Thankfully, Ford is also trying hard with the big-ticket engineering things, an area where the company excels. A lot of effort went into reducing the noise level in the cabin, successfully.

There are big fixed cupholders forward of the armrest, along with a little slot good for coins and tickets. Forward of that is another tray with two more slots, one of them fairly big, so the inconvenience of the nylon console under the armrest isn't felt so much because you can almost get by without it.

Three other innovations go into the Good Idea department. The rubber flooring under the removable Berber carpet floormats is one of the things that offers enhanced sound insulation. The rear window slides up and down, with power-either slightly for flow-through ventilation or all the way down, which the kids in the back seat will love; plus, you can reach through to grab things out of the bed, such as drinks from a cooler. Last but definitely not least, the seatbelt warning dinger won't give up. The relatively pleasant chiming reminder will cease if you don't obey, but a moment later it will come back again and ring longer this time. Eventually you give in, as you should. Its persistence prevents you from getting away with those unbelted 10-minute drives.

We weren't crazy about the looks of the brown gabardine seats at first, but they kind of grew on us, though they remained dark (they also come in a lighter shade). They were quite comfortable, however, and the pattern and easy-cleaning material is original, at least. And although the digital compass (with outside temperature gauge) over the rearview mirror isn't quite original, it's a highly useful and appreciated tool that more carmakers should fit in their vehicles, in our opinion.

Importantly, the rear legroom is ample at 37.8 inches, a full seven inches more than the Frontier. The back seat also contains three child seat tether anchors, standard.