoying the new one even more than the previous car. Especially the improved NAV, XM radio and Enform. Not sure yet if Ill renew either but time will tell.

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  My First Lexus - 1996 Lexus LS 400
  By GKLCPA - September 1 - 9:23 am

  Ive no brand loyalty and have never purchased the same car twice. I believe that will change now. I purchased a 1996 LX 400 with 37,000 miles on it and have been driving it around this weekend. The only thing I can say about this car is that it is incomparable to any other vehicle Ive owned. (Ive owned Mercedes 190E, BMW535i, Maxima and Volvo 740 Turbo). It beats them all. The ride and build quality is simply superb. I had the car up to 90 mph on the highway and it felt like I was going 50 mph. It is the perfect road car and I see myself getting years of service from this car. Im quite pleased with my purchase.