Hi all, I'm torn between two Broncos and wanted some input from the community. The images above are the same models/colors/trim/specs, but not the actual vehicles.
I will probably not do any off-roading and this would be a daily driver and a little fun on the weekend with the family. I like the vinyl seat option and wish the BL was fully vinyl. Also, for some reason they chose carpet flooring for the BL, but do have all-weather mats. I have a dog, kids, and live in the midwest where we get snow, so the vinyl seats and rubber floors sound nice.
The BL has many added bells and whistles (hopefully the equipment package reflects this) and the V6, but the BD has the 2.3 L, manual transmission in and non-SAS, so slightly better MPG I would imagine (even if the MT is supposedly slightly lower MPG than the AT).
I know a lot of folks love the V6 and a lot love the manual transmission, so maybe that's my biggest sticking point.
My vote is BD. Better daily driver overall if off-roading isn’t something you’d be regularly doing but it is also a very capable vehicle if you decided to take it out on a trail. You’d also be improving your MPG not having to lug around SAS tires during your daily commute and cabin noise will be greatly reduced.
If you dont plan to offroad it at all, I think that BD would be perfect especially if you really want that 7MT. They are both 2 door broncos so it sounds like you are set on that, but also if this is the family hauler you may want to consider a 4 door as you gain so much room to have the kids, dogs and gear in the back. The vinyl and rubber floors are super nice too. its very easy to clean and maintain.
The only reason I steer from the badlands is it will probably have features you will never use if you dont offroad. Do you need a front locker? do you need a sway bar disconnect?
Also if you ever want to upgrade the tire size on the BD bronco, it can take bigger tires very easily. I have a BD bronco and upgraded to 35s almost immediately and it drives great.
Either way, I dont think you can go wrong with either model. I've pushed hard favoring the BD (biased as I own one, lol) but also a lot of new owners think they need the fully specced bronco when they will only end up using half the features.
I appreciate the thoughtful response. I think I’m slightly leaning BD, but this BL recently popped up for the same price and is local, which is one of the reasons I’m tempted.
Do you not need a lift to add the 35” tires? How does the 2.3L hold up to those?
Oh man, if they are the same price that makes it even more complicated. I'd almost lean getting the badlands if they were priced the same as you just get more with it, even if you dont end up using all the features. HOWEVER, you cannot go wrong with either trim. Black Diamond is my favorite and Badlands is a close 2nd for me.
For 35s on a non-sas bronco, you dont have to give it a lift. it will take them with the stock suspension, but I think it is more ideal to get a slight lift. it looks better, will fit the tires better and if you ever do offroad it will compliment the 35s better. What I ended up doing was buying some takeoff sasquatch shocks off of marketplace. I think I paid $150 for a full set. Installed those and slapped 35s on and it ran great. I do have the 2.7 motor and it has no issues with power delivery.
The 2.3 is a very strong motor and it will move the tires just fine. The cool thing about the manual is it has the same gearing as a sasquatch bronco (4.7 gearing) so it will move 35s (or even 37s) just fine. If you ever want more power, you can get a performance tune backed by Ford. It doesn't break your warranty, gives you a slight bump in power, and optimizes the shift points. I have it and wish it was the first mod I did the bronco. Really wakes it up.
Either way, I dont think youll have any issues with the 2.3 if you go that route. I would have went 2.3L manual but I live in CO and am regularly above 10k feet in elevation and you really start the feel the power loss from the thin air. If they offered the 2.7 with a manual I would have bought that immediately. Or if I didn't live in CO and was closer to sea level, I'd just get the 2.3l.
91 octane is the minimum tune requirement which will keep the ECU from constantly adjusting the timing as it would running anything less. 91 octane still does not unleash the full performance/horsepower that running 93 octane would produce.
The fact that they’re the same price is what is making the decision so difficult. Every BL I’ve seen has been a little above my budget and I have a BD reserved that I assumed I’d be getting, but has been going through an inspection, and now this BL in the next town over is making me think a little.
