2025 Manual Transmission Thread

[DALOLA]

Octane will have zero effect on your fuel mileage. Take it from a petroleum engineer.

With an Ecoboost engine, that is not exactly true. Peak efficiency & HP/TQ numbers are published by Ford by using 91 octane gas. Using gas with lower octane will not only reduce peak HP/TQ, it will also adversely effect FE, yes fractionally, but it's still something greater than zero. The percentage of ethanol in the gas will also affect FE, independent of octane differences.

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[UncleBrad]

Despite ordering early November, mine isn't scheduled. I'm hoping the 4/28 builds go on schedule as maybe I can get into the 2nd batch of manuals but if those dates get pushed back, one has to wonder how many 2025 manual transmission Bronco's will be build. I'm considering switching to the automatic but I don't know if I want to settle.

Oh man, don't let them get to you! Keep the faith.

 

[UncleBrad]

Throwing my hat in

Ordered '25, 2dr, badlands, 2.3/7mt, lux, & leather on 12/13/24. Still unscheduled.

Preach it, brother.

 

[mmbretts]

Preach it, brother.

6mo from order to delivery. Worth the wait.

 

[PIG1]

I have a question...is there much performance difference between two identical, as close as possible, Broncos? Only difference is one is a 2-door and the other a 4-door. Both being manual transmissions. Looking at Badland trims with Sasquatch and H.O.S.S. 3.0. Not much price difference between the two. But was curious if the weight difference would cause much of an issue.

 

[BigFootie]

I have a question...is there much performance difference between two identical, as close as possible, Broncos? Only difference is one is a 2-door and the other a 4-door. Both being manual transmissions. Looking at Badland trims with Sasquatch and H.O.S.S. 3.0. Not much price difference between the two. But was curious if the weight difference would cause much of an issue.

The four door is heavier so likely a smidge slower. The two door turns tighter. Break over is better with the two door.

What performance gains or loses are you looking for?

It’s faster getting four adults into a four door. It has a larger gas tank so can go farther on a tank of gas. There’s more storage space in a four door.

I believe with the manual transmission, the four door still does not get rear cup holders so your friends will have to hold their beers. I could be wrong as they did make changes on the four door for 25 and 26 but I thought the 7 sp canceled out those changes.

 

[Ride Em Bronco]

It has already been proven that the two-door with the manual transmission provides the best smileage, or in technical terms "the most smiles per mile"

 

[PIG1]

The four door is heavier so likely a smidge slower. The two door turns tighter. Break over is better with the two door.

What performance gains or loses are you looking for?

It’s faster getting four adults into a four door. It has a larger gas tank so can go farther on a tank of gas. There’s more storage space in a four door.

I believe with the manual transmission, the four door still does not get rear cup holders so your friends will have to hold their beers. I could be wrong as they did make changes on the four door for 25 and 26 but I thought the 7 sp canceled out those changes.

 

[PIG1]

I have a Bronco base 2-door with the 10-speed automatic. Looking to move up to a Badlands trim with the 7-speed manual. Went to a farm show back in the winter and they asked me to drive. I'm 63 my friend is 62 and the other farmer is 77. So he got shotgun and has bad knees. That is why I'm looking at the 4-door. Plus I have grand kids. I love the 2-door. Came from 2-door Jeeps. But, I'm seeing the practically of the 4-door. I'm also considering performance too. NOT rock crawling. More of a high speed off road. The 4-door will be more stable though. But the maneuverability of the 2-door is awesome.

 

[Sprung1023]

New to the forum. Hi everyone.

I've started the process of shopping for a manual Bronco. I'm ready to be patient.

Yesterday I test drove a 2023 Badlands 7MT, my first time in any Bronco, let alone a manual. I loved it. I was worried I'd hate the clutch or the throws (or both) I was pleasantly surprised. Most importantly, I fit in the vehicle (I'm 6'8 240 lbs) and was comfortable in the driver's seat. Headroom galore. Even the soft-top wind noise on the highway wasn't as bad as people make it out to be IMO.

I asked the dealer about ordering new and they said 10-15 weeks, which seems inaccurate based on this thread. Not a terrible thing for me as I'd be fine with taking delivery in the fall or any time after. (The dealer also told me the painted hard top is $7k but it's listed on Ford's site at $2,500. Seems like a big red flag about this dealership).

I don't do any offroading, I just miss driving a stick. I'm deciding between:

Configuration 1: 2026 Ford Bronco Base, 2.3L EcoBoost® I-4 Engine, 4x4 with Part Time Selectable Engagement, 4x4, 7-Speed Manual Transmission. MIC top. $44,980

Configuration 2 : 2026 Ford Bronco Big Bend®, 2.3L EcoBoost® I-4 Engine, 4x4 with Part Time Selectable Engagement, 4x4, 7-Speed Manual Transmission. Painted hardtop, Big Bend® Mid Package (222A), Black Appearance Package. $48,715

Leaving pretty heavily towards Config 2.

