The 2023 Shadow Black Base Experience

[GPPBronco]

Hi. I’ve been a Bronco enthusiast since I was 5ish years old and my dad brought home a Bronco II as a “demo” from the Ford dealership he managed. I celebrate the similarities between the 6G and BII. Of course, I like the first gen bronco as well. Gens 2-5 are cool too, just bigger than anything I’d ever want to drive for fun.

Our Bronco is a 2023 Base, 2 door, 2.3, Auto, with the optional aux switches and heavy duty modular bumper.

The base with narrow tires and steelies is most reminiscent of the Broncos I love. Max ground clearance and lockers aren’t necessary for us and I don’t prefer the wide tire/flare stance of the Sasquatch.

The Bronco is our secondary vehicle and my commuter (7 miles across the east side of Detroit). We will also use it as a winter vehicle when conditions are questionable and we’re visiting family “up north.” And, in the summer when we visit the same family or head to the Great Lakes/Upper Peninsula.

I’ll use this thread to update my build and also share photos of experiences/travels our family has in the Bronco and the places it takes us. Thanks for following!

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[GPPBronco]

Pics from the day it was delivered…

…and a few days later when we picked it up and had the dealer install 33s on the stock steelies…

Shout out to Krapohl Ford Lincoln in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Wonderful communication and service through the entire reservation/order/delivery/purchase process.

 

[UM_Ftown]

It’s like the twin of mine expect mines a manual with zero options. Only options I would have liked from the factory are the aux switches, mod bumpers and towing package. I’ll wave if I see you up north haha.

 

[CPL_Rabbit]

Looks good, but gonna need more details in this journal. What brand/size are the tires?

 

[Blackcat]

@GPPBronco
My first car was an 84 Bronco II, so yeah, I see the same similarities as you to our 6Gs. How does your ride on the new tires compared to the stock tires? So far, I've keep mine stock because I love the ride, and I'm cheap!

 

[GPPBronco]

@GPPBronco
My first car was an 84 Bronco II, so yeah, I see the same similarities as you to our 6Gs. How does your ride on the new tires compared to the stock tires? So far, I've keep mine stock because I love the ride, and I'm cheap!

Hard for me to compare the M/Ts with the stock tires because I only test drove it with the stock tires. The M/Ts make the ride a little choppier I’d imagine. But it feels like a truck to me. Which makes sense. It doesn’t feel sluggish but I’m sure it’s a little quicker and more efficient with the stock tires.

 

[GPPBronco]

Looks good, but gonna need more details in this journal. What brand/size are the tires?

Falken Wildpeak MT01 255/85r16. Tallest and skinniest you can go on the 16” steelies, as far as I know.

had that info in my originalpost but deleted a bunch out because it was basically a novel…

 

[GPPBronco]

RB20 slim lines installed a couple days ago. Look good, feel solid. The slim lines seem to be nicely proportioned for the non-sas flares/tire poke on my base. There is enough room for me to put my foot on an angle stepping in. If you have large feet, or are not steady on them, I’d suggest getting the standard width boards.

These are a nice set of steps for my sons to get in and out of the backseat. The door sill plastic trim was already taking a beating. Now they can step over that with no effort.

 

[BeerForMyHorses]

The proportions of those falkens look great. How do they perform? (Gas mileage, on road feel, off road performance, etc) I don't know as much about taller, skinnier tires. I always heard they did better in snow because they cut through it.

I'm also getting a 2-door base but with a manual transmission and hot pepper red. I'm strongly considering going the same route on my build. I'm gonna use mine as a commuter/bad-weather vehicle. It also snows, gets icy where I live

 

[GPPBronco]

The proportions of those falkens look great. How do they perform? (Gas mileage, on road feel, off road performance, etc) I don't know as much about taller, skinnier tires. I always heard they did better in snow because they cut through it.

I'm also getting a 2-door base but with a manual transmission and hot pepper red. I'm strongly considering going the same route on my build. I'm gonna use mine as a commuter/bad-weather vehicle. It also snows, gets icy where I live

Mileage - I’m getting about 18.5 MPG in a mix of city/hwy that is more heavily city streets. Aired down to 32 PSI, so that probably negatively impacts gas mileage.

On-road - it seems pretty civilized. The tires are new, so I’m sure they’ll eventually get a little noisier. At highway/freeway speeds, you can hear the tires “whirring” but eventually wind noise (around 60 MPH) drowns out the tires. The bronco’s suspension seems to smooth out really bumpy roads/trails, and accentuates small bumps/concrete seams on smoother streets. Hopefully that makes sense. I’d say these tires take that a little further. They’re firm.

Off-road - Very little to draw from, here. Took it on some seasonal roads a few weeks ago that were very snowy/icy. Think two tracks that are only used by the people who live there and drive 4x4s. It wasn’t a problem and the skinny tires sliced through the mud a slush without effort. Confidence-inspiring.

Winter Performance - As I said, in deeper snow/mud/slush, they’re excellent. On the highway with slick roads I could see them being a little squirrely if not careful. I’d say this is where not having advanced 4x4 is most noticeable. So, you can’t blame the tires entirely. But I know they aren’t as good as the winter tires I’m used to on our main family hauler, a 2019 Transit Connect.

It does cross my mind that the unsprung weight of this setup is at the heavy end of what the base suspension/components are designed to handle. It doesn’t cause any problems but I worry about premature wear of suspension/drivetrain. Then again, I’ve seen people on here with much heavier setups. So…

 

[BeerForMyHorses]

Mileage - I’m getting about 18.5 MPG in a mix of city/hwy that is more heavily city streets. Aired down to 32 PSI, so that probably negatively impacts gas mileage.