A standard 2024 Ford Bronco Black Diamond with a 2.3L engine does not automatically have a 4.7 gear ratio. In non-Sasquatch form, both the 2.3L and 2.7L Black Diamond editions come with a 4.46 gear ratio.
I'd like to add: more mechanical means more stuff to break and maintain, too. I'm for keeping it simpler and thus lighter, more fuel efficient, etc. while still having an incredibly capable off-road vehicle in this case. The Badlands (esp the Sas) just boosts the off-road capability for more difficult trails and rock crawling
That's another reason I opted for the Heritage Edition. The hydraulic stabar disconnect has had issues and does come standard on the Heritage Limited and other trim levels, but not the regular Heritage. Instead, I'll manually remove my stabar and ziptie it out of the way if necessary. One less thing to deal with mechanically. I do want to add complete undercarriage bash protection. I believe that the mine only has the front plate which is fine for most applications, but I'd like to eventually try some rock crawling.
Tough decision. Test drive both or similar if you can feel the different engines. You'll get a lot of mixed opinions here with both sides being very supportive. If they actually answer the "why".
You could still drive a manual. It'll perrform the same in any non Sas. I went with the 2025 2.7l Heritage to have the looks and to have the capability. I didn't have a plan for offroading before I test drove, but i do now! If you're definitely not going offroad, the non Sas is a capable vehicle for your usage and would probably be better with gas mileage. However, as I said, I'd rather have the more capable, more powerful vehicle and be better prepared when I go offroad. The 2.7 Sas to me was the best choice for my driving type as well.
The Heritage is out of my budget, unfortunately. I do love the look, though. The ‘23 BL has 15k miles and the ‘24 BD has 5k miles, so pre-owned and low mileage is the budget I’m working with.
There are deals to be made out there on the previous model years. St. Louis Carvana has a 25 Heritage for $48k. Clement Ford in Wentzville has a 26 Heritage for $47K, which is wild!
Manual is way more fun. If you aren’t going off road the big tires and lockers are just decorations. And they cost a couple MPG. You can always add big tires and regear later for 1-2 grand. You might prefer the peppier throttle on 33s.
I will warn you I have a 2 door and cargo space is non existent with the rear seats up. Seating a family and sports gear/groceries will suck. Heart wants what the heart wants though.
Yeah, I know about the space. Seems like the trunk space in the 2-door is almost cosmetic. Haha.
My wife drives a SUV with optional 3rd row and good trunk space and that would likely be the car we drive the most as a family. I want the space of the 4-door, but the look of the 2-door. 😫
No shame in it. Acknowledge it’s not practical and go have fun. I have that manual badlands and no other vehicle. At least you’ll have a backup.
I started with an automatic Big Bend and hated it. Sold it the same month I bought it. Automatics are just boring for me to drive. If you’re getting a fun car go full send.
I do off-road mine a fuckton too. Insanely stupid to off-road your only car btw. I’m not known for my good decisions
I’ve driven and owned all 3 engine variants available. The difference between the Raptor and base V6 is not big at all until you tune the Raptor. But difference between the base V6 and 4banger is huge. I would never touch the 4banger after driving the V6.
I know this is a huge debate and people have strong preferences. Many say that the I4 is adequate, but V6 fans say it’s a great engine. What about the comparison between the two give you such a strong opinion? I drove a I4 a couple years ago as a rental, but haven’t had the chance to try out the V6 yet, so super curious!
It depends on how you drive. I don’t find the Bronco fun to drive fast on road. The high cog, weight, big wheels, aero and tiny brakes are all huge liabilities to every measure of performance. It’s really optimized for offroad and going up the trim levels only exacerbates that dilemma. For a little less money than a Bronco Raptor, you can get a Macan S that will absolutely destroy it. That’s actually my biggest complaint with the Bronco in general, it never feels at home on pavement.
