Not sure this is the case. The top wouldnt affect the weight or solid feeling. Closing the door. I think it's the High package sound deadening. Could be wrong though???
Thanks not alot of people have given me much comparison like that. Its really a question of do I need bilstiens for our mile long amatuer pave/patchwork road to our house? I want my cancer survivor wife to feel like shes floating on a pillow on her way home. Thanks again.Great feedback on the refresh. Probably not quite as wheezy as I mentioned, she still has some pep
Regarding BL vs OBX on rougher paved roads I'd say they were comparable. BL to me just feels more setup for the rougher terrain and maybe not as refined for road manners. I'm sure part of this is due to the additional noise from the soft top and less sound deadening as well impacting the ride assessment.
All in all I think both have there place and if I were more offroad/dirt versus a family car the BL would be the way to go without hesitation.
You have exactly the same OBX as me, identical except that I have the auto transfer case upgrade, and the rear locking differential, which changes the gearing from your 3.73 axles to my 4.27 axles. The result is that my gas mileage is 1, maybe 2 mpg lower than yours. I averaged 21mpg on a recent 450 mi interstate highway road trip from Charleston SC to Jacksonville FL.My Bronco has finally arrived! After 483 days since my reservation, being stuck at Dirt Mountain from July 16th it finally arrived on Monday, November 8th. This is a long winded approach, but thought it might be kind of fun to review.
There's been all kinds of excitement along the way including my 17 year old totaling her car 3 weeks prior to the unknown delivery date of the Bronco so we've been shuffling cars. On a sidenote, if you are in the metro Atlanta area I can't speak highly enough of Hardy Family Ford in Dallas, GA. Alison Brock and her team were incredible to deal with and the negotiated price was as promised at delivery with no surprises. I strongly recommend them and given the dealer horror stories it seems like the good ones are few and far between.
I also have a somewhat unique perspective as my truck is an Outer Banks, however I was able to drive a Badlands (non-Squatch) for 3 weeks for more than 900 miles. These trucks were almost complete opposites in features, packages, engine size, soft top vs hard top etc.
I thought it might help to assemble some comparisons for those still deciding on the model to go with and for fun I'll compare it to my '74 Bronco as well.
Summary:
You can't go wrong with whichever new Bronco you choose, the ride is great and it's been a lot of fun so far.
Badlands Loaner Specs:
- Cyber Orange
- Soft Top
- 2.3 liter 4 cylinder
- Four Wheel Auto Advanced (4A equipped)
- Marine Grade Vinyl
- No Packages (no Mid or High packages)
- No remote start from FOB or door handle unlock
- No Roof rack
- 33" KO2 offroad tires
Badlands Loaner Review:
The bright Cyber Orange drew attention and looks everywhere! Over 903 miles driven I averaged 17.6 mpg in mostly city/local driving.
The 2.3 liter engine was "adequate" but at times it felt underpowered to me and I was glad my truck had been ordered with the larger 2.7 liter. The vinyl seats were comfortable, felt and looked great. There were several times it rained and the "Slippery" goat mode paired with Advanced four wheel drive (4A) planted the truck firmly and there was a noticeable difference in traction on the road.
The stance of the truck looked great and intimidating with the rock sliders and 33" KO2 tires. That said this aging guy (47 y/o) with a bad Achilles would've liked the running board option for myself as my truck won't see a lot of rock crawling (i.e., unlikely any!) so the rock sliders were not needed for myself.
The soft top was noisier than I expected and I definitely did not like the wrinkled/wavy rear windows and the fact that you have to lift the entire rear to access the larger cargo area. I would've much preferred zippers up the left and right side of the rear. Also, I took the top all the way down once and while there was a learning curve it was kind of a pain and found myself loving the "flip back" option over the passenger area instead of the full drop down of the top. This was MUCH easier and no windows to store etc. I constantly was reminding myself to close the flip back top prior to pulling into the garage to avoid some of the mentioned mistakes folks have made damaging the top by hitting their garage.
The Badlands did not have any packages on it and I found myself spoiled with first world luxuries. While these nuisances are very minor they are nice to have luxuries including Auto Climate Control, Door pad proximity unlock, mid package 110v outlet, seat heaters, power seats, passenger lumbar support, no remote FOB start (I know you can through the app) etc. Also, not sure if it is because of the lack of high package with additional sound deadening but EVERYONE had a tendency to slam the doors as they were light and did not need to be shut nearly as hard as people tended to do so. This was not the case with the Outer Banks High package (see below).
