Faults:

Someone liked the car so much they stole the rear badge after two weeks. Otherwise no problems yet.

General Comments:

The engine is smooth, revs easily and is especially quick in the 4000-6000 revs range. It could do with a little more power lower down but is still quick. The close-ratio six speed gearbox lets you keep in the 4000-6000 rev range as you move up through the gears and you get a nice (although a bit too quiet) growl from the exhaust.

The car handles really well although the rear-wheel drive takes a bit of getting used to. With the traction control on the car just appears to understeer a little at first if pushed hard. Push it harder, especially in the wet or without the traction control and you can get the rear of the car moving out. With the traction control on the car is easy to correct though.

The car is very comfortable - on a 200 mile round-trip in a day I felt fresher than when I did a single 100 mile leg of the journey in my previous M-reg Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0 CDX.

Fuel consumption is not brilliant for a 2 litre car - I get 27mpg on a combination of town and motorway driving when I commute to work. On longer journeys I get 32mpg.

The looks and build quality of the car are excellent. Little features like having the handle on the inside of the boot so that it stays clean make a difference. Also useful are the remote boot release on the key and the folding wing-mirrors for parking on narrow streets.

I'd have liked the nice 17-inch alloys of the SE, but I'm getting used to the 16-inch ones on the S. With less open space between the spokes they seem to keep a bit cleaner (from brake dust) than the ones on the SE that I've seen.

Faults:

No faults whatsoever.

General Comments:

BMW should be very worried. Apart from a slight lack of power and lack of engine choice, my own experience with both cars tells me the IS200 is better built, looks nicer (in my opinion), handles better and has better dealers than the 3 series.

The funky swiss-watch style dash is superb and a welcome change from the BMW-style Teutonic slab of plastic that graces most interiors of these kind of cars. The Mark Levinson stereo is an example to everyone (and a welcome sight for hi-fi buffs), engine is sweet and chassis and build are first class. Dealers also bend over backwards to help, but don't charge the earth for the privilege. Could we just have a larger engine option please - stretch that lovely straight six to about 2.8 litres and 200 bhp, and my only real criticism of the car - it's relative lack of performance and flexibility - would be addressed.

Badge snobs who plump for a 318i are missing out big time, but then we wouldn't want the IS200 to become as common as the 3 series, would we?