The best trim for a new buyer

[Gopher]

I am all for not overspending, but adding some of these options is a small expense relative to the total cost of the vehicle. Adding them later becomes more expensive or difficult without trading vehicles, which is more expensive.

Looking back at my vehicle purchases and even houses, 100% of my regrets have been for the options I did not get, never for too many options.

If a few thousand $ on top of a $50k vehicle will make you enjoy it more, it is well worth the spend to me.

If you cannot afford it, that is a different decision: Settle now or wait to get the model you really want later.

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[HalfmuleFarmer]

Looking back at my vehicle purchases and even houses, 100% of my regrets have been for the options I did not get, never for too many options.

As a wise man once said: We rarely regret the things we do. Far more often we regret the things we didn’t do.

 

[Retired_Bronco_Life]

Raptor....everything you need and more..

 

[HalfmuleFarmer]

Raptor....everything you need and more..

Especially re: fenders.

 

[Gopher]

Raptor....everything you need and more..

Except for two doors!

 

[timn]

I bought a base squatch love it.

 

[stevenstommyboy1]

Especially re: fenders.

It’s a full figured Bronco.

 

[KreeHBronco]

Depends on whether you love to upgrade and work on your vehicle or just want to do a minimum of upgrades. For me, I fall into the later category and I also keep my vehicles for a very long time (driven current for 16 years), so I find getting all the options I want at the start of ownership and even ones that I may someday want, works for me. Any added option cost is spread over many years of ownership. I went with a 2026 4-dr Badlands non-SAS 2.3L w/manual with Lux (for 360 camera mostly) and leather seats. Even with all the good stuff, I still ended up adding mods!

 

[thomasj2352]

do you wish that you had gone with the larger motor in the Badlands, it seems like a heavier vehicle that would need the extra power. wouldn’t the 2.7 last longer? maybe the manual was a priority…I used to fall into the first category, but as I’m hitting my gray haired years, I’m more into the latter like yourself.

 

[Steve_In_29]

Bronco Sport Badlands gets very high reviews from the people at Off-Roadeo.

Add the Sas package

 

[crzyhawk]

As a loaded 2DR Badlands owner, I can’t understand why anyone would spend Badlands money and not be planning some serious off-road time. I guess people spend cosmetic money on vehicles all the time, but the trims don’t really look any different. It’s just tires. Save the money you’d spend on functionality you won’t use and waste it on other stuff like nice camping gear and tasty lunch spots.

This right here. I think for what the OP has posted, Big Bend with mid package is the answer. It's pretty street oriented, and capable enough to get to most of the places overlanders are going to go. It's on 32s, which don't look as undersized as what comes on the base, and gives a bit of extra clearance. It's not loaded down with armor that you probably won't need, so you can carry more camping gear. Mid package comes with a few creature comforts which I didn't think I'd appreciate, but have learned to on mine.

As for the black diamond package, taking that along with the mid package gets you a rear locker, armor, better offroad 32's and 4.46 gears which are all nice, but brings the price up to ~52k, assuming automatic tranny. Badlands with just the automatic gives you all that, better front diff, steering rack, shocks/springs, 33's for that 10% time overlanding and a front locker. Price is ~53k. IMHO the black diamond package is just a scam for people who think they are saving money by not buying the badlands. the cost between a BB with black diamond is nearly the same, but the capability is not nearly the same.

TL/DR: Big Bend. If you don't think that has enough capability for your needs, skip the distractions in the middle of the lineup. Don't plus up a bottom feeder. Just get the Badlands without Sasquatch and get more vehicle for nearly the same price.

 

[Big Red Rocket of Love]

would like to get some recommendations from the group on trim levels to consider. 90 to 95% of my time will be on road, but with the hope of doing some over landing. I’m not into rock crawling if that helps the recommendations but I do expect to be off tarmac a little bit. I would rather not aim for a bare-bones model, some electrical accessories would be appreciated for sure any recommendations would be really appreciated. Thanks.

I was in the same position you are now, roughly 18 months ago. As much as I love the macho, beefier look of a Sasquatch trim, realisticly I'm beyond that phase of my life. I spend most of my time driving on pavement, with a little bit of off-road (not always intentionally) driving here or there. In the end I opted for a new OBX and have zero regrets. I'm getting a combined 24 mpg, and it's super comfortable to drive. My wife isn't the biggest Bronco fan, so that means I'm the only one driving it in our household. I bought mine outright and plan to keep it forever.

~Steve

 

[thomasj2352]

what motor are you running in the OBX?

 

[23OBX2.7]

For the insane bundling options pricing and cheap quality I'd go for base model and spend the $20K on quality interior, sound system and suspension and probably have enough left over for low hrs KTM 250 for real offroading.

Ford lease residuals are stupid high to keep payments artificially low .... in this case get e loaded one and damage protection.

 

[CitrusBronco]

Man, that’s not what I wanted to hear! I’ll have almost bought a off-road premium forerunner, but there are a number of compromises that I have to make with it one being the iPad for a screen and the way the steering wheel and the dash and the front seat worked together is just not overly comfortable for me, but I when I sat in the bronco it’s like dang this is it

All my fords have gone well over 200k and were sold still running. None of them had any issues before 200k mark and the stuff after that was not major.
The “ford has no reliability” is a myth pushed by haters. I’ve helped my friends fix there Toyotas more than I had to fix my ford trucks.
You can always buy the extended warranty just like all the Toyota guys do when they buy their Toyotas.

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