Settled into the driver’s seat, enjoy the wonder of the 12-speaker, fine-tuned surround-sound audio system developed by Grammy award-winning producer Elliot Scheiner. The leather and woodgrain accents are next-best to a concert-hall setting.

And, for benefit of those passengers sitting behind, consider the new, ultrawide 16.2-inch rear DVD screen. I’d not seen a screen that wide, and it serves up wide-view movies or split-screen side-by-side videos, all for the pleasure of the second- and third-row viewers.

Those niceties are among highlights of the 2015 Acura MDX, a seven-passenger SUV which came my way last week.

The MDX is Acura’s most luxurious showpiece. Except for a dismal year in 2009, when all auto sales were low, it has been a consistently strong seller for the Japanese firm.

The MDX has been particularly hot thus far in 2014. Having surpassed 30,000 sales in the first half of this year, it may break the MDX’s annual sales record of 59,505 established 10 years ago.

Here are annual sales figures for the MDX, introduced in 2001:

2001                            40,950

2002                            52,955

2003                            57,281

2004                            59,505

2005                            57,948

2006                            54,121

2007                            58,606

2008                            45,377

2009                            31,178

2010                            47,210

2011                            43,271

2012                            50,854

2013                            53,040

2014 (for 6 months)    30,664

With a wide 66-inch track, the MDX also appears large in overall length. Its 196.3-inch length falls between its direct competitors – longer than the BMW X5, shorter than the Audi Q7.

Noticeable up front are jewel-eyed, five-beam LED headlights, three for low-beam lights and two for high beams.

Performance has changed not a great deal through the years; it is adequate with a 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. Equipped with SH-AWD “super-handling all-wheel drive,” it is prepared for Colorado winters. The SUV rides on 19-inch Michelins.

Moving the IDS (integrated dynamic system) button to Sport mode tightens steering and adjusts throttle response and opens opportunity to engage the small paddle shifters, which are almost hidden by the steering wheel crossbar.

It’s smooth in acceleration, and carries an EPA estimate of 18/27. In a fairly even split of city/highway drives, my overall average was only 21.5 miles per gallon. When the third-generation ’14 model was introduced almost two years ago, I drove one up Poudre Canyon to Cameron Pass and back and averaged 25.7.

The MDX’s front seats are fairly flat and firm, with little bolstering. The center stack is split between two display screens, the upper for navigation and the lower for audio/climate. At the sides of the second-row seats, a power button will automatically flip and fold the seats to create opening into the third row. Cargo volume behind the third row is only 14.8 cubic feet; fold flat that row and the space expands to 38.4.

The addition of an Advance package, including cooled perforated leather seats and remote engine start and lane-keeping assist, and an Entertainment package of the wide rear DVD, heated second-row seats and rear door sunshades, boosted sticker price of the MDX to $56,780.

Here are the ’15 Acura MDX specifications:

Wheelbase 111 inches; Length 193.6 inches; Width 74.2 inches; Height 67.6 inches; Curb Weight 4,332 pounds; Track 66.3 inches front, rear; Ground Clearance 7.3 inches; Turn Circle 37.6 feet; Engine 3.5-liter V-6; Horsepower/Torque 290/267; Transmission 6-speed automatic; Fuel mileage estimate 18/27; average 21.5; Fuel Tank 19.5 gallons; Wheels 19-inch; Cargo Volume 14.8 cubic feet behind third row; Warranty 4 years/50,000 miles basic, 6/70,000 powertrain; Competitors Audi Q7, BMW X5, Infiniti Q60; Assembly Plant Lincoln, Ala.; Parts Content U.S./Canadian 65%; Base Price of Lowest Model $44,565; Base Price of Review Model $50,840; Destination Charge $895; Sticker Price $56,780.

The fact a driver of the 2014 Chevrolet Volt can apportion the limited electric drive mode to more optimally meet driving conditions is impressive among new technology for the extended-range plug-in electric.

In its first two years of operation in the U.S., it was necessary the Volt expend its 30 to 35 miles of battery/electric power before kicking in its 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine to generate power to recharge the battery pack, from which propulsion then continued to flow.

Today, pushing an EV Hold mode button at the center stack permits the driver from the start of a fully charged Volt to choose between the battery/electric power source or the generator engine/gasoline, depending on which would be most effective in the particular drive conditions. Stop-and-go in the city? Use the battery, save your gas. Climbing a hill; same thing. Coasting or cruising the highway; turn on the engine for unusually high miles-per-gallon readings.

The Volt plug-in electric is ideally for those who drive very conservatively, back and forth to work and an occasional drive to the supermarket; then it is plugged in overnight for a full recharge.

The new hold mode offers up better driving choices for those who might require service from a Volt similar to that of an ordinary vehicle powered by an internal-combustion engine.

