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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  Consider other vehicles - 2008 Lexus RX 350
  By Edward F. - April 23 - 7:30 pm

  Purchased the vehicle mid Dec. 2007. This is our first Lexus. Currently has less than 3000 miles. Car has plenty of pep, very quick and responsive handling. Easy to park and a fun car to drive on short trips around town. Not a vehicle for a long trip. Very disappointed in the ride and road noise. Expected the ride to be much smoother and quieter especially for a Lexus. Cannot compare to my E Class MB. This a good vehicle for the lady of the family. I thought I would give the Lexus LS 460 a try in a year or so. After purchasing the RX 350 Ive decided to stay with MB.

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  An Honest Reliable Review of Lexus ES350, $44,592 - 2013 Lexus ES 350
  By donisland - April 23 - 7:43 am

  I have had two Lexus cars before and was very happy with them. DESIGN-The new design is Very Nice inside and outside. NAVIGATION-I especially like that large navigation screen - it is so much better than the previous ones that were smaller. RIDE-The ride is much more stiff. I think they were right to do this, it makes driving the car much more safe than the "cushy" ride that can be dangerous in emergency situations. POWER-Its good, but for this new car and more powerful engine would have been very nice. GAS MILEAGE-I am getting 22 mpg overall because I push the gas peddle down a lot.

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  A Great SUV - 2010 Lexus GX 460
  By WS - April 15 - 7:36 pm

  I previous had a 05 Lexus GX470 and find this SUV much improved in almost every way. I am completely satisfied with my ownership experience but find some of the plastics on the dash below Lexus standard. The engine is very smooth, quiet, and unexpectedly, this GX drives much sportier than the previous generation. I really enjoy the Bluetooth streaming audio and huge center console. Small details make this vehicle better every time I get in such as the whizzing motors of the windows/sunroof that slow to close and improved voice recognition software. I will most likely purchase another Lexus/Toyota product.

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  Chips IS - 2003 Lexus IS 300
  By Chip Hawkins - April 6 - 2:00 am

  Excellent car. Only complaint is alignment doesnt hold for very long if you use the car as designed

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  phsyco transmission - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By daisycher - April 5 - 11:04 am

  This is the weirdest transmission Ive ever encountered..it jerks and or jumps when shifting into second gear..upshift. when coming down steep hills..very unpredictable...but I love everything else about the car...worried about trans..

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  2004 es 330 - 2005 Lexus ES 330
  By Bibi Hussain - April 5 - 2:50 am

  everytime heat is turned on or air, get a foul odor, dealer cant say why or what is wrong, cahnged filter twice in one year, still get odor

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  Beware of MPG Claims on the GS450h - 2013 Lexus GS 450h
  By gilnarro - April 1 - 3:34 am

  In most respects, the GS450h is an excellent car. It inspires confidence and drives fine. But, there are two features that are unacceptable to this buyer: 1) Unless you purchase the Luxury pkg., you cant get the LED headlamps w/AFS. The regular bi-Xenon headlamps provide minimal illumination and are worse than any weve ever had on our Lexus autos; 2) Lexus claims that this car gets 34MPG average. While brand new, it only got 30.4 MPG. With less than 9K miles on it, this winter, weve gotten 29.2 MPG!. Im on top of air pressure and I dont gun the car. So, its not me; its the car and Lexuss misleading claims.

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  Luxury ride with SUV room - 2004 Lexus RX 330
  By duffer.jim - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Owned Q45, Lincolns, a Caddy and five Grand Cherokees. 04 RX330 has ride of Q with room of the Cherokee. Bought CPO with 30K miles for less than new Jeep. Get benefit of another 70K of warranty and other Lexus percs, plus a LOT smoother ride. Only complaint - power to outlets shut down with engine. Cant charge my cell phone while in a meeting!

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  Reliable/Comfortable - 1997 Lexus ES 300
  By gtooker - March 21 - 7:20 am

  Bought 2 years ago with 35k miles. Now has about 50k miles w/o any problems. Ride is smooth, although not spirited. Excellent fit, finish and features for 1997.

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  First Impressions - 2003 Lexus GX 470
  By GXDriver - March 17 - 2:00 am

  Great Luxary SUV for the price. Easily justifies the MSRP compared to much higher priced LX470. Drive comparable to luxary sedan (traded Mercedes Benz in for GX470), AWD feature with center locking differential makes it perfect in any driving condition. Lexus DVD based GPS Navigation system is way superior over MB.