The Sable instrument panel's large, legible gauges are set into a two-shade dashboard, the upper panel toned darker to reduce glare and the lower, lighter panel keyed to the door panel covering. Audio and climate controls are mounted in the center panel on the dash. Happily, this panel is free of the prior oval-obsessed layout. However, the new center panel, while aesthetically an improvement, still presents an intimidating array of small, similarly shaped push buttons with tiny labels. At first glimpse, this array may impress you with its high-tech appearance, but it can be a challenge to find and hit the right button while battling drive-time traffic.

The 2000 Sable can be ordered in either five- or six-passenger configurations. If you specify both a five-passenger layout and Sable's premium audio, you get a bonus: a very tidy between-the-seats front console with floor-shifter. This console conceals a six-disc CD changer, a vastly more convenient location than the more common trunk-mounted CD changers elsewhere. In five-passenger form, the twin front bucket seats deliver surprisingly good lateral support without incurring a penalty in seating comfort - even for larger drivers. The cushions and seatbacks are on the firm side, which initially seems a shortcoming. However, well-designed firm seats deliver better comfort and reduced fatigue on long drives. The Sable's rear seating for three is spacious and comfortable, with the two outboard positions having a semi-bucket form. In our LS Premium, a pull-down rear center elbow rest contained two cupholders. And if you are a skier or carry ladders everywhere you go, the positively enormous split-seat pass-through into the trunk in our test car would make your life immeasurably easier.

Other nice touches in the Sable include driver and passenger lighted vanity mirrors that incorporate a rheostat for raising or lowering their illumination. Also, the sunroof opens with one touch.

In the area of safety, the Sable earned NHTSA's top five-star frontal crash-test rating. It is equipped with dual-stage airbags, this system sensing the intensity of the impact and deploying the bags at one of two different speeds. In lesser impacts, gentler deployment reduces the risk of injury by the bags themselves. Head-and-chest side airbags are also available as an option. Seatbelt pretensioners are standard, as is a system which releases small amounts of seatbelt tension to reduce injury.