"I, for one, would love the sport engine but you can keep the suspension, I like the plush ride of the Limited.
"
All the go but nothing to keep it cornering safely? Naw, you wouldn't want that (that's what Mustangs are for ;-).
Before even considering the Sport I test drove the heck out of it to see if it was compatible with my bad lower back (was directly contrasting to the Ltd). I found it surprisingly plush yet firm enough to make me feel swadled in place through the rolls & turns...and that's before break in. It fit my backside like a glove so admittedly this may be subjective. Yes, I will keep that suspension - it's a welcome feel from the taxi cab mush suspension of my ole daily driver Taurus, where the softness of the suspension & is actually harsher on my back. I'll also note the Sport is much more complaint than my V8 Mountaineer AWD (that I just traded in last Friday).
Anyway I still think that the drivetrain & suspension answers the question of why have those 2 trim levels and will respectfully disagree about options. IMO HIDs are a stupid omission from the Sport - it shrugs off performance minded customers and Ford is leaving money on the table (since it's already a limited option it would be significant increased margins for them to also offer it for the Sport which already has a big alternator, and other supposedly luxury options like heated steering wheel etc). DVD head rests but not HIDs is a really weird mixed message if it's really suppose to be Limited = luxury and Sport = sports'ute. Just watch - next year HIDs & rain sense wipers & lane assist will be an option for top level trims whether they finally go with the new design or if they keep this one for another year.
As for other more obviously luxury only options like hands free parking assist - that I leave to the non Sport minded customers....though Rover includes such things in their highest ticket == highest performance trims so I'm not sure Ford's option suite is as logical as the more they spend on base price the more the high margin options we will offer. <shrug>
Well my sport is no longer eta tomorrow and is instead ETA Saturday which is a bummer.