Road Test: Lexus IS 200 2.0 4dr

Sit in the Lexus and you instantly notice a set of dials that are clear and communicative but designed and approved by Spirograph inventors. 'I'm sporty but no spice girl,' they sing. The leather steering wheel and alloy gear knob invite you to skip out on to the open road and when you do, you're very pleasantly surprised. The smooth transmission, tight gearchange and good ratios give decent performance; handling is involving, too.

Like Spirograph, it's neat, clever and defined but over-delivers with too many predictable lines. It leaves you with a very nice pattern and an equally nice feeling - and, unlike a Spirograph set, all the bits are still intact after nearly a year. But if you like sketching nudes with charcoal you're in the wrong adult education class Translation: We've only replaced the rear tyres since the last update

Stuart Snaith