Faults:

Nothing, I took one for a test drive and am getting one this week.

General Comments:

Drives like a dream, even my wife thinks it's great, and she's only been driving our Daewoo Matiz (yes, the tiny one!) for a year.

I pushed the demo car to 120, and she just wanted to go some more. It even feels racey at 20mph, it's just got that "family sports car" feel.

I love the dash, which reviewers seem to hate - what's wrong with dials anyway?

Faults:

Rear tyres wore out after 9000 miles of mostly motorway driving.

General Comments:

The IS200 SE is fully loaded but small and generally disappointing compared to my A4.

The boot is small and you can't get your hands in the door side pockets.

The seats are small and could do with some side support.

The worst aspect of the car is the side windows - they don't clear water when you wind them down. So when you set off on a wet morning you have to drive with the both front windows down.

The service from the main dealer has also been very disappointing - not returning calls, not fixing squeaking doors when asked twice. I had better service when I had a Ford Escort.

Faults:

Persistent rattle from the engine bay.

Stained alloy wheels.

Corroded rear wheel hubs.

Possible oil leak.

General Comments:

Since I picked the car up, there has been a persistent rattle from the engine bay when under load at about 2500rpm. The car has now been back to the dealer four times. They now suspect that the problem is caused by rattling pipes that run along the bulkhead. However, no sign as yet of them actually fixing it.

Wax was left on the alloy wheels after delivery. Sorted out under warranty.

Corroded rear wheel hubs sorted under warranty.

Dealer unable to find the oil leak.

Overall, I still love my Lexus. It really is a great car, it's just a shame that the ownership experience has been ruined so far by the persistent rattle! The dealer has been as helpful as possible. They even got a Lexus GB technician down to drive the car. He said that he has never heard the noise before, so I am beginning to lose faith that they'll fix it. They are now going to insulate a load of pipes that run along the bulkhead.

If Lexus cars are SO reliable, and have so few problems, Lexus should just replace my car now as a goodwill gesture, rather than me continue to have all this hassle. That would redeem them in my estimations and would ensure that I buy my next car from them when this one is three years old. The loan IS200 I have is lovely! No rattle!

If Lexus want to push themselves as a premium car manufacturer, they should act like one. My car is not up to standard and should be FIXED or REPLACED. Promptly.