For the manual climate control I found myself constantly adjusting the fan/temperature settings every few minutes. My current car has auto climate control for the last 9 years so I've been spoiled. Additionally there were a few times the seat heaters would have been nice, but being equipped with the Marine grade vinyl these were not included on the truck. My current vehicle (2013 Explorer) also has the door pads to unlock as you approach and I found myself fumbling for the key FOB to remember to unlock the truck vs just reaching for the door. Again all of these are very minor, but if your current car for 9 years has it you likely will miss these luxuries.
The 8" screen was pretty good, however there were a few issues with Android auto including the system freezing for about 30 minutes while driving and twice refusing to allow my phone to connect to Android auto with a an error that asked to set "Wireless App Projection" to On. Selecting "Yes" on the screen did nothing so the phone remained just connected to the Bluetooth setup.
Outer Banks Delivered Truck Specs:
- Area 51
- MIC Hard Top
- 2.7 liter 6 cylinder
- Roast Leather
- High Package
- Roof Rack
- Minivan tires
Outer Banks Review:
Love the look of the A51 Outer Banks with the painted fenders and mirror caps. The 2.7 liter 6 cylinder was the right call for me and I'm glad to have the extra power. Over 200 miles to date I'm averaging 19.4 MPG on the "minivan" tiresLeather seats are firm and comfortable. I have enjoyed the power adjustments and the lumbar support on both the driver and passenger seats (Badlands was manual and only driver lumbar). Upon review I do second guess that I did not add the four wheel automatic setup (4A) after driving the Badlands in the rain in slippery mode.
The hardtop has been great and a TON quieter. That said I have the infamous OBX whistle above 30 mpg that has been discussed and I believe there's a TSB out there for a hood seal (and comments around a mirror whistle too?) Will work with the dealer to get that sorted out. Also, I did not realize with the roof rack that you can only remove the front driver/passenger panels of the hardtop (even that's a pretty tight squeeze). The middle hardtop panel cannot be removed with the roof rack installed. Not a big deal but I hadn't seen this called out previously.
The Outer Banks definitely has better road manners than the Badlands given the suspension setup, road tires and high package sound deadening. If you use/see the 12" screen on the high package you'll forget all about considering the 8" screen. The split screen capability I wasn't able to find or didn't exist on the 8" so having navigation on the main screen with your audio setup down the right sidebar was a great touch on the larger 12" screen.
Having the running board step is a nice addition especially for older family members that will be riding along. That said, the stance is not nearly as intimidating as the Badlands (even without Squatch) combined with the fact that every Bronco I've seen at SuperCelebration or in person was either a Badlands or Squatched so the truck stance looked low to me and a lot more domesticated.
Turns out I'm a luxuries guy and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the perks of the High package. Some of my favorites include the auto climate control, door pad unlock, seat heaters, power seats with the leather option etc. As mentioned, having a 2013 Explorer with all of these features made it tough to go back on the equipped Badlands truck.
1974 Ford Bronco
- Wimbledon White
- Stock height and uncut rear wheels
- Dual Top (Hard Top and Spice Rampage Soft Top)
- 302 v8
- Ginger houndstooth vinyl bucket interior
- Definitely no options/packages
- AM only Radio
- 235/75/R15 BFG All Terrains on Slot wheels
1974 Uncut Bronco Review:
Having this old truck is a lot of fun! Compared to the new truck it's light years away in terms of niceties and features. The stock 302 v8 originally was quoted at 125 horsepower new. Paired with the 2 in 1 exhaust and vortex muffler I'd bet I'm closer to 90-100 hp after 47 years of aging. On a good day with a strong tailwind it might reach 10-11 mpg. In a lot of ways paired with the 3 speed C4 automatic it's like driving a tractor more than driving a truck.
The truck had an older frame off restoration in the mid-1990s and I've been continuing to improve it while driving it. I've owned it for the last 10 years and bought it from Nevada so there's very little rust. Upgrades over the years have included converting from front drum to disc brakes, adding a roll cage and Spice soft top, upgrading to slot wheels and most recently redoing the upholstery to the original ginger houndstooth interior.
