Lexus IS250

We love the looks, style and interior of the new IS. Yet despite the car's impressive refinement, the saloon is less convincing when it is fitted with the manufacturer's six-speed manual transmission. At £1,000 extra, the automatic gearbox makes much more sense. However, a far broader choice of engines would also be welcome.

We've already been impressed with the automatic version of the Japanese saloon, so to find out if the new manual model is as good, we took a drive in the six-speed 2.5-litre V6 variant.

At £25,400, it costs £1,000 less than the self-shifter and is capable of sprinting from 0-60mph in 8.1 seconds - that's 0.3 seconds quicker than the automatic. The low nose and gradually rising waist-line certainly give the IS a sporty look. Its purposeful stance is enhanced by the larger 17-inch alloy wheels, which are fitted to SE-spec models.

It's the same story inside, where the gearlever sprouting from the centre console is the only thing to distinguish the manual version from the automatic. That means the excellent driving position, impressive build quality and classy interior are all unchanged - although rear legroom is still tight.

Press the dash-mounted start button and the 208bhp V6 fires into life, but at idle it's so quiet you can barely hear it. The unit only becomes audible towards the upper end of the range, when the circular change-up light inside the rev counter lets you know it's time to select the next gear.

Unfortunately, the engine's tendency to hang on to the revs means making smooth progress requires concentration - and this isn't helped by the clutch's heavy action at the top of its travel, or the fact that the gearlever is angled, and takes some getting used to. Thanks to the auto's closer gearing, the manual car is thirstier - returning 28.8mpg to the self-shifter's 31mpg - and emits 17g/km more CO2, at 231g/km.

This is a shame because there isn't much else to fault with the car. Refinement is superb and, despite the big rims, the IS rides like a machine from the class above, easily smoothing out ruts and bumps. Tidy rear-drive handling, strong brakes and accurate steering complete the dynamic picture, although the helm does have an artificial feel.

A 2.2-litre diesel is due in March, and with only one petrol engine currently available, this will be an important addition to the range. However, the lack of an auto option for the oil-burner is an oversight, because on the evidence of our tests so far, the self-shifter is the better transmission choice.

Even so, buyers will be able to rely on legendary Lexus build quality and a good dealer network. The handsome IS has far more than cosmetic appeal.