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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  new owner - 1998 Lexus ES 300
  By Craig W. - October 6 - 2:00 am

  I bought this vehicle with 92,000 miles on it. My wife and I immediately went for a road trip and put 1,300 additional miles on it. It is an awesome vehicle. Good power and a smooth ride. Were still learning about the different features/buttons that come with it. I think one of the struts needs to be replaced, but other than that, it didnt even hint at having problems. Great car.

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  NOT FOR THE COLD STATES - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By Brenda - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Love the style, fun to drive. Not good on gas but not suprised. The biggest suprise was its performance on a snowy road!!! TERRIBLE! I relocated to a cold state just 2 months ago, bought this car and Im not sure what to do. I couldnt start accelerating from a stop and slid while driving. Tire dealer recommended slow down and drive a different car! Great car but only in a sunshine state.

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  NOT FOR THE COLD STATES - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By brenda - October 6 - 2:00 am

  Love the style, fun to drive. Not good on gas but not suprised. The biggest suprise was its performance on a snowy road!!! TERRIBLE! I relocated to a cold state just 2 months ago, bought this car and Im not sure what to do. I couldnt start accelerating from a stop and slid while driving. Tire dealer recommended slow down and drive a different car! Great car but only in a sunshine state.

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  Good overall combination. - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Don - September 30 - 2:25 am

  I had two Toyota Highlanders before this Lexus RX350 FSPORT. The latest Highlander was an 08 Sport model. I got an FSPORT for the tighter suspension because the regular RX350 is supposed to be a little squishy for handling. I also test drove an Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Macan, Acura MDX and RDX, BMW X5 and X3 and a Highlander hybrid. Every one is a good SUV, but as a total package including reliability, I liked the Lexus. I have 5,500 miles on it right now. I have pushed it hard on a very curvy road to the neighborhood and it handles very well. There is just a hint of wanting to break loose when pushed to the limit, but body lean and steering are as good as it gets for an SUV. A Porsche might beat it, but not by much. The seating is comfortable, but my right knee wants to bump the underside of the dash or the center console when driving (Im 61"). The seat and wheel move out of the way to enter and exit - nice touch. Mark Levinson sound system is very good and road and wind noise are hushed. Tons of safety features on my vehicle...radar cruise control is nice but ...more later, blind spot monitoring works very well, lane keeping assist is nice but can be annoying because it makes many small corrections, triple beam lights are very good, auto hi beams pretty good at detecting other cars but just a bit slow to respond at times, Acceleration is great but "Eco" mode constantly shifts back and forth at lower rpms in lower gears. Visibility is good except out the rear sides where the C pillar blocks the view badly (backup camera makes up for that to some degree). Some of the safety features are tricky and at times annoying - they are not as refined as I would like. Examples: Radar cruise control resets based on the last set speed, not your current speed, unless you brake or cancel the setting and nothing tells you this; so if you set it at 35 and then accelerate to 55 and reset it, it will go to 34, not 55...not good for the cars behind you! Radar cruise will also bring the car to a near stop behind someone turning off to the right - so much so that a vehicle behind you may not expect it. Radar cruise will automatically trail and stop behind a car in front, but when you approach a car stopped at a red light, it is like a game of chicken - the car will stop, but it is too quick for comfort. When you reset radar cruise to a lower speed , it sometimes slows the car down by braking and other times it downshifts - unpredictability is not what I paid for. With a bike rack in a trailer hitch mount behind the car, you have to disable multiple safety features in order to be able to back up. You can override it temporarily by keeping your foot on the gas, but it is a tricky maneuver. The manual doesnt tell you this happens, so you get to call Lexus to ask how to make the car back up. The navigation display quit working as did the left side dash info screen for no apparent reason...restarted the car and it was okay. Nav system will take you on little back roads to save you 30 seconds rather than weighing time/distance with better roads - you will get there, but in a suboptimal way ... always check a map too. The A.C. system is anemic in cooling the car when it has been sitting in the sun - needs the fan to rev up more temporarily. Styling is a love it or hate it proposition and I am still undecided about that. You cannot get roof cross bars from Lexus if you have the panoramic roof - you must go to the aftermarket. Lexus says you have to modify the rear suspension on the FSport if you add their trailer hitch - but not if you buy a Curt hitch from etrailer! So, read all the footnotes for every option which is where this info is hidden. Given the price, reliability, handling, comfort, safety features, and interior space, this is a good bang for the buck, but disappointing in several annoying ways. I bought mine through Costcos auto buying program from a dealer 225 miles away and his price was $1,700 below invoice (not MSRP) with a few BS add ons to get $600 of profit back. I thought it was a good deal since it gave up all the regular margin and his 2% hold back. MSRP with options and delivery was $61,000.

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  Still not sure - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By pam - September 27 - 12:43 am

  I purchased this vehicle 5 mos ago. I am enjoying it however I am concerned that the engine noise is louder than I am used to. I do not like the arm rest. Otherwise the ride is very comfortable. Servicing is more expensive than expected. Paint job dulls quickly. (black) Need to have it detailed and waxed too often. I came from a Cadillac and it had more electronic information capabilities.

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  Best Car Ever - 2000 Lexus LS 400
  By Sadie Benning - September 25 - 1:40 am

  Ive driven many cars over the years and this Lexus is by far the best. My previous was a Toyota Celica Convertible, which was also as reliable, but after 12 years I wanted more comfort. I found it!

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  Simply the Best, 2005 Lexus LX 470 - 2005 Lexus LX 470
  By wlsn951 - September 23 - 12:10 pm

  My new LX470 is absolutely spectacular in ever way except fuel mileage. This is my second LX470, the first being a 2002. As delivered, from day one, there have been no problems what so ever. Nice to drive, great fit and finish, and impressive off road performance. What else can I say, it is a Lexus. Dave

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  New car for safety. - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By Roland Philip - September 22 - 9:12 pm

  Electronics, navigation, radio complex and not intuitive. Need to study manual which is complicated.

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  Great Looking Car - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By Karen - September 21 - 5:30 am

  I feel very safe driving my GX 470. The navigation system is outstanding, the best I have ever seen. Even though it is a mid size SUV this car can easily fit into standard parking spaces. Sound system is top of the line

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  RX 350 Noisy Engine - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By hoop999 - September 17 - 10:00 am

  I a have a 2010 RX 350 with about 9,000 miles. The engine has developed loud valve and tappet (I think) noise after about 5,000 miles. I am working with Lexus to find a resolution to this problem and have worked with the local service manager, the actual technician and a regional specialist. So far they have given me an answer that I dont think I or other RX350 users are going to like; which is "thats the way the engine sounds". Interestingly, I test drove a loaner with 700 miles (no noise) and a loaner with 12,000 miles (same bothersome noise as my auto). This could be a really big problem for Lexus in that owners buy their product for comfort, power and a quiet ride.