Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £34,550 to £39,350
Refined and comfortable, quiet with the roof up, likely to be very reliable.
Dull driving manners, underwhelming V6 engine, expensive.
A good choice for anyone after a smooth boulevard cruiser, but it's pricey and won't satisfy keener drivers.
This is the Lexus IS 250C, a drop-top version of the standard IS saloon, which comes with a complex three-part metal folding roof in an effort to offer the fun of a cabriolet with the refinement of a coupe.
Look at this car from any angle other than straight ahead and you'd be forgiven for not realising it was part of the IS family. Lexus had to redesign almost every panel to accommodate the intricate and bulky folding roof system - only the bonnet, wing mirrors and doorhandles are shared with the standard saloon. The result is an elongated and bulky rear-end that looks nowhere near as elegant as rivals such as the Audi A5 Cabriolet.
But the IS 250C's complicated roof - complete with its three separate panels, 15 different electric motors and 37 sensors - is billed as the world's fastest, taking just 21 seconds to raise or lower. And this is a Lexus, so it should be refined and very reliable.
Prices range from £34,550 to £39,540, so can it stack up against class-leaders such as the BMW 3-Series Convertible? Read on to find out.
