I'd agree with Fordlover's post. The vast, vast majority of 1/2 tons do very little towing or hauling. For example, on my block in suburbanite Utah, 3/4 of the households have a pickup truck as one of the 2 or 3 vehicles. Probably 50% of those households don't even own a trailer, the other 50% own a boat or a trailer that they tow 2 or 3 times a year. My 1/2 ton gets more work than the average on my block, and so far this year, I have only towed a little over 1000 miles.
I think the 2.7 is going to be a great engine for Ford. Those who have tested it have been happy with the unloaded seat-of-the-pants power -- a low end torque curve will do that for you -- and if it gets in the low 20's on the freeway, it will be a great success. If it comes in a truck rated to tow what I want to tow, it will likely be in my next truck.
The 3.5 EB isn't an old engine, but it now has 4 years under its belt. I'd submit that is enough time to know if there were major integral flaws in the engineering or other systems. For example, the Ford 6.0 diesel had problems pretty much right off the bat. No major issues, most owners have virtually nothing to complain about. I personally think Ford is on the right track here.
