Front seats provide good support for lower back and thighs, as well as decent bolstering for keeping driver and passenger in their place during quick runs down winding roads. As mentioned, the less said about the rear seats the better, although we should in interest of thoroughness report the seat bottoms are deeply dished, while the seat backs are almost vertical, making for an included angle between the two planes of something less than 90 degrees. And then there's the subwoofer between the two seat forms that should deliver a good back massage when the stereo's cranked up.
Monitoring what's happening under the hood and beneath the tires is relatively easy, with large, round speedometer and tachometer framed by the top half of the steering wheel. The engine coolant and fuel level gauges, however, are buried down in the shadows in the lower, outboard corners of the instrument panel, forcing the driver consciously to look at and focus on them, instead of merely intuitively scanning them every few minutes.
Prizing function over flash, the center stack is nicely organized, topped by a hooded information display. Below in order are two of the dashboard's four, symmetrical vent registers; the CD/stereo control head; and the air conditioning panel, the latter two with mostly ergonomic buttons and knobs. We'd like larger radio station preset/CD selector buttons, but that's our only complaint in this area.
Storage is about par for what's effectively a two-plus-two sporty car. The glove box deceives, with a wide cover but a more limited inside. Door-mounted map pockets don't deserve the name, as they're barely adequate for a small notebook and so shallow it often falls out when you shut the door. A pair of basic cup holders fill the center console between the shift lever and a decently deep storage bin. The trunk space probably has enough room to hold not much more than Tiger Woods' very first set of golf clubs.
Visibility out the front is the best of all angles. Side windows are more chopped-top height than full size, with mirrors positioned back a ways from the front of the doors, to the point a driver has to turn the head to check neighboring lanes. The expanse of top material and the small rear window pretty well wipe out rear quarter vision, leaving sizable blind spots the speed cops will no doubt find to be perfect hiding places while they pace you.
