2.7L w/ manual trans (is Ford listening?)

[Elvis]

Anyone know if there's enough buzz going around to support a change by Ford to allow an upgrade from the 2.3L to the 2.7L without having to also change to the 10-speed automatic transmission? I guess what I'm asking is, do you all think that groups and forums like this one are loud enough for Ford to reconsider their decision or is there too much engineering behind something like this (2.3L/7-speed manual vs 2.7L/10-speed auto) for them to change this late in the game?

Thoughts... ?

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[Indominus49er]

I don't think this will change unfortunately

 

[MallCrawlinBranco]

I'd even take a de-rated V6. I want that port injection, and a lighter load means a happier engine. I recall hearing that it would take a change to the bell housing to get the 7spd on the 2.7 though so it seems highly unlikely. I'll keep commenting on manual threads, nonetheless, in hopes that we can generate enough buzz to get ford to reconsider. Seems like it would be no problem getting people to upgrade to a more powerful engine, but only getting the lowest tier certainly turns plenty off. I don't get what Ford was thinking here...

 

[MaverickMan]

Ford please do whats is right! Right now im looking to get into a bronco right around 40,000 but if you give me the stick and the 6 I will lie to my wife and pay up to 50,000 thats 7 grand mpre than i make in a year. Its all yours. I will even do community service hours at the dealership.

 

[Cookieck]

I just hope they don’t do what many other manufacturers have done - offer manual only on the smallest/least powerful engine, then when people buy the bigger/more powerful engines say demand for the manual is too low to keep it up and stop making it. If you’d actually offer manuals on the bigger engines more people would buy them, but they compromise with the auto just to get the engine. While obviously manuals will be lower volumes regardless, most vehicles that offer them across all engines tend to sell a lot more % manuals than those that only offer them with the lowest engine options. I know I’ve seen build counts for a few diff vehicles and when manuals are an option for every tier and every engine they can sell as high as 30% manual transmissions, while some that only offer it at the lowest engine/tier are as low as 5% or less. So yea the manual will be lower demand when you can’t get it on the bigger engines.
I def hope ford hears this and makes the manual work with the 2.7, or at the very least doesn’t completely get rid of the manual option in a couple years when some opt for the 2.7 even though they’d prefer the manual. More manual options are always better, it’s becoming so scarce now. Only auto I've ever owned is my truck, and I'd honestly change that to a manual if I could get all I want out of it and still be a manual.

 

[RadMan24]

I just hope they don’t do what many other manufacturers have done - offer manual only on the smallest/least powerful engine, then when people buy the bigger/more powerful engines say demand for the manual is too low to keep it up and stop making it. If you’d actually offer manuals on the bigger engines more people would buy them, but they compromise with the auto just to get the engine. While obviously manuals will be lower volumes regardless, most vehicles that offer them across all engines tend to sell a lot more % manuals than those that only offer them with the lowest engine options. I know I’ve seen build counts for a few diff vehicles and when manuals are an option for every tier and every engine they can sell as high as 30% manual transmissions, while some that only offer it at the lowest engine/tier are as low as 5% or less. So yea the manual will be lower demand when you can’t get it on the bigger engines.
I def hope ford hears this and makes the manual work with the 2.7, or at the very least doesn’t completely get rid of the manual option in a couple years when some opt for the 2.7 even though they’d prefer the manual. More manual options are always better, it’s becoming so scarce now. Only auto I've ever owned is my truck, and I'd honestly change that to a manual if I could get all I want out of it and still be a manual.

Wrangler sales were 15% manual before they redid the JL and basically moved people off it.

Auto companies want to have complete electrical control of how a vehicle performs. You can see this with the Bronco, it has way more electrical components than a Wrangler and therefore they surmised to earn a payback on that "tech" they need an auto to show it off. A manual won't do half of the techy stuff they added.

However, sport cars and off-road vehicles have enthusiasts that like to "drive" their vehicles. You see this with BMW bringing back the manual on the M3, Jeep will never get rid of the manual on the V6 (many were hoping they'd add it for the diesel), and of course the Bronco adds it on the base 2.3L. The Taco and JT also have manuals and are the most unique in the mid size truck segment for reliability and lifestyle respectively.