Switching the Hard Top and Soft top is a pain with the hard top weighing probably 100-150 lbs. I've built a ceiling contraption that allows me to lower the hard top by myself, but swapping tops seems to always end with a few paint scratches. There's definitely no auto climate control and the lack of a/c make it hot in the Georgia summers. The heater however you could slow cook some meat inside the truck if you needed to in a jam.
Given my wife and I essentially share a car working from home the truck is only driven about 2k-3k miles/year. That said, my wife has started floating the idea of me selling the truck to follow through with the Lightning reservation that I have. Not sure if my endurance is ready to tackle the emotional journey that purchasing the new Bronco has been though!
Yes, its got lots if torque off the line with the 4.27 axles. The downside of that is that the RPM is pretty high, 2,200 for 79mph, it should be 1,800 at that speed. Needs an Overdrive gear tor the 10th gear, would improve fuel economy. What does your RPM say at 78 mph? You would have the more efficient 3.73 axle.
Great write up. I owned a very similar "74 in high school, same color in fact. My dad made me sell it due to the horrible MPG. I've been after one ever since but I guess I'll settle for a Wildtrak if Ford comes through in December...My Bronco has finally arrived! After 483 days since my reservation, being stuck at Dirt Mountain from July 16th it finally arrived on Monday, November 8th. This is a long winded approach, but thought it might be kind of fun to review.
There's been all kinds of excitement along the way including my 17 year old totaling her car 3 weeks prior to the unknown delivery date of the Bronco so we've been shuffling cars. On a sidenote, if you are in the metro Atlanta area I can't speak highly enough of Hardy Family Ford in Dallas, GA. Alison Brock and her team were incredible to deal with and the negotiated price was as promised at delivery with no surprises. I strongly recommend them and given the dealer horror stories it seems like the good ones are few and far between.
I also have a somewhat unique perspective as my truck is an Outer Banks, however I was able to drive a Badlands (non-Squatch) for 3 weeks for more than 900 miles. These trucks were almost complete opposites in features, packages, engine size, soft top vs hard top etc.
I thought it might help to assemble some comparisons for those still deciding on the model to go with and for fun I'll compare it to my '74 Bronco as well.
Summary:
You can't go wrong with whichever new Bronco you choose, the ride is great and it's been a lot of fun so far.
Badlands Loaner Specs:
- Cyber Orange
- Soft Top
- 2.3 liter 4 cylinder
- Four Wheel Auto Advanced (4A equipped)
- Marine Grade Vinyl
- No Packages (no Mid or High packages)
- No remote start from FOB or door handle unlock
- No Roof rack
- 33" KO2 offroad tires
Badlands Loaner Review:
The bright Cyber Orange drew attention and looks everywhere! Over 903 miles driven I averaged 17.6 mpg in mostly city/local driving.
The 2.3 liter engine was "adequate" but at times it felt underpowered to me and I was glad my truck had been ordered with the larger 2.7 liter. The vinyl seats were comfortable, felt and looked great. There were several times it rained and the "Slippery" goat mode paired with Advanced four wheel drive (4A) planted the truck firmly and there was a noticeable difference in traction on the road.
The stance of the truck looked great and intimidating with the rock sliders and 33" KO2 tires. That said this aging guy (47 y/o) with a bad Achilles would've liked the running board option for myself as my truck won't see a lot of rock crawling (i.e., unlikely any!) so the rock sliders were not needed for myself.
The soft top was noisier than I expected and I definitely did not like the wrinkled/wavy rear windows and the fact that you have to lift the entire rear to access the larger cargo area. I would've much preferred zippers up the left and right side of the rear. Also, I took the top all the way down once and while there was a learning curve it was kind of a pain and found myself loving the "flip back" option over the passenger area instead of the full drop down of the top. This was MUCH easier and no windows to store etc. I constantly was reminding myself to close the flip back top prior to pulling into the garage to avoid some of the mentioned mistakes folks have made damaging the top by hitting their garage.
