panel. Ventilation and audio controls, cupholders and storage for small items are all located front and center

for easy access. A sporty four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel houses the driver's airbag, while the

passenger-side airbag is above the glove box. A rear air conditioning blower with separate controls adds to

the comfort of passengers in the back rows. A storage tray under the front passenger seat slides out and is

handy for keeping mail and other small odds and ends from sliding around the cabin.

New for 1998 is an AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers that comes standard on all trim levels. An optional

cassette player is useful for those who enjoy books on tape or already have a big cassette collection.

Other standard MPV features include power windows, locks and outside mirrors, cruise control, tilt steering

column, power steering, a digital clock, rear wiper/washer/defroster, dual vanity mirrors and remote fuel

door release.

All MPVs come with reclining front bucket seats. LX models are upholstered in nice velour cloth, while ES

models come with leather seating surfaces.

One of the most important considerations when ordering an MPV is choosing between seven- and eight-passenger

seating. Eight-passenger models use a second and third row of bench seats that hold three passengers each. Both

rows can be folded flat to carry cargo and the middle bench reclines and adjusts fore and aft. It looks good on

paper, but the width of the middle bench makes getting to the third-row bench seat difficult.

We prefer the seven-passenger layout. A pair of captains chairs replace the middle row bench. The captains

chairs are more comfortable than the bench seat. More important, they make it easier to get to the back row.

LX (cloth) models come standard with eight-passenger seating, but seven-passenger seating is optional. ES

(leather) models come standard with seven-passenger seating.

With either layout, the third-row bench seat can be folded forward to provide more cargo space or it can be

removed completely. The MPV does not offer as much cargo space as a sport-utility vehicle--42 cubic feet compared

with a Ford Explorer's 81 cubic feet--but it does a much better job of hauling seven people in comfort.