Hi Ian, thanks for the response. The first thing that attracted me to my current BMW was the 13% BIK (back in 2010) combined with decent performance, handling and economy. Lexus didn't really have anything comparable at the time, the new IS has changed all that in my opinion. It's now a real contender for performance, ride and handling, not just low BIK. A 3 series (not sure what engine and spec as yet) will still be on the short list, I know there are loads of them around but apart from the engine being a bit gruff they are still great all rounders. I do like the idea of the Lexus being rarer and more exclusive though, in addition to this I'm hoping it will be more reliable than my current BMW has been.
I also have my sights on the new mk7 Golf GTI, the BIK is now down to 19% which is reasonable based on the performance it offers. It all comes down to the total out of pocket cost in the end, the combination of the lease cost plus the BIK. I'm on a salary sacrifice scheme and have no restrictions on how much of my pay I allocate to a car. If there's only say £20-£30 a month difference between my final three it will make the decision even harder. My firm is just in the middle of changing lease providers so I can't get final costs as yet, it should be sorted in the next couple of weeks though.
Thanks again.
James.