2.7L, or 2.3L. Help me make the right decision.

[F OR D]

You just keep saying research but literally all the research says that the 2.3 is beyond fine. excluding a handful of gasket issues. The 2.3 has been in service over 10 years. Show me the "research" behind the problems with 2.3.

The preorder #s (ie 75%) you reference are here, the 6g people that are 2000 (small sample size). The current Ford reported number is under 60%, and consider the WT it is stock. Wait until more orders and Broncos hit the lot, that # will be lower.

What about the additional wait, extra cost, limited tow specs, and the fact most don't need the extra HP/Torque for general usage? Resell, they will be hot for years. Plus average household turns over vehicles every 4-5.

The 2.7 is fantastic but the point is it isn't needed for most things. Replacement for displacement. If you're old enough you will remember the same trash talk about the slant-six vs v8. Turned out to be one of the best engines produced and showed you bigger isn't always needed.

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[AZshot]

People are "going with the 2.7 more because some people believe the chant, "no one ever said I wish I had less power". I've bought the mid range or small engine several times in my life, and know I'm not the average. The average person on this forum orders a LOT of things I don't believe in, like the Mid Package or Lux, leather seats, dual tops....AND....the bigger engine with a weaker automatic. Doesn't mean they're more "right" than me. Means they like spending lots of money more than me.

 

[Mr. Nice]

People are "going with the 2.7 more because some people believe the chant, "no one ever said I wish I had less power". I've bought the mid range or small engine several times in my life, and know I'm not the average. The average person on this forum orders a LOT of things I don't believe in, like the Mid Package or Lux, leather seats, dual tops....AND....the bigger engine with a weaker automatic. Doesn't mean they're more "right" than me. Means they like spending lots of money more than me.

You are so right on. People buy what they think they need or want. Good for them.

A lot of 65 Mustangs were sold with 6's. Good for them. They are worth pennies on the dollar compared to the 8's. You tell me why?

The reason for this thread was to ask about the best engine in the Bronco. I gave many valid reasons. If they don't agree, good for them.

Folks don't have to throw the kitchen sink at me.
Thanks
Mr. Nice

 

[mpeugeot]

You chose wisely my friend....

 

[AZ_Liberty]

I picked the manual transmission over getting the bigger engine. The manual was higher priority to me than a few more horsepower.

This Right Here. It's manual or a different vehicle for me. So the 2.3 it is. If Ford let me have the 2.7 with the manual, I'd probably pay for it. If they let us have the 5.0 it wouldn't even be a question.

Ford's 10 speed automatic is a bit of a mess. Too many gears, holds onto higher gears way too long, really not fun to drive.

 

[mC.242]

Again with the DI nonsense? Seriously people, this isn't a 10-yr-old Hyundai.
Do you research.

 

[VelocityBrew]

I picked the manual transmission over getting the bigger engine. The manual was higher priority to me than a few more horsepower. Plus, I didn't see it in the MPG specs, but I always get a few MPG better than what they list, IF I get a stick.

The tired line "no one every asked for less power" is a legacy from the 80s and 90s. Today, a Camry has more horsepower than my 1990 Taurus SHO. When many trucks have 400 or more horsepower, the better question is "why do you need so much power when you don't tow?" It's just a vulgar display of power, in my opinion.

I bought a F-150 Triton V8 in 2002 for towing. It was only 235 HP or some such. Never felt I needed more. Towed a 3,000 lb horse trailer with 3 thousand pound mules in it. Do I NEED to go 85 MPH towing? Um....no. 72 MPH is fast enough, growing up when the national speed limit was 55. Americans today want EXCESS. That's the simple answer.

And I plan on keeping the truck a long time, unless I hate it. Resale the first 2-3 years will be fantastically easy. Most Broncos will sell used for about what we pay for them. It's not like someone won't be shopping for a stick shift Bronco with under 30,000 miles, for about $35,000. Easy sale, if you need to.

Now a $55,000 automatic, Sasquatch, that has been used off road hard for 2-3 years? With a suspected "weaker" transmission? Not such an easy sale.

Interesting how you only touched on horsepower when its torque that is the biggest difference between the 2.3 and 2.7. Torque is also why you were able to tow that trailer and not any more horsepower.

 

[DrewBronc21]

Interesting how you only touched on horsepower when its torque that is the biggest difference between the 2.3 and 2.7. Torque is also why you were able to tow that trailer and not any more horsepower.

Doesn’t make much of a difference in the Bronco. Neither engine has a good tow rating but the Ranger with the 2.3 can tow 7500

I would absolutely go with the 2.7 except Ford failed to offer it with a Manual transmission so I have to either get the 2.3 or something other than a Bronco.

 

[VelocityBrew]

Doesn’t make much of a difference in the Bronco. Neither engine has a good tow rating but the Ranger with the 2.3 can tow 7500

I would absolutely go with the 2.7 except Ford failed to offer it with a Manual transmission so I have to either get the 2.3 or something other than a Bronco.

Torque is only good for towing?

 

[mpeugeot]

Actually, I looked at it the reverse way, do you want the 2.7 or not... If you want the 2.7, then you have to accept the automatic.

If the automatic was a deal breaker for me, I would have been ordering the 2.3. When I realized that the automatic, advanced 4x4, and the 2.7 enabled a bunch of the cool features (like trail turn assist aka donut mode, one pedal driving, and trail control - iirc) I decided to simply accept it as it was. If I was an advanced off-roader and wanted the most capable factory off-road vehicle - I would have probably opted for the BL 2.3 manual and the biggest debate would have been between 2 and 4 door models... With the edge going to the 2 door currently.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that.

 

[Nickp]

Just as a data point, an old high school buddy posted a 3.5 ecoboost all torn apart in his Snapchat story. Reached out, turns out he’s a tech at a local Ford dealership. Asked him about the 2.7, he said that they’re very solid engines, he has seen no consistent problems EXCEPT the plastic oil pan. Definitely not a deal breaker to me.

Figured this was the most up to date thread on 2.7 so I’d share it here.

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