Sponsored

VBBronco

Badlands
New Member
First Name
Bo
Joined
Jul 21, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
1
Reaction score
1
Location
Overland Park, KS
Vehicle(s)
2018 F150
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
It is... just a weird feeling.
I have the 2.7 in my f150 and it holds too. I believe its to replicate a manual holding the gear incase you need the power to accelerate without shifting. I really doubted the engine considering I have always been a V8 guy but have been very impressed with it performance. Its a 2018 that I've had just over 2 years with no mechanical complaints so far. Lease ends next summer just in time for the bronco.
Sponsored

 

Delasangre

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeff
Joined
Sep 18, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
103
Reaction score
98
Location
Oregon City
Vehicle(s)
2021 Ranger Lariat Tremor
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
it doesn‘t void the warranty but it could shorten it. It only covers for 3/36k as opposed to 5/60k factory drivetrain warranty. I don’t care either way but wanted to point that out.
I wonder if that is from when the tune is installed? So if you did it in 2 years would you be good out to the end of the original 5?
 

Top Mach

Badlands
Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2020
Threads
1
Messages
294
Reaction score
985
Location
Long Island
Vehicle(s)
2021 Bronco Badlands,1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1,
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
My wife’s 2020 explorer has the 2.3. It’s fun to drive in sport mode but smells like a mix of burnt oil and accessory belt after a few minutes. 4000 miles if you are wondering.
 

_2020_

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Sylvain
Joined
Jul 21, 2020
Threads
1
Messages
253
Reaction score
352
Location
MA
Vehicle(s)
2014 Mini Countryman S , 2015 JKU, 2017 X5 3.5i
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Manual shifting an AT sucks though - I will sometimes do it in my Mazda6 off the line if I really want to make sure it's holding the gears to where I want them, but otherwise it's a total PITA and not worth the effort.
I don’t know anything about Ford AT.

I have experience with Dodge Durango R/T, it’s a piece of s#%^.
On the other end it’s much better on Mini Cooper S. And BMW X2 M35i is really great at manual shifting with AT.

Can’t just say manual shifting with AT sucks. Some manufacturers know how to make a great AT, some other are way behind...
 

jbellousux

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Jul 22, 2020
Threads
1
Messages
204
Reaction score
616
Location
Austin
Vehicle(s)
‘13 Land Cruiser
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
On the ranger with 2.3 it adds 45HP and 60Ft-lbs and retains the warranty and is about $900
Thanks for the prompt reply!

That’s pretty good bang-for-the-buck.

In my much younger days, I had a 911 and the power kit to boost it from 320 to 345hp was 17K. Let’s just say I passed.
 

Sponsored

Longshot

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Nick
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
123
Reaction score
191
Location
Arizona
Vehicle(s)
2016 F-150
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
I know there are other threads out there, but I wanted to get our thoughts out there to everyone. My wife and I drove both on Tuesday (2.3L Ranger and 2.7L F-150) and I have included our thoughts below. We currently own 3 manual transmission cars and two automatics, so we drive them both! These thoughts are with us buying the 4 door, just an fyi.

2.3L:
Transmission that I would personally recommend with the 2.3L would be the manual, hands down. Ability to manually select the gears to ensure the motor is where it wants to be is imperative (3k and above). We both felt the auto felt slightly disconnected from the motor and it was like an awkward dance some of the time while driving. Its not a deal breaker for the 2.3L/auto combo, its just something that I would need to drive more to get used to. Even discounting the piped in sound, the 2.3L sounds great, love its growl. Its power delivery reminds me of our V70R 5 cylinder. From a start, its a bit slow, but once the turbo hits, its a really fun motor. Great rush to the top of the rev range.

One of the times we felt it was underpowered was on a decent hill, in traffic with someone who slowed and turned right in front of us. My wife then kicked it pretty good and I had this instant feeling I had to help it accelerate back up to speed on the hill. Not severe, just some, but I'm worried about 500lbs more mass being slowed and then needing to get back up to speed like that scenario. Its in no way BAD, just not as fast as I was anticipating. This wouldn’t be a problem for someone who doesn’t drive their car hard or aggressively, but we get on it a decent amount when we drive.

