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:

• 

  Great car! - 2002 Lexus SC 430
  By Dog - February 14 - 10:00 am

  The Lexus Sc430 is a very good car. Its a good car because it has many little devices inside of it. Such as heited seats, and a navigation system. It is also a convertble. It is a hard top convertble. The top goes in the trunk. The Sc430 also has very good wood and leather. It also has a very good trunk space when the top is up. The seats are very comfterable. In conclusion, this is a very good car.

• 

  The Best - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By Pat - February 14 - 8:40 am

  I bought the Platinum Lexus LS400 in October of 2001 used. It had 13000+ miles on it. Great power and ride. Fun to drive and best of all my wife thanks me often for buying this car. She does not care for autos in general but knows quality when she sees it!! Great car!!!

• 

  Whats a Bimmer? - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By April B - February 14 - 1:13 am

  I think this car is at the top of the sport sedan list!

• 

  LS 400 - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By ls400 - February 14 - 1:10 am

  Nice in all aspects, the body is a head turner. Reliable, will probably last a lifetime with a proper maintenance.

• 

  Still Running Strong - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By wilsonmd - February 14 - 12:20 am

  Weve had our car for almost 6 years now. It currently has 140,000 miles on it and I am happy to say they have been carefree miles! We havent had to do anything to this car (other than normal maintenance)! It still rides smooth and quiet!

• 

  Best Value in a Luxury Car - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Starbowl - February 13 - 2:33 pm

  Overall, the best car I have ever owned. Attention to detail is second to none.

• 

  Topless Heaven - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By lithargic - February 9 - 2:00 am

  Driving the SC430 is like being in topless heaven. It is impossible to drive this car without having people stop to look it over from top to bottom. The convertible hard top goes up and down quickly and reliably and, when the top is up, it drives a quietly as any hardtop. But with the top down it is a blast to drive! I traded a Mercedes SL500 for this car and I will never go back. The Lexus is better built, better looking, and costs thousands less.

• 

  Rough shifting 1st-2nd gear - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By LAP500 - February 9 - 2:00 am

  Drove the demo, fell in love, but wish now that I had test driven the actual car I purchased. Frequent hesitation then lurching occurs at first to second gear changes. Feels like the transmission is trying to figure out what to do. Didnt experience this in the demo. Took the car in to the shop. Believe the service department made some software tweaks. Now feels like the problem is worse. Gives me a very unsafe feeling when pulling out into traffic. Have scheduled another service visit. Lexus has been very responsive so far; hope they will come up with a solution. If not for the shifting problem, I would rate the vehicle an overall 9.0

• 

  good car, design flaws - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By spam - February 9 - 1:46 am

  This is my 2nd ls430 in a row. There is too much wind noise and the dealership, although accomodating (they even replaced the wind shield) could not find the problem. They took out the occilating front vents (great feature), the message recorder and the emergency sat link. All missed very much. The seats are less comfortable. This is my first "ultra luxury" package, and my last.

• 

  Excellent Choice - 1995 Lexus LS 400
  By RXR - February 8 - 10:00 am

  All cars should be built as well as a Lexus. Obviously auto makers can build a top qaulity car but apparently choose not to unless your willing to pay for top dollar. Solution! A used Lexus! This has been an excellent car and mine still runs smooth, quiet, and fast even for having over a 100,000 miles on it. 7 years old and it still turns heads and looks great. This car is an excellent choice even as a used model.