How Smooth Is The 10 Speed Auto on the 2.3L?

[BaseManSquatch]

I'm debating if I should get the stick or auto for my 2.3L Bronco. I currently drive a Buick with a 6 speed automatic and it is so buttery smooth even for a 10 year old car that I can't tell when it shifts gears. For those of you that currently own a 2.3L with the auto trans how smooth are the gear changes?

Can you tell when the Bronco shifts, is there any jerkiness or bucking? Also, how exactly does the truck know which gear to shift to?

What I mean is my current sedan, if I'm just driving on a regular 45mph road, will shift through all the gears and then hit 6 gear at about 43mph. With the Bronco, what gear are you in at 43-45mph?

Also I don't understand why Ford decided to put a 10 speed automatic trans in the Bronco. I had a 3rd gen 4Runner with a 4 speed automatic and I never thought to myself that it needed six additional gears. I averaged 20mpg with the four speed 4 runner. Was it done to increase the mpg? So if Ford decided to put a 4 speed trans in the Bronco it would get something like 8mpg? It just seems like 10 speeds is 4 or 5 speeds too many.

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[AK SNO RIDER]

The 10 speed has significantly jerkiness at low speeds. It's a really terrible transmission as far as smoothness goes. It's decent under moderate to hard acceleration and at highway speeds, but rolling through lights, stop and go traffic, that sorta thing it's fuckin rough.

It's even worse in low range. It's so bad that there has been more than one thread here where people thought their Bronco was accelerating on its own in low range, when in reality it was just shifting. It's rough.

 

[Visitor]

The 10 speed seems to be a fine transmission if you want an automatic. But after spending a weekend in a rental Bronco with one, the thunk between gears at low speed turned me off of ordering one. It was significant enough for me that I was willing to give up the tech/off-road features and remote start.

Heck, I canceled my reservation because I didn't want an automatic and I didn't want to spend $50k to get a manual transmission with heated seats. Of course, that weekend in the automatic was the reason I went back to order one after canceling my reservation... the 10-speed was my only issue.

(I've driven a few other automatic Broncos since then and it's all the same. I can't say I'd recommend it if you're 50/50, but I think you kind of know whether you want an automatic or not.)

 

[2020FordRaptor]

I'm debating if I should get the stick or auto for my 2.3L Bronco. I currently drive a Buick with a 6 speed automatic and it is so buttery smooth even for a 10 year old car that I can't tell when it shifts gears. For those of you that currently own a 2.3L with the auto trans how smooth are the gear changes?

Can you tell when the Bronco shifts, is there any jerkiness or bucking? Also, how exactly does the truck know which gear to shift to?

What I mean is my current sedan, if I'm just driving on a regular 45mph road, will shift through all the gears and then hit 6 gear at about 43mph. With the Bronco, what gear are you in at 43-45mph?

Also I don't understand why Ford decided to put a 10 speed automatic trans in the Bronco. I had a 3rd gen 4Runner with a 4 speed automatic and I never thought to myself that it needed six additional gears. I averaged 20mpg with the four speed 4 runner. Was it done to increase the mpg? So if Ford decided to put a 4 speed trans in the Bronco it would get something like 8mpg? It just seems like 10 speeds is 4 or 5 speeds too many.

Ford did it for better off road gearing. The extra gears help keep the engine in it's power curve.

 

[AK SNO RIDER]

Ford did it for better off road gearing. The extra gears help keep the engine in it's power curve.

No... nothing to do with offroading. Nearly every vehicle in Fords lineup uses the 10 speed, including the very much not offroad focused Mustang. It's all about fuel economy and standardization across the lineup.

 

[Baseaf]

Mine has been great. I've been in other A10 fords and this one is smoother than the mustangs for sure. Not as smooth as my old 6r80 f150 and mustangs though.

 

[2020FordRaptor]

No... nothing to do with offroading. Nearly every vehicle in Fords lineup uses the 10 speed, including the very much not offroad focused Mustang. It's all about fuel economy and standardization across the lineup.

You are correct on that, I was just pointing out WHT it's useful in off road situations.

 

[JT58Bronc]

Hmmm I find mine just perfectly fine. At first it takes some getting used to as if you are used to a 4, 5 or even a 6 speed auto it seems to shift so much in comparison. But now I like it and the multiple speeds keep it in the power curve and it accelerates real good. And this is coming from a manual guy. I really wanted the manual but opted for the automatic only so my wife could enjoy it too. I have not been off road in mine but did go to Off Rodeo in NH and the Bronco we choose was same as the one we own and the transmission performed awesome.

 

[dgorsett]

I may be the odd man out, but I find it very smooth. I have to hit the +/- button to even figure out what gear it's in. In low range it's quite noticeable, but that's the norm. When in low range I'm usually in M mode so that doesn't really matter. I also feel 6 speeds would be plenty, but have no complaints with the 10.

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