2.7L:
I'll refrain from any transmission recommendation for obvious reasons. V6 has power/torque all through the rev range, and didn’t have any kind of “peaky” power delivery feeling. More refined for sure, but it also had less character than the 2.3L for me, and I like to have that in a motor. I’m hoping that the Bronco’s lower amount of sound deadening will let this motor talk to the driver a bit. I can at least hope. Its quick, and it will have no issues moving the Bronco around. It did feel much different though, as it felt like the power was in the low/mid range for sure, and didn’t charge to the top with its power like the 2.3L. Just a different perceived power curve, so they have different personalities.

Seemed it was a bit less willing to kick down for passing, etc than the 2.3L but that could all be based on where the transmissions were at with their “learning” people talk about. Once it does, it hits you in the mouth. People won’t be disappointed with this motor and it will move the Bronco no problem, its just a different animal than the 2.3L, and delivers power in a different way, so its also about matching driving styles/wants with the motors.

Transmission:
Both had the issue we see in our Fusion with a delay between pushing the pedal down and when it reacts to throttle input, especially at low speeds when coasting at 10 mph or so and turning left across traffic, etc. Hope the “learning” can fix that a bit.

We also drove both of the trucks in “normal” and “sport” mode to see the differences. Normal is a bit more “muted” and doesn’t let you wind the motor out much, but its smooth and would be great for most non-aggressive drivers. Sport is different in good and bad ways as far as we could tell. You can wind the motor out more, get more speed, etc which is great. One thing I HATED that I hope is related to the learning part of the equation is that when I was going up the on ramp in both trucks and was giving it probably 70% or so throttle, I would let off to probably 30% when I hit the speed I wanted, and the transmission would hold the gear I was in...and hold…and hold. I had to almost let my foot off the gas entirely for it to up shift and cruise along. I was audibly telling the transmission to up shift as it’s a really unnerving behavior out of a transmission. Maybe someone with experience can chime in on that.

Final thoughts:
I think both motors will be up to the task for the Bronco, and it really depends on everyone’s personal expectation of “performance” from their Bronco. Here at altitude in Denver, and the way I like to drive, my wife and I will need to either get the 2.3L/stick combo which would require the ford performance tune for me, or the 2.7L auto. Its gonna come down to pricing and what we would need to cut out to get the bigger motor and still fit the budget.

No matter what motor you get, its going to be a great rig, a lot of fun and something we can all use to explore the world in ways we already do now (if you already wheel, etc.), or something that will allow us to explore our world more (my case). Can’t wait to see everyone on the road in their Broncos with huge smiles on their faces. Just thought I would share our thoughts. Good luck with all of your choices and make it your own!
Great writeup! I have a 2016 F-150 with the 2.7l (6speed trans) and on the note about the trans holding the gear... There's a lot of other answers here, so I'll just give my .02. I rarely put it in Sport mode except if I am on city streets and need to get over two lanes from a stop light or just to pass someone to get over. I am always thoroughly impressed with the difference in just a transmission algarithm where it feels like you just gained a bunch of torque! As far as freeway on ramps, if I use it to get up to speed, I then just hit the button one more time to put it in normal mode and it settles right back down. You can even use it say, if you are on the freeway and you get the one person going 15 under and need to get around them... Just hit the button twice and give it some gas and once around them hit it again and it up shifts into 6th again... (I would assume it behaves the same on the 10spd?) Another big fan of the 2.7l btw...!
 

Funkdoobiest

First Edition
Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2019
Threads
9
Messages
1,168
Reaction score
1,982
Location
Buffalo
Vehicle(s)
Ford Bronco Basesquanch First Edition
Your Bronco Model
First Edition
Clubs
 
Good write up. I agree your 2.7 description is spot on.

