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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  Nice car, but needed major repair - 2015 Lexus RX 350
  By Donna Hodges - February 28 - 12:51 pm

  We bought our RX 350 in September of 2015. We also have a 1999 Lexus RX 300 that we love. After owning the RX 350 for only 5 months we noticed an oil leak under the car. We took it to the dealer and it was an oil leak from the timing chain cover. Very disappointed with this. The dealer said it would take at least a week to repair it. We never had any major problems with our 1999 RX.

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  Its a lexus? its not a lexus family - 2004 Lexus IS 300
  By ShoeBox - February 26 - 10:00 am

  If you can afford IS300, Im pretty sure you have many other car to buy. I already bought IS300 on 2001, I didnt have that choice back then. IS300 looked the best at that time, but now If you want to buy a new IS300, I dont think you should consider getting one. Why? The seat lumbar support sucks for 6 ft tall people. Its too low. Its too small. Handling is okay. Engine is good, but for that low hp with the bad gas milleage, thats a big no no. Small power with crazy gas milleage? You should consider about that. You can buy Acura TL, Infinity G35 coupe, Audi A4, Saab 9-3, etc. I regret buying IS300.

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  Looks nice at first but..... - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By 2 time RX330 owner - February 24 - 8:03 am

  My 2004 RX330 had 20k miles and was LEXUS CERTIFIED. I owned the vehicle approx 70 day of this over 35 days were spent in the shop. The dealership was nice and offered to replace it with a new one "of course for MORE MONEY". I was assured that this was an "out of the ordinary situation" WRONG! My 2005 Rx330 still has a rattling sound in the rear drivers 1/4 panel at highway speeds (70+), after dealing with the dealer for several months I finally took some fishing string and wrapped it around the flemsy plastic clamp to stop the rattlle. It also has a nagging delay when accelerating from near stop (this is only on AWD vehicles). A 2WD loaner and it drove ok.

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  Poor successor to the past - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Sailor - February 19 - 8:40 pm

  This is the fourth RX I have owned and by far the least satisfying and most troublesome. The front bumper kept popping out of the clips, the car creaked and snapped on the freeway and the steering wheel was off level even after three tries to align it. After it suffered a freeway debris hit to the nose the body shop replaced the front bumper and it fit perfectly. The car was realigned and the steering wheel leveled by an outside alignment shop. How come a body shop could fix what the dealer never could and why did all those things need fixing in the first place? For approximately 60,000 a Lexus shouldnt need those kind of repairs just to look and run right. Advice to buyers: DONT!

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  RX 400h - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By Kevin Scherer - February 18 - 2:40 pm

  The vehicle performs well is comfortable but the mileage is not near the numbers that Lexus indicates. We get about 22 miles per gallon overall (we have not checked highway verses city but drive city about 60% of the time). Also, they should provide the wood interior as an option as only the silver was available so we had to pay for wood trim to be added (Lexus installed an aftermarket wood kit).

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  Good Luxury SUV - 2001 Lexus LX 470
  By llrinco - February 18 - 4:06 am

  Smooth ride, luxury features. After 110K miles it has needed some repairs (ignition broke, suspension wiring went berserk).

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  First Lexus, Not the Last - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By GeoffM - February 14 - 10:00 am

  Our first SUV,purchased with 45k and factory certification to 100k. Great ride, handling a little mushy around corners, but good for SUV. Very comfortable, and we always "feel" the pleasure of a luxury riding vehicle. Very quiet ride. Did not get the NAV system, but am planning on purchasing top-of-the-line portable system. Have tested the new Acura MDX and BMW X5, and while nice cars, we still like the RX better. This is my wifes car, but I like it so much that Im buying a 2001 AWD RX Silversport with 33k, factory certified, sports suspension that handles curves better. I never buy new; let some other guy eat the depreciation.

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  Long term REview 2006 Lexus RX400h - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By kimcanada - February 13 - 12:02 am

  Long term results report. I had my invertor replaced september 3, 2010. So far it has been bullet proof. Toyota fixed this $10,000 repair for free. Basically it is a faulty invertor , recall # 87559 June 29, 2011. This was at 64,000 miles and I am now at 96,000 miles with everything working well. I had to do the timing belt, tensioners, water pump , as part of the recommended 90,000 mile maintenance. I also had to do a radiator and front control arm bushings so this was a major bill. I did switch tires to Yokohama Paradas so the car rides very well but thye are not the longest lasting tires. Gotta figure if there is a cheaper way than a lexus dealer. But in thinking of doing all this work I decided this is a overall very reliable car and worth doing as the car rides well, looks good, and is nice to drive. I figure the Prius s I have seen used as cabs are going over 300,000 miles so there is some precedent for long term ownership. Yes I would buy one again ( and I guess by fixing it I am planning another 90,000 miles , I hope ! )

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  6th Lexus in 7 years - 2006 Lexus RX 330
  By L. Smith - February 10 - 1:20 am

  This is our first front wheel drive Lexus product. To be honest, it will probably be our last. The RX 330 has a very well laid out interior, great leather, good controls. The engine is a little hard to start and loud. There is significantly more road noise with the RX than our previous Lexus SUVs we have owned. We never expereinced this with other Lexus products. For basic transportation the RX 330 is fine. I feel the RX 330 is over rated and over priced.

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  If you can afford it.... - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By cltaylor12 - February 8 - 4:33 pm

  The style of the Lexus 400h Hybrid is excellent (the same as the RX330). If you can afford it, it is worth the purchase. Otherwise, if you need more room for children and cargo, go with the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Both use the same technology. Also, be sure to get the navigation system; it is $2,000 but worth having.