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Black Diamond Daily Driver

Aut-Lin

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I'll be getting a Black Diamond with 2.3L 7MT and be using it as my daily driver, with my daily commute being 60km one way (so 120kms a day!). Weekends it'll see lots of off roading, mainly forest service roads to get to camping and mountain biking.

For me the BD is the perfect balance of offroad features and on road comfort, I imagine it'll be similar to my Colorado Z71 currently. I considered the Badlands, however for the off roading I plan to do I just don't need the extra features (front locker, sway bar disconnect, 33" tires etc).
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HoosierDaddy

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BD is the budget DD + mild offroad capability sweet spot. The 32" tires are a simple All Terrain that's no more aggressive than what's on the BB. The rear locker, metal bumpers, and skid plate are perfect for mild offroad work.

The smaller front diff is just fine - less weight is an easy win there since you're not crawling over giant obstacles with huge tires necessitating the bigger cast iron diff. The rear locker will get you out of anything you plan to get into.

It'd be just as good around town as a base or BB, with a little more capability, a little more room to expand in the future with the modular front bumper and aux switches, and I'm betting the marine grade interior will be nice.
Excellent post. ^^^^
Excellent question too, OP.
My daily commute is 20/25 miles also, mixed hwy and 2 lanes.
I have Black Diamond reserved, but am still considering Base or even Badlands ....build and price will get 'er sorted for me. Not even sure how many doors I want still, prolly go with 2.

I have/had 33's on my 69, not a daily, but it was fun to drive around and as a NOOB offroader it was AMAZING what that thing will go through on 33's and two open differentials. Just look at the MOAB videos to see what f&r lockers will do for ya!
For the Samsquanch crowd, I'm certain the 35's would roll out just fine as the gearing is spot on, but I'm not sure what other nuisances they may bring....maybe none!
My guess would be 35's MIGHT be tough to balance and any bad road manners would result from the mud terrains tires more than their size.....IE, MT 33's would have the same effects.

Even for a DD, how much are you actually in it though? You drive to work for 40 minutes in something cool AF, then it sits for 8 or more hours..... now, if you had to pack up for a two week road trip, maybe you'd want better road manners at that point.
 
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ejkre

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Excellent post. ^^^^
Excellent question too, OP.
My daily commute is 20/25 miles also, mixed hwy and 2 lanes.
I have Black Diamond reserved, but am still considering Base or even Badlands ....build and price will get 'er sorted for me. Not even sure how many doors I want still, prolly go with 2.

I have/had 33's on my 69, not a daily, but it was fun to drive around and as a NOOB offroader it was AMAZING what that thing will go through on 33's and two open differentials. Just look at the MOAB videos to see what f&r lockers will do for ya!
For the Samsquanch crowd, I'm certain the 35's would roll out just fine as the gearing is spot on, but I'm not sure what other nuisances they may bring....maybe none!
My guess would be 35's MIGHT be tough to balance and any bad road manners would result from the mud terrains tires more than their size.....IE, MT 33's would have the same effects.

Even for a DD, how much are you actually in it though? You drive to work for 40 minutes in something cool AF, then it sits for 8 or more hours..... now, if you had to pack up for a two week road trip, maybe you'd want better road manners at that point.
Good point there with it only being maybe 30 or so minutes each day. I'm betting it'll even be more comfortable than my current DD. I was in a 2002(?) Wrangler, which is obviously a whole other animal, and is was astonishingly bad as far as the ride was concerned. Probably irrational to compare the two. I think it just scared me off of an off road vehicle a little bit.
 
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ejkre

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Since we both seem to be novices to off roading and not into rock crawling, in my case I don't see the point in paying for the extra off road equipment of the Black Diamond.
Yup, agreed. I wish I could just option the Base with mid package, vinyl, and rubber floors. The $5k difference between base and BB just for some styling stuff (more or less), and the privilege to pay for the mid package just doesn't cut it for me.
 

kodiakisland

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Go rent a Jeep for a week and use it for a DD. Use it for everything. Makes sure the family rides in it as much as possible.

If all the things about an offroad vehicle don't bother you, then the Bronco will be fine. You just have to expect less creature comforts and embrace them for what they are. The BD should be a great vehicle for DD and offroad if you don't need pampered.
 

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Big Boss

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Yup, agreed. I wish I could just option the Base with mid package, vinyl, and rubber floors. The $5k difference between base and BB just for some styling stuff (more or less), and the privilege to pay for the mid package just doesn't cut it for me.
I'll be that guy and say some of those styling things are the reason I want BB or OBX lol
 

Lakelife36

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I'll be getting a Black Diamond with 2.3L 7MT and be using it as my daily driver, with my daily commute being 60km one way (so 120kms a day!). Weekends it'll see lots of off roading, mainly forest service roads to get to camping and mountain biking.

For me the BD is the perfect balance of offroad features and on road comfort, I imagine it'll be similar to my Colorado Z71 currently. I considered the Badlands, however for the off roading I plan to do I just don't need the extra features (front locker, sway bar disconnect, 33" tires etc).
Im pretty much bang on the same except 'only' 106km roundtrip. The BD will give 99% of us about 99% of the off-road ability we need.
 

