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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  Best SUV on the Market - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By SFDon - May 10 - 10:00 am

  I love this vehicle! Its so fun to drive and loaded with standard features.

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  Marvelous - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By BRETT - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Having owned the RX300, I say they vastly improved the RX330. This LUV is more comfortable than the competition in terms of ride and noise levels. The Infiniti FX45 may pack more punch, but the fun disapears with the torture of the FX45s horrible ride quality. The RX330 engine does seem louder than in the RX300, but maybe that is because all other noise is so well muted. You have to lower the window to hear fire trucks! My friends at work say the 43K price tag is a bargain for what you get compared to BMWs and Mercedes, and their reliability levels have plumeted while Lexus stays at the top of the chart. I love this car/suv!

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  06 GS 300 - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Lenny - May 10 - 6:23 am

  Fun to drive, excellent handling, very good gas mileage on Hwy. All the buttons are a little confusing, symbols are not very clear or explanatory.

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  Money Well Spent - 2010 Lexus RX 350
  By cnd - May 9 - 10:46 pm

  Weve owned our RX350 for 3 weeks now. Its everything we expected in a Toyota product. Excellent handling, smooth and quiet ride, superior build quality.

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  Built for comfort AND speed - 2008 Lexus ES 350
  By Dave - May 9 - 3:06 pm

  This is my second Lexus; traded in my 2001 ES 300, which I also loved. But this is a totally different car; plush, powerful, yet still quiet and reliable. Im impressed with the fit and finish of the dash and controls, and love the Bluetooth compatibility. This may just be my all-time favorite car (except for the 66 MGB that drove me to the poorhouse when I was young). Plenty of power, yet smooth as silk.

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  Purchased ES 350 9/06 - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By mjdcpa - May 8 - 8:46 pm

  After owning an Acura 3.0 CL for the past 10 years, this car is an obvious improvement. I drove the BMW 3 and 5 series and Mercedes and I feel the Lexus is a better ride with superior interior features. Car rides very smooth and is overall quiet. I am very picky with interior noise and upon quick acceleration, the dash creaks, but not enough to warrant huge concern. Quality of the interior with the navigation system is unbelievably cool. Pretty easy to operate and the chick voice on the navigation system is not nearly as annoying as a wife giving you driving instructions. It is much more accurate than I believed it would be. It is fun to drive and all controls are within reach.

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  Awesome car - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Jenny - May 8 - 10:13 am

  Ive never been so excited about owning a new car but this car is just AWESOME. Its very comfortable, it has great interior features, and it looks much better than the old ES. The navigation system is just fantastic. Im very satisfied with this purchase.

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  Great Purchase. - 2006 Lexus GS 300
  By Neil - May 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for over 5 years and 80,000 miles and have yet to experience 1 real problem.

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  Best Luxury Car - 2008 Lexus LS 460
  By George - May 8 - 3:00 am

  This is my sixth Lexus vehicle and the best of all with the Executive Package. It is a solidly well built and quiet vehicle with absolute comfort and interior design, especially in the rear compartment which almost resembles the cabin of a private jet. Despite its 4300 lb weight, I get about 20 mpg around town and 30 mpg highway, depending upon traffic conditions. Its power is impressive as well as its 8 speed transmission which is seamlessly smooth. One minor drawback is the roughness of downshifting at 30 mph. Handling is good for the most part, except for some slight pitching on turns which is to be expected due to its size. Overall this car has everything one could ever want.

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  2 time owner - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By fashiondiva - May 7 - 2:23 am

  I owned a Lexus 300 put 100,000 miles on it in 3 years, could have driven many more years Im sure, But I like to get a new car every 3-4 years. I shopped every car ended up with an RX330 no regrets