The Lexus IS300h is one of the most stylish saloon cars on the British roads.

It looks rather special with a good range of colours which are easy on the eye and when you get into the car you know that this is a special vehicle.

It's hybrid model is probably one of the best around and it costs around £36,000 with a reasonable insurance group of 30e and has CO2 emissions of 107 g/km and benefit in kind of 18 per cent.

It has been built to take on the Germans and while there is no diesel model, no estate and just an auto gearbox it is certainly to be considered against the Mercedes, the BMWs and the Audis. There’s more class with a Lexus than the Teutonic breed.

Should you not want the hybrid then there is a two litre petrol model but the hybrid is great.

This 2,500cc petrol turbo-powered engine will give you 0-62 mph in just over eight seconds and a top speed of 125 mph. Add that the 300(Nm) electric motor you will easily get more than 60 miles top the gallon.

The petrol-electric drivetrain means it doesn’t have the same three per cent tax penalty as the diesel rivals have and, the lower CO2 emissions means your costs are lower.

The current model is the third generation of the Lexus’s million selling compact sports saloon and it is a joy to drive at either speed or just bimbling along.

There is bags of grip with superb steering and excellent brakes keep you confident on most roads.

The list of the kit in this car is both immense and impressive. On board there is pre crash safety/adaptive cruise control/lane keep assist/sway; warning/traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam.

The driver and passenger have front, side and knee airbags plus curtain airbags; ABS with EBD and brake assist; vehicle stability control; traction control; hill start assist control plus a host of other technical needs.

With the active sound control you can adjust the volume of the Active Sound Control, using a dial to the right of the steering wheel. ASC relays an engine sound into the cabin, using a dedicated speaker behind the audio unit.

With the drive modes you can switch between driving mode using the selector switch behind the gear shift lever.

The hill-start assist works like a dream. When you come to a halt on an incline, push the brake pedal hard until you hear a beep. The brakes will then hold for about two seconds so you don’t have to use the handbrake to make a hill start.

The interior temperature control is a little bit complicated at first. When you have to make small adjustments to the cabin temperature setting you just simply touch the electrostatic switches as well as slide them up and down.

There is smart entry and start; dual zone climate control with electrostatic temperature switches; leather upholstery heated front seats; eight way power front seat adjustment; two way power driver’s seat lumbar adjustment and centre console knee pads.

The rearview camera is better than your own TV at home; front and rear parking sensors; Bluetooth; LED daytime running lights; triple LED headlamps and LED rear lights.

The premier pack of toys includes the 15 inch speaker Mark Levinson premium audio system; blind spot monitor; traffic alert; premium sat nav with DAB reception; DVD player; 10.3in display; remote touch interface and power steering column adjustment.

In the unlikely case you get a new vehicle warranty plus a three year/60,000-mile pan-european mechanical warranty; three year paintwork warranty; 12-year anticorrosion and perforation warranty plus three year’s Lexus roadside assistance.

Servicing is 10,000 miles or annually.