2025 Manual Transmission Thread

[RedBeardoh]

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.

If you live in/near WA… I custom ordered my 25 badsas 7MT twice. The first dealership tried some slimy sales tactics and I cancelled the order. They still went through with the build and it’s been sitting on their lot since June. Did identical build with a different dealer for much less.

Badlands
Sasquatch
HOSS 3.0
Lux
7MT
Clear matte wrap over eruption green

Summit ford of sumner has my twin, been sitting forever I bet someone could get a hell of a deal on it now. If anyone gets it hit me up for a twin trail run!

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[KreeHBronco]

Ordered Badlands 4-dr, Carbon Grey, Lux, Leather in Oct 2025, received it in Feb 2026. Ford Store in Morgan Hill, CA. They said my Bronco was the first 2026 they had received.

 

[archerscreek]

If you live in/near WA… I custom ordered my 25 badsas 7MT twice …

Badlands
Sasquatch
HOSS 3.0
Lux
7MT
Clear matte wrap over eruption green

Summit ford of sumner has my twin, been sitting forever I bet someone could get a hell of a deal on it now. If anyone gets it hit me up for a twin trail run!

$70,000+ for a 2.3L 4 cylinder MT vehicle with a matte green finish is going to be a tough sell for them. Not sure what shenanigans they pulled on you, but they’ll be taking a loss on that one.

 

[KreeHBronco]

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.

Maybe on paper or using a stop watch. I test drove a 2025 2-dr Badlands 2.3L manual multiple times and ordered a 4-dr. IMO, they are very close in performance. Tire sizes/weights, gas octane, terrain, wind, driving skills, carry weight, ... all probably have more impact on performance than the 200-300lbs of weight difference.

 

[RedBeardoh]

$70,000+ for a 2.3L 4 cylinder MT vehicle with a matte green finish is going to be a tough sell for them. Not sure what shenanigans they pulled on you, but they’ll be taking a loss on that one.

yes they will and it warms my heart it’s a very nicely optioned ride, the HOSS 3.0 package is pretty decent though if were to do it again I’d just go aftermarket. But yeah, when you’re approaching raptor prices for a 2.3 99% of people are going to turn them down at 70k. I was very particular in what I wanted and couldn’t be happier, but the dealer I ended up going through came in well under that mark.

I tell everyone I know looking for new rides to avoid Sumner ford like the in-laws you hate to see on holidays and come up with any reason to be elsewhere lol

 

[archerscreek]

yes they will and it warms my heart …

I tell everyone I know looking for new rides to avoid Sumner ford like the in-laws you hate to see on holidays and come up with any reason to be elsewhere lol

I don’t blame you one bit. Some dealers are as crooked as they come, and the various state departments of consumer protection and the auto manufacturers themselves don’t do a dang thing about it.

 

[SHANUT]

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.

Unless you’re putting that thing on a Dyno, you’ll never be able to tell the difference. A couple of horsepower will not be noticeable.

 

[DALOLA]

Unless you’re putting that thing on a Dyno, you’ll never be able to tell the difference. A couple of horsepower will not be noticeable.

Utter BS...unless you drive like grandpa. 🥸

 

[michelle227]

Unless you’re putting that thing on a Dyno, you’ll never be able to tell the difference. A couple of horsepower will not be noticeable.

Tell that to any NA Miata owner...you'll be laughed out of the room.

 

[UncleBrad]

Tell that to any NA Miata owner...you'll be laughed out of the room.

Right! I was thinking the same thing. There are too many variables. Vehicle weight (as in the Miata), gearing, driver experience, where in the power curve the extra horsepower occurs, etc. And it's not just horsepower: there are potential coincident gains in torque to consider.

 

[PIG1]

yes they will and it warms my heart it’s a very nicely optioned ride, the HOSS 3.0 package is pretty decent though if were to do it again I’d just go aftermarket. But yeah, when you’re approaching raptor prices for a 2.3 99% of people are going to turn them down at 70k. I was very particular in what I wanted and couldn’t be happier, but the dealer I ended up going through came in well under that mark.

I tell everyone I know looking for new rides to avoid Sumner ford like the in-laws you hate to see on holidays and come up with any reason to be elsewhere lol

So now that you've had your Bronco for a month now, what is your opinion on it? Drive, ride, performance and quality? I've got till the end of the month to place my order for a 2026. Trying to decide.

