Everglades Or Badlands?

[BricknoseBronco]

The performance tune definitely helps with the shift points. Enjoy!

Do you have it on your 2.3? Love it?

Sponsored

 

[userdude]

Do you have it on your 2.3? Love it?

Yes and yes. The way it should have come.

I wouldn't get too excited, if you're a performance guy; it's not a Lavornois (sp?) tune or anything. But the shift points and extra horses are evident.

 

[mpeugeot]

I have said "I wish I had a smaller motor with less power", because American vehicles are frequently overpowered. Those who have lived abroad know what I mean.
The 2.3L will send a Bronco briskly down the road and up the trail, but with some degree of fuel economy. The 2.7L is purely excessive power with reduced fuel economy. When gasoline rises back to $4 a gallon, and it will, this discussion will be remembered.

People overstate the fuel economy issue.

This was in my cruise configuration which a multitude of miles was placed on the vehicle.

Stock OBX wheels and tires with a Flowmaster High Clearance Axle Back Exhaust. In 4A Sport Mode and using adaptive Cruise Control on I-10. I made a 365 commute 2x weekly with it for over a year.

 

[BricknoseBronco]

People overstate the fuel economy issue.

Is this with sasquatch package? Everglades? Thats crazy impressive numbers. Are you sure there wasnt a massive tailwind here?

 

[mpeugeot]

Is this with sasquatch package? Everglades? Thats crazy impressive numbers. Are you sure there wasnt a massive tailwind here?

Non-sasquatch, Badlands suspension, OBX Wheels and tires, and it's originally an Outbanks Lux Package 2 door 2.7. At that time it had already been modified to have the RC hidden winch mount. I believe the overall weight with me in it was just about 4,750 pounds. No significant tail winds, but that was with a total elevation change of +1900 feet between Corpus Christi and San Angelo, my mileage on the way down was usually about 0.5 mpg better over the trip.

 

[BricknoseBronco]

Non-sasquatch, Badlands suspension, OBX Wheels and tires, and it's originally an Outbanks Lux Package 2 door 2.7. At that time it had already been modified to have the RC hidden winch mount. I believe the overall weight with me in it was just about 4,750 pounds. No significant tail winds, but that was with a total elevation change of +1900 feet between Corpus Christi and San Angelo, my mileage on the way down was usually about 0.5 mpg better over the trip.

Different tire size? Speedo adjusted for it? I had a 2 door Badlands sasquatch, and even stock I NEVER saw 23 MPG. If it was lucky maybe 20 max on a super flat road with cruise set at 70. But not clue how you could actually get 23 mpg hand calculated, especially at that speed with a 2.7. They are thirsty.

 

[Glade Runner]

Well, the verdict is in.

I chose to wait for the Badlands order.....My wife chose the Everglades....

We are getting the Everglades tomorrow After all, it is her Bronco.

Thank you everyone for the opinions and discussion! We will still keep the Badlands order just incase. Or at least thats still my plan. Who knows how long it will take to be built. One thing is for certain, I will be putting this Everglades and 2.3 to the test here in TN at some point. And if it sucks, Ill be sure to let my wife know (very politely of course). She will be daily driving it, so she will also be putting it to the test. Just in other ways that do not need further discussion.

Next stop, online order for the Ford Performance tuner to hopefully wake that dog up.

Congratulations on your wife making the correct decision!

 

[mpeugeot]

Different tire size? Speedo adjusted for it? I had a 2 door Badlands sasquatch, and even stock I NEVER saw 23 MPG. If it was lucky maybe 20 max on a super flat road with cruise set at 70. But not clue how you could actually get 23 mpg hand calculated, especially at that speed with a 2.7. They are thirsty.

The open exhaust had a lot to do with it, also I would see about 0.5 mpg with non-ethanol gasoline.

