@XraySierra - as I see this is your 1st post, first order of business is to welcome you to the forums!
A bunch of other forum members have chimed in already with their thoughts and I have been thinking carefully about how to respond to your question/poll. I added a "Maybe?" category to your poll, as I am still undecided at this point.
First off, my 2018 Platinum F150 is my third F150, after owning 2010 and 2015 Platinums. I love the F150 platform and all of the creature comforts that the Platinum trim level offers, and will most likely get another F150 Platinum if I were to ever buy a new vehicle.
I think the more specific question you are asking is if I would buy another F150 PSD (PowerStroke Diesel) This question I am a bit more undecided on, as there are things we have learned (like 100-150 mile regen cycles for city driving) that had I known may have made me think differently or arrive at a different decision.
I think the 3.0L V6 "Lion" Diesel is a strong little engine, but I have expressed my desire for it to be a little bigger (3.2L or 3.3L I think would be the right size) but Ford (and other US manufacturers) have zeroed in on 3.0L as the magical size that provides the torque necessary for towing but also small enough to achieve the mythical 30MPG highway mileage rating for a 1/2-ton pickup, which is achievable now on the F150 XL/XLT trims due to the aluminum body panels introduced in 2015 and 10-speed transmission introduced in 2017.
With the above being said and I've stated this before, this platform excels for someone who is doing a lot of highway mileage or is looking to do light-to-medium towing w/o owning a SuperDuty. Watching my tachometer settle in at ~1600 RPM and the transmission locked into 10th gear on the highway is where this platform really shines.
I've responded to a bunch of new forum members unhappy with their < 5K oil change intervals, which we as a group have determined is due to primarily short trips and "around town" driving style. My fear is that maybe a new F150 PowerBoost hybrid might have been a better choice for some members with < 5 minute commutes to work who didn't get their F150 for towing...
COVID -19 and WFH (Working From Home) have definitely altered my driving style, as without the daily 15-20 minute commute to work, I am doing even more city driving and shorter trips than I was when I first got my 2018. I guess lower mileage is good for me in the long-run but I'm not sure it is good for this platform that really likes to be driven.
The "double" recall on the infamous EGR By-pass valve (18E02 and 20E04) was more than an annoyance and surely left a bad taste in the mouths of those owners who ingested a screw trashing the engine in their brand new trucks.
Maintenance costs are definitely higher with a F150 PSD (takes more oil, DEF, fuel filters should be changed more frequently, etc) compared to any of its gasoline powered brethren, so make sure you take that into account in your decision.
Long-term performance and durability of the emissions systems are still in my mind unknowns, but do carry an 8yr/100K warranty from Ford.
I do love my truck but I wanted to provide an honest assessment of what 1/2-ton diesel ownership is really about. I know that
@snowshew up in Alaska wrestled with the same decision you are facing, and after months of reading posts & feedback here, he came to the conclusion that while he really wanted a F150 PSD, he couldn't justify the cost based on his driving patterns. I suggest you search for his profile and click on the Discussions link in his profile to find some of the discussions he got involved in, or maybe if he is still around, he can chime in on why he ultimately went with EcoBoost over PSD.
I also suggest you read thru some of these ownership-related threads so that you understand what you are getting into by purchasing a used F150 PSD, so that you are not surprised as Ford isn't exactly upfront with these details:
Not trying to be a "Debbie-downer" or scare anyone here but rather presenting you with as much information ("good"
and "bad") to hopefully combat your exuberance and the allure of the F150 PSD to help make the right decision
for you.
Read up on these topics and post back with any questions you might have before you decide.