There is one other factor the needs to be considered, and that is weight, particularly rotational weight when considering the sasquatch. I learned once that rotational weight (rims/tires) was about 3 times heavier than static weight when considering its effects on power. I'm concerned how that 2.3l will be with the 35" tires. I'm confident the 2.7l will be just fine.
 

Bronco4lyfe85

Banned
Badlands
Banned
Banned
First Name
William
Joined
Aug 17, 2020
Threads
21
Messages
5,038
Reaction score
17,900
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2019 Challenger Scat Pack
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Both had the issue we see in our Fusion with a delay between pushing the pedal down and when it reacts to throttle input
I didn’t read the whole thread. But, throttles are no longer cables, they’re electronic. It’s the drive by wire system and it’s just the result of electronic delay. There is no learning, but there are controllers that can reduce it.
 

PhoenixM3

Black Diamond
Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeffrey
Joined
Oct 14, 2020
Threads
5
Messages
484
Reaction score
797
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
2019 GT350R, 2018 Fiesta ST, 2018 Fusion Sport
Your Bronco Model
Black Diamond
Clubs
 
The Wench’s Fusion Sport is extremely quick. It has a tune which really livens things up.
 

AddDemiGod

Big Bend
Well-Known Member
First Name
B
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Threads
3
Messages
54
Reaction score
82
Location
Colorado
Vehicle(s)
Fiesta ST
Your Bronco Model
Big Bend
Clubs
 
Even discounting the piped in sound, the 2.3L sounds great, love its growl. Its power delivery reminds me of our V70R 5 cylinder. From a start, its a bit slow, but once the turbo hits, its a really fun motor. Great rush to the top of the rev range.
Very nice, I had the s60r not that long ago, but does it kick you back in your seat and hold you there until red line like the volvo's or does it feel like it looses it's wind when it gets to the top like other ford turbos (or any other modern turbo manual)?
 

Sponsored
OP
OP
5280Bronco

5280Bronco

Black Diamond
Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2020
Threads
37
Messages
2,067
Reaction score
4,299
Location
Denver
Vehicle(s)
02 Mustang GT, 05 Volvo V70R, 17 Mazda 6
Your Bronco Model
Black Diamond
Clubs
 
Very nice, I had the s60r not that long ago, but does it kick you back in your seat and hold you there until red line like the volvo's or does it feel like it looses it's wind when it gets to the top like other ford turbos (or any other modern turbo manual)?
To be honest, i didn't quite hold it as aggressively to the floor as i would my own car, but it felt strong towards the top as well. Fell off a bit up top, but not on its face, which was good. I know it's not the biggest turbo which allows it to build more lower end pressure. For the bronco, i think the power band /range would be more than adequate.
 

Anthraces

Badlands
Well-Known Member
First Name
Andy
Joined
Aug 11, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
263
Reaction score
524
Location
Stationed in Japan
Vehicle(s)
Japanese car/SUV unfortunately
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Ok, I have been going back and forth on this as much as color choice.

I think this settles it...2.3/manual/maybe tune later when available.

done...saved $3500 to go towards painting my top white, since Ford won’t offer that :)
 

Daisy76

Badlands
Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
52
Reaction score
86
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Bronco, Mustang
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
I know there are other threads out there, but I wanted to get our thoughts out there to everyone. My wife and I drove both on Tuesday (2.3L Ranger and 2.7L F-150) and I have included our thoughts below. We currently own 3 manual transmission cars and two automatics, so we drive them both! These thoughts are with us buying the 4 door, just an fyi.

2.3L:
Transmission that I would personally recommend with the 2.3L would be the manual, hands down. Ability to manually select the gears to ensure the motor is where it wants to be is imperative (3k and above). We both felt the auto felt slightly disconnected from the motor and it was like an awkward dance some of the time while driving. Its not a deal breaker for the 2.3L/auto combo, its just something that I would need to drive more to get used to. Even discounting the piped in sound, the 2.3L sounds great, love its growl. Its power delivery reminds me of our V70R 5 cylinder. From a start, its a bit slow, but once the turbo hits, its a really fun motor. Great rush to the top of the rev range.

