Lexus Models You Should Buy Used
Lexus enjoyers gather ’round because we are here to break down the latest data on the best Lexus models of the last decade (or so). You might already know that Lexus has earned the distinction of being the most reliable used car brand, according to a recent Consumer Reports study featuring 26 different automakers.
Yet, which Lexus models are the most reliable of all the available options? Well, we have broken down the top Lexus models featured in the study so we can let you know which are the best model years of each generation and why they earned their spot. Lexus’s reliability is well known, but what this study highlighted was how large a factor consistency plays in the overall reliability rating of a brand.
Lexus UX
Best Model Year: 2019
The first Lexus on our list is the smallest, cutest, and cheapest SUV in the entire brand’s lineup, the first-generation UX subcompact crossover SUV. The UX’s first model year, 2019, managed a solid 4/5 Reliability Verdict with reliability data not available for the remaining years of the generation.
Yet, if the first model year is reliable, this is a good sign for the proceeding years, which tend to follow the trend. First-model years are usually the ones to avoid, but the 2019 Lexus UX is the exception. As of 2023, the UX SUV is only available as a hybrid and if you want the most of your UX, we also recommend the efficient and reliable hybrid model.
Lexus GS
Best Model Year: 2015
Our first Lexus sedan on the list is the fourth-generation Lexus GS (2012-2020). The third model year, 2015, achieved a perfect 5/5 Reliability Verdict after the first two model years received 4/5 Reliability Verdict scores, a desirable sign of solid consistency in the early years of the generation.
The most reliable pick of this generation is the 2014+ non-AWD GS 350 models as they received the updated and more efficient eight-speed automatic transmission.
Lexus GX
Best Model Years: 2021, 2022
The second generation of the big body-on-frame GX SUV is the next Lexus on our list. This particular generation lasted over a decade, from 2010 to 2023, with major refreshes in 2014 and 2020.
Of all the years in its decade-plus run, the 2021 and 2022 model years stood out as the top choices, both receiving perfect 5/5 Reliability Verdict scores. If you want an SUV that can attack any trail, seat seven, and keep reliability high, the 2020+ second-generation Lexus GX is on your shortlist.
Lexus NX
Best Model Years: 2015, 2017, 2021
The next Lexus on our list is the well-loved first generation (2015-2021) of the compact NX SUV. The 2015 NX managed a perfect 5/5 Reliability Verdict despite being the first model year of a completely new model with an unproven brand-new engine.
This new turbocharged 2.0-liter platform is a significant marker for the Japanese brand as this was Lexus’ first turbocharged platform, well, ever. Lexus had steered clear of boosting their engines for decades and this practice did wonders for the brand’s consistent reliability. Despite the fact that this turbocharged platform is almost a decade old now, it is good to know that the “new dawn” of Lexus engineering is still as solid as can be.
Lexus NX Hybrid
Best Model Years: 2019, 2020, 2023
In 2022, the NX SUV was redesigned for its second and current generation. The fuel-efficient hybrid model also saw an overhaul to Toyota’s latest inline-four hybrid platform, the 2.5-liter A24A-FXS inline-four (NX 350h), which is found in the majority of current-generation hybrid Lexus models.
Despite this, the older 2.5-liter 2AR-FXE inline-four from the first-generation NX Hybrid (300h) is a stout platform that also received perfect 5/5 Reliability Verdict scores for both the 2019 and 2020 models. You can’t go wrong with either generation, but we’d stick to the three model years we mentioned for the best overall reliability.
Lexus RX Hybrid
Best Model Years: 2015, 2017, 2020
If Lexus had a crown jewel, it would be the fuel-efficient RX Hybrid SUV. The brand’s most popular SUV achieved a 5/5 Reliability Verdict in both the last model year (2015) of the third generation (2010-2015) and the 2017 and 2020 model years of the fourth generation (2016-2022).
These two generations of the RX Hybrid models will go down as perhaps the most reliable hybrid SUV ever with impressive year-to-year consistency. You can thank Lexus’ iconic 3.5-liter 2GR V-6 platform for this and the fourth generation is the last implementation of this robust engine.
Lexus ES Hybrid
Best Model Years: 2015, 2019, 2023
The next Lexus on our list is the sixth and seventh generation of the mid-sized ES Hybrid sedan. Both of the available naturally-aspirated hybrid platforms have proven solid through both generations, with the 2015, 2019, and 2023 model years receiving 5/5 Reliability Verdict scores.
Comfort, reliability, and efficiency are all qualities in which the ES Hybrid excels, and even in 2015, the ES Hybrid offered 36 MPG overall and 44 MPG on the highway. What more can you really want? The hybrid Toyota Camry is great, but the ES Hybrid is more refined in every detail, and we appreciate its dedication to quality.
Lexus RX L
Best Model Years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
The fourth-generation three-row-equipped RX L SUV is the next Lexus on our list. Consumers rave about this generation’s Lexus RX, but a common complaint is the lack of rear seating space and cargo room, so Lexus extended the RX and made the RX L from 2018 to 2022.
Although short-lived, the RX L was a smash hit and showed unprecedented consistency when every single model year received a 5/5 Reliability Verdict sans the first year in 2018. Lexus did end up axing the RX L and replacing it with the all-new TX SUV instead, because even the added third row of the RX L was not accommodating to adult passengers.
Lexus RX
Best Model Years: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Looking for an absolute stalwart of consistency that is unmatched when considering reliability and quality? Look no further than the third and fourth-generation Lexus RX, which are hands-down among the best Lexus models ever made.
We don’t think it’s controversial to call the Lexus RX the most reliable luxury SUV of all time. These two generations of the RX are outliers in their sheer consistency, where the RX achieved multiple consecutive years of perfect 5/5 Reliability Verdict scores, twice (in two separate generations). No other luxury SUV, past or present, has even come close to this level of success, and there is a reason why, even in 2024, the Lexus RX is still the best-selling luxury vehicle on the market.
Lexus ES
Best Model Years: 2013–2021, 2023
You thought the Lexus RX was amazing in its consistency? Let’s talk about the accolades of the sixth (2013-2018) and seventh generation (2019- current) of the mid-sized Lexus ES sedan.
Every single model year of both the sixth- and seventh-generation Lexus ES from 2013 to 2023, a decade-long period, achieved a perfect 5/5 Reliability Verdict. We didn’t know it was possible to achieve this level of consistency across this length of time. Yet, this fact is a pure testament to the insanely high standard only Lexus has managed to maintain in the current automotive market. There is no such thing as a perfect car, but the sixth- and seventh-generation Lexus ES is as close to perfect as you can get.
Sources: Lexus, Consumer Reports, JD Power
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