- First Name
- Scott
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2021
- Threads
- 2
- Messages
- 32
- Reaction score
- 89
- Location
- Wake County, NC
- Vehicle(s)
- 2021 Black Diamond
- Your Bronco Model
- Black Diamond
- Thread starter
- #1
I just bought a used (4K miles) Black Diamond, and I am ecstatic to have her. I had an Outer Banks MIC on order, but I'll be cancelling that order soon to get my $500 deposit back. I don't have un uplifting story where I found a great deal. I paid over original MSRP but also received way over what I paid for my 2020 trade-in. The Bronco has been on my radar for a couple years now due to its sensational design as well as all the cool things it offers, so I had the chance to grab one used and I took it. I ended up with a Black Diamond, 4-door, 2.3L, MIC, tow package, Mid-package. My thoughts are as follows (your mileage may vary, obviously, and I look forward to the discussion):
1. Hot DANG does this truck look good. I almost ended up going for a 2021 Wrangler Unlimited, but I paid a few thousand more to nab this beauty. The Wrangler, while very iconically appealing, just can't compete with the modern/classic blend of appeal of the new Bronco. It's a stunning look and has nabbed gasps from friends and family in the past few days since I picked it up. I adore looking at this beauty. What a great way to start each day's travels.
2. Coming from a bit of a performance car background, this truck actually drives really well. I was immediately impressed by how direct the steering was and I also marveled at the exceptional turn radius. Beyond that, though, this is simply a fun truck to drive which has not always been the case in my truck driving history. I like the steering wheel quite a bit, and the leather feels chunky and great in all the ways it should.
3. I am shocked at all the amenities in the Black Diamond with the Mid-Package. My Tesla didn't have blindspot monitoring, for gosh sakes, but this Ford Bronco does? Color me impressed, and I have enjoyed the range of amenities plus the availability of physical buttons that are absent in a ton of other modern vehicles. The Black Diamond trim has so many awesome traits that I'm starting to wonder why I wanted the Outer Banks with the Lux package. The marine grade vinyl seats have initially fooled everyone into believing they were leather until I described what they were. And then my friends and family were even MORE impressed. The vinyl seats plus the washout floors are a dynamic combo as I have a 3-year-old, so I am ready for whatever my kid unleashes upon me next.
4. I don't hate the stock speakers. I owned a Performance Model 3 Tesla and while it had slightly crisper sound, I would rank it as a negligible difference overall given the solid timbre of the Ford speakers. My 2019 Civic Type R had disappointing, weak sound from its speakers and while the Tesla Model 3 Performance was better, it was not the dramatic improvement I had hoped for. I consider Ford's stock speakers to be in the realm of Tesla's speaker set-up and nowhere near as bad as my Civic Type R. My wife has a Honda CRV which blows all of these vehicles out of the water, honestly, which makes her giggle... and me wince. I may upgrade someday but at least it's not as bad as some people have reported. It's a totally livable stock system with the normal caveats (it's better for some types of music than others, so you will definitely disagree with me no matter what, lol).
5. The MIC top has a ton of knocking sounds at all speeds and over all terrain. I don't mind it very much at all, honestly. I owned a Tesla which had a rattling window and dash and the noise it produced was just as noticeable (and possibly more annoying) due to the fact that the vehicle had no engine noise. So the hardtop roof knocking inside the Bronco, while not perfect, is completely manageable from a noise perspective when you factor in the engine noise and modular roof wind noise. I will look to utilize some of the knowledge on this board to correct the consistent knocking of my roof, but in the meantime, I don't care that much. I bought a truck, not a luxury car.
6. Boy do I wish the current gear lit up on the gear selector (and not just on the dash which isn't always visible, especially if the steering wheel is turned and blocking its view).
7. Did you know that Black Diamond tires are approximately 20% cheaper than performance car tires for 18" wheels? Me neither, but my wife sure was excited.
8. Throttle response on the 2.3L is acceptable in Sport mode. I don't know what I would do if I only had normal mode in one of the non-Sport-mode-offering trims (like Badlands) with only a 2.3L model, though. The higher trims that abort Sport mode (i.e. Badlands) are really doing a disservice to the driver's abilities. But who am I kidding -- most people who are ordering those trims are splurging on the 2.7L anyway. I appreciate the Sport mode's ability to attempt to keep the engine in the power band, though, so I prefer the models that allow that type of driving.
9. I was pleasantly surprised to find Blind Spot Monitoring via side mirror alert available in the Black Diamond trim. It was a feature I always wanted and thought I was going to have to give up in the BD trim, but because of the confusing nomenclature of Ford's safety system descriptions I was super surprised and pleased to find it on the BD when I test drove it.
10. Boy do I like the look and driving feel of the stock all-terrain 32's on the black gloss aluminum rims. I was fine with the Outer Banks stock rims/tire tandem that I had on order, but this combo is much preferred for my visual splendor. They look fantastic and drive like a dream.