One of the times we felt it was underpowered was on a decent hill, in traffic with someone who slowed and turned right in front of us. My wife then kicked it pretty good and I had this instant feeling I had to help it accelerate back up to speed on the hill. Not severe, just some, but I'm worried about 500lbs more mass being slowed and then needing to get back up to speed like that scenario. Its in no way BAD, just not as fast as I was anticipating. This wouldn’t be a problem for someone who doesn’t drive their car hard or aggressively, but we get on it a decent amount when we drive.

2.7L:
I'll refrain from any transmission recommendation for obvious reasons. V6 has power/torque all through the rev range, and didn’t have any kind of “peaky” power delivery feeling. More refined for sure, but it also had less character than the 2.3L for me, and I like to have that in a motor. I’m hoping that the Bronco’s lower amount of sound deadening will let this motor talk to the driver a bit. I can at least hope. Its quick, and it will have no issues moving the Bronco around. It did feel much different though, as it felt like the power was in the low/mid range for sure, and didn’t charge to the top with its power like the 2.3L. Just a different perceived power curve, so they have different personalities.

Seemed it was a bit less willing to kick down for passing, etc than the 2.3L but that could all be based on where the transmissions were at with their “learning” people talk about. Once it does, it hits you in the mouth. People won’t be disappointed with this motor and it will move the Bronco no problem, its just a different animal than the 2.3L, and delivers power in a different way, so its also about matching driving styles/wants with the motors.

Transmission:
Both had the issue we see in our Fusion with a delay between pushing the pedal down and when it reacts to throttle input, especially at low speeds when coasting at 10 mph or so and turning left across traffic, etc. Hope the “learning” can fix that a bit.

We also drove both of the trucks in “normal” and “sport” mode to see the differences. Normal is a bit more “muted” and doesn’t let you wind the motor out much, but its smooth and would be great for most non-aggressive drivers. Sport is different in good and bad ways as far as we could tell. You can wind the motor out more, get more speed, etc which is great. One thing I HATED that I hope is related to the learning part of the equation is that when I was going up the on ramp in both trucks and was giving it probably 70% or so throttle, I would let off to probably 30% when I hit the speed I wanted, and the transmission would hold the gear I was in...and hold…and hold. I had to almost let my foot off the gas entirely for it to up shift and cruise along. I was audibly telling the transmission to up shift as it’s a really unnerving behavior out of a transmission. Maybe someone with experience can chime in on that.

Final thoughts:
I think both motors will be up to the task for the Bronco, and it really depends on everyone’s personal expectation of “performance” from their Bronco. Here at altitude in Denver, and the way I like to drive, my wife and I will need to either get the 2.3L/stick combo which would require the ford performance tune for me, or the 2.7L auto. Its gonna come down to pricing and what we would need to cut out to get the bigger motor and still fit the budget.

No matter what motor you get, its going to be a great rig, a lot of fun and something we can all use to explore the world in ways we already do now (if you already wheel, etc.), or something that will allow us to explore our world more (my case). Can’t wait to see everyone on the road in their Broncos with huge smiles on their faces. Just thought I would share our thoughts. Good luck with all of your choices and make it your own!
Great feedback, thx! Just wanted to add that the sport mode in the truck is for off road use, unlike a peformance car with sport mode so tranny might act weird if using it on pavement at high speed. Also just want everyone to remember the Bronco has 4:70 gears with BL & Squatch and Ranger was prob 3::73 and F150 prob 3:55! There is a lot that goes into play including the 6+1 MT!?
 

Daisy76

Badlands
Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
52
Reaction score
86
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Bronco, Mustang
Your Bronco Model
Badlands
Clubs
 
Just to clarify, before i get all you 6 speed owners chiming in! I was referring to sport mode in the new 10 speed as Ford states in the owners manual “Sport mode on Ford-150 pickup truck is designed to offer maximum performance when doing aggressive off-roading”. For the 6 speed it was more like the Mustang!!
Sponsored

 
 


Top