The digital clock is positioned so it's virtually impossible to read in the sunlight, which is annoying, and little green lights indicating the air conditioning is on are so dim and tiny you simply don't know by looking, although the AC itself is very good.

The console layout is very tidy and handsome, appropriately spartan. A new CD changer holds six CDs, which can be selected with the six radio station buttons. There are two cool buttons for the four-way flashers and rear window defogger, rectangular and totally flat on the face of the aluminum-looking panel. The heater controls are three big switches with wings. There are front and rear auxiliary DC outlets in addition to the cigarette lighter, and big fixed cupholders front and rear. Cruise control and radio controls are located on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, with wide spokes located at 3, 9, 5 and 7 o'clock. The whole padded center is the horn, the best and safest operation because of quick access. The horn is tinny but strong, a no-frills statement.

The bucket seats fit well and provide good lumbar support; we made one five-hour freeway run with no aches. We also took the Xterra windsurfing, and missed the cool accessory seat covers made of wetsuit material. Other nice available cabin details include the side window demisters and rear heat ducts, smart storage crannies, as many as 10 cargo hooks on floor and ceiling, and a strap on the tailgate to close it from the inside.

The roof is raised over the rear seats to allow for their elevation, which is good because with a nice view through the windshield, back-seat passengers might not notice how little legroom exists-an inch less than the smaller Toyota RAV 4. Because it's built on the Frontier pickup truck platform, Xterra's engineers must have been challenged to squeeze everything in, while providing the good 65.6 cubic feet of cargo space. When the 50-50 rear seatbacks are folded down, the seat bottoms must be removed, or else the front seats must be jammed impossibly close to the dash. So, depending on circumstance, you either leave them in your garage or they become loose cargo of their own. At least they're featherweight.