The Badlands did not have any packages on it and I found myself spoiled with first world luxuries. While these nuisances are very minor they are nice to have luxuries including Auto Climate Control, Door pad proximity unlock, mid package 110v outlet, seat heaters, power seats, passenger lumbar support, no remote FOB start (I know you can through the app) etc. Also, not sure if it is because of the lack of high package with additional sound deadening but EVERYONE had a tendency to slam the doors as they were light and did not need to be shut nearly as hard as people tended to do so. This was not the case with the Outer Banks High package (see below).
For the manual climate control I found myself constantly adjusting the fan/temperature settings every few minutes. My current car has auto climate control for the last 9 years so I've been spoiled. Additionally there were a few times the seat heaters would have been nice, but being equipped with the Marine grade vinyl these were not included on the truck. My current vehicle (2013 Explorer) also has the door pads to unlock as you approach and I found myself fumbling for the key FOB to remember to unlock the truck vs just reaching for the door. Again all of these are very minor, but if your current car for 9 years has it you likely will miss these luxuries.
The 8" screen was pretty good, however there were a few issues with Android auto including the system freezing for about 30 minutes while driving and twice refusing to allow my phone to connect to Android auto with a an error that asked to set "Wireless App Projection" to On. Selecting "Yes" on the screen did nothing so the phone remained just connected to the Bluetooth setup.
Outer Banks Delivered Truck Specs:
- Area 51
- MIC Hard Top
- 2.7 liter 6 cylinder
- Roast Leather
- High Package
- Roof Rack
- Minivan tires
Outer Banks Review:
Love the look of the A51 Outer Banks with the painted fenders and mirror caps. The 2.7 liter 6 cylinder was the right call for me and I'm glad to have the extra power. Over 200 miles to date I'm averaging 19.4 MPG on the "minivan" tires
The hardtop has been great and a TON quieter. That said I have the infamous OBX whistle above 30 mpg that has been discussed and I believe there's a TSB out there for a hood seal (and comments around a mirror whistle too?) Will work with the dealer to get that sorted out. Also, I did not realize with the roof rack that you can only remove the front driver/passenger panels of the hardtop (even that's a pretty tight squeeze). The middle hardtop panel cannot be removed with the roof rack installed. Not a big deal but I hadn't seen this called out previously.
The Outer Banks definitely has better road manners than the Badlands given the suspension setup, road tires and high package sound deadening. If you use/see the 12" screen on the high package you'll forget all about considering the 8" screen. The split screen capability I wasn't able to find or didn't exist on the 8" so having navigation on the main screen with your audio setup down the right sidebar was a great touch on the larger 12" screen.
Having the running board step is a nice addition especially for older family members that will be riding along. That said, the stance is not nearly as intimidating as the Badlands (even without Squatch) combined with the fact that every Bronco I've seen at SuperCelebration or in person was either a Badlands or Squatched so the truck stance looked low to me and a lot more domesticated.
Turns out I'm a luxuries guy and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the perks of the High package. Some of my favorites include the auto climate control, door pad unlock, seat heaters, power seats with the leather option etc. As mentioned, having a 2013 Explorer with all of these features made it tough to go back on the equipped Badlands truck.
1974 Ford Bronco
- Wimbledon White
- Stock height and uncut rear wheels
- Dual Top (Hard Top and Spice Rampage Soft Top)
- 302 v8
- Ginger houndstooth vinyl bucket interior
- Definitely no options/packages
- AM only Radio
- 235/75/R15 BFG All Terrains on Slot wheels
1974 Uncut Bronco Review:
Having this old truck is a lot of fun! Compared to the new truck it's light years away in terms of niceties and features. The stock 302 v8 originally was quoted at 125 horsepower new. Paired with the 2 in 1 exhaust and vortex muffler I'd bet I'm closer to 90-100 hp after 47 years of aging. On a good day with a strong tailwind it might reach 10-11 mpg. In a lot of ways paired with the 3 speed C4 automatic it's like driving a tractor more than driving a truck.
The truck had an older frame off restoration in the mid-1990s and I've been continuing to improve it while driving it. I've owned it for the last 10 years and bought it from Nevada so there's very little rust. Upgrades over the years have included converting from front drum to disc brakes, adding a roll cage and Spice soft top, upgrading to slot wheels and most recently redoing the upholstery to the original ginger houndstooth interior.
