Insurance Group: 25
MPG: 55.4
CO2: 134
0-62 Mph: 10.2 secs
BHP: 148 BHP
Range: 792 miles
PROS: Good fuel economy, low emissions, plenty of grip on the road, good level of standard equipment
CONS: Ride isn’t great, too much road noise, overly high gearing, lack of rear legroom
On the road, the IS 200d Advance grips and handles well. However, the steering doesn’t offer much feedback and, on rougher roads, it can becoming stiff and unsettling.
The 2.2-litre diesel engine produces 148bhp and 251lb-ft of torque. 0-62mph takes 10.2 seconds and at top speed you'll be doing 127mph.
The engine is quiet and wind noise is well suppressed. But this model does suffer from road noise, especially on coarse surfaces, making longer journeys tiring.
However, the gearbox is useless. Lexus have obviously chosen higher gear ratios to improve fuel economy but the downside is that there's never enough power on offer when you really need it.
The IS 200d comes with an impressive list of standard equipment. Hard disk based sat-nav, rear parking camera, heated and electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, automatic wipers, front and rear parking sensors and cruise control are all standard kit.
Not only are there plenty of gadgets, but once you’re in the car, it’s clear straight away that it’s all very nicely laid out. The sat-nav is controlled by touch-screen and looks very neat.
The IS 200d also looks very handsome; it is well proportioned and much more conservatively styled than Lexuses of old.
Unless you are very tall, you should be able to get comfortable in the IS 200d. The windscreen pillars are a bit on the chunky side, and the lack of head room can leave you feeling a bit claustrophobic.
This feeling of claustrophobia can also be felt in the rear, as the leg room is limited. The boot is a bit on the small side and awkwardly shaped, holding up to 378 litres.
In terms of safety, this car will not let you down. It won five stars in the EuroNCAP crash safety tests and safety equipment includes anti lock brakes, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control, vehicle stability control and ten airbags including driver and passenger knee airbags. With the addition of rear parking sensors, this should also reduce the risk of bumps and scrapes.
For £25,495, the Lexus is excellent value for money - much cheaper than its German rivals.
Fuel economy is also excellent at a combined 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 134g/km put the Lexus in a low tax band: E. Resale values won't be as strong as the German competition but the Lexus is an attractive, well packaged and good value car.
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