Overall, though, its interior design emphasizes quality, comfort and ergonomics. It is an attractive space, with a good choice of materials and an aesthetic sense of color balance.

The front bucket seats in the 626 are excellent. They provide long-distance driving comfort, with plenty of shoulder room and superb lateral support, both important on winding mountain roads. The rear seats are comfortable also, again with good shoulder space, although knee room is a bit short for tall passengers.

The trunk is large and well-shaped, a rectangular bin without obstructions. The trunk lid includes the panel between the tail lights, so you won't have to lift any higher than the bumper when hefting groceries or baggage. The rear seats fold down for additional cargo capacity, or to carry longer items. There's plenty of in-cabin storage as well, allowing motorists to stash everything from cassette tapes to hand-held cellular phones.

The layout of the instrument panel makes the gauges easy to read. Controls and switches more located comfortably within reach. You won't have to take your eyes off the road to fiddle with the power mirrors or to turn on the rear defroster. Switches and knobs have a refined feel that bespeaks luxury.