On-road - it seems pretty civilized. The tires are new, so I’m sure they’ll eventually get a little noisier. At highway/freeway speeds, you can hear the tires “whirring” but eventually wind noise (around 60 MPH) drowns out the tires. The bronco’s suspension seems to smooth out really bumpy roads/trails, and accentuates small bumps/concrete seams on smoother streets. Hopefully that makes sense. I’d say these tires take that a little further. They’re firm.

Off-road - Very little to draw from, here. Took it on some seasonal roads a few weeks ago that were very snowy/icy. Think two tracks that are only used by the people who live there and drive 4x4s. It wasn’t a problem and the skinny tires sliced through the mud a slush without effort. Confidence-inspiring.

Winter Performance - As I said, in deeper snow/mud/slush, they’re excellent. Like, amazing. On the highway with slick roads I could see them being a little squirrely if not careful. Not having advanced 4x4 on the base trim is most noticeable here, I’d say. Can’t say I’d blame the tires entirely here. But I know they aren’t as good as the winter tires I’m used to on our main family hauler.

It does cross my mind that the unsprung weight of this setup is at the heavy end of what the base suspension/components are designed to handle. It doesn’t cause any peopblems but I worry about premature wear of suspension/drivetrain. Then again, I’ve seen people on here with much heavier setups. So…

Thanks for the full write up. I've never had advanced 4 wheel drive so I won't know any different there. I decided that early on when I picked the base model. And to your point about slick roads, there's really no setup that will handle ice. Only thing you can do is drive defensively.

Can you elaborate about that last part, the "unsprung weight" part? I'm not familiar with you're referring to

 

[GPPBronco]

Thanks for the full write up. I've never had advanced 4 wheel drive so I won't know any different there. I decided that early on when I picked the base model. And to your point about slick roads, there's really no setup that will handle ice. Only thing you can do is drive defensively.

Can you elaborate about that last part, the "unsprung weight" part? I'm not familiar with you're referring to

Right. I’m not concerned about having standard 4x4. It gets a little dicier when thinking about sending my wife out on icy/bad roads. Trying to get non-enthusiasts to appreciate when to use 4x4 vs when to use RWD (to avoid drivetrain binding) can be tricky. She’d much rather get in a car and not have to think as much about making decisions, instead letting the car worry about that stuff. I get it. That’s why Subarus/AWD crossovers are so popular.

Here’s some info on unsprung weight:

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a42485579/big-wheels-and-unsprung-weight-explained/

 

[FordOwner]

Just dropping into your thread to say that the Falken Wildpeak MT01 255/85r16's look fantastic!

Probably the best looking steel wheel and tire combo I've seen that makes me think of EB's.

 

[GPPBronco]

This happened on my morning commute. First and most importantly, nobody was hurt.

I had the right-of-way, a Ford Focus pulled out in front of me to cross the intersection (she was forthright that she couldn’t see me because she hadn’t scraped the frost off her windows) as I entered the intersection at normal speed (30 MPH). I didn’t even have time to react and punched my brakes barely before hitting her front driver’s side quarter panel, completely caving it in.

Waiting to figure out if it’s totaled or will be fixed. Body shop at the local Ford dealer said it takes a lot of damage to total them, so I’m guessing it’ll be a fixer. She said they have a Bronco Sport in the shop right now and the current estimate is at $28,000 and it still isn’t totaled.

If anybody has suggestions for things I need to ask about/look for, please let me know. Obviously, I’m concerned parts that might be damaged won’t get replaced and will then cause issues later. So bummed. Crazy to think two days ago I was parking at the far end of the parking lot to avoid door dings.

Also, I just gotta say, airbags smell horrible when deployed.

 

[Listedguru]

This happened on my morning commute. First and most importantly, nobody was hurt.

I had the right-of-way, a Ford Focus pulled out in front of me to cross the intersection (she was forthright that she couldn’t see me because she hadn’t scraped the frost off her windows) as I entered the intersection at normal speed (30 MPH). I didn’t even have time to react and punched my brakes barely before hitting her front driver’s side quarter panel, completely caving it in.

Waiting to figure out if it’s totaled or will be fixed. Body shop at the local Ford dealer said it takes a lot of damage to total them, so I’m guessing it’ll be a fixer. She said they have a Bronco Sport in the shop right now and the current estimate is at $28,000 and it still isn’t totaled.

If anybody has suggestions for things I need to ask about/look for, please let me know. Obviously, I’m concerned parts that might be damaged won’t get replaced and will then cause issues later. So bummed. Crazy to think two days ago I was parking at the far end of the parking lot to avoid door dings.

Also, I just gotta say, airbags smell horrible when deployed.

Wow so sorry to hear about your accident and glad that everyone is okay. Hopefully they are able to get your Bronco back up and running soon. I was reading this thread before I saw your post about the accident and noticed you are from MI (hello, neighbor) and I was wondering if I could pick your brain about the Bronco:

New user here and this is my second post so be gentle (LOL). Anyway I have been waiting for my Maverick to come but lately I've been leaning towards a 2 door Bronco and had a few questions. Years ago I had a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport (2 door) and I really loved it.

I would most like opt for a Badlands or maybe an Outer Banks with very few (if any) extra options to keep cost down. It really sucks that they just announced basically a 2K increase in the cost of the 2 door's going foward - I'm a little unclear on how the 4wd system works on the BL and the Outerbanks? I assume it is the same system on both? Does it default to 2wd (rear wheel drive) until you engage the 4wd feature? If so, is it safe to drive a high speeds in 4wd for long distance?

Curious to what kind of mileage anyone here is seeing in their 2 door BL or Outer banks with the regular tires? Is it possible to get around 20mpg around town or is that a pipe dream?

Do you find the auto insurance costs to be reasonable (I'm in Michigan). Any other info you would like to throw at me fire away.

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