 

[Cookieck]

However, sport cars and off-road vehicles have enthusiasts that like to "drive" their vehicles. You see this with BMW bringing back the manual on the M3, Jeep will never get rid of the manual on the V6 (many were hoping they'd add it for the diesel), and of course the Bronco adds it on the base 2.3L. The Taco and JT also have manuals and are the most unique in the mid size truck segment for reliability and lifestyle respectively.

Yes enthusiast vehicles seem to have higher percent manuals sold vs other segments, which to me makes it all the more odd ford wouldn't come up with a manual for the 2.7 bronco. ZL1 Camaros actually sold more manuals than autos for the entire 5th gen. Mustangs sell more manuals in the higher trims(larger engines), its the base model that sells the most autos(if you exclude base model they actually sell more manuals most years). The taco has a manual, but its still limited to certain configurations(not necessarily bad ones, but it is limited). And jeep touts the gladiators 7600lb tow cap then throws in the same manual trans from the wrangler without any upgrading so drops the tow rating by a whopping 3k+ for the manual(one of the biggest benefits of the gladiator over the wrangler is towing, for the manuals tow cap might as well just get the wrangler and have more benefits offroad). So while I'm glad they still have the option, I'm also worried they'll end up like chevy/gmc with the colorado/canyon(and other makes/models), undercutting the manual by limiting it then completely getting rid of it because nobody wants it in that configuration. Jeeps continually offered with a manual and stayed fairly constant selling it, but the broncos all new after decades, the time for a larger engine manual would be from the start to get all those enthusiasts that have waited, instead of making them choose between manual or bigger engine.

 

[DrewBronc21]

There’s a petition

https://www.change.org/p/ford-offer...n=share_petition&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi

 

[BroncBro]

Are you listening? Ford said no manual with the 2.7.
Just kidding. I wish they would!

 

[TripleB]

Probably not going to happen. The manual probably can't handle the additional power. The autos are just to efficient, strong and programable now.

 

[Elvis]

There’s a petition

https://www.change.org/p/ford-offer-the-2021-ford-bronco-with-a-manual-transmission-for-all-packages?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_23494920_en-US:0&recruiter=1131797397&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=psf_combo_share_abi

Nor sure if this goes anywhere but it’s worth a shot. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Gamecock]

I think manual with Sasquatch will happen, as Ford is relooking that, but to me that’s useless unless they also offer it on the 2.7. I think Ford misread the outrage about the stick to be primarily focused on Sasquatch and not on the lack of allowing it with the 2.7.

 

[Elvis]

Well, hopefully Ford is listening to their customers as it seems the consensus is that people want both the 2.7L with the manual as well as the option of the manual with the Sasquatch package. We’ll see...

 

[MaverickMan]

Probably not going to happen. The manual probably can't handle the additional power. The autos are just to efficient, strong and programable now.

Yet they can be completely destroyed by a stick poking up from the mud at the wrong angle. If autos werent inherently weak and fragile because of their need for a precise balance of gallons of nasty hydraulic fluid and the fact that manufacturers only use a thin sheet metal pan to protect them. I wouldnt be as concerned about it. A engine oil pan is already bad enough of a weak spot but atleast that has an axle below it.

 

[kmonares]

I just hope they don’t do what many other manufacturers have done - offer manual only on the smallest/least powerful engine, then when people buy the bigger/more powerful engines say demand for the manual is too low to keep it up and stop making it. If you’d actually offer manuals on the bigger engines more people would buy them, but they compromise with the auto just to get the engine. While obviously manuals will be lower volumes regardless, most vehicles that offer them across all engines tend to sell a lot more % manuals than those that only offer them with the lowest engine options. I know I’ve seen build counts for a few diff vehicles and when manuals are an option for every tier and every engine they can sell as high as 30% manual transmissions, while some that only offer it at the lowest engine/tier are as low as 5% or less. So yea the manual will be lower demand when you can’t get it on the bigger engines.
I def hope ford hears this and makes the manual work with the 2.7, or at the very least doesn’t completely get rid of the manual option in a couple years when some opt for the 2.7 even though they’d prefer the manual. More manual options are always better, it’s becoming so scarce now. Only auto I've ever owned is my truck, and I'd honestly change that to a manual if I could get all I want out of it and still be a manual.

tell that to the diesel pickups that used to offer manuals. fact is, alot of people dont want a manual. the biggest most powerful engines were the only ones offered with manuals in the heavy duty pickup space...... youre right about all the other vehicle types though, offer them only with the small engine, well nobody wants the small engine, so obviously the manual wont sell.

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