2 Door Badlands or Black Diamond?

[ChrisOfPA]

If you're on a slippery surface or off road, I don't think there's much difference between 4A and regular 4X4. The difference comes if you're driving on pavement with slippery spots where you can't have the transfer case locked. Then you have the advantage of all wheel drive without risking destroying your drive train.

I have to say, after driving my Ford Fusion with AWD for 5 years it really makes a difference when you least expect it. Even off the line on a dry road you can feel immediate traction. When you're driving in the rain I felt the car hydroplane a bit and the AWD kicked in, helping out. The gauge cluster even has twin color LCD displays and the one can be setup to show which wheels power is going to.

If I had to, I could survive without the feature but I can't stress enough what a welcomed feature it is in daily driving.

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[ChrisOfPA]

It seems like you are getting a bit closer in the process. My previous trucks did not have 4A so I am used to it but I can see how having that convenience can make a difference. Good luck with the decision making, we are all on your side!!! BTW, the recall affect a lot of fellow Bronco owners...

Thanks man, you guys have been a great help in me making an informed decision. For now I have decided to monitor the market through the summer and see where the pricing goes. If things don't work out, I will wait until 2026 and spend more time saving money then order a Bronco equipped how I want. I will regret not getting the 2.7L but from everything I read here, the 2.3L isn't too bad and it will be even better with the Ford Performance Tuner.

 

[ChrisOfPA]

In the real world, the vast majority of roads are made for vehicles that don't have front lockers. Extreme off road trails are pretty niche on the east coast where I live. It's just not worth it IMO. Mine has 4A and 33 inch all terrains. This is plenty of capability for anything I'd do.

That's what I suspected from what I have read but I wanted to hear from people that did off roading east of the Rocky's. Plus I am sure the 33's give better fuel economy/ride quality on road.

 

[ChrisOfPA]

Looking at the Carfax the Bronco was never titled, it appears the original dealer sent it off to the auction. According to Carfax it's a clean title, if it was a lemon buy back I believe the title would state that.

How does that even happen?

 

[ChrisOfPA]

Carmax or Carvana to dispose of you current vehicle. Everything really depends on how much $$ you can save as to whether it's worth the hassle. I saved a little over $5k by buying from a Kansas dealer. I put in my due diligence with dealers close to me but most of them laughed and said no way they could meet that price. I don't think they believed me, oh well. Cost me $750 to have it shipped from Kansas to NC. You have the internet at your finger tips and you can search the whole country looking for exactly what you want or you can "hope" the dealers near you will drop their prices. Put in some time and look at what the rest of the country is offering and see what kind of deal you can make. The Kansas dealer I dealt with said they sell all over the country.

That was a thought I had but I figured I might be able to get a better price through the dealership on my trade in, especially if I am buying a new vehicle. How does the shipping process work? Do they actually ship to your home or do they send the vehicle to a local Ford Dealership? If I found a really good price, having Carmax or Carvana sell my car and having a vehicle from elsewhere in the country ship might be viable.

 

[DucksOff]

Thanks man, you guys have been a great help in me making an informed decision. For now I have decided to monitor the market through the summer and see where the pricing goes. If things don't work out, I will wait until 2026 and spend more time saving money then order a Bronco equipped how I want. I will regret not getting the 2.7L but from everything I read here, the 2.3L isn't too bad and it will be even better with the Ford Performance Tuner.

Truth be told, I tested a Badlands 4d with the 2.3 and it was pretty responsive... but unlike other gadgets, I really wanted the larger engine...

 

[Beach_Bum]

That was a thought I had but I figured I might be able to get a better price through the dealership on my trade in, especially if I am buying a new vehicle. How does the shipping process work? Do they actually ship to your home or do they send the vehicle to a local Ford Dealership? If I found a really good price, having Carmax or Carvana sell my car and having a vehicle from elsewhere in the country ship might be viable.

Unless you have a confirmed trade value that is substantial, you are better off separating the transactions. Sell your trade to Carvana or the like and then buy your next vehicle. Yes, there are tax advantages with a trade. But they will barely move the needle on the buy transaction if it is a trade that the dealer is sending to auction.