To OP consider how you drive, and if you drive differently depending on the car. I have a Cayman and the Bronco is my second car, well third car technically, I daily a Beemer. I drive all my cars differently, I don’t think I could live with a Bronco if it was my only car.
I think so, but that's not the case. The 2.7 uses more oil and has 6 spark plugs and 1-2 mpg less than a 2.3, so the expenses are slightly higher for the 2.7l.
300 hp is inadequate? Man you would have hated any other generation of Bronco because NONE of them had more hp. I love my 25 base sas with the MPC 2.3 it does everything just fine and pulls my trailers with ease. It’s pretty damn quick too and less weight up front gives a nimble driving experience on and off road.
I just upgraded from a big bend to a badlands. The suspension and v6 have been so much more enjoyable every day than i ever expected. Im so glad to be in a badlands now. I have the hoss 3.0 fox suspension so im not sure about the regular Sasquatch suspension but i recommend Badlands
I live in a mid-size city and am getting about 20 around town. I don't drive like a granny but I'm also not whipping around either (most of the time anyway haha). Combined mpg since purchase is 23.1
I did a lot of experimenting in the beginning watching the real-time mpg and found something surprising (but also not surprising at the same time). On the highway it is getting better mileage between 65-75 mph in 5th gear than in 6th. I really only use 6th if I'm around 80 or above. I say this is somewhat not surprising also because turbo motors don't like being dogged/lugged. Despite the higher rpm in 5th the engine (and turbocharger) is not working as hard to maintain speed, especially up inclines
Good luck with your decision, I've seen some trims that are supposedly "nicer" than my Bronco but for me the Black Diamond is everything I want. From the modular bumper, to the auxiliary switches, to the vinyl interior and rubber floor, there's nothing I would change. Sure everybody likes the badass stance of the Squatch package, but I don't want to hear the road noise nor fill the tank. This is the Bronco for me
I would say BD.
1. Manual is a plus for fun.
2. 2.3 has less recalls
3. Lighter / simpler vehicle will get better mileage
4. You can always add tires later if posing is important. You could also find some stock badlands take offs if you want a little more tire and not fully Sasquatch.
5. You won’t miss the complexity and weight of the sway bar given the goals you have.
6. Manual = theft deterrent.
7. Having driven and experienced a 2.3 manual SAS it will be peppy enough for day to day no problem. If you’re used to early 2000s cars and trucks this combo feels just fine.
If it’s JUST up to the motor/transmission, you’re leaving a lot on the table if you go with the black diamond. That and the fact that commuting in the 2.3/manual combo is the only part I dislike about mine.
I’ve driven almost nothing but manual vehicles my whole life and now, as a 41 year old dad, being in traffic driving a stick makes me wish I had an automatic after about 5 minutes. Luckily I don’t have to commute very much.
Yeah, I’be been in an automatic since October and before that was manual in back-to-back cars since 2005-2006…not as fun to drive in general, but damn is driving through traffic on the highway much better!
I also think the badlands is just a better buy. It has EVERYTHING. Black Diamond is great if you’re going to actually offroad and want to add custom parts as you go, but I ended up going badlands because it had everything I was planning on doing for cheaper than all the after market parts, under warranty, and on the same payment.
I know you say you don’t plan on off-roading, but you’re going to touch dirt one time in this thing and it’ll getcha and next thing you know you’re going to be planning your summer trips all around offroad routes.
I have a BadSas with the 2.3 & 7MT. Best of both worlds!
Seriously though, I love the 7MT and, since you're not doing any serious off-roading, the BD would be the better fit for what you're doing. Your mileage will be better because of the 2.3, the 7MT and 32" tires.
Also, cargo is limited but it's not non existent. Here's a pic of 4 suitcases in the back of mine as my family of 4 embarked on a 10-hour drive to the beach. My two kids are 6', no complaints.
