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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  Fast Cruiser - 2001 Lexus LS 430
  By Cruiser/Los Angeles - October 30 - 9:26 pm

  Been searching for months for 01, with Navigation in pearl white/white. Best car I have ever owned. Super smooth, VERY comfortable, very quick/fast. Better than listed mpg, gets 30 mpg freeway. Navigation very easy/useful. M.L stereo is incredible. I go for a drive now to relax ! Headlights are great. Trunk is huge. Wife and kids love it. Its a perfect 10 !

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  Lexus is Luxury! - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By Gulfvet66 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  The kind of luxury driving experience you always dream of. The kind of convertible you can drive for six hours with the top down, or all day with it up. Fit and finish rivaling european cars that cost $30,000 more.

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  Just a little tweaking, and its perfect - 2004 Lexus GX 470
  By Janelle - October 27 - 4:10 pm

  A quiet, luxurious, and smooth ride overall. Beautiful presence and the perfect size. Quality materials and dependable. Stock stereo (sound) is nothing to brag about (previously had Bose) and I would upgrade if I had it to do again. Lack of dome light button to light entire interior cabin annoying at best. Seats are a little short for someone with long legs, but all SUVs Ive been in are the same. Auto tilt mirrors when backing up are great. Hard to manually operate lights/wipers/cruise at night because controls are not lighted and because everything generally runs great on automatic, in an instance you need to operate these manually, you are not familiar enough with.

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  LX470 - 1999 Lexus LX 470
  By Ron - October 25 - 9:43 pm

  One of the most reliable vehicles Ive ever owned. The fact that the body style hasnt changed in a while it makes it almost impossible to tell the model year.

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  Love this Lexus! - 2007 Lexus RX 400H
  By A Bernier - October 25 - 1:24 am

  Its wonderfully engineered, thanks to its Toyota heritage, and extremely comfortable.

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  What a difference - 2016 Lexus RX 350
  By Beth - October 24 - 6:31 pm

  The improvements made from my previous RX is extraordinary. The new 2016 styling is sporty and aggressive. The ride and sound proofing is excellent. The headlights truly give almost daylight clarity. I also love the sound system on the radio where classical music sounds magnificent. The handling and acceleration is also greatly improved. I had no idea that my purchase would have been this worthwhile.

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  The best SUV in this category - 2017 Lexus LX 570
  By TommyJames - October 23 - 7:11 pm

  This is LX570 #4 for me. Ive never owned four of anything, and every time I think about getting another LX570, I read about all others in the same category and drive them to see if there is something better. There isnt. And with each passing year, the LX570 just gets better. Yes, there are two other brands that are perceived to have higher status, but both have crappy resale and are filled with antiquated technology. Ive taken mine in soft sand on the Washington Coast, without any problems or fear of getting stuck. I have used crawl control twice. There is no vehicle better suited for a road trip. Its the ultimate for that purpose, except for the low gas mileage. Dont pay attention to the computer that shows you getting 12. Im getting closer to 15-18, which still isnt great, but this is a massive, very heavy SUV. I keep buying them because given the value and high resale, the overall cost of ownership is far lower than the other two in the same price point. American SUVs feel cheap to me and dont have the same attention to detail. I also have an S550 and I still prefer driving the LX570. Its also the little details, the quality of the switches, the feel of buttons, all the touch points that make the LX a better vehicle. Some of the others look cooler, more trendy, but you pay for it in lost features and horrible resale. If this is a dog hauler, its best with the third row seat down and a seat cover. With the two seats up, the critters dont have any side visibility and the window line is high. Best to toss them in the third row seat, which still leaves enough room for groceries behind the third row, and a hair-free back seat. Its that third row seat for dogs that is a must for me. When you put it in Sport mode, it really does stiffen up and you can toss it around while paddle shifting. Yes, its a beast and dont expect it to want to grip the road like the family Lamborghini, however that said, it will delight you if you let it. What I love about Lexus is that they just dont break. In my years of owning the brand, Ive only had a few occasions when I had any unscheduled maintenance and that was in the 90s. I have about 4,000 miles on my 2017 and Im thrilled with it. I do wish the second row had a tiny bit more leg room, but its still not bad. Other gripes- though minor, would be the way you cant control the GPS while in camera mode on split screen. Also, when it comes to media, you have to spend some time getting to know the full capabilities. It can do a lot. The seats are extremely comfortable on very long drives and the cooler between the seats gets used all the time. I LOVE this thing!

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  ALL WEATHER - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By SOBHI - October 23 - 10:00 am

  DID HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR IN A HEAVY RAIN STORM REABILITY SECOND TO NONE EXCELLENT ROAD HANDLING

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  2 Years Later - 2003 Lexus SC 430
  By El Torito - October 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought my SC430 during the early release. I now have 20,000 miles on it and have had absolutely no problems with it. I like the style, what a car for the price. I use it as a two seater, so no complaints about the back seat. I find the storage sufficient even with the top down. I would recommend a slightly tighter front suspension. The run flat tires have been great and holding up much longer than predicted. Best car for the price in its class.

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  excellent - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By calvin - October 23 - 10:00 am

  it is the perfect car for people who like suvs