The OBX wheels and tires are extremely light, roll well, and were all inflated to 35 psi. They took me from 17-18 mpg to over 21 mpg (compared to my Milestar Patagonia M/Ts (295/70R17) on RTR Tech 6 17x9 +30). I recalibrated my speedo with FORSCAN and GPS verified it (I always was running my Valentine V1 Gen 2 with JBV1 as my remote dash).

The Flowmaster Outlaw High Clearance Axle Back Exhaust was worth a 15% bump in fuel economy, it's obnoxious, but rather effective at reducing backpressure. The tires and exhaust were the real secret to the mileage. So when you add the two together, seeing a 30% increase in gas mileage isn't out of line.

This was verified by what I saw at the pump... I did the entire 365 mile trip on one tank of gas (the capacity was a little over 16 gallons in the 2 door and I filled at the end of the trip with just over 15.5 gallons).

FWIW, I get much worse mileage with the Black Diamond wheels and tires (steelies with General Grabbers), and my aFe exhaust is no where near as good as the Flowmaster Outlaw High Clearance Axle Back Exhaust was.

I currently am running 35's (315/70R17) with the aFe Apollo GT Series 3in 409SS Cat-Back exhaust and average about 19 mpg around Pensacola (and I will probably be closer to 17-18 mpg on the highway to Texas later this afternoon).

I hope that helps explain it.

Last edit: 4.27 gears don't hurt either - I am getting 19 mpg on the highway tonight.

 

[BricknoseBronco]

Congratulations on your wife making the correct decision!

She definitely made the better financial decision, without a doubt! Luckily she doesnt have nearly as expensive taste as I do apparently.

 

[BricknoseBronco]

The open exhaust had a lot to do with it, also I would see about 0.5 mpg with non-ethanol gasoline.

The OBX wheels and tires are extremely light, roll well, and were all inflated to 35 psi. They took me from 17-18 mpg to over 21 mpg (compared to my Milestar Patagonia M/Ts (295/70R17) on RTR Tech 6 17x9 +30). I recalibrated my speedo with FORSCAN and GPS verified it (I always was running my Valentine V1 Gen 2 with JBV1 as my remote dash).

The Flowmaster Outlaw High Clearance Axle Back Exhaust was worth a 15% bump in fuel economy, it's obnoxious, but rather effective at reducing backpressure. The tires and exhaust were the real secret to the mileage. So when you add the two together, seeing a 30% increase in gas mileage isn't out of line.

This was verified by what I saw at the pump... I did the entire 365 mile trip on one tank of gas (the capacity was a little over 16 gallons in the 2 door and I filled at the end of the trip with just over 15.5 gallons).

FWIW, I get much worse mileage with the Black Diamond wheels and tires (steelies with General Grabbers), and my aFe exhaust is no where near as good as the Flowmaster Outlaw High Clearance Axle Back Exhaust was.

I currently am running 35's (315/70R17) with the aFe Apollo GT Series 3in 409SS Cat-Back exhaust and average about 19 mpg around Pensacola (and I will probably be closer to 17-18 mpg on the highway to Texas later this afternoon).

I hope that helps explain it.

Last edit: 4.27 gears don't hurt either.

Thats crazy good MPG, especially if thats hand calculated. Makes a world of difference especially in the 2 door with the tiny tank. I felt like I was constantly filling my 2.7 2 door with 37s up. Pretty annoying actually. Glad its working out for you!

 

[Red Squatch]

Yeah, she really likes the overall Everglades package. As do I for that matter. I do feel the Everglades is without a doubt the best bang for the buck. And much easier pill to swallow to spend in the mid 50s vs almost 70. So she may be onto something by making this decision. The price and value is the exact reason I started this thread, and ultimately why we settled on going with it.

Sounds like you're getting exactly the right vehicle for you and your wife and that is all that matters. Congrats and good luck.

 

[BricknoseBronco]

Sounds like you're getting exactly the right vehicle for you and your wife and that is all that matters. Congrats and good luck.

