Motoring: Bulging biceps but shame about the face

The Lexus is a fine car, no question. But an object of desire? Forget it. John Simister reports.

Why might you want a BMW, an Audi or a Mercedes-Benz? Your reasons could be to do with notions of fine engineering and sculptural design, of a crisply-honed driving experience involving a smooth engine and well- mannered handling. If so, the new Lexus GS300 is aimed right at your wish list.

Or it could be to do with notions of understated quality, an aura of integrity and permanence. The Lexus is looking good here, too. Then there's style and prestige, the pleasure that comes from looking at a beautiful thing and from knowing that others admire your taste and judgement. Another result for the Lexus? Well, no.

So just when it looked as though the Japanese had cracked the German stronghold, they blow it. And what's a Lexus GS300, anyway?

It used to be a dramatic-looking upmarket saloon whose body design grew out of the concept car created by Giugiaro for the world motor show circuit. Launched in 1993, it has just been replaced by a new version because Japan's four-year model cycle has come round again. So much for permanence. Anyway, it's this new version that we are interested in here.

This time, Toyota, the Lexus parent company, did the body design itself. Clearly, the designers wanted to make their new baby look something like a Mercedes, because its front and rear lights have a very E-class-like design of separate lenses. The front grille is shaped similarly to the old car's - some stirrings of heritage there - but the sides look high and slabby despite some half-hearted blisters over the wheel-arches. Not Sunday-morning car-wash lust-inducing, then.

Nor does the interior fan any flames of desire, despite luminous white instrument faces, passable wood veneer, a CD stacker in the glovebox, deliciously damped controls and electric adjustment for the steering-wheel as well as the seats. The shape of the dashboard is just too dull. Still, there's the option of a stupendously effective, big-screen satellite navigation system complete with real-time moving map and a nonchalant vocal delivery. There's more room than in the old car, too, though the new one is shorter on the outside. That's achieved mainly by mounting the engine further back, itself made possible by using a slimmer air-conditioner.

The engine. This is the best bit. In the old GS300, the straight-six, 3.0-litre engine sounded a shade rough and rorty at high revs, and the automatic transmission shifted its gears abruptly at times. But this engine, still a twin-cam, 24-valve straight-six (smoother than a fashionable V6, if less compact) is now both more powerful and sweeter, thanks in part to variable valve timing. With up to 218bhp on tap, this is a satisfyingly rapid car.

Work the engine hard, and it will emit the creamy yowl of a good BMW. It will always be running at the optimum speed, too, because the new five- speed gearbox shifts responsively yet very smoothly. It's one of the best autos I've tried. There are similar plaudits for the suspension, for this is an agile car with precise steering, yet it soaks up bumps with no fuss or fidget.

It has a skid-alleviating Vehicle Stability Control, too, which selectively applies individual brakes and eases the throttle if you try to pour too much power through the rear wheels on a slippery road. Not that you'll often feel it bleep and jerk into action, because the tyres' grip is remarkable.

To drive, the GS300 is the equal of a BMW 528i, no question. Taking the standard equipment into account, it compares well on costs, too, whether as an S or as a leather-trimmed, gizmo-laden SE. But to gaze at, or to boast about, the Lexus falls flat. In this material world of ours, that's a problem.

Lexus GS300

Price: pounds 31,200 (S), pounds 34,070 (SE). Engine: 2,997cc, six cylinders, 24 valves, 218bhp at 5,800rpm. Five-speed automatic gearbox, rear-wheel drive. Performance: top speed 143mph, 0-60 in 8.0sec. Fuel consumption: 20-25mpg.

Rivals:

Audi A6 2.8 quattro: pounds 30,606. Best-looking of the prestige saloons, delightful detailing, 4WD for terrific grip.

BMW 528i SE: pounds 30,880. Conservative to look at, satisfying to drive, but not the benchmark it was.

Mercedes-Benz E280 Classic: pounds 32,490. Low trim level puts Benz into Lexus price range, new V6 engine is very smooth, car feels unbreakable.

Saab 9-5 3.0 SE: pounds 28,995. Best of the new 9-5 range, with lively "asymmetric" turbo V6 and good handling. Looks dated; quality not quite right yet.