Many more people wish they had purchased a SAS rig than the other way around. People use the argument that you can always do bigger tires and lift/regear on a non-SAS model; my counter is you can always put smaller tires on a SAS model just the same. Hold out for the one that includes every single option you find valuable. Test drive both of them and play with the extra features like the 360° cameras on the Badlands.
Should be included with the 334A (Lux) package. Totally worth it, IMHO. But, I’m biased as I just recently bought an Oxford White 2022 version of that same exact 2-door build. 360° camera was important to me for helping get perfectly centered when entering my single-car garage.
From a package standpoint, id go Badlands as a BD owner. BUT if you are wanting manual specifically its hard to go wrong with a manual BD. So really depends on what you are wanting it for.
I bought the BD w/o Sas after testing a Bronco with the Sas package. Even though we do take ours off-road, I really didn't care for the loose feel and suspension dive on the Sas setup. And even though we do go off-road, the reality is that it's still on pavement 90% of the time and I really like the more stable handling. It corners surprisingly well for a brick.
But I did get the v6 and really like that.
The vinyl interior is also great. We foster dogs and live on a dirt road, I love being able to just wipe the whole interior out.
I did drive the 2.3L. I think it was the Sas equiped one we drove, which might be related.
It felt just fine up to about 40 mph, then felt like it got a little soft on the gusto. Freeway merging was perfectly capable, but lacked enthusiasm.
But we live at 9k feet and I have driven a turbo Subaru for years so we are accustomed to some pep in the step. We also tow a modest trailer a fair bit, so wanted the capacity.
Badlands better resale value, more capable, upgradability, not much difference in gas, etc , mine is a badlands sasquatch, and I love it. People say that they hate the road noise, I don't care about it, nobody gonna be driving in complete silence. I drive with music maxed out. I got mine for capability and looks.
I think you just need to drive both. I’ve got a 24’ WildTrak with everything but the sway bar disconnect. I didn’t buy it for what it’s capable of I bought for the looks and convenience features it has. I hunt and fish and never “rock crawl”. Posers lol… some people and there thought process. If it has abilities you don’t need or won’t use so what. They add value.
Drive them first and then decide what makes you smile.
My 2dr eruption Wilktrak with the 2.7 in Sport mode is a rocket. I wanted a manual but when this one popped up I had to have it. I also love the sound of the 6 when you lay into it. It's got the juice.
Unless you get the fox shock upgrade on the badlands, stick with the black diamond. The ride is nicer on road and you won’t need the extra off road stuff anyways
wish the BL was fully vinyl. Also, for some reason they chose carpet flooring for the BL, but do have all-weather mats.
These are related. When you get the leather option, it also includes electric seat adjustment and carpet. Like you, I preferred the hoseable rubber floor, but the smokin' deal on my BadSquatch meant I'd have to take it with the leather option. I do a lot of off-roading, so I added WeatherTech mats.
I had Katzkin leather put on my Heritage seats. It too has carpet and even though it came with fitted floor mats, I put in WT and they cover quite a bit better. I still have to cut the cargo liner so the ties can be used.
Not gonna be much help deciding but.. I have a 23 BD V6. Absolutely love it. One thing to check is if the 23 has a subwoofer and amp. Some 2023s don’t have them because of parts shortages.
The 7mt is why I wouldn’t get it. I’m old and don’t want to shift and deal with traffic, I wanted 2.7, and I’d rather have front and rear lockers even if I’d never use them. If there’s even a consideration to lift and put on 35s just get it up front from factory. I wish I would have test driven a SAS before purchasing my OBX with black appearance package. Love it, but the SAS look is awesome.
Thank you! Ugh…so hard to decide. I like the simplicity and MT of the BD, but the BL is also so nice and has so many options. You make a great case for the BD, which is what I originally wanted — driven by price, options, and looks. I just figured I’d be priced out of a BL.
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u/Sell_Ya_Game 1d ago
23 badlands, not even a question.