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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  Disappointing for the money - 2010 Lexus LS 460
  By dav2149 - August 2 - 5:30 am

  I traded my 2002 LS-430 for the 460. The older 430 seemed much more of a luxury car in style, roominess, and feel. The gas mileage on the 460 is awful and exterior style is not distinctive enough to set it apart as a luxury car. It looks like a car costing $30-45K rather than the sticker $76K .

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  Great Car - 2000 Lexus RX 300
  By vtvish - July 30 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car for all types of drivers - moms, dads, singles, etc. Its roomy, yet sporty!

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  Annoying rattling noise - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By first lexus - July 27 - 12:00 pm

  I thought I am the only one, but I have to agree with the review written by mml on 08/10/2009. I also noticed a very annoying rattling noise from the driver side seat belt buckle area. I brought the car to the dealership but cannot duplicate it. I really hate it because the problem comes and goes. We need more people to report this problem and have this problem recalled by Lexus. It seems that RX350 is now a mass produced car and the build quality doesnt live up to the hype. A bit disappointing.

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  So this is a Lexus? - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By joe - July 23 - 1:43 pm

  Have driven this car for 6 months and agree that it is well built, comfortable and devoid of any driving sensations. My car has the throttle lag, noisy engine at start-up, rain-sensitive wipers that cannot understand when to stop wiping and consequently smear the windshield, rattles in the passenger door, etc., etc. I will definitely look at Cadillac next time!

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  Overrated - 2006 Lexus SC 430
  By chuck - July 20 - 1:26 pm

  We got this car mostly due to the hardtop convertible feature. The design and comfort are very nice while the performance and drive are lackluster. The car seemed to have been designed for an older driving population who want the look of a convertible in a Lincoln Town Car frame. The technology and nav system is very counter intuitive with the entire system disabled while driving, so youd have to park the car before using your nav system or Bluetooth phone. Be careful of Lexus dealers lying to you about this feature. All in all, this car is somewhat disappointing but if youre looking to have a convertible look that drives like a sedan, then its the right car for you.

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  If Cheetah was a car, this would be it - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By Benign - July 19 - 10:00 am

  Best Dealer i have ever known, friendly and handy. Car is very agile and responsive, engine was the quitest on its class. Back draws: addiction for driving the car in every chance possible.

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  Initial - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Dave - July 18 - 3:26 pm

  The car has a vibration, it drifts to the right, and the steering wheel is off center to the left. The heated seats only get slightly warm at best. The dealer said that it was within Lexus standards. In my years of owning cars they have the lowest Ive ever owned. The GPS is the most difficult ones Ive operated, and Ive used several in cars, boats, and airplanes. Ive used the very first built and fly a Gulfstream with two FMS that have GPS inputs. The GPS miles out of the way and will not use roads that have been around for decades. The POI are years out of date.

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  Wish I didnt buy a Lexus - 2007 Lexus RX 350
  By DBroker - July 18 - 5:20 am

  2007 RX 350 loaded. Traded down from a BMW X5 3.0 with 125,000 miles. I thought buying a Lexus would be a good choice since my BMW had a ton of miles on it and the Lexus was much cheaper. The saying is true, you get what you pay for. Ive owned the Lexus for 3 weeks, 4 times in the shop. First a mirror, then the bluetooth (X2), and then the drivers seat. I weigh about 180 lbs (so its not me). This car is slow and sloppy. I will be trading it in as soon as get a little equity built up. Very disappointed.

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  Bad Transmissions - 2004 Lexus ES 330
  By Gottalemon - July 15 - 10:00 am

  This cars computer has problems controlling the transmission. Car hesitates badly at low speed/gear. Lexus knows but wont acknowledge because they cant fix it. Ive sent 3 letters to HQ and they tell me the car is operating as designed (without even talking to the mechanics or my dealershi, Hmmm!!). City gas mileage is BAD also, about 15-17. Read all the complaints about the trans on this site, then buy something else!

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  Comfortable Ride - 2010 Lexus RX 450h
  By From Denver - July 14 - 10:36 pm

  This is my first SUV and I love being high up. I love the ride; quiet, smooth like glass, cushy seats. Mileage so far is a disappointment. I am averaging just under 25 mpg. The interior of the car, other than the fine leather seats, is also a disappointment. Too much plastic. Even the wood appears cheap. The gadget technology (phone, nav, audio, etc) is unsophisticated and lacks elegance. Placement of the dashboard and other interior gauges can be in hard to find places making it necessary to take your eyes off the road. The glove box is a joke. I expect more from a $50,000 plus luxury car. I am counting on Lexus reputation for high reliability to make this a worthwhile purchase.