Thoughts on the manual transmission

[ABerrio]

I just got back from the Austin off-rodeo and I got to drive a manual 4 door Bronco. I was very impressed with the way it drove and handled going over rocks and up/down hills. Once it got rolling, I never touched the clutch again. It drove like an automatic on the trail. Crawl and 1st gear have lots of torque and was easy to drive on the trail. Didn’t kill it or come close to killing it at all. No regrets ordering the manual

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[DizzyD]

Thanks for posting! I have not driven a manual in probably 10 years and am a bit worried I will look like an idiot driving mine off the lot (if it ever gets built).

 

[balucipher]

I would have gotten it if it was available for the base 4 door

 

[shimmy825]

I'm tempted to switch to the MT but I want to wait until the 2.7 engine comes out for it. And I don't want to lose all the tech. Quite the conundrum.

 

[ABerrio]

Thanks for posting! I have not driven a manual in probably 10 years and am a bit worried I will look like an idiot driving mine off the lot (if it ever gets built).

I don’t think that will be a problem! It’s super easy to drive. The only thing is the gears are close together. It’s easy to miss the 1st gear and Put it in 3rd.(I did that!)

 

[BR0NCO]

I'm tempted to switch to the MT but I want to wait until the 2.7 engine comes out for it. And I don't want to lose all the tech. Quite the conundrum.

From what I understand the 2.7 won’t have the manual

 

[Rick Astley]

I'm tempted to switch to the MT but I want to wait until the 2.7 engine comes out for it. And I don't want to lose all the tech. Quite the conundrum.

what tech do you lose, aside from the technical data sheets for how to replace both turbos at 65,000 miles juuuuuuuuuuuust out of warranty?

The "trail turn"? It's really just dragging one wheel and overpowering the others.

More like "what tech do I lose by having the automatic transmission?"

• Crawl gear and it's infinite torque (traction limited)
• nearly 30% better fuel economy
  • "And it's a pretty big difference: the stick-shift Badlands gets 22 mpg highway, compared to 17 with the automatic. That's a nearly 30-percent improvement in favor of the three-pedal Bronco."
  • https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a36867616/ford-bronco-fuel-mileage-goes-down-on-highway/
• More reliable turbo
• better gearing down low (you aren't going to the drag strip are you?)
• better tuning and driving enjoyment (auto trans tuning is suspect at best)

 

[Thomman]

I just got back from the Austin off-rodeo and I got to drive a manual 4 door Bronco. I was very impressed with the way it drove and handled going over rocks and up/down hills. Once it got rolling, I never touched the clutch again. It drove like an automatic on the trail. Crawl and 1st gear have lots of torque and was easy to drive on the trail. Didn’t kill it or come close to killing it at all. No regrets ordering the manual

Great to hear. My build is a Badlands 7MT, still awaiting a build date (Day 2 reservation), and signed up for the Off-roadeo in mid-August.

There was a previous post on how easy the manual was to drive, with little clutch feathering required and no stalling - great to hear you confirm that.

Did you have to ask/reserve a manual for the drive or were there no takers for it? Asking coz I want to make sure I get to drive a manual when I'm there...

 

[Tricky Dick]

what tech do you lose, aside from the technical data sheets for how to replace both turbos at 65,000 miles juuuuuuuuuuuust out of warranty?

The "trail turn"? It's really just dragging one wheel and overpowering the others.

More like "what tech do I lose by having the automatic transmission?"

• Crawl gear and it's infinite torque (traction limited)
• nearly 30% better fuel economy
  • "And it's a pretty big difference: the stick-shift Badlands gets 22 mpg highway, compared to 17 with the automatic. That's a nearly 30-percent improvement in favor of the three-pedal Bronco."
  • https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a36867616/ford-bronco-fuel-mileage-goes-down-on-highway/
• More reliable turbo
• better gearing down low (you aren't going to the drag strip are you?)
• better tuning and driving enjoyment (auto trans tuning is suspect at best)

Those MPG figures are a lot different than the BN published numbers. Who's right?

They have at least one factual error:
"But the Badlands doesn't get the Sasquatch's gearing upgrade. You'll be stuck with 4.46 axle gears in a stick-shift Badlands,"

 

[Wide Open Roads]

7MT for the win. Like people have said in other threads, this may be the last manual I get in a new vehicle so no way I was passing it up. Glad to hear others share the same passion for a little bit of analog in a very digital world.

 

[ABerrio]

Great to hear. My build is a Badlands 7MT, still awaiting a build date (Day 2 reservation), and signed up for the Off-roadeo in mid-August.

There was a previous post on how easy the manual was to drive, with little clutch feathering required and no stalling - great to hear you confirm that.

Did you have to ask/reserve a manual for the drive or were there no takers for it? Asking coz I want to make sure I get to drive a manual when I'm there...

My guide asked if anyone ordered the MT and who wanted to drive it. The group of Broncos we drove only only had one MT. It was at the front of the line so I got lead and ride with the guide most of the way. I was the only one who ordered a manual so I got to drive it. What you get drive is very non-formal. Just pick a Bronco and follow the leader.

 

[JBowles]

The EPA shows very little differnce between Badlands drivetrains

 

[shimmy825]

what tech do you lose, aside from the technical data sheets for how to replace both turbos at 65,000 miles juuuuuuuuuuuust out of warranty?

The "trail turn"? It's really just dragging one wheel and overpowering the others.

More like "what tech do I lose by having the automatic transmission?"

• Crawl gear and it's infinite torque (traction limited)
• nearly 30% better fuel economy
  • "And it's a pretty big difference: the stick-shift Badlands gets 22 mpg highway, compared to 17 with the automatic. That's a nearly 30-percent improvement in favor of the three-pedal Bronco."
  • https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a36867616/ford-bronco-fuel-mileage-goes-down-on-highway/
• More reliable turbo
• better gearing down low (you aren't going to the drag strip are you?)
• better tuning and driving enjoyment (auto trans tuning is suspect at best)

I guess the real questions are:

Is it gonna give me up?
Is it gonna let me down?
Is it gonna run around and desert me?
Is is gonna make me cry?
Is it gonna say goodbye?
Is it gonna tell a lie and hurt me?

 

[NotoriousBDP]

I just got back from the Austin off-rodeo and I got to drive a manual 4 door Bronco. I was very impressed with the way it drove and handled going over rocks and up/down hills. Once it got rolling, I never touched the clutch again. It drove like an automatic on the trail. Crawl and 1st gear have lots of torque and was easy to drive on the trail. Didn’t kill it or come close to killing it at all. No regrets ordering the manual

Great to hear, and a timely post, as I switched to the 7MT earlier today after months ago having ordered my Badlands with the 2.7. Can’t wait!

 

[Wide Open Roads]

Great to hear, and a timely post, as I switched to a manual earlier today after sitting in the fence with my 2.7 order for months. Can’t wait!

Man, nothing like waiting until the last minute to switch! Was the process easy with your dealer?

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