First impressions were promising. A row of gleaming Lexus vehicles parked in the winter sun outside Rome’s Fiumicino airport all neat proportioning, grown-up detailing, and purposeful stance. Looking for all the world like a Lexus GS that had been to the gym every day for six months, the IS 220d is going to sell on looks alone. Know that. BMW certainly will because this car has its sights firmly targeted on its 320d. For a good proportion of buyers, the Lexus has the Bavarian’s measure.

I’m often asked whether car A or car B is better and the answer, inevitably, is ‘it depends’. Whether you’ll take the Lexus or the Beemer is dependent on a wealth of criteria but let’s just say for the time being that, if you want a polished ownership experience with all the bells and whistles, shop Japanese. Those more interested in wringing the chassis engineering genius out of the last tenth of the handling envelope will be better off buying BMW.

The ride on the standard 17-inch alloy wheels and suspension set up is very good, even the scabbiest Italian mountain roads will fail to break the car’s composure. The steering is quick and accurate and the on-limit handling, as defined by the VDIM stability control system, is benign in the extreme. This system is a vast improvement over the old VSC stability control system, allowing a little more wheelspin but intervening earlier and less obtrusively when it detects the car getting a little out of shape.

What’s even more interesting is that, whereas traditional stability control systems just nip at the brakes to keep things in check, VDIM manages brakes, throttle and even steering, adding a couple of degrees of counter steer crucially early in the event of a slide. Power out of a wet mountain hairpin bend with the engine right in the meat of the torque and you’ll feel a mild muting of throttle response and a spot a flashing light on the fascia. No drama, no temptation to counter steer yourself (something that can royally confuse some stability control systems) and a rapid reapplication of full power once the car detects it’s pointing in the right direction.

The interior is an object lesson in how to make complex systems intuitive to access and operate. It’s here that Lexus scores its most decisive victory over the BMW 3 Series. The satellite navigation, audio and ventilation systems are all simple to use. Try changing the stereo’s bass and treble on a BMW fitted with iDrive. If you can do it within 20 minutes of starting out, without recourse to a manual, mind, you’re doing better than me and I’ve got a degree in IT. In the IS 220d, you’ll figure it out within 10 seconds the first time and the same goes for even the more complex functions.

The second biggest advantage the Lexus scores comes in after sales service. Here the company is second to none and Lexus dealers monotonously rate as having the best service offering year after year. Judging by other Lexus products, it’s doubtful you’ll see much of them other than for routine servicing as again Lexus trounces all German rivals when it comes to economy.

This car is steeped in build and design integrity and an unswaying focus on how we use our cars. Try it and you’ll understand it.

FACTS AT A GLANCE:
CAR: Lexus IS 220d range
PRICES: £22,200-£27,800 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 12E - 13E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 168g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60 8.9s Max Speedf 134mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 44.8 (extra urban) 52.3 (urban) 35.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side & curtain airbags / ABS / ESP