Twice I charged the battery pack overnight, which provided 70 miles of electric power included in the overall total of 260 miles for the Volt and me. Overall fuel-mileage average was 45.7 miles per gallon.

Figure it out; those 70 electric bonus miles save gasoline fuel. The car is costly, though. Sticker price of $39,945 is high for a compact sedan. It has niceties beyond its electric power, such as navigation with traffic alerts, Bose premium audio, 7-inch touchscreen display, rearview camera, lane-departure warning, leather seat trim and heated seats in front.

With the Volt’s high-tech finish, it is surprising that the shifter at the center console is large and somewhat clunky in feel. There is nothing awkward, though, about the performance of the front-drive Volt.

Acceleration from a dead stop is smooth, quiet and more than adequate; the torque tails off at higher speeds. The Volt runs on Goodyear Assurance 215/55R17 tires, with MacPherson-strut front suspension/stabilizer bar/coil springs and semi-independent rear torsion-beam with coils.

A low-hanging front air dam cuts ground clearance to only 3.5 inches. Some Volt owners, tiring of the scraping noise over curbs and speed bumps, opt to have a smaller air dam installed.

The Volt, 6 inches shorter than a Toyota Corolla, is a four-seater. The front seats are fairly comfortable; they’d better be, for there are no power controls for the seats. The two rear seats are extra wide, separated by a console; legroom is tight.

Creating room for the battery pack pared away rear-seat space, as well as the cargo area with only 10.6 cubic feet beneath the rear hatch.

Here are the ’14 Chevrolet Volt specifications:

Wheelbase 105.7 inches; Length 177.1 inches; Width 70.4 inches; Height 56.6 inches; Curb Weight 3,786 pounds; Track 61.2 inches front, 62.1 rear; Ground Clearance 3.5 inches; Turn Circle 36 feet; Engine 1.4-liter 4-cylinder range-extender, Voltec electric drive; Horsepower/Torque 149/273; Transmission CVT direct-drive automatic; Fuel mileage estimated 98 electric/38 gas; average 45.7; Fuel Tank 9.3 gallons; Wheels 17-inch; Cargo Volume 10.6 cubic feet; Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain; Competitors Ford Fusion Energi, Toyota Prius Plug-in, Nissan Leaf; Assembly Plant Detroit Hamtramck, Mich.; Parts Content U.S./Canada 45%, Korea 19%, Japan 17%; Base Price of Lowest Model $34,185; Base Price of Review Model $34,185; Sticker Price $39,945.

Upon shutting off the Volt, its display screen logs the “lifetime fuel-mileage average” for the car. After my last drive, it showed an average of 43.5 miles per gallon for 3,580 miles.

Selling the qualities and features of the new model was rather easy for three Chrysler execs – Rick Denau and John Nulty from Detroit and Wendy Orthman from Chicago – at a gathering Wednesday evening of 20 invited automotive journalists at the old castle-like Highlands Ranch Mansion.

The praise being peddled was for the 2015 Chrysler 200; elsewhere, say Atlanta, Phoenix or Seattle, it might have received a few “ho-hum, another Chrysler midsizer” reactions.

It showed up here, though, a state as rugged as the look of the big mansion, with new exterior, an interior approaching the luxuriousness of the 300, a 9-speed automatic transmission and, prepared specially for our Rockies and our snow – all-wheel drive.

The AWD system is available not only with the V-6 version, also the cheaper 4-cylinder 200; same with the new 9-speed automatic, it is teamed with both the 4-cylinder and the V-6.

Provided to me for driving to the event and the return home was a granite-hued four-door, which also accommodated Stu Wright of Greeley as my copilot. Maybe a bit light on low-end acceleration, the 295-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 engine, with the help of the 9-speed, was a smooth performer at midrange.

A rotary-dial shifter sits in the center console within easy reach of the driver; it’s similar to the type introduced by Jaguar several years ago, though the Chrysler dial doesn’t recess flush into the console when the car is turned off, as does the Jag.

Paddle shifters offer all sorts of quick-gear capabilities with the nine speeds; in addition, a Sport mode button will turn the 200 into a rear-axle-favored setup, as up to 60 percent of torque is directed to the rear. The Sport mode also increases throttle response, quickens shifts and lessens the normal traction control. In regular mode, however, the all-wheel-drive system will actually disconnect the rear axle when torque is not needed, a fuel-saving move.

Highlighting the interior are well-bolstered cloth-and-leather seats and an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen with high-end audio and navigation, though I found the nav less than specific on a couple of occasions while heading into the southeast metro area Thursday morning. The new 200 sedan offers storage beneath the console, similar to the style adopted by Volvo.

