The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is mounted on the dash just beyond the driver's right hand. It includes straightforward controls for mode (defrost/up/down), fan strength and a radial knob controlling the climate control's temperature selection. Also provided is an ambient outside temperature readout. The front and rear window defroster buttons are placed immediately next to one another, and at first, these symbols' similarity make you think twice. On the other hand, in frosty conditions you may need both simultaneously anyway.

Traction control, standard in the Millenia S and optional in the base model, can be switched off. That's a useful feature when, for instance, the car is being operated with snow chains. And speaking of winter, our test Millenia S was furnished with the optional 4-Seasons Package ($300). This grouping includes heated front seats, a heavy-duty wiper motor, a large-capacity wiper-fluid tank and two-position wipers. As in numerous cars, the Millenia's standard cruise control is accessed with a main off/on switch.

Front seating in the Millenia is excellent, with good bolstering and lateral support and a fully adequate range of electrical adjustment. The rear seats offer only average space, however, and flimsy-looking cargo netting is affixed to the rear of the front seats, a fashion that has come and gone. A major rear-compartment improvement in the '99, however, is the trunk pass-through feature incorporated in the rear fold-down center armrest. This makes it easy to load a pair of skis or other long items into the car.

The Millenia S's leather upholstery is utterly first-quality, buttery and rich. The center panels of the seat cushions and backs are elegantly gathered to give the interior living-room sumptuousness. The whole is finished in gentle earth tones that are understated without being mud-hut maudlin.