If you don't see a difference between a dealer-driven purchase and a direct purchase, you may want to stick with Tesla exclusively. That said, I expect Ford will pull a Tesla and only offer the most-expensive variant at first. Undoubtedly that will include undercoating and a primitive bolt-on alarm system.
If you don't see a difference between how the Tesla purchase experience has changed from 2011 to 2021, you may want to stick with dealers exclusively.
You might want to check out this thread:
Our third Tesla and it seems customer service has gotten worse!?!?
There are many of these threads on here. At least with a dealer someone always answers the phone when I call (not true w/ Tesla - send an email or use the app? BS.). Also, if a dealer treats you poorly, you can go to a different one. That is not an option w/ Tesla.
Further, when was the last time you bought from a dealer? They have changed a lot in the last 10 years. They now routinely have internet salespeople so you can do all of your buying, selling, negotiating, etc online, just like Tesla (well, except for the negotiating part - that can be good or bad, depending on the direction of the negotiation
). When your car is ready you just sign some paperwork and drive off, just like Tesla.
Also, Ford has said they are going to spread the initial deliveries across the different trim levels. Not sure what that means in reality though.
PS: Let me say, as I have said a number of times recently, that the front-line employees at Tesla have always busted their tails to do everything they possible can to make my experience great. But they are working with a system that is held together by duct tape and bailing wire and a CEO that doesn't give a damn about anything back office and will not invest in it.