Switching the Hard Top and Soft top is a pain with the hard top weighing probably 100-150 lbs. I've built a ceiling contraption that allows me to lower the hard top by myself, but swapping tops seems to always end with a few paint scratches. There's definitely no auto climate control and the lack of a/c make it hot in the Georgia summers. The heater however you could slow cook some meat inside the truck if you needed to in a jam.
Given my wife and I essentially share a car working from home the truck is only driven about 2k-3k miles/year. That said, my wife has started floating the idea of me selling the truck to follow through with the Lightning reservation that I have. Not sure if my endurance is ready to tackle the emotional journey that purchasing the new Bronco has been though!
Thanks for the comparison. If you ever want to sell the 74' I'm sure I could find a home for it.My Bronco has finally arrived! After 483 days since my reservation, being stuck at Dirt Mountain from July 16th it finally arrived on Monday, November 8th. This is a long winded approach, but thought it might be kind of fun to review.
There's been all kinds of excitement along the way including my 17 year old totaling her car 3 weeks prior to the unknown delivery date of the Bronco so we've been shuffling cars. On a sidenote, if you are in the metro Atlanta area I can't speak highly enough of Hardy Family Ford in Dallas, GA. Alison Brock and her team were incredible to deal with and the negotiated price was as promised at delivery with no surprises. I strongly recommend them and given the dealer horror stories it seems like the good ones are few and far between.
I also have a somewhat unique perspective as my truck is an Outer Banks, however I was able to drive a Badlands (non-Squatch) for 3 weeks for more than 900 miles. These trucks were almost complete opposites in features, packages, engine size, soft top vs hard top etc.
I thought it might help to assemble some comparisons for those still deciding on the model to go with and for fun I'll compare it to my '74 Bronco as well.
Summary:
You can't go wrong with whichever new Bronco you choose, the ride is great and it's been a lot of fun so far.
Badlands Loaner Specs:
- Cyber Orange
- Soft Top
- 2.3 liter 4 cylinder
- Four Wheel Auto Advanced (4A equipped)
- Marine Grade Vinyl
- No Packages (no Mid or High packages)
- No remote start from FOB or door handle unlock
- No Roof rack
- 33" KO2 offroad tires
Badlands Loaner Review:
The bright Cyber Orange drew attention and looks everywhere! Over 903 miles driven I averaged 17.6 mpg in mostly city/local driving.
The 2.3 liter engine was "adequate" but at times it felt underpowered to me and I was glad my truck had been ordered with the larger 2.7 liter. The vinyl seats were comfortable, felt and looked great. There were several times it rained and the "Slippery" goat mode paired with Advanced four wheel drive (4A) planted the truck firmly and there was a noticeable difference in traction on the road.
The stance of the truck looked great and intimidating with the rock sliders and 33" KO2 tires. That said this aging guy (47 y/o) with a bad Achilles would've liked the running board option for myself as my truck won't see a lot of rock crawling (i.e., unlikely any!) so the rock sliders were not needed for myself.
The soft top was noisier than I expected and I definitely did not like the wrinkled/wavy rear windows and the fact that you have to lift the entire rear to access the larger cargo area. I would've much preferred zippers up the left and right side of the rear. Also, I took the top all the way down once and while there was a learning curve it was kind of a pain and found myself loving the "flip back" option over the passenger area instead of the full drop down of the top. This was MUCH easier and no windows to store etc. I constantly was reminding myself to close the flip back top prior to pulling into the garage to avoid some of the mentioned mistakes folks have made damaging the top by hitting their garage.
The Badlands did not have any packages on it and I found myself spoiled with first world luxuries. While these nuisances are very minor they are nice to have luxuries including Auto Climate Control, Door pad proximity unlock, mid package 110v outlet, seat heaters, power seats, passenger lumbar support, no remote FOB start (I know you can through the app) etc. Also, not sure if it is because of the lack of high package with additional sound deadening but EVERYONE had a tendency to slam the doors as they were light and did not need to be shut nearly as hard as people tended to do so. This was not the case with the Outer Banks High package (see below).
