Our favorite interior design feature is a nifty mechanism that prompts the steering wheel to slowly ascend when the key is removed from the ignition, allowing the driver to swing his or her legs around when stepping out. Later, when the key is reinserted, the wheel descends to the preprogrammed drive position. Clever.Other comfort-plus amenities are the huge stereo-control knobs, each of which approximates the size of the tuning knob on a 1972 Pioneer home stereo receiver. Just turn the left hand knob for volume control and the right hand knob for reverse and forward. The bass and treble are adjustable via pressure-sensitive buttons, to a maximum level of six. And from an ergonomic perspective, the cassette player and radio tuning buttons can be easily engaged without reaching around - or cracking the knuckles against - the gear shift or the cupholder. Likewise, the power-window and power-mirror controls are a lazy person's dream. Both can be deftly flicked without so much as lifting the forearm from the driver's door armrest. The climate-control system is similarly well conceived. It generated cool air (we tested this baby during the hot summer months) as efficiently and as comfortably as any vehicle we've driven. The front seats are plush and comfy, and the front-seat cabin afforded enough headroom for our 5'11+ driver. Although Mazda claims the backseat is roomy enough for three, the person in the middle would be riding the hump. Two good-sized passengers, however, certainly could relax in beaucoup comfort. The aft also offers map lights, and all four of the Millenia's doors are mounted with interior lights that illuminate the street surface when the doors are opened.
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