TOWMA8R

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I'm an off road novice. That being said, I'd like a Bronco to be my foot in the door to more outdoor adventures. That being said again, the main purpose of my Bronco will be a daily driver - ~20 miles each day. Right now, I'm pretty set on the BD. To those of you who have more experience in off road vehicles, would this be a bad choice as a daily driver considering I'm going around town and on the highway? I was considering the OBX as a good choice, but I really want to have the manual. The rubber floors and vinyl seats are also big for me. I like the steel bumpers and bash plates, but they're probably, generally unnecessary. Aux switches are good as well. Since it'd be a daily, I do want to have the mid package; otherwise, I'd just throw some options on the base. I don't want to upgrade to BB just so I can pay for the mid package, as the BB doesn't offer anything more as standard than the base that I really care about. That leads me to the BD, seems to get everything I want but more than I need, and it may be not great around town? (Some guidance from you more experienced off roaders than I would be helpful). Additionally, I'm not interested in the sport even though the situation I described is basically what it's for. I'd like to hear from some of you who plan on having the Bronco as a daily as well. Also, why am I crazy/not crazy for deciding on the BD? Anyone else trying to cope with this as well?

EDIT: the other struggle is a real dichotomy. Most of my off road stuff wouldn't be rock crawling, which I understand is what the BD is for. Rock crawling aside, it still seems very capable of the off road stuff I would be doing. It still makes the most sense to me, but maybe it shouldn't...
BD will be perfect.... Comes with rear locker, meaning if your not rock crawling you can do and go most places..... Has good exterior Off Road Features, the GOAT Mode and the interior for dust and dirt. You cant go wrong, even as you are stating it will be a DD vehicle. Congrats
 

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BadlandsJP

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Excellent post. ^^^^
Excellent question too, OP.
My daily commute is 20/25 miles also, mixed hwy and 2 lanes.
I have Black Diamond reserved, but am still considering Base or even Badlands ....build and price will get 'er sorted for me. Not even sure how many doors I want still, prolly go with 2.

I have/had 33's on my 69, not a daily, but it was fun to drive around and as a NOOB offroader it was AMAZING what that thing will go through on 33's and two open differentials. Just look at the MOAB videos to see what f&r lockers will do for ya!
For the Samsquanch crowd, I'm certain the 35's would roll out just fine as the gearing is spot on, but I'm not sure what other nuisances they may bring....maybe none!
My guess would be 35's MIGHT be tough to balance and any bad road manners would result from the mud terrains tires more than their size.....IE, MT 33's would have the same effects.

Even for a DD, how much are you actually in it though? You drive to work for 40 minutes in something cool AF, then it sits for 8 or more hours..... now, if you had to pack up for a two week road trip, maybe you'd want better road manners at that point.
I reserved the Badlands but depending on the add on pricing I also might make the change. I want the 2.7, 12”screen, modular roof and marine seats but adding that to the Badlands might put me out of my range.
 

RedHotFuzz

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It's crazy to me how many questions there have been about being able to daily drive a mass production vehicle in 2020.
I have a neighbor who bought a brand new Wrangler and sold it 6 months later because it was a miserable experience on pavement. It’s a legitimate concern.
 

BroncoJay

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I have a neighbor who bought a brand new Wrangler and sold it 6 months later because it was a miserable experience on pavement. It’s a legitimate concern.
I think people who have a miserable experience with the Jeep or the new Bronco most likely believe they are buying a typical SUV, they aren’t , if you expect a vehicle meant for off roading, your smooth soft cushy ride expectations will be lowered... and you will enjoy it more..
 

Mountain Goat

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...Would this be a bad choice as a daily driver considering I'm going around town and on the highway?
I've daily driven an '89 F150, a '92 Ranger, a '96 Land Rover Discovery, and a '97 F250 (with the 7.5L V8). some have been lifted, all had some form of mud terrain or all terrain, usually 32" + (Except the Ranger with LT27x8.50R14 All Terrains :ROFLMAO:). I'll be fine with the Bronco. I've also driven plenty of sedans, wagons, and sportier cars, including the VW and BMW in my current lineup. You just have to manage expectations. I expect N/V/H on the BD Bronco to be somewhere between my very old tin can Ranger and my slightly evolved farm tractor Discovery, but with better handling and a few more creature comforts.

To be clear, I'll be driving my Bronco on a 50+ mile round trip commute, including DC traffic, with a manual transmission. I may not be the right person to take advice from on what is an "acceptable" daily driver :LOL:.

But really, I think the Bronco in either BD or Badlands trim will be perfect. More maneuverable than a full size truck even though it's about the same width. IFS suspension for good road manners. Aggressive all season/all terrain tires perfect for weekend camping and ski trips. Open air driving whenever you want it. I really can't think of a single downside besides fuel economy, and even that will be likely more efficient than any of the truck-based vehicles I've previously owned.
 

Garemlin

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How much of a hit in mileage does everyone think the BD will take with the 4.46 gears over the 3.73 gears in the Base, BB and OBX?? I know mpg in a vehicle like the Bronco isn't a major concern. But it's a concern none the less.
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