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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  total disappointment - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Peter Liu - February 1 - 2:00 am

  The car pulls to left and can not be repaired. I was told some cars got this way from having its suspention tied down during shipment. Its nothing a couple thousand miles wouldnt fix and the body will adjust itself. Theyre now insisting its fixed but I firmly believe it can not be fixed thats why the dealership has tried to cover it up by withholding repair orders from me and combining 2 repair attempts into one, stating the repair order will get mailed to me later etc. None of my friends and relatives will ever buy a Lexus period, especially from DiFeo Lexus in New Jersey

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  Not a Winter Car - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By JasonW - December 14 - 2:00 am

  I must tell all that are interested in the IS300 to BEWARE if you live in even mild winter climates. I own this car and purchased the limited slip differential and thought that the snow button in the car would help but they do nothing at all in even mild snow conditions. I live in Louisville, KY. It is like driving a death trap. I almost got in a wreck the first week I bought it and actually wrecked this past Thanksgiving. I have to put 200lbs of salt bags in the small trunk to hopefully keep me from sliding and spinning my back tires. Dont buy this car unless you live in the SOUTH!

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  Poor car to own - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Patti K. - November 30 - 2:00 am

  Came with bad tires out alienment. Turn lamp fell off. Floats on the road. Low to the ground getting in and out. Cruise control terrible, it down shifts and charges when going up the slightest incline. Will not return to set speed on cruise if you come to a stop or slow way down, you have to reset everytime you hit your brakes. Hoped I would like the car but I dont. Back seating cramped for leg. Air to back seat is poor. Windshield is sloped and causes extreme heat entrance into the car, Sunvisor has a light switch that should be automatic. The passenger has to hit the button in the backseat to unlock each door everytime if the passsenger wants out.

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  Worst car ever - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By kelli - November 9 - 2:43 pm

  My third Lexus. First two 96 and 98 ES300s were great. This car has been cheapened up. Most repairs ever. The wheels bend. The aluminum is too soft. It has no power and the tranny shifts when you would think it wouldnt. Sway bar links, struts, wheel bearings, lights, wheels, all replaced. Check engine light comes on and off. It was a older one owner vehicle and it has been the worst vehicle I have ever owned. Avoid this model. Gonna take my losses and try the ES350.

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  4th Lexus/Toyota Product: Its The Worst - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By cybersofla - September 12 - 2:30 am

  SO disappointed in this vehicle. HORRIBLE ride. HATE the tailgate. We call it the "weeble" because it wobbles in turns. CONSISTENT issue with transmission which they are apparently unable to fix, as it comes back again and again. Seriously considering lemon law on this one, as another reviewer I saw here. I have few good things to say about this vehicle.

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  Lexus `SC430 engine blew up - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By Ronald Sage - August 21 - 10:00 am

  In about nine inches of water on the road the car stalled and the engine blew. Lexus could not explain it and refused to cover it. Apparantly in any situation where there is water over the lowest point of the bumper it scoops into the engine compartment. This appears to be a serious design defect.

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  Hasnt Lived Up To The Lexus Reputation - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By Vivvy - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Legendary Lexus quality--the total ownership experience--has turned out to be more legend than reality in this case. The dealerships service dept has been less than stellar, far surpassed by the local Accura dealership--and even the local Honda dealer. Whats wrong with the car? Lots of little things, surprisingly too many to write down. An overall disappointment.

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  Bought - Sent it Back - 2016 Lexus NX 200t
  By MicheleZ - July 1 - 4:35 pm

  My husband and I bought the Lexus NX thinking that this would suit us better now that we were "empty nesters" and no longer needed the larger size of our previous Lexus RX, but still wanting the luxury and height of an SUV. After driving the car for a day we quickly realized that this SUV was far was luxurious! The front bucket seats curved in at the shoulders and the headrest was designed in such a way that it pushes the drivers head forward causing constant neck discomfort. There were a couple of other factors that caused us concern regarding this SUV (e.g. the touch pad for the multimedia screen and the limited side rear view when you are attempting to change lanes), but with time we could have probably learned to overcome these novelties. Thankfully the dealership took back the Lexus NX and we ended up with a 2017 BMW X3...which has given us the luxury, comfort, and size that we were looking for all along. I would like to say that I will one day go back to a Lexus since I was a happy driver of a Lexus RX for the past 8 years, but right now my heart is with BMW.

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  transmission problems - 2014 Lexus ES 350
  By lew18 - June 4 - 12:55 pm

  After owning and loving an ES300 for many years, I purchased a 2014 ES350 and immediately was bothered by transmission problems. If I take my foot off the gas and coast between 45 and 20 mph the car downshifts and feels like my foot is on the brake. Continuing to coast, at some point the car upshifts on its own and feels like Ive put my foot on the gas. My dealer acknowledged that the car behaves as Ive described, but told me that this is the way it is designed to operate. They told me that if I didnt like the way it drives I shouldnt have purchased it. I wish I had been warned about a possible transmission issue when I researched the car on Edmunds.

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  wont tolerate bumps - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By daubach - May 13 - 10:00 am

  where I live, roads are bad, ive bent 1 rim from a pothole, wheels wear out very quickly, car dynamics are excellent