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Am I crazy, or is the Badlands trim the worst deal?

Rubicon 2 Badlands

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So I’ve been working the build and price to death and still haven’t figured much out. My wife really likes the vinyl seats, so I’ve been comparing the BD and the BL. The one thing that struck me is that a Badlands with lux is basically the same as the Wildtrack (~$55k). The Wildtrack comes with Sasquatch standard. Am I missing something?
I like the off-road capabilities of the Badlands and the options that come with that. The bumper, sway-bar disconnect, bash plates, locking front and rear diffs, and the slight lift of the Badlands makes it worth it for me.
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Ramble_Offroad

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All depends on your decision tree, usage plan & where you place value. It means something different to us all.

I’m 100% on the Badlands + 2.7 + Sasquatch train. However I’m purposely avoiding the mid & lux package so I can avoid all sorts of tech I don’t want.

Based on my preferences & use expectations the Badlands is key because of the sway bar disco & the washout interior.

Good luck, it smells like crazy out there these days.

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2Jeeps&PatriotX1

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If the power seats had memory settings I would order the leather powered seats and see if anyone wanted to trade out their MGV covers for the leather. I could care less about the washout floors. I have the drain holes in my wrangler and actually plugged/covered them up 7yrs ago.
 
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Ill give you the most honest opinion, it all comes down to what you are looking for. Anyone that tells you Badlands is the best deal is really saying thats the model they are getting or thats the model that is the best deal for them. Because while i am getting the badlands i wouldnt say its the best deal because its not the cheapest and it only depends on what you will use your vehicle for. As far as the sway bar disconnect a lot of people are getting the badlands for i think there will be a lot of people that end up being very disappointed after they realize its not as great as they think and if you are not a rock climber its not going to be used or at least utilized hardly at all. I know a lot of people that have them and never use them because they dont rock climb. So unless you rock climb and rock climb often then bragging about the sway bar disconnect is pointless. And if you are getting the sasquatch then saying badlands has a better suspension is out the window. So all you will miss out on is vinyl seats and wash out floors, but again i know a lot of people with them in jeeps and never use them, so it only depends on what you plan on doing with your bronco, so dont let someone else tell you what the best model is for you.
 

2021BD

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I am leaning toward Wildtrak (at least today, who knows about tomorrow!). I love the black accents, fog lights, ability to get a step board right from the factory (wife needs this) and I actually kind of like the interior. Plus I can add floor mats and neoprene seat covers to protect against the elements. But I am not a serious off-roader and will never rock climb so BL makes less sense for me .... although I swear I read on the forums here that BL is more than just SBD - it has an "upgraded suspension" unique to BL - Anybody know anything about this? If true, if you're a hardcore off-roader you'll definitely want to go with BL.
 

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ZackDanger

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I don’t think the Sas springs give you the extra lift, the tires themselves give you 1-1.5 inches. The suspension is the same on BL. The 2500 bucks is basically 5 premium wheels and 5 larger tires. Not a bad deal really.
Sas has additional lift over BL beyond the difference in tire diameter. Approximately .4”/10mm.

Said to be stiffer springs that achieve this (from Ford during Q&A), but we have not yet been able to confirm this with part numbers or anything. Nothing in writing about what components differ or in what ways...

But whatever it is, the suspension components are not exactly the same.
 

duc135

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I'm sure that I'll be able to find an after market sway bar disconnect for less than 1K...
Will the person/company you buy the disconnects from come out, crawl underneath your vehicle and disconnect/reconnect them for you every time you press a button? The system in the Bronco is much more than just a mechanical disconnect that you disconnect/reconnect by crawling underneath your vehicle. There are pros and cons to both systems, but they are very different and cannot be compared based solely on price.
 

TurkeyRun

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Will the person/company you buy the disconnects from come out, crawl underneath your vehicle and disconnect/reconnect them for you every time you press a button?
"Trunk Monkey - Swaybar Edition"
 

Neps

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You failed to mention the extra complexity of the OEM system and the associated failures that can result (both on and off road). While I recognize the advantages to a push button system, there are disadvantages too.

I've never had to, as you say "crawl under a vehicle" to reach any swab bar disconnects. Even if I did, it would not be much effort as I am already at the trail head, stopped, airing down, and getting my rig ready.

Actually, I think it's a good idea to get under your vehicle every once in awhile. It allows to to inspect things, and generally see that everything is lubricated, tight, etc.

I'd be OK with manual windows too...
 
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duc135

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You failed to mention the extra complexity of the OEM system and the associated failures that can result (both on and off road). While I recognize the advantages to a push button system, there are disadvantages too.

I've never had to, as you say "crawl under a vehicle" to reach any swab bar disconnects. Even if I did, it would not be much effort as I am already at the trail head, stopped, airing down, and getting my rig ready.

Actually, I think it's a good idea to get under your vehicle every once in awhile. It allows to to inspect things, and generally see that everything is lubricated.

I'd be OK with manual windows too...
While you are correct that I didn't mention the complexity and potential failures or many other things, I did use the generic "There are pros and cons to each system." Being on a trail to disconnect/reconnect a swaybar link is probably not the best time to be inspecting your vehicle. If that's the only time you do it, you may want to rethink your maintenance process. Even if you don't "crawl underneath" your vehicle, you're still getting out and reaching/looking underneath it. Still quite a bit more work than pushing a button. Especially if you're physically disabled or are getting long in the tooth.

I'm not arguing which is better. It depends on the wants and needs of the buyer. I'm just saying there's more to it than saying I can get a disconnect system for less than the $1000 difference in price.
 

Broncodave

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Black Diamond's steelies or Sir Badland's goodies. What to do... oh, what to do...?

Maybe a 92nd trip to the build and price website can help me.
 
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GatorDave

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Not sure if anyone is still reading this, but... I think you all have changed my mind. My wife watched a BN video where he dumps out a Chick-fil-A cup in the badlands. With a 3 and 5 year old, that’s gonna happen a lot. Black diamond would better suit us, but I “need” the 12 inch screen. Who wants to teach this city boy what a sway bar disconnect is?
 

wvmtneer

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...Who wants to teach this city boy what a sway bar disconnect is?
Something that you will never use, but it will help with articulation when it’s disconnected. For example,
Rock crawling with your bronco.
 
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GatorDave

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Something that you will never use, but it will help with articulation when it’s disconnected. For example,
Rock crawling with your bronco.
What is rock crawling? ?
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