The seats in our Villager LS were really comfortable, thanks to lumbar supports and armrests. However, our 6-foot test driver said his seat would have to be pushed back another three inches past the limit to be ideal. He enjoyed an inch and-a-half of headroom, though, and plenty of shoulder- and legroom.

Our Villager LS didn't have a center console, but Mercury remedied that situation with storage bins in the center of the dashboard. At the bottom was a tray that could hold six cassette tapes or-in our case-CDs; an ashtray sat above that, and then a handy change tray was next. Above these storage bins were controls for the stereo and the heating/air conditioning system.

It was apparent to us that Mercury made a point of placing everything within easy view and reach. Many controls were close to the steering wheel on stalks or keypads. Among them were the cruise control, washer/wipers and rear-window defogger. These were particularly handy to see and use.

The steering wheel also held the standard air bag. There wasn't an air bag for the front passenger, which came as a surprise to us considering the Villager LS's rather considerable price.

Our test Villager LS had an optional digital display. Most everything read out in numbers, but the tachometer worked with a kind of waterfall effect. There was also an onboard computer to calculate fuel mileage a feature that many drivers may find useful.

Panel lights in the vehicle were very bright, even in the daytime. There were also map and dome lights throughout the interior, which offered good illumination.

In back, the seats had their own controls for electric windows, temperature settings and speaker volume.

Overall, the Villager LS was very versatile, offering a total of 13 different seating and cargo carrying arrangements. The rear-seat bench not only reclined and folded into a tray table, but it also slid into three seating and two storage locations, thanks to an extended travel track.

Despite this versatility, we thought storage behind the seats was a bit too modest. Sure, there was room enough for five or six bags of groceries, but for a larger load, the rear-seat bench would have to be folded up and slid forward.