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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  Our first Japanese vehicle-ever - 2005 Lexus RX 330
  By RX330 - September 6 - 5:10 pm

  Love it. Probably the best interior of any 40K vehicle. They set the standards on this one. Not good mileage as we expected. Terrible back up lighting at night. Cannot see a thing in the dark. They claim nothing can be done. Ride and handling-excellent. Definately a crossover. More car-like than truck like. HIDs a problem on dark roads. A defined line that is a short distance from the vehicle. At high speeds you can overrun the headlights. We use High beams alot.

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  Wow - 1996 Lexus ES 300
  By My Car - September 6 - 7:26 am

  I bought this car beacase my son liked it. This car is very reliable. I gave it to my wife and she isnt very big on maintenance. I would recommend this car to any young kid lookin for a cool reliable ride to sport around.

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  ES 350 - 2007 Lexus ES 350
  By Allan Spanjer - September 5 - 1:33 pm

  My experience with this car so far has been good except for the ventilated seats, driver and passenger, which are agonizingly uncomfortable. The lumbar support digs into your back and cannot be adjusted sufficiently to correct the problem. I tried to get the company to deal with this, but they said it could not be fixed and they blew me off. I sat in other models to compare seats. The nonventilated seats are more comfortable, but none of them compares favorably to the sports model.

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  LS400 - 1997 Lexus LS 400
  By Anetha - September 4 - 10:00 am

  I have owned several fancy cars and this is the second Lexus I have owned and I have loved both of them. The first was a GS300 and it was wonderful. A little smaller then the LS 400 but still a great car to drive. I will continue to drive them. Couldnt ask for a more great looking and driving car.

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  Over Priced or Under Equipped - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By DanWithGX - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Overall, I am satisfied with the vehicle. It was precisely the size I was looking for. However, when you compare some of the features to other SUVs, it seems that components are missing. Example, for $1,000 more you can get an Infiniti QX56 with the Xenon Headlamps, LED tail lights, 2nd row heated bucket seats, 8 way passenger seats, Laser assisted Cruise control, and brake preview assist. The only reason I did not get the QX is because it is just too large for what I was looking for.

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  My MSM RX330 - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By msilverIS - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Im not too pleased with the transmission, which has a mind of its own sometimes. In stop & go traffic, it sometimes hunts for gears and gives a manual transmission-like shake. The overall ride is very smooth and quiet. No coin box. Faulty-designed mirror visors replaced, rear-door computer being replaced soon (hatch wont automatically open/close sometimes).

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  Lexus RX400H - A True Lexus - 2007 Lexus RX 400H
  By scottmason1 - September 3 - 12:50 pm

  My Lexus 400H is a great car overall, as my ratings have shown. Its a hybrid of course so it has a very smooth engine that does not roar but still makes sound if you accelerate fast. It is very quiet at low speeds and has great features. My particular RX400H has heated leather seats, navigation system and a 6 disk CD player with automatic everything. So, in a few words- it is luxurious. Everything about it is very smooth.

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  Reliable and Luxurious - 2006 Lexus GX 470
  By kristeen - September 3 - 1:16 am

  We bought this car 2 years ago and it has been very reliable and convenient. With Lexus, you cant go wrong mechanically-what you get for your money is a total bargain. When you are in this price point, you cant skimp on some items and the navigation system is one of them. Of course if you choose to go with a stock stereo system its a good system as well, but dont expect the best if you dont want to pay for it. The interior spacing is very comfortable-we often seat 4 adults and 3 kids in carseats in our vehicle. Of course that is using the third row - which is ideal for carseats or children who do not really need leg room. Driving it is a dream - I feel safe in all weather conditions.

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  Theres NO better ride on the road - 2002 Lexus RX 300
  By Flutertuter - September 2 - 10:00 am

  This car is an absolute joy to own. Have driven many different comparable cars and this one is 1st class in its handling, braking and sound systems. The roominess of the interior is also a big plus. It gets extremely good gas mileage and is as much a pleasure to me after 15 months as the day I drove it off the lot!!!!!

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  2nd ES350 - 2010 Lexus ES 350
  By Bob - September 1 - 5:06 pm

  I traded in a trouble free 07 ES350 for the 10. Separately, the changes for 2010 are minor, but collectively they are well done and really add to the overall appeal of the car. We cross shopped the new LaCrosse, Infiniti G37x and some other imports, but for the price and our satisfaction with the 07 it was an easy choice to go with the Lexus. We are enjoying the new one even more than the previous car. Especially the improved NAV, XM radio and Enform. Not sure yet if Ill renew either but time will tell.