Not everyone wants their compact executive car to be built in Germany, but there are few alternatives. This is perhaps the only credible one - and it's a cracker. While the refinement and handling aren't on a par with the class-leading BMW 3-Series, equipment levels aren't as miserly and it sounds great. It's as reliable as you'd expect a Lexus to be, although running costs can be on the high side. The pick of the bunch is a manual IS200 with sat-nav; choose from saloon or Sport Cross models, the latter being discreet and practical, if rather hard to find.