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:

• 

  What a change from GM - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Jerry Katz - May 27 - 2:00 am

  After 45 years of driving mostly full size luxury cars, this Lexus is the first non-US car ever purchased. What a wonderful surprise. After only 3 weeks, has exceeded all my expectations but it might take some time getting used to sitting in a smaller vehicle.

• 

  I love this car - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By Doreen M - May 24 - 12:30 am

  The Lexus 330 is a pleasure to drive and handles exceptionally in the snow. The ride is smooth, quiet and comfortable. It hold 5 people well but is most suited for four. Cargo is not huge, but holds enough for most trips. A cartop carrier takes care of big cargo loads. I love the engines power when I need to accelerate quickly.

• 

  Lots of rattle - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By pma022 - May 22 - 4:36 pm

  Bought the ES 2 weeks ago. Today was the 3rd time it went back to dealer. Lots of rattles from front passenger door, front deck (stereo area), rear deck (seat belt). I was driving their loaner ES 350. That car has nearly same rattles as mine. Rattling is the problem you cant find during test drive. After you take the car, if theres a rattle you need to locate a more precise spot so that it may be easier for their technicians to find and fix. Really doubt about Lexuss quality. Others than rattling, I enjoy my ES very much. Fast and comfortable.

• 

  03 GX470 - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By peter a johnson - May 21 - 10:00 am

  i sold a LS430 LOADED, AND PURCHASED THE GX470, I MISS SOME OF THE OPTIONS BUT I AM VERY PLEASED WITH LEXUS, PURSUIT TO PERFECTION, AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE THE CLOSEST. I HAVE OWNED THEM ALL BMW 740 IL, MERCEDES S BODY, FOR PURE QUALITY LEXUS IS #1.

• 

  After Three Months Of Looking I found It - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By lifeisajourney - May 21 - 10:00 am

  I looked for a vehicle since the end of January 2003. Test drove six different ones including the BMW X 5, Range Rover, Volvo, and done of them were what I was looking for. My husband saw a commercial for the 2004 RX 330 on Thursday night, suggested I go take a look on Friday, took it home Saturday! I LOVE it. I do not feel like a "soccer mom", as my youngest just left for college. It is soooo comfortable, great visibility, somewhat sleek (not BMW sleek racy), the perfect vehicle for me.

• 

  This Is My Second Lexus GX - 2016 Lexus GX 460
  By Patrick - May 20 - 4:48 pm

  Drove a 2006 Lexus GX for 10 years and 130,000 miles. Not one problem from the day I drove it off the dealers lot. In August 2016 I purchased a new 2016 GX 460. It is a solid car; extremely quiet and the workmanship is high quality. Very pleased with it. I looked a numerous SUVs ( not crossovers ) and kept coming back to the Lexus GX. For the money it is a good value. Anticipate driving this one for another 10 years.

• 

  1999 Lexus ES 300 - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By Don Sherman - May 20 - 2:00 pm

  Car is in excellent condition save a slight mar on the drivers seat and a few parking lot dings. Everything works as new except for one digit on the LCD multi-CD disply. Excellent handling. Amenities are numerous and dependability is excellent. Quality control is evident throughout. Good acceleration and stopping. Great car for being a decade old.

• 

  Its Good To Be The King - 2000 Lexus LX 470
  By mrfogle - May 19 - 3:30 am

  After looking over many of the luxury SUVs available. The LX is hands down the best "real" SUV you can buy. This 2000 vehicle has almost all the features my new 2006 sedan has (heated seats, auto dimming rear views) and some it doesnt (electronic stability control to prevent rollovers, ride height adjustment and real time dynamic suspension, and two independent climate controls for front and rear passengers). And even though a bit sluggish from a stop, it has lots of pulling power (80% of which is available at just 1100 rpm!), the sign of a "true" SUV with an engine designed for it, not just out of a truck. You will get use to the gas mileage.

• 

  Bad Transmission - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By Liz - May 19 - 3:06 am

  I just got in to this 2000 Rx 300 and was great it had 113k now over 1 month of driving have 115K and the transmission is gone, I love the suv but a lots of friend said that after 100k trans goes bad , I hope some one told me that before I got in to this pay in cash over $9,000 and now new trans. is a very bad luck or they have this problem and no one report this? please let the consumer to know about this before we keep putting our money on trash.

• 

  The Best of the Best - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By scubadoc - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This is my second SC. Replaced a MB SEC 500 AMG and will continue with the Lexus nameplate because of reliability and quality.