Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: £23,060 to £54,490
Immensely powerful yet civilised; looks great; clever eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Hard ride; not much steering feel; limited rear-seat space.
A well thought-out alternative to the M3 and RS4, conceding nothing in its performance.
It's not going to be cheap, though 24.8mpg is manageable for a car of this type, and the IS F does seem to return fuel economy near to its official figures, thanks to that clever gearbox.
Carbon dioxide emissions are substantially lower than those of the nearest rivals, but 270g/km is still going to put this car in the £300-a-year Band G, highest-rate company car tax bandings and, potentially, make it liable for higher-rate congestion charging, parking permits and toll charges in some areas.
The IS F should hold its value well.
