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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  sporty machine - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By scav_555 - May 13 - 10:00 am

  very sporty but not luxurious can do with more elegance and class, like BMWs and Audis and Benzs

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  Lexus Engine failure at 23K miles - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By Ikanutlose - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Not only did this piece of garbage blow upwith little mileage, the dealer would not honor the warranty. The Toyota leasing company promised to inspect the vehicle but didnt see fit to do so after 6 months of calls. I will never buy another lexus or toyota product again. Btw, on the toyota website they mention the engine design flaw which caused this problem but take no responsibility for it. Just bums.

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  EXCESSIVE RUSTING - 2004 Lexus SC 430
  By ONTHE BCH2001 - April 28 - 10:00 am

  since purchasing the car ive had rust problems. it first started on the door and then moved to the retractable roof. i had the rust removed from the roof 4 times to date.to top that off i was told on my last schedulled visit that my whole undercarriage is rusted out.for the last 9 months my lawyers are fighting lexus to buy the car back. i would not recommend buying any product from lexus.

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  Need to go back to manufactor - 2003 Lexus ES 300
  By Dissapointed - April 2 - 2:00 am

  Problem with transmission program. Vehicle drive sluggesh from 0 to 20. Manufacture enhancement made problem worse. No present fix for now.

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  Our piece of crap Lexus - 2008 Lexus GX 470
  By m - February 25 - 2:36 pm

  We bought this car in November before Thanksgiving and I wish we would not have. We compared it between the Tahoe and Escalade and decided to go with the Lexus because of the resale value. What I really hate this car because of the lack of trunk space with the third row folded up and the big bulky 4wd shifter. Most manufactures have put 4wd at the touch of a button and lexus desided to leave it as a shifter to take up half of center console. Because of the positioning of the shifter and 4wd shifter you have to reach around to control the heated seat controls which gets old real quick. The transmision is all so a joke because it has shifted into a higher gear as soon as i begin to lay into it

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  Lexus, please FIX drone noise and vibration issue! - 2017 Lexus RX 350
  By viwami77 - November 11 - 2:04 pm

  GOOD: Sharp design and nice looking inside and out. Quality interior materials. No squeaking noises. Roomy interior, luxury feel. Good base stereo. BAD: Second year in production, and common issue with annoying drone noise + vibration still not fixed! Hard to believe!!! Transition is set for maximum mpg and hardly forcing higher gears / lower rpms causing drone noise and vibration coming from inadequately designed exhaust system while slow incline on higher gear/lower rpms. Dealer said: it is normal characteristic of the new RXs. 2016 and 2017 are affected, no fix until now (end of January 2018). Illogical entertainment system, very confusing to navigate, not intuitive at all. No manual on/off controls for AC. Slow throttle respond. Slow acceleration. Slow rear gate. Heavy doors. Voice recognition does not understand me most of the time. Too soft power-steering, feels like a driver has no 100% control. Too soft suspension (my is 2WD not F-Sport model) feels unstable in curves. Transition shifting is strange, sometimes is not sure what gear should choose. Definitely not what I expected form Lexus and 50,000.00. Our other cars: 2011 Outback 2.5 is quiet and smooth like years ago while dealer delivery, and absolutely outstanding 2017 F-Pace diesel - pleasure and fun to drive with no single issue. If you just need a machine to move you from point A to B, than RX is for you, but if you are "car person" and having enjoyment while driving....look elsewhere!

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  Mobile money pit - 1999 Lexus RX 300
  By Foggy - October 11 - 10:00 am

  This is a terrible car. I bought a Lexus for the reliability, but spent a fortune on repairs. Air Compressor, Transmission, would be the 2 biggies. Check the lexus owner website about the complaints on this model. I was lucky that the tranny went out at 145,000. My Compressor went out at 59k. Transfer case died at 185k.

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  The RX 330 "has no clothes!" - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By "..has no clothes!" - September 27 - 8:16 am

  Seats do not compare to our Porsche or SAAB. Tilt function is simply inflation of seats leading edge. Arm rest way too short to be useful. Major fatigue on long trips, never really get adjusted. Lines of sight to check for vehicles in prep for lane change are awful. Again, comparison is to SAAB and Porsche. Throttle response delay is shameful and dangerous. Toyota excuses it as computer seeking correct response -- lame. No road feel. Wind noise and engine noise unacceptable for Lexus -- had an LS 430 that was whisper quiet. It was great in all respects -- this 330 is not great in any respect -- below average in many. Sorry we bought it within a month of purchase date.

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  Lexus LX 570 - 2013 Lexus LX 570
  By rjb12 - August 19 - 8:33 am

  I purchased this vehicle on July 30, 2013. Nothing but problems. First day tire pressure warning light came. Took it back to the dealer and they repaired it driving home 8 miles later came on again. Took back to dealer and they replaced sensors. On Thursday September 12 car completely shut down very scary moment. Lost all power SCRA light came on, warnings lights, engine lights on. Couldnt restart no power, head lights stayed on locked in park couldnt do anything even lock doors to call Lexus. Lexus service sent out a tow truck and they had to put the car on dollies in order to tow it back to dealer Newport Lexus Sales Manager explained that vehicle is dangerous refused to replace it.

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  SoccerMomMobile - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By Arnie - August 7 - 8:03 am

  This vehicle is designed for politically correct soccer moms. They have eliminated the ash-tray, lighter and change holder. For just the front seat (1 driver, 1 passenger), they now have 3 cup holders and spaces for an almost infinite number of water bottles. There is no outlet for a cellphone charger or radar-detector. The center armrest is way too far back to rest anything but your right elbow on. Whoever designed this clunker must be related to the guy who changed the formula in coca-cola.