Road Test: Lexus IS 200 2.0 4dr

It's a bit galling that this car is available at pretty much half the price in its homeland, where it carries the more downmarket Toyota badge. But in the UK where most of us seem to be resigned to paying higher prices than anybody else, the car seems to be perfectly good value at a smidgeon under £20,000 for the SE version we tested.

The car compares pretty favourably when compared with its nearest (and most obvious) rival, BMW's 320i SE saloon. For nearly £2500 more, the BMW offers a slightly larger engine with a bit more power, but for many the major selling point of the Bavarian car is its badge.

There are still many who wouldn't buy a Lexus (or indeed anything) in preference to a BMW, but if I was spending my own money I wouldn't be knocking the Japanese car off my shortlist just because of the logo on its bonnet.

Whether taken in isolation or compared with other cars on the market, there's no doubt that the IS200 is a cracking car. The anonymous styling is a major plus point for me (flash-looking cars are just too easy a target for plod and vandals), but for many that'll just count against it. At least the 17-inch wheels lift the whole thing, making it look purposeful.

Thankfully the anodyne looks don't mean that there isn't a great driving experience on offer, as the chassis is well up to the job of handling the car's power. The ride may be a bit on the hard side, but the IS200's handling and roadholding abilities more than compensate.

The 2.0-litre straight six has to be worked quite hard sometimes, but once you've stoked it up it'll carry the speed through the corners without fuss. If you're travelling faster than you thought - which in the IS200 is a real possibility - the great chassis and superb brakes combine to get you out of trouble unless you've been especially daft.

As we've quickly come to expect from Lexus, the IS200's refinement levels are excellent, which is why it's so easy to travel faster than you realise. On the motorway there's no significant wind or tyre noise - switch on the stereo and you wouldn't even realise you're moving.

Although the stereo design is well though out, some of the other controls aren't. The chronograph-inspired dials look quite neat at first glance, but when it comes to reading them in a hurry they're not such a good idea. The climate control is also fiddly to use - and with such great designs now available elsewhere Lexus has got some catching up to do. Maybe it needs to introduce the touch screen systems fitted to its more expensive cars.

But the ergonomic faults don't stop there - the handbrake is positioned on the left-hand side of the transmission tunnel, making it uncomfortable to use and it's far too easy to wrong-slot the six-speed gearbox with its narrow gate. Throw in a wide-angle rear view mirror that's madly confusing and you've got a few too many basic design faults - things that you just wouldn't expect from Lexus.

The interior as a whole is rather sombre, although it's nicely put together with the alcantara and leather mix. There's room aplenty for five adults and there's no shortage of cubby holes scattered around the cabin for all those odds and ends that find their way into your car but never seem to escape. The front seats have electric heating and adjustment and getting comfortable isn't difficult.

Now that the IS300 has been announced it'll be interesting to see how many IS200s are sold. With today's anti-speed culture and high fuel prices the IS200 is already more than enough - opting for a larger engine in this car seems nothing short of pointless.

Richard Dredge