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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  Good car, but recently getting worse - 1999 Lexus ES 300
  By NS - January 11 - 9:23 am

  I owned this car since 2001. From 2001-2008: was really happy with the car. Reliable, quiet interior. Comfy seats, good pickup. In 2009: my ES-300 started giving all kinds of problems. Power steering pump leaked-replaced it, O2 sensors went bad-replaced it, alternator died - replaced it. Check engine lights are on almost every month. Follow the routine-go to dealer, they do the diagnostics, find the issue, replace the part, pay those hefty repair charges, and next month repeat the same thing. Just yesterday, heard that its giving heavy knocking sound from engine. Within past 12 months, the repair cost has gone through the roof to almost $6000. Now I am seriously thinking about replacing the car.

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  Just leased 2014 ES350 - 2014 Lexus ES 350
  By crobot83 - January 3 - 10:55 am

  I can tell you that HID headlights are not standard, so if you want that make sure its included. Thus far, the car has been good. Will have it for a few years on lease and so far Im impressed. I generally only buy BMW but this Lexus has been of similar build quality and styling.

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  Never was a Lexus fan but - 2002 Lexus ES 300
  By Chris - December 28 - 10:00 am

  I have always steered clear of Lexus thinking it was more hype then anything. But I bought a 2002 ES 300 with 90k on it. In 6 months I have already taken it over 100k with trips to Dallas from Houston and also Houston to Chicago. It has performed really good. I have a couple issues the cup holders broke, the interior trunk/gas release doesnt work and the cd player jams occasionally but considering the car is 8 years old and has over 100k miles I cant really complain. Its quiet. Rides smooth and has averaged 23 mpg pretty much since I got it. Avg almost 30 mpg on the road. All in all a very nice vehicle that seems like it last quite a while. My previous ride was an 07 m35.

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  My New Lexus - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By june - December 27 - 11:03 am

  I like my new Lexus, and I am having a great deal of fun driving it. I dont see a great deal of difference from my old Camry, but its nice owning and driving a luxury car.

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  Better MPG than advertised - 2012 Lexus CT 200H
  By samborambo1 - December 24 - 2:09 pm

  I have had my CT for about 3 week now and I have only driven less than a 1000 miles. I have fueled up the car twice. Both times, I calculated the mpg based on the trip miles divided by the number of gallons pumped in. Both times I was able to achieve between 49 and 50 miles per gallon. This is definitely above the mpg on the sticker. There are plethora of CT drivers that are getting below 40mpg while some are getting over 50mpg. It all depends on how you drive the car. It will NOT out run any car on the road if you want good mpg. So be prepared to pull to the right, slowly get up to speed, and let the traffic pass you by. Im ok with that. If you are too, then the CT is for you.

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  A fine family hauler - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By DadMan - December 22 - 3:30 am

  Walking up to it is its own reward. Having the steering wheel slide out of the way when removing the key makes getting in and out all the easier. Put in the key and the seat, outside mirrors and steering wheel move back to one of two memorized locations. That first five seconds alone make the RX 350 better than my other rides. The all-wheel-drive keeps the tires locked to the pavement as the "killer corssover" eagerly accelerates under a heavy foot. With a minivan ride / height, you are not going to rail any corners. If you try, a bunch of gizmos conspire to take the spirit out of the drive. I suppose thats better than just flipping over but thats why it gets a 7 for performance.

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  One year and still in love - 2009 Lexus GS 450h
  By jimi - December 20 - 12:16 pm

  Awesome passing power, with or without the power setting. I prefer the sport suspension even in everyday driving because I live in an area with a lot of tight turns. Good braking system allows for quick, controlled stops. The interior is comfortable and full of amenities. The Mark Levinson sound system is worth the added cost. Everyone complains about the small trunk and so do I. But at the end of the day Im willing to sacrifice the trunk space for the performance. Its not cheap but relative to its competition, namely the BMW 550i and the MB E550, it is a bargin plus it has better reliability, overall performance numbers and mpg. New or used it is a great car to own.

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  An Old School Favorite - 2006 Lexus LS 430
  By greetrob - December 19 - 5:00 pm

  So far everything works except for the expected voice activation portion of the navigation system. I purchased this car because I wanted to spend very little time dealing with repairs and fixes. I’m expecting that nothing will require fixing and the only reason I will find myself at the dealership is to change the oil. This is a rear wheel drive car, so I hope it does well in the snow.

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  SportCross - 2002 Lexus IS 300
  By DaviM - December 16 - 10:00 am

  I am 66" tall though lean, so keep this in mind when I make my comments. First, the car is not a BMW, does not have anywhere near the handling (typical sloppy plowing turning characteristics). Crummy Perrelli (sp?) tires. Poor mileage. Quality issues too.

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  @1 - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By fabio - December 10 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive, eager to run. lots of power, high fidelity road noise. You will eventually understand why someone said its a sports car for the Nintendo generation. The value seems to be on the short end, the underlying Toyota Altezza personality shows. Shouldnt I get a something else for the money?