We shall see, I sure hope so. I voted to wait for our Badlands order. Only time will tell if it was the right decision.

 

[gomezoscar]

Something nobody has mentioned: the alternator in the 2.3 is placed much higher than on the 2.7, because the 2.3 is a purpose-built, rugged engine, whereas the 2.7 and 3.0 are shared with other on-road vehicles.

Evidently this minor detail is well known by those who spend a lot of time in Baja or do actual water crossings. If you take a water crossing with any real speed, the bow wake can soak the alternator, killing the battery and sometimes the broader electrical system in about 40 miles of driving afterward, once you realize the alternator isn't working anymore. And just imagine where you'll be when that happens - probably closer to a river than to a Ford dealer with an available service bay and parts in stock... this is probably why @Ford picked the 2.3 for the Everglades.

Apart from that and some of the other details mentioned in the thread, how cool is it that you can have a purpose-built rig from the factory? Imagine if Toyota did that, instead of cheesy trim levels like TRD Off-Road which has all terrain tires and like an inch of lift? Mercedes did this with the G.Pur and Professional Series G Wagens.

Years from now, when trucks aren't made to be trucks at all, we'll see an Everglades on the road and think how cool and special it looks because it was made to be used, and you see one for every several hundred Badlands you see. You can get it in specific colors and with a winch and snorkel from the factory. I've had a First Edition, Braptor, and Badlands. I still think the Everglades will be a favorite of enthusiasts 20 years from now.

 

[BricknoseBronco]

Something nobody has mentioned: the alternator in the 2.3 is placed much higher than on the 2.7, because the 2.3 is a purpose-built, rugged engine, whereas the 2.7 and 3.0 are shared with other on-road vehicles.

Evidently this minor detail is well known by those who spend a lot of time in Baja or do actual water crossings. If you take a water crossing with any real speed, the bow wake can soak the alternator, killing the battery and sometimes the broader electrical system in about 40 miles of driving afterward, once you realize the alternator isn't working anymore. And just imagine where you'll be when that happens - probably closer to a river than to a Ford dealer with an available service bay and parts in stock... this is probably why @Ford picked the 2.3 for the Everglades.

Apart from that and some of the other details mentioned in the thread, how cool is it that you can have a purpose-built rig from the factory? Imagine if Toyota did that, instead of cheesy trim levels like TRD Off-Road which has all terrain tires and like an inch of lift? Mercedes did this with the G.Pur and Professional Series G Wagens.

Years from now, when trucks aren't made to be trucks at all, we'll see an Everglades on the road and think how cool and special it looks because it was made to be used, and you see one for every several hundred Badlands you see. You can get it in specific colors and with a winch and snorkel from the factory. I've had a First Edition, Braptor, and Badlands. I still think the Everglades will be a favorite of enthusiasts 20 years from now.

Fords explanation for using the 2.3 was because of the added weight of the winch set up in the front on the suspension. The heavy winch, mounting plate plus the weight of the 2.3 is roughly the same weight as the 2.7 without a winch. They would have had to apparently come up with and design another set of springs if they were going to use the 2.7 which I guess they did not want to do to compensate for the added weight

As far as the 2.3 being purpose built, I'm not really sure what you mean. This isnt a unique 2.3 thats in the Bronco built just for 4 wheeling. Its used in multiple other cars/suvs, such as the Mustang for example. For that matter, technically the 2.7 is built more robust (much stronger block) than a 2.3 is. Even if the 2.3 is a strong design.

And Ive read this rumor of the alternator location by several people. Which is the first thing I looked at when test driving. But I can tell you after looking at my 2.7 and the new 2.3 we own, there is virtually no difference in alternator location, maybe an inch or so higher. They are both on the bottom of the engine. Have you looked at the location of the alternator on yours? I dont know how the rumor ever started, but we are talking minimal difference in height of alternator location. Unless someone has some other explanations, I do not believe alternator location has anything at all to do with Fords decision to go with the 2.3. As you can see from the pictures, they are both on the bottom right of side off the engine, with what seems like equal chances to have the same issue you described. Ive also seen several 2.3s when going in deep water fail an alternator.

