Buying and owning

With a price tag on the wrong side of 50,000, the IS-F costs about the same as rivals such as the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG, although Lexus gives you more kit for your money.

Insurance premiums will be steep and youll struggle to get anywhere near the claimed 24.8mpg average if you work the engine hard.

The cabin materials aren't as appealing as those in a BMW M3, either, and some of the switchgear can be found in much cheaper Toyota models.

However, everything feels well screwed together and you shouldn't have to make any unscheduled trips to the dealer, because Lexus consistently performs superbly in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey.

Safety kit is extensive, too. A range of electronic systems look out for you when cornering or braking, and there are 10 airbags, including driver and passenger knee bags. Lexus was the first manufacturer to pick up a 100% score in our Security Supertests, so the IS-F should be difficult to steal.