Lexus models

Lexus launched in 1989 as Toyota's luxury brand, created specifically to take on the established Germans in the United States. Toyota's approach was characteristically thorough: rather than dress up an existing car, it built the LS 400 flagship from the ground up to be quieter, more reliable, and better screwed-together than anything in its class.

It worked. Lexus built its name on a kind of luxury defined by calm and dependability rather than drama, the sense that nothing will ever rattle, fail, or annoy you. It was also early to hybrids in the luxury space, putting Toyota's hybrid system into smooth, refined models years before rivals took the idea seriously.

Lexus has since worked to add more emotion and sharper styling, with the divisive spindle grille and the genuine LFA supercar, while keeping the reliability that made its reputation. For buyers, it offers a different bargain from the German brands: a little less prestige and driving edge, in exchange for a car that tends to age gracefully and rarely lets you down.