STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

Some 14 years ago someone, somewhere in Auckland, arrived at what was then known as Giltrap Lexus, and purchased a silver Lexus IS200. Automatic, inline six, half leather black on black interior.

That original owner looked after it, nurtured it, until he/ she and it parted ways. The Lexus then travelled around Auckland through the hands of three more owners until I bought it two months ago.

Buying an old Lexus is a nobrainer. They're are reliable, and not to mention they represent lots of luxury for little money.

And after a lengthy hiatus, the old girl returned to the dealership it once called home to help me pick up its distant sibling; the 2017 IS200t F- Sport.

Priced at $ 84,900, it slots in at $ 10,600 more than the entry- level IS200t, but a full $ 23,000 less than the six- cylinder IS350 F- Sport.

I've long had a mixed impression of the current IS, mainly because of the way it looks. The Lexus design department's fixation for huge hour- glass grills and creased bodywork remains an acquired taste for most.

But, parked in the heart of Auckland city for our photoshoot, among the shoppers and the warmly lit boutique stores, our IS200t's appearance was a revelation. The way the light peering between the skyscrapers