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**REAL rwhp** 2.7L vs 2.3L

Studawg

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Stated what it is in an automatic, seems pretty relevant to " does anyone have any analysis of 2.7L/auto"
Well "does anyone have any analysis of 2.7L/auto VS 2.3L/man" is what the OP said. He was looking for a head to head comparison of those two combinations.

If you haven't contemplated getting the manual transmission and what you would have to give up Horsepower wise to get it, considering the V6 isn't offered with the manual, you may not have thought about this exact issue, but I had, so I knew exactly what he was getting at.
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Studawg

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So, there is proof that say a tuned 2.3 is great. Wouldn't that mean though, that a turned 2.7 is greater-er?
Not if it doesn't have a manual transmission! :ROFLMAO:

Of course there is no replacement for displacement, that is definitely true.

But some of us aren't just looking for peak power. If the V6 was offered with a manual transmission, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
 

Andrew_EOD

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Not if it doesn't have a manual transmission! :ROFLMAO:

Of course there is no replacement for displacement, that is definitely true.

But some of us aren't just looking for peak power. If the V6 was offered with a manual transmission, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
That's true. I'm still torn on if I want a MT or AT. Sometimes I'm tired of driving in traffic with a 6 speed. If I want an AT I'll get the OBX, probably with the 2.7. If I want MT I'll get BD or BL...
 

rapidredbronco2021

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I have the 2.3L in my Ranger, there are a few issues here:

1. HP / Torque curves always have peaks in any gas engine (naturally aspirated or turbocharged/supercharged). The peaks are not ever near the bottom of the RPM curve.

2. This is especially true for a turbocharged 4 cylinder (and even 6 cylinder). Torque at low RPMs is low because the turbochargers are not spooled up. Modern engine calibrations and auto transmissions try to disguise this “turbo lag.” Once the turbo is spinning you do get a rush of torque but a good calibration will keep it relatively flat through the rest of the rev range

3. If you’re driving below 2k RPM in any car you won’t have to worry about this because you’ll be going slow and sipping gas. My 5.0L Mustang is very sleepy and smooth at these RPMs. The 2.3L is no different. Unless you buy a Tesla you’re not going to hit a wall of torque when you first touch the gas pedal.

People say the Ecoboost is either “Eco” or “Boost” and my experience is this is true. For grannying around town it’s a very quiet and fuel efficient ride, but it has plenty of power when you need it.

I was tailing my husband (him in the Ranger, me in the Mustang) this morning as we were dropping the truck at a shop and he whipped it past a semi that cut us off, he boosted it _very quickly,_ it took me a lot longer to react with my manual transmission and by the time I did that Ranger was flying. It’s a surprisingly powerful engine.
So since you have experience with the 2.3L in the Ranger, are you going with that engine or the 2.7L? I'm leaning towards the 2.3L w/ manual but still considering the 2.7L.
 

rapidredbronco2021

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Not if it doesn't have a manual transmission! :ROFLMAO:

Of course there is no replacement for displacement, that is definitely true.

But some of us aren't just looking for peak power. If the V6 was offered with a manual transmission, we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
I completely agree, if they offered the manual with both engines there would be no question on my decision.
 

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Zinn

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So since you have experience with the 2.3L in the Ranger, are you going with that engine or the 2.7L? I'm leaning towards the 2.3L w/ manual but still considering the 2.7L.
2.3L manual, no question.

The difference stock-for-stock against the 2.7L can be mostly covered with a tune, and having previously owned a tuned VW GTI with a manual transmission, it was a riot to drive. Ford underrates these engines to allow for 87 octane fuel and there's a ton of headroom to tune with better gas even without swapping any parts. The Ford Performance tune for the 2.3L Ranger gets you 315 crank hp with a warranty, and that's conservative.

The idea of a turbocharged body-on-frame SUV with a manual transmission excites me a lot more than the trivial displacement difference between the 2.3L and 2.7L. Both engines are a joke compared to the headroom in the 5.0 Coyote, but nobody needs that kind of power in a vehicle like this (no matter what they tell themselves).
 

bronchalen84

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We know it's all speculation at this point, but manual trans has less power scavenge as auto, so does anyone have any analysis of 2.7L/auto vs 2.3/man RWHP?
With this decision, I’m more concerned about which might offer better Lon-term reliability. Any thoughts on that? Is a MT more prone to have repair issues?
 

