and airy cabin with good all-around visibility. There is room for five,

plentiful up front, adequate in back.

The gathered leather seats in our GLE added a touch of elegance and

wonderful fragrance to the interior. They are comfortable and supportive,

but are obviously designed for cruising comfort. Attractive wood-tone interior

trim compliments the leather-clad seating. All in all, the cabin feels

warm and luxurious with good operational layout.

Switches and controls are logically placed within easy reach of the

driver with clear layout for easy operation. The GLE's automatic climate

control is placed high up at the center of dash between the driver and

passenger and takes only seconds to master thanks to its clear icons and

digital readout.

It performs as intended, unlike some automatic systems, which have minds

of their own.

Directly below the HVAC controls, dominating the middle of the dash,

is a 200-watt Bose stereo which includes an integrated AM/FM/CD/cassette

sound system with six speakers. This stereo is one of the best you will

find in any car at any price and will put some home systems to shame. Our

only quibble here is that the more frequently used audio controls would

be better placed above the climate controls.

Controls such as the power windows and the door and window locks, are

conveniently placed on the driver's door armrest. The power window switches

have a lift-for-up feature that makes them easy to find and use at night.

Also of note--and new to the Maxima GLE for 1997--is Nissan's Integrated

Homelink Transmitter. This feature allows the driver to operate up to three

different radio-controlled devices--garage doors, house lights, TV sets--from

the sunvisor-mounted controls.