For the manual climate control I found myself constantly adjusting the fan/temperature settings every few minutes. My current car has auto climate control for the last 9 years so I've been spoiled. Additionally there were a few times the seat heaters would have been nice, but being equipped with the Marine grade vinyl these were not included on the truck. My current vehicle (2013 Explorer) also has the door pads to unlock as you approach and I found myself fumbling for the key FOB to remember to unlock the truck vs just reaching for the door. Again all of these are very minor, but if your current car for 9 years has it you likely will miss these luxuries.
The 8" screen was pretty good, however there were a few issues with Android auto including the system freezing for about 30 minutes while driving and twice refusing to allow my phone to connect to Android auto with a an error that asked to set "Wireless App Projection" to On. Selecting "Yes" on the screen did nothing so the phone remained just connected to the Bluetooth setup.
Outer Banks Delivered Truck Specs:
- Area 51
- MIC Hard Top
- 2.7 liter 6 cylinder
- Roast Leather
- High Package
- Roof Rack
- Minivan tires
Outer Banks Review:
Love the look of the A51 Outer Banks with the painted fenders and mirror caps. The 2.7 liter 6 cylinder was the right call for me and I'm glad to have the extra power. Over 200 miles to date I'm averaging 19.4 MPG on the "minivan" tires
The hardtop has been great and a TON quieter. That said I have the infamous OBX whistle above 30 mpg that has been discussed and I believe there's a TSB out there for a hood seal (and comments around a mirror whistle too?) Will work with the dealer to get that sorted out. Also, I did not realize with the roof rack that you can only remove the front driver/passenger panels of the hardtop (even that's a pretty tight squeeze). The middle hardtop panel cannot be removed with the roof rack installed. Not a big deal but I hadn't seen this called out previously.
The Outer Banks definitely has better road manners than the Badlands given the suspension setup, road tires and high package sound deadening. If you use/see the 12" screen on the high package you'll forget all about considering the 8" screen. The split screen capability I wasn't able to find or didn't exist on the 8" so having navigation on the main screen with your audio setup down the right sidebar was a great touch on the larger 12" screen.
Having the running board step is a nice addition especially for older family members that will be riding along. That said, the stance is not nearly as intimidating as the Badlands (even without Squatch) combined with the fact that every Bronco I've seen at SuperCelebration or in person was either a Badlands or Squatched so the truck stance looked low to me and a lot more domesticated.
Turns out I'm a luxuries guy and have thoroughly enjoyed all of the perks of the High package. Some of my favorites include the auto climate control, door pad unlock, seat heaters, power seats with the leather option etc. As mentioned, having a 2013 Explorer with all of these features made it tough to go back on the equipped Badlands truck.
1974 Ford Bronco
- Wimbledon White
- Stock height and uncut rear wheels
- Dual Top (Hard Top and Spice Rampage Soft Top)
- 302 v8
- Ginger houndstooth vinyl bucket interior
- Definitely no options/packages
- AM only Radio
- 235/75/R15 BFG All Terrains on Slot wheels
1974 Uncut Bronco Review:
Having this old truck is a lot of fun! Compared to the new truck it's light years away in terms of niceties and features. The stock 302 v8 originally was quoted at 125 horsepower new. Paired with the 2 in 1 exhaust and vortex muffler I'd bet I'm closer to 90-100 hp after 47 years of aging. On a good day with a strong tailwind it might reach 10-11 mpg. In a lot of ways paired with the 3 speed C4 automatic it's like driving a tractor more than driving a truck.
The truck had an older frame off restoration in the mid-1990s and I've been continuing to improve it while driving it. I've owned it for the last 10 years and bought it from Nevada so there's very little rust. Upgrades over the years have included converting from front drum to disc brakes, adding a roll cage and Spice soft top, upgrading to slot wheels and most recently redoing the upholstery to the original ginger houndstooth interior.
Switching the Hard Top and Soft top is a pain with the hard top weighing probably 100-150 lbs. I've built a ceiling contraption that allows me to lower the hard top by myself, but swapping tops seems to always end with a few paint scratches. There's definitely no auto climate control and the lack of a/c make it hot in the Georgia summers. The heater however you could slow cook some meat inside the truck if you needed to in a jam.
Given my wife and I essentially share a car working from home the truck is only driven about 2k-3k miles/year. That said, my wife has started floating the idea of me selling the truck to follow through with the Lightning reservation that I have. Not sure if my endurance is ready to tackle the emotional journey that purchasing the new Bronco has been though!
