Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: £22,405 to £53,376
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 quiet in there, with wind, tyre and engine noise well-suppressed beneath the sweet spot at 3,600rpm (though even then it's hardly horribly intrusive). But goodness, the ride is firm. The IS F isn't quite a tooth-rattler, nor is it quite as unforgiving as, say, a Mercedes C63 on large AMG wheels, but it is stiff, and the suspension does not always recover well from bumps in the road, rebounding over broken-up surfaces. Still, this goes with the territory...
The IS F is also less roomy than its German competitors, with a smaller boot and a generally less spacious-feeling cabin, not helped by the black roof-lining. The rear bench has been divided into just two seats with a central armrest. Front-seat occupants are well-served, however, with well-shaped, multi-adjustable seats and plenty of elbow-room.
Standard equipment levels are high, including satellite navigation, rear parking sensors, a 14-speaker surround-sound Mark Levinson hi-fi, gas-discharge adaptive headlamps with washers, perforated leather upholstery, Bluetooth kit, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition button, and a nice set of blue-needled instruments. The only extra-cost option is a tilt/slide sunroof.
