2015+ F-150’s... motor options?

I wouldn't be scared of the cylinder deactivation systems because all the issues I have seen with them appear to have stemmed from oil change intervals that are too long, or running the right OCI but with junk oil. I'm not saying they won't fail with proper maintenance because anything can fail, but when maintained properly the failure rate drops considerably.

You're right, most people have a bunch of options for local dealers,but they aren't all good. I'm in DFW and the only feasible Mazda  dealer to me is garbage. And the dozen local GM dealers are so bad my buddy either has to drive by a handful of them to get to a decent one or get his Chevy truck serviced at a Cadillac dealer to get good service. I still haven't found a good Dodge dealer around here. A co-worker drives by 2 or 3 Ford dealers to get warranty work done, about 30 miles. All I was saying on a new car, where the warranty is a selling point make sure you have someone that will honor it and do decent work.

Serious question- how do you guys figure out which dealers are good vs. bad with post-purchase support?  Usually the sales people you deal with during the purchase have nothing to do with you by the time you bring the car in for the first oil change.  I really liked the sales guy at the Toyota dealer where I bought my van. The service department is the absolute worst, I will never let them touch a vehicle of mine again. 

I've usually found the bad ones through experiences that lead to your last statement. Like looking for furniture in the dark with your big toe. 

TBH, I think it's trial and error. Online reviews are kind of a shot in the dark, but if the average of thousands of reviews is one star, well, there's probably a  reason. Interestingly, there are a couple tire places that I frequent and have great experiences, but I have a car guy friend who always gets shafted there. dunno.

Trial and error for my service experiences. In dealing with this rattly 5.0L issue, I went through three dealers to find one where the service manager could talk to me like I was an adult with a brain, who also knew about cars. I drive 40 miles round trip in DC traffic to go see him now, albeit more frequently than I'd hoped with a new vehicle.

I just ask people I know that are car people and I would consider reasonable. I was in the industry for 10 years so I have a pretty good familiarity with most of them around here.

In reply to Brake_L8 :

What issues are you having?

ultraclyde said:

 Like looking for furniture in the dark with your big toe. 

This is a perfect description of what it's like to find a good car dealer.