The Suzuki Aerio has one of the tiniest instrument panels we have ever seen. Set in a symmetrical dash, it's a tiny wedge only several inches tall containing an LCD analog tachometer, digital speedometer and tiny temperature and fuel gauges, all in orange on black. There's a similar wedge-shaped panel on the passenger side. No doubt this facilitates configuring the car for sales in right-hand-drive countries. We thought we got rid of digital in the Eighties, but this system works well enough, and it's set deep enough that it isn't washed out in sunlight, always in shade.

The center stack houses the standard AM/FM/CD audio and heater/air conditioner controls, all easy to understand and operate. The inside door handles feel flimsy, but otherwise, fit and finish are good. The interior is all plastic, but quality-look plastics. The dash has an industrial-look texture, and despite high styling for the most part, function hasn't been compromised by style.

The big, tall doors make entry easy front and rear, and the rear hatch opens wide. The rear can accept a lot of cargo.

Aerio sedans have a 14.6 cubic foot trunk that's huge for their size.

The back seat folds down, after first tilting the seat cushion forward, to make a flat floor. Remove the SX cargo cover and there's enough cargo volume for a weeklong camping trip without putting anything on the roof. Tie-down hooks would have made a nice addition here, and some people may prefer a non-carpeted load floor, such as the one found in the Toyota Matrix. Two nice SX features: hidden storage under the floor, and a storage tray under the front passenger seat.