Two other nice interior touches are blue backlighting for the instrument panel gauges and info/entertainment center and the Detroit skyline embossed on the mat at the bottom of the storage area. A second cavernous storage compartment is revealed beneath sliding cupholders in the center console.

Catching my attention in late afternoon, as we stood around the 200s outside the mansion, was Denau’s mention of the fact that sticker price on one of the Chryslers was $3,000 below that of a comparably equipped Ford Fusion AWD. Wait till the Ford boys hear that. The Fusion with available AWD and the Subaru Legacy, for which every one is built that way, are prime competitors of the new 200.

With AWD standard for the 200S model, options pushed the sticker price to $34,065 from a base of $28,695. Among amenities are heated steering wheel, heated front seats, backup camera, blind-spot and cross-path detection, 19-inch black aluminum wheels and remote start.

Here are the ’15 Chrysler 200’s specifications:

Wheelbase 108 inches; Length 192.3 inches; Width 73.6 inches; Height 54.9 inches; Curb Weight 3,475 pounds; Track 62.1 inches front, rear; Ground Clearance 5.8 inches; Turn Circle 39.2 feet; Engine 3.6-liter V-6; Horsepower/Torque 288/262; Transmission 9-speed automatic; Fuel mileage estimated 18/29, average 27.1; Fuel Tank 15.9 gallons; Wheels 19-inch; Cargo Volume 16 cubic feet; Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain; Competitors Ford Fusion, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen CC, Toyota Camry; Assembly Plant Sterling Heights, Mich.; Parts Content U.S./Canada 73%; Base Price of Lowest Model $21,700; Base Price of Review Model $28,695; Sticker Price $34,065.

The 25^th anniversary edition of the Mazda Miata, only 100 in number, will arrive in early September, About the same time, Mazda plans to begin providing quick glances to a totally redesigned 2016 Miata. In the meantime, amid the confusing release of those next two models, the ’14 version recently came my way.

What’d you think of it, someone asked recently after my farewell column in the Post. I had featured a photo of the 2014 MX-5 Miata convertible, though said little about it, as I mainly reminisced in the farewell.

The two-seater Miata, jet black in exterior finish, is a Grand Touring model with a power retractable top, and here’s what I thought about it: Driving anywhere in Colorado on a summer night is a great time for testing it. Loosen the center latch at the windshield header, push a button and the top drops into the trunk in barely more than 12 seconds. The cool breeze and open look are invigorating.

The rear-wheel-drive Miata, on a wheelbase of only 91.7 inches, is a good handler with independent double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension. Its turn circle is only 30.8 feet. It is nimble, accelerates fairly quickly with lots of noise from its 158-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and 6-speed automatic transmission.

Unlike most competitors, which use a paddle shifter to the left of the steering wheel to downshift and one on the right to upshift, the Miata has an odd-looking paddles and thumb presses system. Pull the paddle on either side to upshift and thumb-press either side to downshift. It’s easy enough to use, after a few blocks of low-speed stop-and-go situations.

Inside, the finish is in spicy mocha brown. The seats are positioned very low; of course they are, for, even with the top in place the Miata measures only 49 inches in overall height. They’re low and narrow and bolstered, and most accommodating to a driver of modest stature.

About the time this driver began to tire, the car’s tank did, too. It is only 12.7 gallons in capacity and, with the Miata’s EPA estimate of 21/28, this will extend only 250 to 325 miles between refreshing fuel stops.

The addition of a $1,300 premium package of antitheft alarm, keyless entry, Bluetooth, Sirius satellite radio and xenon headlights pushed sticker price for the Miata to $32,735. Among standard equipment are Bose audio with seven speakers, heated leather-trimmed seats, leather shift knob, automatic air conditioning, dual front and side airbags and trip computer.

Here are the ’14 Miata’s specifications:

Wheelbase 91.7 inches; Length 157.3 inches; Width 67.3 inches; Height 49 inches; Curb Weight 2,593 pounds; Track 58.7 inches front, 58.9 rear; Ground Clearance 4.6 inches; Turn Circle 30.8 feet; Engine 2.0-liter 4-cylinder; Horsepower/Torque 158/140; Transmission 6-speed automatic; Fuel mileage estimated 21/28, average 25.7; Fuel tank 12.7 gallons; Wheels 17-inch; Cargo Volume 5.3 cubic feet; Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/60,000 powertrain; Competitors Volkswagen Beetle, Mini Cooper, BMW Z4, Nissan 370Z; Assembly Plant Hiroshima, Japan; Parts Content Japan 95%; Base Price of Lowest Model $23,720; Base Price of Review Model $30,550; Sticker Price $32,735.

The MX-5 Miata made its global debut on Feb. 9, 1989, at the Chicago Auto Show. More than 900,000 have been sold around the world since.