Zinn

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With this decision, I’m more concerned about which might offer better Lon-term reliability. Any thoughts on that? Is a MT more prone to have repair issues?
MT is much easier to service. You'll have tons of aftermarket clutch / flywheel options. Ford / GM's 10 speed auto transmission is pretty ubiquitous for the time being but much more complicated and more of a black box. Long term the manual will be easier and cheaper to service, and likely able to find parts for a long time.
 
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rapidredbronco2021

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2.3L manual, no question.

The difference stock-for-stock against the 2.7L can be mostly covered with a tune, and having previously owned a tuned VW GTI with a manual transmission, it was a riot to drive. Ford underrates these engines to allow for 87 octane fuel and there's a ton of headroom to tune with better gas even without swapping any parts. The Ford Performance tune for the 2.3L Ranger gets you 315 crank hp with a warranty, and that's conservative.

The idea of a turbocharged body-on-frame SUV with a manual transmission excites me a lot more than the trivial displacement difference between the 2.3L and 2.7L. Both engines are a joke compared to the headroom in the 5.0 Coyote, but nobody needs that kind of power in a vehicle like this (no matter what they tell themselves).
Honestly most of us will always want more power even if it's unnecessary for the vehicle. At this point that's the same direction I'm going. I was disappointed like most when they said the manual is only for the 2.3L, but the tune for the Ranger would be a welcomed power boost to the Bronco. Also if they can make the Sasquatch package available with the manual, I'd be all for that.
 

bronchalen84

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MT is much easier to service. You'll have tons of aftermarket clutch / flywheel options. Ford / GM's 10 speed auto transmission is pretty ubiquitous for the time being but much more complicated and more of a black box. Long term the manual will be easier and cheaper to service, and likely able to find parts for a long time.
Thanks for that info. I prob will go with the 2.3 MT so I can add in other options into my purchase budget. The 4dr Bronco price with options adds up quick! What I find ironic is the 2.3 l 4 cylinder has more HP than the V8 4.6L in my 2005 Ford Explorer Limited. Pretty amazing the advances in engines last 15 years. Thanks again for the reply!
 

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jonwithanelcamino

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2.3L manual, no question.

The difference stock-for-stock against the 2.7L can be mostly covered with a tune, and having previously owned a tuned VW GTI with a manual transmission, it was a riot to drive. Ford underrates these engines to allow for 87 octane fuel and there's a ton of headroom to tune with better gas even without swapping any parts. The Ford Performance tune for the 2.3L Ranger gets you 315 crank hp with a warranty, and that's conservative.

The idea of a turbocharged body-on-frame SUV with a manual transmission excites me a lot more than the trivial displacement difference between the 2.3L and 2.7L. Both engines are a joke compared to the headroom in the 5.0 Coyote, but nobody needs that kind of power in a vehicle like this (no matter what they tell themselves).
Are you getting the 2 or 4 door?
 

HuskerJen47

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I can confirm. This statement cannot be anymore true.
I have a Ford Fusion with the 2.0T EcoBoost (245hp) and it has nice pep to it. It is surprising what a 4 cylinder can do. Note that I have owned several sports/muscle type cars in the past.
 

5280Bronco

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I have a Ford Fusion with the 2.0T EcoBoost (245hp) and it has nice pep to it. It is surprising what a 4 cylinder can do. Note that I have owned several sports/muscle type cars in the past.
We have a 2014 with the same motor. Engine is pretty good, but the transmission stinks imo. It's left us in intersections deciding what gear it should be in before accelerating multiple times and you get either no power or a downshift to a much lower gear than needed when trying to pass on the highway. We will be getting rid of it as a part of the transition to the Bronco. It does have a timing cover leak on the 2.0 at 75k miles that i think shouldn't be happening, but the motor has been good other than that.
 

Hey19

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I feel the 2.3 would be sufficient for me, but will still look at tune options from Ford Performance when they come out. Keeping the warranty intact is pretty important for me.

As far as "wheel hp" are we considering loss through the T-case? I would imagine it to be minimal but worth consideration. What will be the difference in loss between the two T-cases offered?
 

Rednek

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what people are forgeting is the human error part of the equation,can you shift a manual consistantly all the time?the new at transmissions are very precise in shift scheduling and don't forget the torque multiplication in the converter itself.
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