A few questions:

What's a realistic deposit for placing the order? I've read online anywhere from $500 to $2,000.

I see that both the 2025 and 2026 Bronco are still an option to build on Ford's website. I assume going with one vs the other will no impact on delivery time, correct?

I really want the vehicle in Carbonized Gray Metallic but that's gone for 2026. Even though it shows as an option for 2025, I assume if I ordered it Ford will eventually contact me and tell me to choose another color, correct?

I've noticed is the 2026 has the painted hard top but 2025 does not. From what I've read, the MIC hard top should be avoided. There's no way to get the painted hard top with a 2025?


Any other advice is welcome!

 

[Bio86250]

As a stick shift enthusiast, I feel I can share some thoughts for those who are thinking about a Bronco with a manual transmission.

Manual Transmission: I’ve driven both truck sticks and car sticks, which both have totally different characteristics, and I found the Bronco is in between both. No rev hang, which is a big plus (I hate this on my 2024 Civic Si), but it still has a longer shift distance—just not as crazy as a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. You still need to shift to third gear to get to 60. By the way, my Bronco has the Sasquatch beefy tires, so I am assuming the Base or Big Bend trim that comes with 32s should be sportier.

Size: Without a doubt, the 4-door is going to be slower than the 2-door, but at the end of the day, neither will go fast anyway. Personally, I would get the painted hardtop, not the MIC one, as I’ve heard so many bad things about quality control on the MIC top. Want fast? Get a sports car or a sporty sedan. Not gonna lie, I feel my Civic Si goes faster than the Bronco, and it only has 200hp.

Wait Time: I think this is really up to the dealer's allocation and the specs you opt for. In my case, I first ordered a Heritage Edition from Granger Ford (an out-of-state order because of the great deal), and it was going to take about 10 months to get the Bronco delivered. That's freakin' too long for me, so I backed out of that order and lost my $1000 deposit. Luckily, I found another backed-out order in Florida, exact same spec but a different color. Well, at that time Ford was having a big incentive, so I did the math and pulled the trigger. In the end, you are going to need to be more patient on your factory order if you want to fully customize your stick shift Bronco.

Trim Selection: If you are like me and like the look of the Sasquatch package with a stick shift, your best option is to get the Heritage Edition, cuz this is the cheapest way to opt for the painted top, stick shift, and Sasquatch package. Otherwise, you should get the Big Bend, not the Base, cuz the Base trim is not cheap and it’s got nothing at all.

Deposit: I think 500 to 1000 bucks is an acceptable range, and I would not put down 2 grand. But I would go ahead and ask if it's refundable.

 

[UncleBrad]

As a stick shift enthusiast, I feel I can share some thoughts for those who are thinking about a Bronco with a manual transmission.

Manual Transmission: I’ve driven both truck sticks and car sticks, which both have totally different characteristics, and I found the Bronco is in between both. No rev hang, which is a big plus (I hate this on my 2024 Civic Si), but it still has a longer shift distance—just not as crazy as a 2020 Jeep Wrangler. You still need to shift to third gear to get to 60. By the way, my Bronco has the Sasquatch beefy tires, so I am assuming the Base or Big Bend trim that comes with 32s should be sportier.

Size: Without a doubt, the 4-door is going to be slower than the 2-door, but at the end of the day, neither will go fast anyway. Personally, I would get the painted hardtop, not the MIC one, as I’ve heard so many bad things about quality control on the MIC top. Want fast? Get a sports car or a sporty sedan. Not gonna lie, I feel my Civic Si goes faster than the Bronco, and it only has 200hp.

Wait Time: I think this is really up to the dealer's allocation and the specs you opt for. In my case, I first ordered a Heritage Edition from Granger Ford (an out-of-state order because of the great deal), and it was going to take about 10 months to get the Bronco delivered. That's freakin' too long for me, so I backed out of that order and lost my $1000 deposit. Luckily, I found another backed-out order in Florida, exact same spec but a different color. Well, at that time Ford was having a big incentive, so I did the math and pulled the trigger. In the end, you are going to need to be more patient on your factory order if you want to fully customize your stick shift Bronco.

Trim Selection: If you are like me and like the look of the Sasquatch package with a stick shift, your best option is to get the Heritage Edition, cuz this is the cheapest way to opt for the painted top, stick shift, and Sasquatch package. Otherwise, you should get the Big Bend, not the Base, cuz the Base trim is not cheap and it’s got nothing at all.

Deposit: I think 500 to 1000 bucks is an acceptable range, and I would not put down 2 grand. But I would go ahead and ask if it's refundable.

