I didn’t expect it. I thought I was done with it, at least for another year, having driven a 2016 prototype in the fall of 2015.

But here it was – a 2016-2017 Ford Escape Titanium crossover-utility vehicle. I was incredulous. The upswept front fascia certainly looked 2016. But when I sat in the cabin, it was 2017.

The automobile business is changing so incredibly fast. Those changes are not just occurring on the outside of the vehicles. The actual 2017 Escape, for example, has a wider grille than the 2016 – a “signature grille,” something more akin to that of the highly popular Ford Fusion sedan.

But the more meaningful changes are inside with new electronic control and communications systems, such as the Sync 3 with Sync Connect operations panel found in the 2016-2017 Escape Titanium. It works substantially better than the MyFordTouch system it replaces.

Sync3 uses an eight-inch touch screen to help you run the car and monitor the world in which it operates. It offers hands-free telephone service and numerous other conveniences. Stuck in a meeting? Left your Escape parked in a frigid lot? Worried about your car’s fuel level and its remaining travel range?

Use Sync3 in connection with another system, FordPass, to check on your vehicle’s fuel level and range and start it up when you are ready to go – all of which brings me to driving.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, largely because of the plethora of television commercials showing people speeding all over the place, skidding into stops, etc. It is absolute nonsense. No one drives like that on a regular basis in the real world.

I drive nearly 40,000 miles annually, mostly up and down the East Coast. Anyone doing the kind of silly driving done in TV commercials is an easy police target. Here are a few more observations:

_ Rarely is the expensive high-performance car seen on Interstate 95 or the New Jersey Turnpike or out west on the Pacific Coast Highway.

_ I can drive 620 miles round-trip from Northern Virginia through parts of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut without spotting one Bentley, Rolls-Royce or Bugatti on the road. It makes me wonder: Where are these cars in real, daily life?

_ Wait! Found the exotics! In relatively small but noticeable numbers, they are on the street of Beverly Hills and in the Citadel Outlets shopping center in Los Angeles. Yes, a few can be spotted in front of Trump Tower in New York City.

But mostly, driving around America and other parts of the world, there are cars such as the Ford Escape.

That is why it makes sense for Ford to so quickly “update” that model, and that is why companies such as Toyota, Hyundai, Honda and Kia (and, not as quickly, Chevrolet) are doing the same thing.

Think of it as the-automobile-as-smartphone.

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Bottom line: This is one of the best compact crossover-utility vehicles you can buy anywhere. There are three trim levels – the base S, the mid-grade SE and the top-line Titanium that was driven for this column. I highly recommend that you load your chosen model with as much advanced electronic safety equipment as you can afford (skip the sunroof if price is an issue). Think of it as a good health insurance policy.

Ride, acceleration and handling: In the Titanium with nearly all options, including a turbocharged (forced air) 2-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, using 89-octane fuel, it was all good.

Head-turning quotient: Modest front-grille change for 2017. Fits well in any church or school parking lot.

Body style/layout: This is a compact front-engine crossover-utility vehicle with standard front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. Convenience upgrades abound for 2017, including electronics and more storage bins.

Engine/transmission: It comes with a turbocharged, 16-valve 2-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with variable valve timing (240 horsepower, 270 pound-feet of torque). It is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission that can also be operated manually.

Capacities: Seating is for five people. This is more of a passenger vehicle than it is a cargo hauler. Maximum cargo capacity is 67.8 cubic feet. With the 2-liter engine, it can be outfitted to tow 3,500 pounds. The fuel tank holds 15.5 gallons. (With the turbocharged engine, use premium or 89-octane gas for best performance.)

Mileage: I used 89-octane and got 29 miles per gallon on the highway.

Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated front and solid rear), four-wheel anti-lock brake protection, emergency braking assistance, stability and traction control, post-collision safety system, and side and head air bags.

Pricing: This was a special model to show the very latest updates in advanced electronic safety and communications. Estimated price is $39,200.

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