I was always comfortable with the old Mercury trim -- nice enough to be comfortable, not stupidly expensive -- so landing on an SEL feels just about right to me.
Then there are the options. I bought the 201A package, which was most attractive because it included the Sync 3 system, which from reviews is about the first decent version of the electronics. So far, it seems pretty tractable. The view screen for the rear camera is also larger, which doesn't hurt.
I was being ambivalent between the stock turbo 4-cylinder engine and the upgrade V6. The turbo will run on regular, but apparently really prefers premium. It is supposed to have better mileage than the V6, but I would rather not be feeding a car premium gas to get that better mileage and still have reasonable pickup. The car that they located for me had the V6; I was perfectly happy to pay for the upgrade. The mileage appears to be OK in the early sample.
I also wanted the Safe and Smart package, which includes blind spot indicators for the mirrors, a lane keeping warning system, and adaptive cruise control with a collision alarm. I am in favor of things that help me miss the other cars on the road.
The car they found also has the Cold Weather package, which includes a heated steering wheel and floor liners, both of which are things that I find advantageous.
Sync 3 also includes an interface for Android Auto, which allows me to run apps such as Google Maps on the front dash screen. I managed to get that configured today and it seems to work.
I'm having some problems with the hands-free calling in Sync 3; I'm hoping to sort out the voice dialing soon. It has worked once so far, which is not the kind of number I would like to see.
But the car drives well, so that's a good start. :)