There are many auto transport companies so you'll want to shop a quote. I'm of the mind that you get what you pay for. No need to pay the highest quote, but also don't settle for the lowest. I used Road Runner Transport from Granger to Florida. It showed up in my driveway before the expected arrival. Every single bug was killed between Iowa and Florida. I only paid $800 which was far cheaper than flying and driving back accounting for lodging, food, gas, and my time.

 

[CalvinT]

the 2.3L isn't too bad and it will be even better with the Ford Performance Tuner.

I thought about the Ford Performance tune. But I didn't want to give up being able to use regular gas. I don't know about where you live, but here there's a $0.60 a gallon difference between regular and premium.

 

[JL8jeff]

Have you test driven any Bronco's yet? I've never driven the 2.3 so I can't comment on it but the 2.7 drives great, especially with the Sas package. I think that blue nos Sas Badlands is really what you want, and upgrading to 35's if you want to should be easy. If your trade in is around $5K, that's not much of a tax savings so you're probably better off selling separately. I would get in touch with that dealer with the blue truck and discuss your trade, their loan rates and any other concerns you might have and take it for a test drive. I don't think you're going to find a V6 Badlands for $45K so grab what you can before it's too late. Heck, my 2023 base Sas 2.7 stickered for almost $45K over 2 years ago before the multiple price increases.

 

[nc-hiker]

The 2.3 with the 10-speed auto has been awesome on my new Black Diamond. I drove the 2.7 for 50k miles and so I am no stranger to Bronco's. In my opinion, the handling of my new Bronco with the 2.3 is much better.

 

[TheShark]

That was a thought I had but I figured I might be able to get a better price through the dealership on my trade in, especially if I am buying a new vehicle. How does the shipping process work? Do they actually ship to your home or do they send the vehicle to a local Ford Dealership? If I found a really good price, having Carmax or Carvana sell my car and having a vehicle from elsewhere in the country ship might be viable.

The best I've been able to do with local dealers is to get them to match Carvana or Carmax. Now with the tax savings that certainly is an advantage but since I was saving more than $5k on the purchase it was a drop in the bucket. Shipping is easy, the dealer I bought from works with a shipper so I went through them, like I said it cost me $750 from Kansas to NC and they delivered it right to my driveway. Don't be afraid to use the entire continental US to search for the best deal. My local Ford dealers are all ripoff artists.

 

[Uhdinator]

2 Dr 2024 badlands HT, 2.7L, Sas, Lux, was originally in the $65-$68K MSRP. I found 2-3 to choose from last Oct that were reduced $7K. I paid $59k. (they showed me the invoice price for $61K employee purchase price so I didn't haggle). Mid 50's is prob the best price youre gonna find. 2025 models you have to get the Stroup model @ 80K to get the 2.7L.
Tell them to put a set of 6112 bilstein adjustables on it for 55k.......they gotta put something else on it anyway due to the recall.

 

[CalvinT]

The 2.3 with the 10-speed auto has been awesome on my new Black Diamond. I drove the 2.7 for 50k miles and so I am no stranger to Bronco's. In my opinion, the handling of my new Bronco with the 2.3 is much better.

A Bronco with the 2.7 weighs 152 pounds more than one with the 2.3. 140 of that is on the front axle. So you may feel the difference.

My other car is a WRX that's been tuned, so I'm used to performance. I'm very happy with the 2.3 in my Badlands 4 door, which is the heaviest (5000 lbs) of all the Bronco Models other than the Raptor and Everglades. You're looking at a 2 door which is roughly 238 pounds less than a 4 door.

I won't win drag races, but that's not why I bought it. I do not have any problem merging onto the freeway or passing on hills when I want to.

 

[freebob]

Thanks man, you guys have been a great help in me making an informed decision. For now I have decided to monitor the market through the summer and see where the pricing goes. If things don't work out, I will wait until 2026 and spend more time saving money then order a Bronco equipped how I want. I will regret not getting the 2.7L but from everything I read here, the 2.3L isn't too bad and it will be even better with the Ford Performance Tuner.

 

[freebob]

My wife has a 4 door 2.3.and I have a 2 door 2.7.The difference is night and day..The 4 wasnt a bad .But my wife hated the performace so much she traded it in for a 4 door badlands 2.7..

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