interior, among the most spacious in its class. Rear seat leg room is particularly

generous, and the large door openings make entry and exit more convenient

than in a good many of the I30's competitors.

Not only is there ample room for five passengers, the I30 can also carry

their belongings handily, with 14.1 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Additional

cargo space for long items, such as skis, is available with the standard

rear seat armrest pass-through.

Trimmed with wood and leather upholstery, the interior has a warm, plush

ambiance. The seats, though they could use more lateral support, are quite

comfortable. Visibility is exceptionally good from any seat.

Controls and gauges are logically situated and easy to operate. The

center dashboard is home to a digital clock, the standard automatic climate

control system and the standard Bose audio system with cassette and in-dash

compact disc player.

In terms of amenities, there's just not much to add.

The I30 comes in three trim levels--the standard model; the Leather

Appointed edition; and the Touring version. Each contains various levels

of standard equipment, all comprehensive.

The Leather Appointed I30 includes, above and beyond the base model,

leather interior, of course, standard automatic transmission, power sliding

glass sunroof, and automatic anti-glare inside rearview mirror. An eight-way

power driver's seat and four-way front passenger's seat feature what Infiniti

calls "extended pelvic lumbar support," designed to help prevent

fatigue on long drives.

An Integrated HomeLink Transmitter comes standard on some I30 models.

It allows the driver to control up to three radio frequency-activated devices,

such as garage doors, security gates or home interior lights from the car.

Two option packages are available-- heated seats (for Leather Appointed

models, $400), and a traction enhancement package ($830), as are a few

stand-alone options, including power sunroof.

Standard safety equipment on all I30 models consist of dual air bags,

four-wheel disc brakes with antilock, an anti-theft system and, like all

1997 models, side impact protection.

Other standard equipment on all I30 models includes power windows, door

locks, antenna, trunk and fuel filler door releases as well as cruise control

with steering wheel mounted switches and pre-wiring for a cellular phone.