Lexus- Luxury Redefined

Lexus, a surprise competitor in the luxury car world, is owned and manufactured by Toyota Motor Sales. Many people praise Toyota, as they have for years, for their affordable, reliable cars that offer simplicity and quality craftsmanship. However, in the early 1980s, the CEO saw a chance for Toyota to compete in the ever-growing luxury car market, and started conceptualizing ideas for what everyone knows today as the Lexus. The first Lexus was born in 1989, and the quality and commitment to excellence from Toyota has remained the same since that very day.

After many years of studying, research, and prototypes, the first two Lexus models became available for purchase in September of 1989. Simply named the LS 400 and the ES 250, these cars were a hit at the auto show and a hit at the dealership as well. The LS 400 even made it on the Car and Driver 10Best list for January of 1990, which definitely said something about the quality that went into these fine cars. Then, the SC 400, the SC 300, and the ES 300 were released in 1991. The first two were new models altogether, while the ES 300 was created to replace the ES 250.

The second-generation LS-400 was born in 1994, which came with rave reviews and many more awards from Car and Driver and even a slew of awards from the esteemed J.D. Power and Associates. In 1996, that same 400 series is named as one of the 24 Most Important Automobiles of the Century, as reviewed by Automobile Magazine. What started as a little chance for competition had quickly become one of the world’s best luxury car makers, thanks largely to Toyota’s commitment to success in everything that they did.

In line with the growing trend of SUV popularity, Lexus released the RX 300, a crossover sport utility, in 1998. This truly brought Lexus, a luxury car company, to the everyday driver. Through the next ten years, many more models were redesigned, revamped, and re-released to compete with the ever-changing world of luxury cars. Finally, in 2008, the IS F was born. This car has a 416 hp, 5.0 L V-8 engine and an aggressive, sporty look without sacrificing the luxury of the brand. Today, Lexus is still going strong, and is well known for providing affordable luxury sedans and sports coupes to anyone who wants them.