11. It's astounding how high up I sit in this truck. I've pulled up to a few stoplights where larger trucks are next to me, and I sit at their height or taller nearly every time. The Bronco may not be as big overall, but it sure does present you with a throne-like seat that not many others on the road can match.
I am looking forward to a camping and mountain trip in the next month, and I hope to update then. In the meantime, what a heck of a truck this Bronco is!
1. Hot DANG does this truck look good. I almost ended up going for a 2021 Wrangler Unlimited, but I paid a few thousand more to nab this beauty. The Wrangler, while very iconically appealing, just can't compete with the modern/classic blend of appeal of the new Bronco. It's a stunning look and has nabbed gasps from friends and family in the past few days since I picked it up. I adore looking at this beauty. What a great way to start each day's travels.
2. Coming from a bit of a performance car background, this truck actually drives really well. I was immediately impressed by how direct the steering was and I also marveled at the exceptional turn radius. Beyond that, though, this is simply a fun truck to drive which has not always been the case in my truck driving history. I like the steering wheel quite a bit, and the leather feels chunky and great in all the ways it should.
3. I am shocked at all the amenities in the Black Diamond with the Mid-Package. My Tesla didn't have blindspot monitoring, for gosh sakes, but this Ford Bronco does? Color me impressed, and I have enjoyed the range of amenities plus the availability of physical buttons that are absent in a ton of other modern vehicles. The Black Diamond trim has so many awesome traits that I'm starting to wonder why I wanted the Outer Banks with the Lux package. The marine grade vinyl seats have initially fooled everyone into believing they were leather until I described what they were. And then my friends and family were even MORE impressed. The vinyl seats plus the washout floors are a dynamic combo as I have a 3-year-old, so I am ready for whatever my kid unleashes upon me next.
4. I don't hate the stock speakers. I owned a Performance Model 3 Tesla and while it had slightly crisper sound, I would rank it as a negligible difference overall given the solid timbre of the Ford speakers. My 2019 Civic Type R had disappointing, weak sound from its speakers and while the Tesla Model 3 Performance was better, it was not the dramatic improvement I had hoped for. I consider Ford's stock speakers to be in the realm of Tesla's speaker set-up and nowhere near as bad as my Civic Type R. My wife has a Honda CRV which blows all of these vehicles out of the water, honestly, which makes her giggle... and me wince. I may upgrade someday but at least it's not as bad as some people have reported. It's a totally livable stock system with the normal caveats (it's better for some types of music than others, so you will definitely disagree with me no matter what, lol).
5. The MIC top has a ton of knocking sounds at all speeds and over all terrain. I don't mind it very much at all, honestly. I owned a Tesla which had a rattling window and dash and the noise it produced was just as noticeable (and possibly more annoying) due to the fact that the vehicle had no engine noise. So the hardtop roof knocking inside the Bronco, while not perfect, is completely manageable from a noise perspective when you factor in the engine noise and modular roof wind noise. I will look to utilize some of the knowledge on this board to correct the consistent knocking of my roof, but in the meantime, I don't care that much. I bought a truck, not a luxury car.
6. Boy do I wish the current gear lit up on the gear selector (and not just on the dash which isn't always visible, especially if the steering wheel is turned and blocking its view).
7. Did you know that Black Diamond tires are approximately 20% cheaper than performance car tires for 18" wheels? Me neither, but my wife sure was excited.
8. Throttle response on the 2.3L is acceptable in Sport mode. I don't know what I would do if I only had normal mode in one of the non-Sport-mode-offering trims (like Badlands) with only a 2.3L model, though. The higher trims that abort Sport mode (i.e. Badlands) are really doing a disservice to the driver's abilities. But who am I kidding -- most people who are ordering those trims are splurging on the 2.7L anyway. I appreciate the Sport mode's ability to attempt to keep the engine in the power band, though, so I prefer the models that allow that type of driving.
9. I was pleasantly surprised to find Blind Spot Monitoring via side mirror alert available in the Black Diamond trim. It was a feature I always wanted and thought I was going to have to give up in the BD trim, but because of the confusing nomenclature of Ford's safety system descriptions I was super surprised and pleased to find it on the BD when I test drove it.
10. Boy do I like the look and driving feel of the stock all-terrain 32's on the black gloss aluminum rims. I was fine with the Outer Banks stock rims/tire tandem that I had on order, but this combo is much preferred for my visual splendor. They look fantastic and drive like a dream.
11. It's astounding how high up I sit in this truck. I've pulled up to a few stoplights where larger trucks are next to me, and I sit at their height or taller nearly every time. The Bronco may not be as big overall, but it sure does present you with a throne-like seat that not many others on the road can match.
I am looking forward to a camping and mountain trip in the next month, and I hope to update then. In the meantime, what a heck of a truck this Bronco is!
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My husband and I ordered our BD on January 31st, so itās going to be a while but the wait will definitely be worth it.
