Nah, Lincoln Products don't share sheet metal with Ford products like Acura does on their lower end products and the TLX and Accord have the same greenhouse, just the trim is blacked out on the TLX vs the Accord.
This is why hybrids are generally the best all around option and strike the best balance between fuel economy, and longevity. Ford's 2.5 hybrid system has been around for decades, and it's super reliable. Part of the reason is the engine itself isn't a stressed at all, not for fuel economy, and not for power. Ford can leave the quite archaic 2.5 duratec unchanged, and just rely on hybridization to improve performance and fuel economy rather than straining the engine to do so.
I wouldn't have bought a maverick if it didn't already come with the well proven 2.5 that was the selling point. It's not just a hybrid, but a virtually unkillable one.
Exactly like my previous example of broken bolt costing too much to fix, owners don’t need a good or valid reason at all to avoid a brand or manufacturer. In my opinion manufacturers should think ahead on what they are designing today that could alienate buyers in the future due to high unexpected ownership costs.
Start-stop as an example is not well liked by many to begin with, and if associated repairs end up costing more than it saves on gas, I can see an owner feeling they were mislead by the manufacturer. I think most owners don’t care about EPA or CAFE goals that manufacturers must meet as much as their own wallets.
Honestly, I have noticed a trend lately towards greater numbers of simpler powertrains being offered even though they may not squeeze every bit of MPG out of each gallon of gas. Simpler engines also help lower initial vehicle price, which some buyers want badly. With gas so cheap and minor repairs so expensive, it doesn’t take much of a failure or repair to offset a year’s worth of gas savings.
Looked at an Integra a year or so ago when helping someone look at cars, and it just seemed like a nicer Honda. Granted it's the entry level model, but it wasn't overly quiet, fast, etc.....guess in other words, it didn't wow in any category. It wasn't a bad car by any means, but didn't stand out either.
The article even points out how they're using a few various HRV parts.
Ford also requires the Battery Management System be reset after changing the battery. Supposedly it resets itself if you let it sit for 8 hours but that didn’t work on my F150.