Because our test car was loaded with almost $6000 worth of optional equipment, our expectations were high, and they were met.

The cabin is quite roomy front and rear, with plenty of leg and head room for six-footers in the rear, along with separate air conditioning circuitry and a second 12-volt power point. The seats were thick, supportive and nicely coved, front and rear, and the driver's seat had plenty of adjustment range including lumbar support.

There was a 3-D effect to the instrument package that we liked a lot, with a centered gear indicator that switched back and forth between manual and automatic modes. We particularly liked the layout of the buttons on the steering wheel for the cruise control and sound system, beautifully integrated and easy to use.

The Infinity sound system was easy to use, clean and powerful through its nine speakers, but was lacking an Aux input for digital music players, a significant minus these days. Another feature we really liked was the top center digital display screen with trip computer, a large display with large, easy to read markings for time, day, date, temperature, mileage, distance to empty, etc. However, a navigation system is not currently offered, a deal breaker for some buyers.