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:

• 

  New 2010 RX 350 - Lots of Systems Problems - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By omgl777 - November 7 - 3:06 am

  My new 2010 RX 350 started off great. This good feeling lasted about 2 months until my first technical problem. Since the new Navi/radio system is so intricate and connected to everything, Ive had problems with the climate controls, Navitraffic, XM Satellite radio and HUD display. Im in shock. I thought Lexus quality stood for more. Well, my car has been back to the dealer 4 times, each visit averaging 3 days. Every time, the same story, we need to research this, we are unfamiliar with the new systems. I think I should have waited until they had gotten the bugs out. How frustrating my new car experience has been. Be forewarned.

• 

  Over committed, under delivered - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Jim C - November 7 - 1:20 am

  Have only had the RX350 for 2 weeks. Ride is smooth, handling is good, overall a good car, but not great.. The packages are hokey. The hands free tail gate which is on almost every car has worked once. Try to use it and Im out there waving my hand over the sensor, looking like an idiot and then need to open it conventionally. This wouldnt bother me except they charge $200 for this worthless option and it is packaged in most cars. Another such option is the heated steering wheel. Cant even tell it is on. The Navigation system which ties to your phone (Scout GP) is worthless. It cant decipher what you are asking. Neither my wife or I have had any luck with it trying business names, addresses, anything. Havent tried the remote start via phone app yet, but it is disappointing that a car in this price range doesnt have one standard. If it does end up working, it t is free for one year, then $160 per year afterwards....Too expensive, will ultimately end up putting in an aftermarket starter. When we picked the car up, they wasted too much time trying to sell add on packages and spent very little time explaining the features. Wasted time rebooting the entire car because the hands free tail gate wouldnt work. Overall, much less than the stellar buying experience Lexus advertises. Lexus obviously has a loyal base and as such is stingy with discounting, but I would suggest giving similar cars a better look. Over priced for what is delivered.

• 

  Awesome car, nav a bit disappointing - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Chicagoboy - November 5 - 9:40 pm

  Car looks and drives great. Ride is cloud-like. Much softer steering than my old SC 400 a sports car but its a sedan and to be expected. Everything is great but NAV/GPS could be much better. Voice recognition works great so far except it is horrible with street names. Easy names bring up other streets. Its like 1 for 4. Thats unacceptable. Also, you cannot type in destinations or bring up lists of places while driving only when stopped. Voice recog. works while driving but its slow process. Its not a deal killer but I expected a much better nav design. Still a winner of a car. No Sirius radio installed bc of probs. Hope Lexus fixes this soon. Highly recommend car.

• 

  2001 Lexus RX300 - 2001 Lexus RX 300
  By karamzin - November 5 - 9:53 am

  I bought my 2001 Lexus RX300 almost two years ago with 89K, now it has 98K and I love this car. Its a laxuary car with a lot of options. Also, mine has its factory navigation system, so I just changed the disc to 2011 and Im happy. All I have to say its a perfect family car especially in a winter time when it snows.

• 

  Looks, excellent; integrity, lacking. - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By JMadden - November 4 - 4:36 pm

  Wow! What a beautiful car; especially in comparison to the older model. However, Lexus really dropped the ball on this one. Granted it could be that I just happened to purchase a lemon but my car is at the dealer usually once or twice, sometimes more, a month for just about everything under the sun--from off track head-lamp washers to faulty oxygen sensors. If you want a car that looks very timeless then this is the car for you. If you want something reliable; Id suggest a Yugo before this car.

• 

  Wonderful, reliable - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By Marie - November 3 - 1:26 pm

  I have had my 1996 ES Lexus since it was brand new, summer of 1996. Now more than 10 yrs later and 93,000 miles on it, it still drives like a dream. We just took it on 3 long road trips, each trip was about 14-18 hours roundtrip, two of the trips were in 109 degree temps so AC was blasting, absolutely no problems whatsoever! To this day, I still get excellent mileage, 24-26 mpg mixed city and highway. On the way back from AZ to LA, I got 33 mpg, unbelievable. Kept up with oil changes every 5000 miles, other than that my only costs were tires, battery, brake pads, etc when they wore out, and the timing belt, etc at 90,000 because nothing ever went wrong! Reliable, reliable, reliable!

• 

  RX330 - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By ctomseth - November 3 - 10:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. It can get expensive with options, but you get what you pay for. Even the "base" model is well-equipped and luxurious.

• 

  Wonderful to Drive - 2008 Lexus SC 430
  By 1driver2another - November 2 - 6:20 am

  This car is a complete joy. Two of my best friends also drive the Lexus SC430, and we all agree. Its the most fun, feel-good car weve ever driven! I enjoy the ease of the retractable hardtop and love the design/look of this car. People stop to compliment this beautiful Lexus.

• 

  A luxury bargain - 2005 Lexus LS 430
  By Ian Schmidt - November 2 - 4:20 am

  For those of us who dont define ourselves by the hood ornament on our car, the LS 430 is both a fantastic solidly-built car and a great deal. It drives much smaller than it is, its got great power when you "drop the hammer", the Mark Levinson stereo puts many high-dollar home systems to shame, and its truly comfortable for 5 adults. Plus its got enough trunk room to make you wonder why people buy SUVs, and the gas mileage is better than youd expect for a car of this size.

• 

  Great Vehicle - 2006 Lexus RX 400H
  By NXS - November 1 - 10:30 am

  Bought one for my wife in June to replace her gas guzzling Land Cruiser which was a fantastic vehicle but not for a housewife running around town, was averaging 12.8 per gallon. The Hybrid is averaging 27.3 overall. Fun to drive. Could not help but laugh at a previous readers review suggesting wood in the interior and steering wheel. THIS IS A HYBRID VEHICLE BUILT TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT, NOT CUT MORE TREES DOWN!!!!!