I have a 2014 Escape too and I am happy with Sync insofar as I can get most things I need done done without actually using Sync :-) HVAC has buttons below the

I have a 2014 Escape too and I am happy with Sync insofar as I can get most things I need done done without actually using Sync :-) HVAC has buttons below the screen, radio has buttons on the steering wheel. And the feature I use most often is probably the hands-free phone call integration over bluetooth, which seems to work well without any intervention once it is set up. Agreed that the actual GUI is atrocious and clunky. The way it deals with text messages is hilarious. Really I just pretend it doesn't exist and I'm happy.