I was never a Ford guy when it came to trucks. I always thought the interior had a cheap feel to it.
That said... Yes, they make some damn nice trucks these days.
I learned to drive a stick on a 1980 F 150. It had a very forgiving clutch.
My son bought a 2016 F150. It’s one heck of a lot nicer than the 1980 version.
As for what happens when gas goes to $4/gallon, I’m assuming Ford will continue to make Escapes, which it has downsized and made more economical.
Nota real big fan of the aluminum panels. The one panel on my truck got screwed up because some metal flakes contaminated it and dissimilar metals cause paint bubbling/oxidation. It happened at the factory and it was not comsidered a defect despite Ford knowing for years of this manufacturing problem.
Not all body shops do aluminum repair either.
I had one of the cam phaser engines.
Ford knew about, and did nothing. I won’t make that mistake again.