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KingWillard

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Willard
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2022 Ford Bronco Black Diamond 2.3 MT
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I decided I've driven this thing enough for a decent first impressions review. It is an Iconic Silver Black Diamond with the 2.3 manual, hard top, roof rack, and tow package. It was an abandoned delivery with the green window sticker and all. I have the same trim on order in Cactus Gray minus the tow package. I am not cancelling my original order because I would like to see what the market for used vehicles is like when I actually receive it, or if I have any friends or family that want the one I ordered or the silver one at that time (7/14 res.). I will keep them both if I win the lottery or something like that. For background, I 've had 93 Toyota 4x4 small pickup, 95 Toyota 4runner, 19 Tacoma, 86 Subaru GL, 2006 and 2013 Forrester.

First, I love the look of this thing. The silver is great with the black steelies, MIC top, flares, and grill. I like the 32's. They seem well proportioned, and I will drive them until they need replaced. I may consider going with larger tires , at that point, but not set on that at all and it does not seem necessary for me. I love the looks of the two door and how it harkens back to the first gen.

Driving this thing is FUN! The manual is pretty easy, given that I have driven manuals extensively in the past. My 15 year old son has learned it pretty quickly, though he is still working on the nuances. The handling is slightly sporty on the road. There is a little bit of nose dive at quick stops, but not as bad as the Tacoma. On the trails it eats up loose dirt, mud, and rocky roads. Not to stiff or too bouncy to me. The 2.3 is plenty of power for me. I don't really race around town, but it has no problem accelerating into traffic. There is plenty of power for the trail driving that I do - forest roads and some two track. Turbo lag is not crazy, but noticeable from time to time. I like the length and width a lot. It fits into parking spaces easily, and in between trees and tight spaces off the pavement. Visibility is mostly good, and I can tell where the edges of the car are better than most cars I've driven. The visors seem too big and it is hard for me to see under them when they are down, but I do ride with the seat raised because I like the visibility that allows. I am averaging a little over 18 MPG according to the computer with mostly short trips around town, off pavement driving, and one day trip of a little over 100 miles on the interstate.

I love the vinyl interior. The plastic surfaces seem mostly appropriate, though I wouldn't mind a little more vinyl around the dash. I'd really love an old school steel dash, but you just don't seem to see that nowadays. The grab handles are ok, although the center console one does not seem 100% solid, not wiggly, but it does seems to flex more than I would like. The blue accents work pretty well, and are not obnoxious. There is not a ton of nooks and crannys for storage, but I think that can be overcome using the molle system and a cargo box in the rear cargo area. The seats are a little weird in that they don't lock in the fully tilted and slid to the front position, so I have to hold them forward for people or dogs to get in or out. I wish they would lock in that position. The dogs have been on the back seat a couple of times, and I have thrown a blanket or dog bed back there to protect the seats a little, but no real damage noticed at this point. I have not had any leaks in the hard top despite some really heavy monsoon rains. The hard top does rattle/squeak a little. I am not sure if this is just the nature of a removable hard top or poor design since I have never had a car with that feature. It is glorious to drive with the top off, and I have also driven it with the front panels off, and the back cap off with the front panels on. All seemed solid despite the little rattles and squeaks. One of the pins that guides the back cap was bumped or scraped on the roll roll cage when removing the top today and the fiberglass pretty much broke there (picture below). I am hoping the replacement hard top will be less noisy, and that these guide pins are more reinforced. It was pretty loud on my road trip, but that stretch of highway is always windy with a lot of crosswinds. The stock stereo definitely needs a sub woofer or better speakers with more bass, but it depends on the music. It seems like a lot of classic rock and punk sounds pretty alright, whereas music that relies more heavily on bass...not as much.

I have added a Yakima roof basket for camping and other trips, and am buying a drop hitch extension so that my hitch bike rack will clear the tailgate and tire a little better. It is an adjustment as far as cargo space going from the Tacoma to this, but I am certain I can make it work. Taking the top off is not too bad, and I did notice that there are some threaded holes in the roll cage where the roof rack would fit (picture below), so I am wondering if there is an accessory coming out thot would allow for the rack to be on when the top is removed. I would like that.

I did test drive a Wrangler unlimited sport and a four door Badlands recently. I think the Bronco was more well mannered than the Wrangler, not loose and unpredictable on turns and during breaking. I thought the Badlands drove pretty similar to the Black Diamond, and did not feel too big, but I did have only about 20 minutes in it.

Overall I give the Black Diamond about a 4.3 out of 5. It is the most fun to drive 4x4 I have ever had and the overall performance, styling, and functionality have made it my favorite car to date. I might be a little biased because I have always wanted a Bronco with a removable top, and this is the first one I have had.

Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B1
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B2
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B3
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B3A
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
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Last edited:

MaverickMan

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Sorry about your break there. Luckily you get a do over, right! Great review. I am really tryig to figure out if I can go stock BD, technically I can get the axle upgraded for less than squatc and add shocks and lift later. But I just dont know if it will be smooth enough on our road to justify this whole deal to my wife. On any of the trails you went down did you happen to go say 20mph for 10 minutes and not feel jostled. Our road is all poorly and annually patched asphault, it is all patch now. The soft cold kind too. It twist turns and has many drainage bumps. Do you think your Bronco would handle that smooth enough for someone with back pain?


Glad you are having fun in it. Looks great,!
 

International_George

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Do the headrests have tilt adjust?
 

BSheppard

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“Do the headrests have tilt adjust?”

I believe this only comes with the leather interior option.

I would love to be wrong though.
 

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KingWillard

KingWillard

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Sorry about your break there. Luckily you get a do over, right! Great review. I am really tryig to figure out if I can go stock BD, technically I can get the axle upgraded for less than squatc and add shocks and lift later. But I just dont know if it will be smooth enough on our road to justify this whole deal to my wife. On any of the trails you went down did you happen to go say 20mph for 10 minutes and not feel jostled. Our road is all poorly and annually patched asphault, it is all patch now. The soft cold kind too. It twist turns and has many drainage bumps. Do you think your Bronco would handle that smooth enough for someone with back pain?


Glad you are having fun in it. Looks great,!
I’ve both driven and been a passenger for more than 10 minutes on bumpy curvy forest roads at 20-30 mph. I did not feel too jostled, but I’m lucky to have a good back. My wife has some back issues and did not complain though. Just my experience.
 

MaverickMan

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I’ve both driven and been a passenger for more than 10 minutes on bumpy curvy forest roads at 20-30 mph. I did not feel too jostled, but I’m lucky to have a good back. My wife has some back issues and did not complain though. Just my experience.
Awesome thanks, cant wait to get behind the wheel of one!
 

Boxer4

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One of the pins that guides the back cap was bumped or scraped on the roll roll cage when removing the top today and the fiberglass pretty much broke there
Ford- If your listening- Consider redesigning these locating pins. Placed on the bottom of the clamshell, they are bound to be hit, twisted and have undue weight on them. For most people, replacing the top requires positioning them on the blind. Maybe a removable stud on the fender and an alignment mark on the Clamshell.
 

Wanted33

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Oh man, that things perfect. Congratulations.
 

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Blaven

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My jeep hard top has the same guide pins for the rear shell. To do that kind of damage you have to drop it pretty hard directly on the pin to damage one of them like that. Or, get it caught on something and keep forcing it. It looks more like that was user error rather than a failure from the factory even with the hard top 1.0 problems.
 

Arc

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I decided I've driven this thing enough for a decent first impressions review. It is an Iconic Silver Black Diamond with the 2.3 manual, hard top, roof rack, and tow package. It was an abandoned delivery with the green window sticker and all. I have the same trim on order in Cactus Gray minus the tow package. I am not cancelling my original order because I would like to see what the market for used vehicles is like when I actually receive it, or if I have any friends or family that want the one I ordered or the silver one at that time (7/14 res.). I will keep them both if I win the lottery or something like that. For background, I 've had 93 Toyota 4x4 small pickup, 95 Toyota 4runner, 19 Tacoma, 86 Subaru GL, 2006 and 2013 Forrester.

First, I love the look of this thing. The silver is great with the black steelies, MIC top, flares, and grill. I like the 32's. They seem well proportioned, and I will drive them until they need replaced. I may consider going with larger tires , at that point, but not set on that at all and it does not seem necessary for me. I love the looks of the two door and how it harkens back to the first gen.

Driving this thing is FUN! The manual is pretty easy, given that I have driven manuals extensively in the past. My 15 year old son has learned it pretty quickly, though he is still working on the nuances. The handling is slightly sporty on the road. There is a little bit of nose dive at quick stops, but not as bad as the Tacoma. On the trails it eats up loose dirt, mud, and rocky roads. Not to stiff or too bouncy to me. The 2.3 is plenty of power for me. I don't really race around town, but it has no problem accelerating into traffic. There is plenty of power for the trail driving that I do - forest roads and some two track. Turbo lag is not crazy, but noticeable from time to time. I like the length and width a lot. It fits into parking spaces easily, and in between trees and tight spaces off the pavement. Visibility is mostly good, and I can tell where the edges of the car are better than most cars I've driven. The visors seem too big and it is hard for me to see under them when they are down, but I do ride with the seat raised because I like the visibility that allows. I am averaging a little over 18 MPG according to the computer with mostly short trips around town, off pavement driving, and one day trip of a little over 100 miles on the interstate.

