This is exact dilemma I've been wrestling with! The 2.7 can be a dang monster! My Bronco will probably never see a 1/4 mile drag strip but, having a tuned up 2 door 2.7 auto basesquatch and surprising ricers and diesel bros from stoplight to stoplight sounds enormously fun!
It'll run just fine. The 2.3 puts out about as much horsepower as Jeep's 3.6 (using Ranger numbers), but also puts out more torque than Jeep's Power plant. Tuning is yielding awesome results as well. Obviously the 2.7 will be better, but the 2.3 will be plenty to get down the road.
I'm really interested to see what companies like Bajakits, Camburg, Total Chaos etc do in regards to long travel prerunner kits and chase kits. I can see the Bronco being a complete monster in the desert!
As an aside, y'all are killing me with the squatch wordsmithing! ?
I'm not a manual buyer, too lazy these days, but this is the one genuine thing thats a bit disappointing. A chance for ford to say to enthusiasts "we see you, we got your back, row those gears bro!" and they've seemingly rruined it.
For me and what I wanted personally, my only gripe (and its a small gripe) is the color choices. My original plan was OJ white but was hoping for Grabber Lime. Otherwise, every box has been ticked. Base 2-door, 2.3 auto, and Sasquatch is a solid foundation to start with. Im beyond excited.