What hasn't changed is its roominess. A 6-foot-4 companion barely brushed his hair on the headliner, and our car was equipped with a sunroof; cars without sunroofs offer slightly more headroom.

The front seats were redesigned to provide more support and dampen road vibration. We found them comfortable. Eight-way power is standard for the driver's seat. For 2002, a memory seat feature is available.

The rear seats are comfortable and roomy enough that one adult male passenger took a nice nap while we were on the road.

The trunk is not be the largest in the class, but it is roomy. The rear seats are split 60/40 and fold down to make room for longer items.

Nissan's California designers shaped the new dash into a stylish wave that gives it an airy feel. The steering wheel and other controls were repositioned last year to improve comfort. A pair of cup holders is located under the lid on the center console.

For 2002, the sunroof switch features a multi-position slide instead of a conventional rocker switch. There's the new Bose stereo system, and the available navigation system now offers a 3-D Birdview display and a touch screen.

The SE interior is comfortable and inviting, with a nice grade of cloth and attractive interior trim throughout. GLE is the most luxurious, of course, with its leather seats. We didn't care for the GXE interior; it isn't as inviting as either the SE or GLE. The GXE interior trim is not as nice and does not look like it will age as well as the other two models.