>> ...but at the end of the day, neither will go fast anyway.

Very much disagree here. The 2.3L with the 7MT is no slouch out of the gate, but with a ProCal4 tune and minimal intake/exhaust changes, I'm in the low 14's for the quarter mile and mid five-second range from 0-60. I'm an old GTO guy, but I still think that's fast. The trick for performance is in keeping things simple (2-door, removing back seat, easing off of the heavy accessories, etc) and give the 2.3L what it wants and needs.

 

[Bio86250]

>> ...but at the end of the day, neither will go fast anyway.

Very much disagree here. The 2.3L with the 7MT is no slouch out of the gate, but with a ProCal4 tune and minimal intake/exhaust changes, I'm in the low 14's for the quarter mile and mid five-second range from 0-60. I'm an old GTO guy, but I still think that's fast. The trick for performance is in keeping things simple (2-door, removing back seat, easing off of the heavy accessories, etc) and give the 2.3L what it wants and needs.

Well, I guess I have to rephrase my words: YES, it can go fast, but you need to get the 2-door Base trim, install the Ford ProCal tune, feed her pricey gas, and then finally take the top off and do a rear seat delete. At that point, hey, why don't you just get an EcoBoost Mustang? Jokes aside, I just don't wanna give people the impression that the Bronco drives like a sporty car, 'cause that's not what it's designed for.

 

[UncleBrad]

Well, I guess I have to rephrase my words: YES, it can go fast, but you need to get the 2-door Base trim, install the Ford ProCal tune, feed her pricey gas, and then finally take the top off and do a rear seat delete. At that point, hey, why don't you just get an EcoBoost Mustang? Jokes aside, I just don't wanna give people the impression that the Bronco drives like a sporty car, 'cause that's not what it's designed for.

I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, but - once again - I respectfully disagree. Last June I took my Bronco on the Dragons Tail with the original Bridgestones. Its handling was far, far better than what I expected. I got the entire run on the GoPro - it was a blast. Of course, it's no Del Sol or GR86 or Miata, but it was surprising and satisfying. The guys at the end of the run agreed with that assessment. One more thing: the hardtop is best left on to reduce drag. Sure, it wasn't designed to be a sports car, and I didn't buy it for that. But for a vehicle that can scratch a lot of itches, it's a winner.

 

[PIG1]

New to the forum. Hi everyone.

I've started the process of shopping for a manual Bronco. I'm ready to be patient.

Yesterday I test drove a 2023 Badlands 7MT, my first time in any Bronco, let alone a manual. I loved it. I was worried I'd hate the clutch or the throws (or both) I was pleasantly surprised. Most importantly, I fit in the vehicle (I'm 6'8 240 lbs) and was comfortable in the driver's seat. Headroom galore. Even the soft-top wind noise on the highway wasn't as bad as people make it out to be IMO.

I asked the dealer about ordering new and they said 10-15 weeks, which seems inaccurate based on this thread. Not a terrible thing for me as I'd be fine with taking delivery in the fall or any time after. (The dealer also told me the painted hard top is $7k but it's listed on Ford's site at $2,500. Seems like a big red flag about this dealership).

I don't do any offroading, I just miss driving a stick. I'm deciding between:

Configuration 1: 2026 Ford Bronco Base, 2.3L EcoBoost® I-4 Engine, 4x4 with Part Time Selectable Engagement, 4x4, 7-Speed Manual Transmission. MIC top. $44,980

Configuration 2 : 2026 Ford Bronco Big Bend®, 2.3L EcoBoost® I-4 Engine, 4x4 with Part Time Selectable Engagement, 4x4, 7-Speed Manual Transmission. Painted hardtop, Big Bend® Mid Package (222A), Black Appearance Package. $48,715

Leaving pretty heavily towards Config 2.

A few questions:

What's a realistic deposit for placing the order? I've read online anywhere from $500 to $2,000.

I see that both the 2025 and 2026 Bronco are still an option to build on Ford's website. I assume going with one vs the other will no impact on delivery time, correct?

I really want the vehicle in Carbonized Gray Metallic but that's gone for 2026. Even though it shows as an option for 2025, I assume if I ordered it Ford will eventually contact me and tell me to choose another color, correct?

I've noticed is the 2026 has the painted hard top but 2025 does not. From what I've read, the MIC hard top should be avoided. There's no way to get the painted hard top with a 2025?


Any other advice is welcome!

I'm waiting on a dealer to get a Bronco in that they ordered for stock. 2-door, Sasquatch pkg, H.O.S.S.3.0, 7-speed manual transmission and the Lux pkg. Heck of a stock order. Shows in transit. They said they would contact me when it arrives. Also Ruby red with matching painted hardtop. It's what I'm looking for.

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