Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

If there were some functional value in going with higher trim levels then I could be onboard.  For example, if max towing package and my optimal towing engine (3.5L ecoboost in this case) were only available in higher trim levels, then that's where I would lean. 

But I actually prefer cloth seats over leather in my climate, I have no need of sunroofs or automatic retractable running boards, and I view pretty much all of the other luxuries and creature comforts as unnecessary gadgets that are inevitably going to fail too early and in most cases I'm better off without them.

I realize my utilitarian approach to automobiles isn't necessarily the standard, but it works great for me, and if I were left to my own devices, that's what I'd be purchasing.  It's not so much about saving money, as it is just not wanting or needing the unnecessary frills.

Our 2002 Z71 Tahoe was awesome. Had it for a long time and put a lot of miles on it. Like 250K or so. Of course, my 1995 Volvo 850 gave me 500K miles in the 18 years I had it.

Oh yeah I loved my 2005 Tahoe Z71, don't get me wrong. I had it for 170K miles I think, and the only reason I traded out of it, was because I bought a new RV and needed more towing capacity.

But I'd have been fine with the LS with 4WD and towing options that I was looking at until I was "redirected."

Edited to Add: The one option that the Z71 had that I don't think was available in the LS, was the split rear seats in the second row.  I think the LS only had a bench option.  And lemme tell you, when the kids were in that 2-8 year old range, having them split into bucket seats rather than sharing a bench, was highly advantageous.

Get them while they're hot,sure all the lefties drive one
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aE-TokVXd2M?feature=share

Hell, I didn't even know they had any EVs except for the Jeep 4xe, and that's a PHEV. I know they've talked about in the Ram line, but didn't think it was ever produced/sold. 

Maybe they have them in their various Italian brands?

Well, the dream is dead, at least for now. 

I had already eliminated the Kia and Genesis EVs before I even went to go and look at them. There's a known reliability issue with the ICCU that is looming, and I won't even consider them unless that was guaranteed fixed. Which is a shame, as I liked them (the Kia EV9 specifically). 

And today I went to see the Mach-E. I can fit in it! But... Literally nobody, not even my 13 year old daughter, would be able to sit in the seat behind me without eating their knees. I was willing to give up some practicality for the chance to get a car like that, but I can't sacrifice practicality entirely. 

So, my next one will be a gasser. I'll detail my other experiences of looking at cars in a non-EV specific thread... 

Ford small EV truck... Aiming for $30K entry point. 

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/02/ford-is-focusing-on-efficiency-to-make-its-2027-30000-ev-pickup-affordable/

The all-new 2026 Ford Transit City was unveiled in March as a purpose-built and affordable all-electric van option for budget-conscious commercial customers - at least, in Europe. That new model is available in a trio of configurations, and yet, with a single, comprehensive specification, all in an effort to help keep costs and complexity down, as well as provide customers with a suitable rival for burgeoning Chinese competition. Turns out, it has a pretty affordable price tag, too.

The Blue Oval just announced pricing for the Ford Transit City, and it starts out at a rather low €26,400, or around $30,877 USD, for the base L1H1 van, which is a compact configuration ideal for tight urban areas with a payload of up to 1,085 kilograms. As for the higher-capacity L2H2 van, it starts out at €27,350 ($31,981 USD) with a payload of 1,275 kilograms, while the Chassis Cab L2 variant starts out at €27,050 ($31,628 USD). Notably, these prices don't include European Value-Added Tax (VAT), and opting for any color other than white adds €537 ($628 USD) to the tally.

Regardless of which Ford Transit City configuration fleets choose, all are offered with the same spec and no options in that regard. All come with a 56 kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack offering a targeted range of up to 254 kilometers, coupled with a 110 kW front-mounted electric motor. In terms of charging, 11 kW AC chargers can take the van from 10-80 percent in around 4.5 hours, while 87 kW DC fast charging can do the same in roughly 33 minutes - or add 50 kilometers in 10 minutes.

The Ford Transit City gets a host of welcome standard features, including a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, keyless start, air conditioning, a heated driver's seat, a rear-view camera, and a one-pedal drive mode, coupled with an eight-year, 160,000 kilometer warranty for all the high-voltage components.

The Ford Transit City is underpinned by a dedicated platform from its Chinese joint-venture partner, Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), and the van will also be built at the JMC plant in Nanchang. Order banks are open now, and production is slated to start in September, with deliveries commencing in December.