I have a blue jean metallic F-150, and a tuxedo black explorer sport. So, I deal with dark colored fords all the time at home. I really labored back and forth between the Griots DA, and the Porter Cable. I went with the PC only because they had a really good sale on it. I've used it four times now, so please see this as my experience as a complete newbie too.
I've only used an All in one (McKee's 360) and applied sealant (griots paint sealant) with the DA so far. My truck wasn't too swirled and the 360 with an orange CCS pad did a great job. I could probably do most of it next time with a white CCS pad. We bought the car in November. It looked like it went through car wash hell, and it's black. I used the same approach with it because I wanted some protection on it for the winter. It needs a stronger compound. Right now I'm trying to decide what to buy. I'm leaning towards the McKee's fast compound because it sounds very forgiving. It should also pair well with a bottle of XMT-1 I received in a mystery box last year (McKee's merged a couple AG product lines into one with some improvements in certain products). I may get some Meguiars ultimate compound for the same reason. I use the blue wax removal towels available on here. Cost is right. They're on a bogo deal right now too.
Both of my cars are daily drivers. My truck sits outside all the time, and is currently filthy from being used as a truck at my hunting lease this weekend. The car is garaged, but my wife works at hospital, and her old one always came home with mystery marks. Right now I use a sealant for the durability and top with a wax to make it look good. Like I said, I'm new at this and haven't tried many combos, but I was very happy with the griots sealant and McKee's carnuba wax. In between wax/sealant sessions I've been washing with Meg's ultimate wash and wax and using the spray wax from that line when the vehicles are almost dry, or McKee's power wash and fast wax. Recently I found that the griots sealant and the McKee's spray wax don't play well together so I'm looking for other options because I think it gives a little better depth, and makes the metal flake pop with greater durability than the Meg's stuff. I'm going to take advantage of the Blackfire products being on sale, and try some wet diamond sealant. With two young kids at home, and not a lot of free time, I am seriously considering using a paint coating on my wife's car after I get it corrected better. The durability of those is measured in years, not months.
I keep mentioning McKee's products. So far, I'm a fan of it. It seems geared more towards what I want: making your car look much better than it would with products from the auto parts store, at a price point that won't break the bank. It's easy to use, beginner friendly, and has given me good results so far. I wish they had a dedicated sealant because 360 only lasts a few months. That's a trade off with the AIOs. They give a little swirl removal, and some protection, but don't last as long. The big advantage is time.
Whatever you decide, good luck.
, gonna have to hide from the wife)
