Perhaps they see it as a safety feature that should be available to all assuming the vehicle is capable of functioning that way.  I get your point though.

I thought that was going to be only on the Navigator. It seems there isn't any tech difference between the Expy and Navi aside from the screen size; sadly, it is the usual way of doing things by Ford

Counterintuitively, that might actually be true. Looking at the recalls, many of them are preemptive recalls over issues that Ford found, not issues that customers have reported, and they’re just issuing recalls in case some customer vehicles are affected. F’rinstance, there are 7 open recalls on the 2025 F-150, and for six of them, “Ford is not aware of any warranty claims, field or customer reports associated with [this issue].”  (Heck, one is over a missing airbag sticker, which obviously makes the vehicle unsafe to drive.) The seventh was discovered by a service tech in a pre-delivery inspection, so even it didn’t make it to an actual customer.    That’s not to say that they’re not bad—the Bronco has a “do not drive” warning on two of its recalls because of improperly installed bolts in the front suspension—but at least they’re catching and fixing most of the issues before they affect customers. 

The BYD Shark 6 PHEV (EREV) is a heavy pickup that is reported not as energy efficient in actual normal driving as its rating would suggest.  With Ranger having such short EV driving range, I wonder if owners will pay the higher price premium if real-world fuel economy improvements do not justify added cost?  Unless of course government doesn’t give buyers a choice.   BYD Shark is not very economical on gas, particularly at higher speeds, but at least its longer EV driving range could offset much of the higher fuel consumption.  Perhaps that longer EV range combined with lower cost could help sales relative to Ranger PHEV?  Not sure how either pickup is doing in sales.  Reports suggest Ranger is a nicer truck overall, I’m just wondering about PHEV price premium and perceived added value.

The CNBC article covering the interview barely mentions a new “potential” van or midsize pickup for 2027.  A new midsize truck seems more likely to me, given their history with Dakota, but a passenger ProMaster, while possible, seems less likely.  The Ducato van, on which ProMaster is based, has been around a long time and probably due for a redesign.  Present van is efficient as a cargo hauler, but looks too commercial for a good-looking passenger van, not that full-size vans are attractive or often judged that way IMO.  Hopefully Kuniskis is referring to an all-new midsize van or a ProMaster redesign.   By the way, great comment about things that “seem” for fun actually being for business (i.e. — money).   https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/27/stellantis-ram-trucks-tim-kuniskis.html      

We got a 2025 Platinum Max for my wife about 3 weeks ago. Thus far it has been a wonderful vehicle. It’s very comfortable and the tech in it is a big step up in cohesiveness for Ford. The side camera views next to the speedometer when the turn signal on is a surprisingly nice feature. The seats are nicely bolstered and comfortable. The new Ford Experience infotainment system is SO MUCH better than the vertical sync 4 system in my lightning. It’s actually enjoyable to use.    Only real gripe is with Ford build options. You cannot spec a Stealth model, nor King Ranch, with a second row bench. It’s weird because the interior seats aren’t different in the Platinum between the regular or Stealth models. Why gate keep it. You also can only get phone as a key in the King Ranch. Why… 

I read this review a couple days ago. I didn’t think it was unreasonable and I agree with some of their gripes.  I recognize that most headlights are automatic nowadays, but was it really necessary to move the headlight controls to the screen. I thought it was a ridiculous change.  I do like the color of that ride though.  

I saw a 1990s Ford Econoline conversion van the other day that was in pristine condition. I Recalled how nice it was riding in those. Maybe RAM is to something🙂

We have had two 20+ model Escapes, a 20 and 23.  I don’t disagree with you regarding the  reviewers.  It could be I’m biased because I’m a Ford enthusiast but it certainly appears reviewers will allow things to pass on other brands but not on Ford. The 1.5L is more than adequate. Its engine noise is acceptable. The transmission programming could use some improvement, as it is laggy here and there, but not problematic.  The fit finish of our Escapes have been good.  There were some nice upgrades to the 23, that definitely made it a nicer looking vehicle with a better interior. I’m still disappointed about the removal of physical controls in the 23, a trend I hope reverses.  Overall, they’ve been good for us, and my daughter has liked them.   In the real world, I think this is a negligible. I’ve driven and ridden in my mother-in-law’s RAV4 a number of times, and I did not think it felt any different than our Escape, nor does the cargo area appear to be noticeably bigger.  I too would argue Ford’s interior materials were nicer than the RAV4, which felt like it had more hard plastic.  Ultimately, I didn’t think our Escapes were any better or worse than the RAV4.  

It could’ve been dealer advertisements. I could be conflating things, and too lazy to look for the examples.