The instrument panel and dashboard could have come from any of a number of high-end, much more costly cars. There is a hint of a Buick look to its build, with a heavy, eyelid-like hood running the width of the car; this may be intentional, however, as Kia lists the LeSabre as one of the Amanti's targets. The wood grain trim on the dash and center console looks less faux than some whose different bits and pieces truly are cut from the same burl. It's not overdone, but applied sparingly where it adds elegance, not just any and every place good glue can hold it in place. The dash-mounted monitor that comes with the Leather Package is under-utilized, a four-inch display surely can handle more than the usual trip computer info, time, date and audio selection, and it's redundant, as the same data can be called up in the instrument cluster.

Seats are supportive, comfy without being soft. A long day's worth of consecutive hours doesn't leave one's bum numb or even demanding a good stretch. Glass area is more than adequate, especially the side windows. The steep rake of the windshield brings the inside rearview mirror quite close to the driver's face, requiring a conscious turn of the head to scan. Power controls for the front seats mimic the metaphoric controls popularized by Mercedes-Benz and are as readily understood; mounted as they are on the doors (like Mercedes does), however, makes manipulating them somewhat awkward.

Interior room is comparable with the major players in the Amanti's target segment, comprising, in addition to the LeSabre, the Chrysler Concorde, the Ford Crown Victoria and the Toyota Avalon. In front-seat accommodations, the Amanti boasts best-in-class head and leg room and gives up no more than in inch in hip room. Rear seat passengers enjoy best-in-class head room but otherwise don't fare as well, losing 1 inch of leg and hip room to the Avalon and 2 inches to the LeSabre and Concorde, although the rear doors' limo-like openings are some compensation.

The Amanti comes up short in cargo space, by more than 3 cubic feet to the Concorde, but by less than 0.5 cubic feet to the Avalon. Kudos, though, to the trunk's full finish and the inside pull-down, sparing fingers from the dirt and muck that road trips routinely leave on a car's trunk lid.

The glove box is unique, the top third fitted with two cubbies to keep small items from rattling around. Otherwise, interior storage is routine, with the usual door-mounted map pockets, seatback-mounted magazine racks and cup holders. Three accessory power points are provided, one at the base of the center stack, another in the center console and the other on the back end of the center console for rear seat use. Missing, though, is a detent in the center console rim to allow a cellular telephone cord to fit beneath the closed console cover.

All controls, save for the front-seat power buttons, are conveniently placed and return good tactile feel. Easily scanned and comprehended climate control and stereo functions and settings are managed by familiar and user-friendly knobs, buttons and roller switches. Headliner-mounted assist grips are nicely damped front and rear, the latter fitted with garment hooks.