 

[RedBeardoh]

So now that you've had your Bronco for a month now, what is your opinion on it? Drive, ride, performance and quality? I've got till the end of the month to place my order for a 2026. Trying to decide.

I’ve had mine since late October actually, and I absolutely love it.

Drive - The manual is incredibly fun to drive, though how mine is optioned/geared I never see 6th gear. 5th gear at 75 on the highway has me around 2600 RPM. This new 2.3 seems to be her happiest between that and around 3k.

Ride - It’s a non-aerodynamic brick on 35s that impresses me every day how comfortable I find it. I really like the way the MGV seats fit me and I could go for hours without needed to stretch. Worlds better than the ones I had in my Ranger.
I find this thing to be surprisingly composed on the road, does not drive like I would expect a large rig on 35s to drive. The wife likes driving it better than her WRX

Performance - to each their own but I feel it’s got plenty of power, it’s not a race car. It’s an off-road machine that happens to double as my daily. Depending on how I drive and where I tend to avg 18-21 MPG on premium. Even with the 2.3 I still feel comfortable passing a vehicle at speed, but again she’s rev happy and to do so with some quickness I have her around 3-4k during the pass.

Quality - for a rig that was built to be abused off road I am very happy with the quality. Sure the interior is rather plasticy, there are small spots on the exterior trim that don’t quite line up, etc. I didn’t buy a Benz, I bought a Bronco. I love what it is, what it isn’t, and getting behind that wheel every time whether I’m going to work or crawling up a trail to a new camping spot.

Hope that wasn’t too rambling, literally just woke up and am typing this one handed while working through first cup of coffee

 

[PIG1]

I’ve had mine since late October actually, and I absolutely love it.

Drive - The manual is incredibly fun to drive, though how mine is optioned/geared I never see 6th gear. 5th gear at 75 on the highway has me around 2600 RPM. This new 2.3 seems to be her happiest between that and around 3k.

Ride - It’s a non-aerodynamic brick on 35s that impresses me every day how comfortable I find it. I really like the way the MGV seats fit me and I could go for hours without needed to stretch. Worlds better than the ones I had in my Ranger.
I find this thing to be surprisingly composed on the road, does not drive like I would expect a large rig on 35s to drive. The wife likes driving it better than her WRX

Performance - to each their own but I feel it’s got plenty of power, it’s not a race car. It’s an off-road machine that happens to double as my daily. Depending on how I drive and where I tend to avg 18-21 MPG on premium. Even with the 2.3 I still feel comfortable passing a vehicle at speed, but again she’s rev happy and to do so with some quickness I have her around 3-4k during the pass.

Quality - for a rig that was built to be abused off road I am very happy with the quality. Sure the interior is rather plasticy, there are small spots on the exterior trim that don’t quite line up, etc. I didn’t buy a Benz, I bought a Bronco. I love what it is, what it isn’t, and getting behind that wheel every time whether I’m going to work or crawling up a trail to a new camping spot.

Hope that wasn’t too rambling, literally just woke up and am typing this one handed while working through first cup of coffee

I'm waiting on the RTR to come out. Researched the mess out of it and found the 7-speed manual transmission will be in it. So I'm waiting on that. 2 different Ford dealerships have me on their list for when the order banks open up. Thanks for the feedback. Just about went after a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X. Real glad I'm not.

 

[RedBeardoh]

I'm waiting on the RTR to come out. Researched the mess out of it and found the 7-speed manual transmission will be in it. So I'm waiting on that. 2 different Ford dealerships have me on their list for when the order banks open up. Thanks for the feedback. Just about went after a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon X. Real glad I'm not.

Buying the bronco also allows you to do the bronco offroadeo (look it up). It’s a TON of fun and I think one of the best things a manufacturer has done for enthusiasts is a long time.

I hope your future Bronco is everything you want out of it, obviously I’ve been pretty damn happy with mine

 

[UncleBrad]

Buying the bronco also allows you to do the bronco offroadeo (look it up). It’s a TON of fun and I think one of the best things a manufacturer has done for enthusiasts is a long time.

I hope your future Bronco is everything you want out of it, obviously I’ve been pretty damn happy with mine

Just a quick note: the OffRodeos completely exclude training and gaining experience with the manual transmission. I went to the Tennessee location last year, and that was their biggest fail - it was otherwise fun and worth it. Also, 2-door Broncos trainers were few and far between.

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