Lexus IS 200d SE 4dr Car Review - March 2012

The Lexus IS 200d SE's 2.2-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine is powerful, developing 148bhp at 3600rpm. The 6-speed manual gearbox is clumsy - gear shifts take a long time, and momentum is lost every time you change gear.

Grip is good and the car has a high level of stability. It is fast around corners and body control is excellent. Firm suspension gives a comfortable ride on smooth roads, but not on bumpy roads. A torque figure of 251 lb-ft helps it to achieve and sustain decent pull.

The steering doesn’t give much feedback, a fatal mistake that robs the Lexus the chance to top the class in driver involvement. The engine is quiet and superb insulation blocks wind noise but road noise will be apparent, particularly on rough roads.

The IS 200d SE is immaculately designed and is one of the most eye-catching cars in its class. The bonnet forms a small bulge which slopes to meet the chunky, distinctive grille where the Lexus badge is proudly displayed. The rear is just as magnificent, with slightly flared wheel arches giving the car a muscular stance.

On the inside, black leather and suede cover the steering wheel and seats, giving the car an upmarket look and feel.

Lexus have been generous with equipment in the IS 200d SE, considering that it is not the highest trim in the range. It comes with power steering, standard Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), central locking, climate control, cruise control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, driver airbags, passenger airbags, front side airbags, immobiliser, alarm, MP3 connectivity, CD player and Bluetooth.

The Lexus Sat nav system is cripplingly expensive, costing £2,400. Metallic paint is also available for £610.

Lexus reliability is legendary and the company consistently tops the JD Power customer satisfaction survey. A range of safety features including eight airbags, stability control and anti-lock brakes are fitted to the car to ensure maximum safety. In the Euro NCAP tests, the Lexus IS 200d scored all 5-stars for occupant safety, 4-stars for child safety and 2 for pedestrian safety.

The driver’s seat can be adjusted eight different ways, making it easy to find a suitable driving position. While the dash has an upmarket feel and the controls are well-laid-out, it is not the most user-friendly. Some buttons are too small and fussy.

Headroom is limited at the front, due to the low roofline. At the rear, the roofline gets higher and rear passengers won’t have to bend. However, rear legroom is very tight in the back.

Boot space is no better. The Lexus IS 200d offers only 378 litres, much less than its rivals - the Mercedes C-Class has 475 litres whilst the BMW 3 Series has 460 litres. A narrow boot opening also makes loading the boot up quite tricky.

The IS 200d SE costs £25,370 and offers great value when you consider that the equivalent Merc C-Class costs nearly £30k. Residual values are strong and should you decide to sell, you can be sure of getting a good deal.

Fuel economy is good at 55.4mpg, but still lower than BMW 320d’s 60.1mpg. Toyota offers a 3-year warranty up to 60,000 miles, with service intervals every 10,000 miles.

The IS 200d SE is placed under insurance group 25 and premiums should not be too high. Decent emissions averaging 134g/km ensure that you only pay £115 in VED under tax band E. However, it is not the greenest car and a number of rivals have lower emissions.