You've got to admire the confidence of Lexus, just pitching in there with the class best in the small executive (that's the cars, not the drivers) area of the market. The BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C Class have forever ruled the roost in that area.
Many have gone up against them, from Alfa Romeo, Volvo and even Rover, may it rest in peace - and all have been humiliated and sent packing. These cars are bread and butter for the Germans - they drive impeccably, have high quality interiors and look sharp enough to impress in the office car park.
The IS is the innocent cannon fodder that Lexus is sending into harm's way, but this time it appears to be different. This car looks much sharper than its predecessor, demonstrating some real style rather than the anonymous dullness that Japanese makers often seem incapable of escaping.
Inside, the cabin is robustly made and well finished, even if the design does look a little old-fashioned compared to rivals. The centre stack in particular looks like am early-90s Japanese hi-fi, but perhaps what they were aiming for.
The interior isn't awash with space, but it is adequate for the purposes of carrying four people around in comfort. We found the footwell on the driver's side was a little cramped for long distances.
This is unfortunate, because long-distance cruising seems to be the IS's forte. The suspension gets unsettled easily, but hunkers down beautifully on the motorway to give a gentle ride. The cabin is impressively insulated from the outside world, ensuring you feel relaxed - nothing else in the segment comes close on a smooth road.
If you are after a performance model there's the manic IS-F, which is massively fast and has an inspiring soundtrack to boot. If you can't stand the running costs that come with it Lexus will stick the F-sport body kit on your cooking model too.
The petrol unit in the IS250 is a reasonable engine, giving the car plenty of urge and reasonable economy too. The diesel motor in the IS220d might be the better bet - the IS's crashy ride means you'll prefer to take it easy, suiting the 220d's smooth torque.
Even if dynamically Lexus can't keep up with rivals, it has the overall experience licked - dealer service is excellent. If you want something a bit different you could do far worse than the IS.