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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  A True Lexus at Heart - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Ian Aker - March 29 - 1:10 am

  Having owned a GX 470 for about a year, I can honestly say that Lexus builds great cars, and that Lexus dealerships take great care of their clients. Overall the car drives just like many other Lexi, bland steering but with a solidarity only found in a few other car makes.

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  Reliable comfortable,and quick! - 2012 Lexus ES 350
  By Anthony J. Paparella - March 26 - 8:57 am

  I have owned this 2012 ES350 car for one year and find it to be a real fine vehicle.I do wish mine had navigation and a rear camera but most everything about the car is satisfactory so far.Plenty of pep,seats are comfortable (heated and cooled)and ride is excellent. I would say the ride is the best feature as it is quiet and smooth.As far as transmission and handling I would say it is adequate and could have used some improvement but definitely not a big deal. I would like to see a heated steering wheel and definitely an all wheel option for the ES350.I also have HID lighting where the lights turn with the angle of the road and those are great to have.I really dont know how it handles in snow as I dont drive it in the snow but use my wifes Toyota Rav 4 in wimter weather.We have owned Toyotas for 12 years now (though I do have a Corvette also) and their reliability has been nothing but fantastic for us.I would love to own a Lexus LS 460 AW drive but not sure if that will ever happen.Maybe if I get to old for my Corvette I can use that for a tradeup. Anyways Toyota-Lexus make great automobiles as far as my family is concerned and I recommend them.

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  Quiet smooth ride with good safety features - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Jim Hughes - March 25 - 7:08 am

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  Excellence pursued - 2000 Lexus ES 300
  By Spain1966 - March 25 - 2:00 am

  Part of why I have enjoyed this car so much is that I got a great deal (with Edmunds help of course). But almost everything about the car we have enjoyed. Plush interior, nice get-up- and-go, excellent sound system, and EXCELLENT reliablilty (no problems whatsoever). Would buy another Lexus in a heartbeat.

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  Hesitation and squealing of belts - 2006 Lexus RX 330
  By bryan - March 18 - 5:33 am

  My car rides and looks the part... but hesitates shifting on highway and in town. I had to have the drive shaft replaced luckily under warranty. It recently started squealing like a bad belt. I have had to replace the brakes at only 55k. The maintenance is definitely way more than their over blown reputation.

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  RX 400h - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By xdentx - March 14 - 10:16 am

  Mileage after 6000 miles is about 24.5 overall. Less than I would have liked. Fab sound system and GPS. Handles much quicker and rides better than my old RX 300. Transmission a little too noisy upon hard acceleration. Would like more soundproofing overall. Still an excellent car.

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  decent car, but........ - 2001 Lexus IS 300
  By ugmike - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Only 1 trip to the dealer for a plastic piece falling off under the car. The main problem I have had with this car, is that the transmission acts confused sometimes. Sometimes when you press the gas, nothing happens for a second! Its like the engine/transmission programming is wacked or something. I read a couple magazines that mention this also. WAKE UP LEXUS! Also, this car shared too many parts with the Corolla, just look at the steering wheel. Performance is not great, its definitely no M3 by any means. For the price/performance, Im going to look at one of the new Acuras, they are incredible. it go. But it has been a good car.

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  Mixed Reviews - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By Meow - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I LOVE the look of this car. I have gotten so many compliments on it. Ive always had BMWs and find this ride to be worse than the BMW. It has more horsepower than my BMWs, but it doesnt drive like a fast car. The interior is luxurious but a little tight. Stereo system rocks! Now the negatives, the seatbelts flap in the back when the top is down. The trunk never opens easily... you have to keep pushing the buttons and then you have to push the trunk down and finally it will click open. You cant put ANYTHING in it when the top is down. On the good side, there is nothing like cruising in the sunshine with the top down and tunes blaring.

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  Toyota Quality Gone Astray - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By ukfan4sure! - March 5 - 2:00 am

  This is a very nice riding vehicle. For the most part reliable, but when it hits you, it hits you hard. Every since I have owned this vehicle, it has stumbled, sputtered, and fell on its face at random times of its own choosing. I have had it into the shop many times and most of the time they replace the components most likely to cause the problem based on the "codes" it throws. No fix. Ever. It is so unreliable, my wife says NEVER AGAIN will we buy Lexus. NOW, we find out that the transmission is going out (with regular maintenance given) and this is just the last straw. Its gonna cost us $4 grand to fix. Wow. Now Im even saying NEVER AGAIN. What a shame for such a nice vehicle.

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  Had to put new tires on the car - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By Al D - March 3 - 6:05 am

  We experienced major problems with the tires the car was delivered with. The tires cupped at 16,000 miles. Car became very noisy. Lexus agreed to cover half the cost to put a set of new Michellin tires on the car which we did. Made a world of difference. At 50,100 miles on the car, we love it. Would consider a new one, but dont like the current styling.