Heck, I just saw a 2026 Escape Active on someone's lot priced out over $40k... and that wasn't as high as it could have gotten. Year-to-year pricing has definitely become a shell game. Hold the price or lower it, but take away a bunch of standard features, putting them into a bundle isn't exactly holding the price. I tend to go into a new model year building out a new unit to have the features the prior year had, just to get an apples-to-apples read. Base trim level, plus our normal stuff, plus whatever Extortion Package there is for the year. That kind of thing.

It looks like they’re trying to make the Outer Banks and Badlands different flavors rather than the latter being strictly superior to the former. Main result is just that its probably a lot more expensive now to get the badlands with amenities previously standard. Personally, I would just like for them to make the turbo-4 an option on Outer Banks.   edit: is there some production squeeze with the turbo-4? It previously wasn’t that hard to get on the Escape and Maverick but now the former is gone and the latter it is only on higher trims.

If they are fully loaded, yes-but you can still get them well equipped for about $32-34K

Seems more like a price increase if you ask me. If all the stuff they took away was in a package, ford would charge at least 2,000 for it, yet you only get a $500 price drop.   We were just at the dealership today dropping off our Explorer to get recalls and numerous other issues fixed. My wife couldn’t believe how expensive the Bronco Sports are now. Big Bends pushing 40k now?

Here's the info out of the Product Info Guide: Price-wise, there's a base price drop of about $200 on most trims, about $500 on Badlands. Flip side of that, the Convenience and Tech/Premium packages have gone up in price.      

I drive a standard range GM Pickup EV rated at 283, but I average about 320+ on a full charge.  Was getting about 270 on a full charge in my previous Hyundai Ioniq. I take 2-4 150+ mile road trips a year and the extra 50 miles in the GM is a game changer, especially considering highway range depletion.   

Maybe, if I can get one    But hey the only reason for the interest is that it has a Mustang Sedan wrapped around it 😛   I was thinking the Mach E, but it looks like it won't be around after 2030. 

Ford Bronco Sport Will Be Cheaper for 2027, but Lose Features - Autoblog   Here’s what’s changing for 2027: Big Bend: Loses the fold-down rear center armrest with cupholders and heated side mirrors. Heritage: Heated side mirrors are no longer standard. Outer Banks: The 6-way power passenger seat becomes a 6-way manual seat, while the auto-dimming rearview mirror is no longer standard. Badlands: Drops the 8-way power driver’s seat in favor of a 6-way manual seat, loses standard dual-zone climate control, and also loses the auto-dimming rearview mirror as standard equipment.

This is my observation too. Caltrans operate a lot of Ford Class 6 but commercial fleets box trucks are heavily Freightliner.    I will add that Class 4/5 box trucks here are heavily Isuzu but Ford dominates the airport shuttles (I live near LAX).    

What We Know About Mitsubishi's Upcoming US Pickup Truck - Autoblog   Mitsubishi’s announcement, part of its broader “Momentum 2030” plan for North America, confirmed a  pickup  is coming without specifying exactly what underpins it. But the timing lines up too neatly to ignore: Nissan is developing its next-generation Frontier, and Mitsubishi has described the truck as a “collaboration project” with Nissan rather than an import of its own global lineup.    Wards Auto reports the automaker has confirmed the new pickup as a joint project built around Nissan’s  platform , likely sharing its frame with the next-generation Nissan Frontier while carrying Mitsubishi-specific styling and branding. A trademark filing for the name “Endeavour” has resurfaced alongside the announcement, suggesting Mitsubishi may be planning a distinct identity for the truck rather than a straight rebadge.