The bucket seats are thick, deep and supportive; and fit even a 6-foot, 4-inch adult like the proverbial glove. On the other hand, the enormous side bolsters may not be comfortable for wider frames. Between the seats is a center console trimmed in a soft-touch material that gives it a quality feel. There's a pair of cup holders conveniently located immediately aft of the shifter, and they work well. All four doors feature map pockets and cup holders. The high-waist design means the window sills are too high for comfortable arm resting, but enhance the secure feeling.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel is thick and chunky and has a relatively small diameter. It gives the impression that you're directing the movement of something substantial. Redundant controls for the cruise control and sound system are conveniently integrated into the steering-wheel spokes.
The instrument panel is shaped as one continuous enclosure that swoops from the back of the left front door across the center and around to the back of the right front door. Under that sweeping hood there's an interesting-looking set of instruments and controls.
When the optional navigation system is ordered, the display is positioned right in the center of the speedometer, exactly where it should be for safest use. The GPS navigation system is programmed and run by a circular switch panel to the right of the steering wheel.
Heating and air conditioning controls seemed fussy at first, but we loved having the Auto Hi and Auto Lo switches for those times when we didn't want the climate control fan blasting away at full speed but didn't want to shut it off completely. There's a nice analog clock on all but the base model for quickly telling time. All power windows can be lowered at once by pressing one button. And you can program convenience functions such as auto locking, lock notification (horn, lights, nothing), lighting when doors are opened and so on to tailor the car to the exact way you want it to operate. Some vehicles require a trip to the dealer to reprogram these settings and some don't allow reprogramming at all.
The second-row seats in Touring and Limited models are as handsome as the front seats. They're not quite as cushy, but we found them roomy and comfortable. Between them is a center console, similarly elegant to the one in front, and equipped with practical cup holders. Controls for the fan and vents, a power plug, and a tray for a purse or day pack are provided for back-seat passengers. Each seat can be folded flat individually, to handle lengthy cargo and a third occupant at the same time.
The five-passenger model uses a bench seat in the second row that seats two or three. It's split 65/35. The seatbacks can be folded down, then the seats can be tumbled forward for cargo space. We found this easy to do the first time we tried; the release levers are numbered in sequence. The only downside of the design is that it does not provide an absolutely flat load floor. The second-row bucket seats that come on six-passenger models operate similarly, but the bucket seats leave a gap in the middle. The five-seat model offers more cargo space than the six-seater, with 92.7 cubic feet of space versus the six-passenger's 79.5 cubic feet.
The third-row seats in Touring and Limited fold down 50/50 and disappear to create a flat floor for large cargoes. That's the best configuration because the third row is not a comfortable place to sit, particularly for adults. Access to the third-row seats, while not requiring extreme contortions, was best attempted only by the small and flexible.
