Time in the driver's seat left me with mixed emotions. On the positive side, I was faced with a handsome dashboard on which controls were easy to find and operate. The face-level air outlets are especially handy. I liked the location of the instruments: in a binnacle atop the center of the dash, slightly canted to the left where they can be spotted at a glance. Some critics dislike a central location but what the heck... it was good enough in my Morris Minor and it's good enough today.
Three small bins including one in the armrest provide extra storage but the map pockets are very shallow. Visibility is excellent, even for the rear seat passengers. My test car featured an automatic dimming rearview mirror fitted with compass and temperature indicators and OnStar control. I'm a fan of in-car compasses.
Ion's trunk is absolutely huge; deep, tall, with split-folding rear seats. But it's the seats that let me down. I thought the driver's seat was the most uncomfortable I'd ever used until I sat in the rear, which was like being perched on a padded board with a near-vertical backrest. Leg and headroom is minimal as well; a lack of grab handles makes access difficult. Long journeys in the back are best suited to short children.
