Source: Ford Authority https://share.google/pRvFcQdsPLyjBnVz7   I'm kinda envisioning something like a modern escort. An affordable small sedan/hatch that differentiates itself by being fun to drive and cool looking as well as more reliable and lower cost of ownership. 

https://fordauthority.com/2026/03/ford-ceo-jim-farley-says-off-road-lineup-biggest-company-surprise/    

This design should have never been greenlit. It’s one of the ugliest designs I’ve ever seen. Just looks like a droopy mess.

I had a 2000 Ford Focus with the 2.0L and automatic...began shifting harshly at around 120K miles....put a can of TransX fluid in it and drove it for a few weeks - then did a drain and fill with pan removal and filter replace. Buttoned it all up, put in fresh fluid (4-5 quarts IIRC) and had zero further issues with transmission. Shifted smoothly again. When I traded it in 2007 for a 2006 Fusion, the Ford dealer kept the car for 6-8 months as a service loaner. 

This morning's updated gas prices in Hamden, CT 06514 (Greater New Haven)  $2.69 Regular (Cash) @ Undesignated (Former Gulf) (Increased $0.30 from $2.39) Price is not a typo! GasBuddy will not post the price which is well below the average market price in the area.   $3.19 Regular (Cash) @ Citgo (Increased $0.14 from $3.05)    

That actually brings up another point - there was a wording that came out of the dealer's association here in WI a couple years ago that on a lease buyout that originated at the same dealership, we should NOT charge a Doc Fee. The one exception.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Is Mostly Dead In America   Hyundai is planning to discontinue its Ioniq 6 electric sedan from its U.S. lineup. The svelte sedan was a hit among electric vehicle enthusiasts and design aficionados, but it never sold as well as its crossover sibling, the Ioniq 5. The announcement, which Edmunds first reported on Wednesday, comes with one important note: Hyundai is still planning to sell the high-performance Ioniq 6 N in limited numbers. Model year 2025 Ioniq 6 will continue to be available, but Hyundai will no longer ship the MY2026 versions to the U.S. If you really want an Ioniq 6, you still have some time until the MY2025 inventory runs out. Hyundai will also sell the Ioniq 6 N at some point this year, but don’t expect it to be easily available or cheap. It’s expected to cost around $70,000.

Flex was way ahead of any Ford product at the time, and I'd argue ahead of a lot of the competition at the time too.     I've advocated bringing it over, but I always figured it'd be in the price range you mentioned - $20-25k.  At the $35k direct exchange rate, it would've been dead on arrival.

Must be the new "Mock-an."

I agree that a "Fee" must be charged equally to all customers. It's up to the customer to negotiate a better price for the product and/or trade in.  The last car I leased, a 2018 Escape, carried a $600 (now at $695) "Acquisition Fee." on a 24 month lease, plus a $150 document fee from the dealer. We turned in that car for a 2021 Ranger ('nother doc fee)which we bought. We had no intention of buying that car at lease end, but if we had, there would've been a document fee there, too.   I'm about to buy a a new motorcycle (2026 Triumph Tiger Sport 800 Tour, for y'all moto-heads) which will carry a doc fee of I believe $200. Maybe I should request a $200 "inventory reduction fee" as the cost of doing business with me.