I love the vinyl interior. The plastic surfaces seem mostly appropriate, though I wouldn't mind a little more vinyl around the dash. I'd really love an old school steel dash, but you just don't seem to see that nowadays. The grab handles are ok, although the center console one does not seem 100% solid, not wiggly, but it does seems to flex more than I would like. The blue accents work pretty well, and are not obnoxious. There is not a ton of nooks and crannys for storage, but I think that can be overcome using the molle system and a cargo box in the rear cargo area. The seats are a little weird in that they don't lock in the fully tilted and slid to the front position, so I have to hold them forward for people or dogs to get in or out. I wish they would lock in that position. The dogs have been on the back seat a couple of times, and I have thrown a blanket or dog bed back there to protect the seats a little, but no real damage noticed at this point. I have not had any leaks in the hard top despite some really heavy monsoon rains. The hard top does rattle/squeak a little. I am not sure if this is just the nature of a removable hard top or poor design since I have never had a car with that feature. It is glorious to drive with the top off, and I have also driven it with the front panels off, and the back cap off with the front panels on. All seemed solid despite the little rattles and squeaks. One of the pins that guides the back cap was bumped or scraped on the roll roll cage when removing the top today and the fiberglass pretty much broke there (picture below). I am hoping the replacement hard top will be less noisy, and that these guide pins are more reinforced. It was pretty loud on my road trip, but that stretch of highway is always windy with a lot of crosswinds. The stock stereo definitely needs a sub woofer or better speakers with more bass, but it depends on the music. It seems like a lot of classic rock and punk sounds pretty alright, whereas music that relies more heavily on bass...not as much.

I have added a Yakima roof basket for camping and other trips, and am buying a drop hitch extension so that my hitch bike rack will clear the tailgate and tire a little better. It is an adjustment as far as cargo space going from the Tacoma to this, but I am certain I can make it work. Taking the top off is not too bad, and I did notice that there are some threaded holes in the roll cage where the roof rack would fit (picture below), so I am wondering if there is an accessory coming out thot would allow for the rack to be on when the top is removed. I would like that.

I did test drive a Wrangler unlimited sport and a four door Badlands recently. I think the Bronco was more well mannered than the Wrangler, not loose and unpredictable on turns and during breaking. I thought the Badlands drove pretty similar to the Black Diamond, and did not feel too big, but I did have only about 20 minutes in it.

Overall I give the Black Diamond about a 4.3 out of 5. It is the most fun to drive 4x4 I have ever had and the overall performance, styling, and functionality have made it my favorite car to date. I might be a little biased because I have always wanted a Bronco with a removable top, and this is the first one I have had.

Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Thank You for the details. keep us posted if they give you a new top for Christmas..
 

BeerForMyHorses

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For background, I 've had 93 Toyota 4x4 small pickup, 95 Toyota 4runner, 19 Tacoma, 86 Subaru GL, 2006 and 2013 Forrester.
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Ford Bronco 2-Door Bronco Black Diamond Review After 600 Miles and 3 Weeks B4
Sweet rig! I love the way it looks in those two pictures. The blue BD trim and black steelies look good with iconic silver. I can respect that you've mostly been a Toyota man. Is this your first Ford?

You mentioned some comparisons in your review, but can you elaborate more on how it compares to the Tacoma? For context, I'm driving a '21 TRD Offroad with the 6 speed manual. I have a 2-door black diamond with the 7MT on order for 2022. I'd be curious to see what your thoughts are on how the transmissions, engines, suspension, 4wd systems, and "ease of use" compare.
 
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KingWillard

KingWillard

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My jeep hard top has the same guide pins for the rear shell. To do that kind of damage you have to drop it pretty hard directly on the pin to damage one of them like that. Or, get it caught on something and keep forcing it. It looks more like that was user error rather than a failure from the factory even with the hard top 1.0 problems.
I think that’s a fair point. We don’t have much experience doing this (only second time). I’d admit it wasn’t the smoothest removal, and we had to adjust and retry which was probably when this happened. It definitely wasn’t dropped, and I didn’t think we were forcing anything too much, but we obviously scraped it. I guess we need to be more careful. I still think it could be more reinforced and a little further from the edge.

I’m wondering if you can shed any light on squeaky and/or rattling kind of noises from your experience with the Jeep?
 

Blue's B6G

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One of the pins that guides the back cap was bumped or scraped on the roll roll cage when removing the top today and the fiberglass pretty much broke there (picture below).
Did it damage the paint on your roll bar? Using a ceiling hoist to remove the top by myself, the top got caught in that exact same spot of the roll bar and instead of damaging the MIC top, it put a scrape down to bare metal on the roll bar. I’ve ordered touch up primer and paint.
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