I do also believe the Badlands is purpose built just like the Everglades, and two of the best overall offroaders in the line up.

With all this being said, was a little hesitant to hold off on the Everglades, and waiting for the Badlands. But now that we've had the Everglades all weekend and got to enjoy it, I am VERY glad we went this route! It really is such a unique looking Bronco, and to me the best looking version of the 4 door. I agree with you that I think looking back on these down the road, the Everglades will be a fan favorite to enthusiasts. I've only ever seen one on the road. Definitely happy we chose it and look forward putting it to the test on the trails! Glad to be one of the few Everglades owners out there.

 

[bumyoon]

My wife has a fully optioned out Hot Pepper Red Badlands ordered 2024 model (Sasquatch, Lux, tow, dual tops, Raptor style running boards, washout floors/vinyl as we didnt want the carpet with the leather, 4 door, 2.7L). However, with a hefty price tag of MSRP $69k, it had us looking at cheaper options that would allow us to still have a great offroad family rig. So we started to look at a new 2024 Eruption Green Everglades which has a sticker of $58k. We do get A/Z plan, so the Badlands would be around $65k, while the Everglades would be around $54k.

To be honest, one of my biggest doubts is the 2.3L. I know, a lot of you like it. But I also feel like most people who like the 2.3L, have never owned the 2.7L and always say "Its got enough power for me". My 2 door has the 2.7L and test drove a 2.3L sasquatch manual transmission. To me, the 2.3L felt like an absolute turd compared to the 2.7L. I have not driven one with the 10 speed though to see how the difference is. The 2.3L just left me less than impressed and super sluggish. People will say you can add the Ford performance tune and be at similar power of a 2.7. But you also add the same performance tune on the 2.7l, which puts it way ahead of the 2.3L.

With all that being said, this will be my wifes SUV. Shes not nearly as much of a HP junky as I am so wondering real world feedback of the Everglades. For both daily driver, rock crawling and offroad in general how the 2.3L in that package handles. We live in TN, so rocks, mud, hills and water are what it will see. We really wanted wash out floors so came down to black diamond, Everglades or Badlands. If you option out the Black diamond now, it can get into the $60s.

Part of me wants to continue to wait for the one we ordered, but the Everglades is intriguing and love the way it looks with the more squared fenders vs the Badlands. Seems like a WAY better value overall for what you get vs spending almost $70k for the Badlands. You dont get all the bells and whistles like adaptive cruise, heated steering wheel, 360 cameras, or the big one sway bar disconnect, which technically could mean more things to break offroad. But you get everything else it has plus a few other things such as winch, snorkel, longer vent tubes, and slide out tailgate. Also, I know they make some nice pull pin sway bar disconnect kits now, so I dont think I have to have the push button disconnect.

So the real question I have is what is everyones thoughts on the Everglades Vs the Badlands as far as value, fun, and all around performer? The pricing of these are ridiculous anymore so it has us reconsidering. So if you could get a fully loaded Badlands for $65k, or a Everglades for $54k what would you do?

Bonus points for anyone whos owned both an Everglades and Badlands, or has real world comparison between the two.

I've never driven a Badlands because it's always been out of my price range.

With that said, I will be selling my 4DR Heritage this week and picking up an Everglades.

I've had many Broncos over the past couple years and the 2.3 is plenty power for me. The selling point for the Everglades is obviously the looks; unique wheels, HD bumper + winch, and the snorkel, not to mention I've been itching to get back into MGV seats with the MOLLE panels and the washout floors.

It's been a process upgrading to the exact Bronco I've wanted for the money and the day is coming up soon. I'm super excited.

Sponsored