And then there were all the storage cubbies: beneath the stereo, under the gear-shift lever, CD rack at the bottom of the centre console, a pair of solid cup holders (thumbs up), little recesses great for cell phones or digital cameras and a deep well that I could almost stick my whole head

And then there were all the storage cubbies, including a pair of solid cup holders (thumbs up). (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)

in. I think there was a glove box, too. The front passenger seat folds flat and it has a flat recessed area that can be used as a picnic table. Oh yeah, and it's a wagon, so there's also a potential zillion litres (million cubic feet) of storage capacity out back if you fold the back seat down - maybe not quite armoire sized, but definitely small desk or dressers, easily.

That rear stowage area also features a sliding track cargo system that I didn't get a chance to try out as I never had more than a few groceries to try out. I did use the glass hatch that opens separately, which is easier because it's lighter and I'm just that lazy. But wait, there's more - a little mini trunk within a trunk - more covered storage areas in the cargo area that are only trumped by something like the Ridgeline's pickup-bed trunk.

The last items worth mentioning inside the car are the seats, because whenever you're in the car, you're in your seat. I can't say that my back

I can't say that my back problems this weekend were caused by the seats, but they sure didn't help. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)

problems this weekend were caused by the seats, but they sure didn't help. They offered practically no substantial support for my lower back, and on a long Saturday drive, my back gradually caved in more and more until I had to stop, get out, stretch and walk around. Not good.

When I wasn't complaining about my back, I was revving the low-powered engine to get as much juice as I could out of it. The technical details are as follows: 4 cylinders, 1.8 litres displacement, sequential multi-port fuel injection and Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence (VVT-i) and, in the case of my tester, V-Flex 4-wheel drive. Although all of the above are seamless and functional in daily driving, I had to go out of my way to test the last.