Top 5 Lexus Cars of the 2000s
The top five Lexus cars of the 2000s show a company on top of its game and determined to showcase luxury, technology, and performance.
By 2000, Lexus was at the top of its game. It topped reliability ratings, led customer satisfaction surveys, and won more J.D. Power awards than any other luxury brand. People aspired to own a Lexus. The Lexus brand perception equaled and sometimes exceeded that of BMW, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz. But while the Lexus slogan was “the relentless pursuit of perfection,” some people wondered if the company had tried too hard. Some people speculated that Lexus’ pursuit somehow engineered all of the passion out of its cars. That perhaps chasing perfection homogenized the brand, like a show dog for the Westminister Kennel Club Dog Show.
Fortunately, that would change. The 2000s started with Lexus going after BMW’s bread and butter and ended with the launch of a new performance line.
5. Lexus IS 300
In 1999 Lexus set its sights on the BMW 3 Series with the IS 300, scoring points on the heavily favored E46. It was a car with a distinctly Japanese character and style all its own. It offered good performance from an inline-six engine and chiseled good looks. It launched the trend of clear tail lights and wore them better than any other car. Inside, it was a unique blend of standard sports sedan mashed up with a polished metal shifter and unique chronograph instrument cluster. Today the IS 300 is a cult classic, equally admired by the import tuner crowd and people who love it for what it is.
