Advice Needed on Bronco Purchase: Badlands 7MT or Stroppe 2.7L?

[Gopher]

Hello. I am considering purchasing one of two models, both 2-door:

2025 Stroppe
2026 Badlands 7MT

I have test driven both along with a Big Bend 7MT.

For those who have or have had these, what do you think?

I know the manual-vs-automatic debate can get heated, so here goes!

My impressions:
The 2.7L Stroppe is much snappier off the line vs. the Badlands 2.3L 7MT. Interestingly, the Big Bend 2.3L 7MT felt closer to the Stroppe in acceleration, likely due to the smaller tires. The larger tires, I suspect, made the Badlands feel relatively sluggish to me at least below 3,000 RPM.

While I love manual transmissions and thought I wanted it in my Bronco, the 2.7L auto felt much better. Also, I have three Mustangs all with manual transmissions, so have plenty of other time rowing my own gears. Since the Bronco is not an on-road performance vehicle, the stick shift is becoming less important to me.

This will be just a fun vehicle for me, not a daily driver. I will use it for a mix of on- and off-road uses, including some road trips. I have a cabin in the woods, so it will spend a lot of time there running around the wilderness and going into places devoid of people.

I realize that only I can make this decision, but am just curious how others have approached this tradeoff and open to any words of wisdom based on actual usage.

Thanks!

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[HighVelocity]

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[Gopher]

How important is remote start to you?

Not important.

 

[HighVelocity]

Not important.

The Mexican tranny it is then!

 

[PWillette]

BL 7MT if it were me.

 

[FoCoBronc]

I've had '22 OBX 2.7 and now a '26 BL 2.3, and sometimes miss torque of 2.7. Really like my BL and wouldn't go back. This may be last chance to buy 2 door 2.7 if you don't mind color scheme.

 

[mdainsd]

I am more than happy with my Stroppe. As mentioned it a good possibility that they are the last of the V6 2 doors. The automatic is arguably better for off-roading, although many disagree. Any remaining Stroppes are being discounted, saw one in the high 60s advertised last week.

 

[Rivers90]

Oddly, When I am off road I like the auto better, but on road I Like the manual. I really thought it would be the other way.

 

[TheShark]

I'd go Stroppe, unique and as many have said probably the last of the 2dr V6's. I've seen them advertised in the $64K-$65K range. If you hardball them you can probably get less. I bought my '24 2dr HLE in 01/25 for $60k TTL, great deal but had to go all the way (at least on the internet) to Kansas to find it.

 

[userdude]

Can't go wrong either way.

 

[Baja71]

I like my ‘25 Stroppe much better in every way than my 4dr ‘23 Badlands.

 

[TruckCamper]

2.3L is a joy to do maintenance and future repairs look easy. If you plan to do any work yourself it is absolutely the long term maintenance/repair winner. Just less parts and much easier to get around especially with the manual transmission. We love our 2dr 2.3L for that. Our Raptor is a mess and purchased a warranty and let the dealer work on it (2.7L is similar).

 

[MilesTeg]

Hello. I am considering purchasing one of two models, both 2-door:

2025 Stroppe
2026 Badlands 7MT

I have test driven both along with a Big Bend 7MT.

For those who have or have had these, what do you think?

I know the manual-vs-automatic debate can get heated, so here goes!

My impressions:
The 2.7L Stroppe is much snappier off the line vs. the Badlands 2.3L 7MT. Interestingly, the Big Bend 2.3L 7MT felt closer to the Stroppe in acceleration, likely due to the smaller tires. The larger tires, I suspect, made the Badlands feel relatively sluggish to me at least below 3,000 RPM.

While I love manual transmissions and thought I wanted it in my Bronco, the 2.7L auto felt much better. Also, I have three Mustangs all with manual transmissions, so have plenty of other time rowing my own gears. Since the Bronco is not an on-road performance vehicle, the stick shift is becoming less important to me.

This will be just a fun vehicle for me, not a daily driver. I will use it for a mix of on- and off-road uses, including some road trips. I have a cabin in the woods, so it will spend a lot of time there running around the wilderness and going into places devoid of people.

I realize that only I can make this decision, but am just curious how others have approached this tradeoff and open to any words of wisdom based on actual usage.

Thanks!

I have a '24 Badlands 7MT (non-SAS), and a '13 Mustang GT.

My priority was the 7MT, not performance. I get my jollies in the much, much higher performance Mustang/Coyote.

That said, I run 91/3 and will be getting the Ford Performance Tune, because the 2.3l is fine, but I am a bit spoiled. Most all turbos are going to have greatly diminished torque below 2500 or so -- gotta get that turbo spooled up before the engine performs.

Offroad the manual is going to be a bigger challenge than the automatic. I like a challenge, so that works for me, but YMMV. Going slow isn't a huge problem, the crawl gear is your friend, and is actually really fun to use. But shifting while negotiating terrain/obstacles adds some challenge. I had to teach my partner that if you are going down a steep incline in 4LO and want to upshift, you actually just stop and put it in a higher gear. You don't try to shift on the fly, hah.

One issue I dislike about the 7MT is that 5th and 6th (with 4.7 gears in the Badlands) don't seem terribly well thought out. 6th only seems to be useful above 80mph. Below that the turbo is working pretty hard going down even a flat road. I get better mpg (and likely less stress on engine) staying in 5th as long as I am below 80.

 

[nbdybeatsthewiz]

I have a 4dr Badlands 7MT. I recently installed the ProCal Tune for the 2.3L engine and it adds a lot more "pep" to the engine. It feels so much quicker off the line now

MT all the way

 

[MayhemMike]

How important is remote start to you?

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