Build Advice - First Time going in to a Bronco

[3pedals]

This will be our first Bronco. Not buying to off-road, will be a daily driver, mostly highway miles and up to the mountains in the winter for snow sports as well as paddle boarding, golfing, and camping/hiking in the summers. The extent of off-road use will likely be just Colorado mountain trailheads, nothing extreme.

Specs we are looking at.

• 4 Door Badlands
• Color TBD : Avalanche Grey, Ruby Red, or Velocity Blue (and maybe even a wrap later).
• non-Sasquatch - want the 33" tires but not the 35s. Don't need the other SAS elements.
• 7 speed MANUAL !!!
• Lux Package
• Black Appearance Package?? not sure on this - what I've seen says this downgrades to 32" tires. And there's not much to it other than the grille and rear black badge which I can get a black badge and could either swap to a black grille OR get an RTR grille.
• Tow Hitch
• Standard 17" wheel for the Badlands - wish it was still two tone.
• Shadow Black Painted Hard Top - might consider body matching top if we went Avalanche Grey and don't get Black Appearance Package
  • Is it worth it to consider dual tops? Plan to get a mesh cover for the summer for when we do take the top off. Sun can be pretty brutal here.
• Roof rails with Crossbars for our roof box - though I might skip it, and get a vertical hitch mounted ski and board carrier - do those work well with the large spare?
• Standard bumper. Don't have any need for the modular.
• Raptor Style Running Boards
• Marine Vinyl seats - I prefer the washout interior and might consider a Katzkin or comparable leather upgrade - I read the Leather option gives you power seats but the factory leather doesn't hold up all that well
• Ford Performance Tune

Love to hear the pitfalls, do's and don'ts of these option choices, what I might be missing, or should just do aftermarket, etc. and why so we screw it up as little as possible.

Thanks!

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[LVS]

If you’re going skiing I would remove the carpets and go with the rubber instead. I went with the 2-door Badlands non-Sasquatch, and painted roof. I was going for the MT but when I found out that the Auto had a Manual drive mode I switched over to that instead. I went with the 2.3 engine for better MPG.

 

[23OBX2.7]

It's a decent spec but try get fabric seats (or custom fabric covers) because these seats have very poor bolstering and fabric grips you in and comfortable all the time. .

Katzkins installers may stuff additional foam in to eliminate bagginess from poor fabrication precision which ruins heater performance.

Full.rubber Matt's on carpet work well.

Must have mesh top.

 

[Valhalla]

my .02$
Why are you getting a Badlands if you are not going offroad (or only very little)? You are paying for armor underneath that adds weight that you won't need. I agree on washout interior. I know some have complained about noise from the MT.
Get dual tops if you will change it seasonally and have a place to store a top.

 

[userdude]

my .02$
Why are you getting a Badlands if you are not going offroad (or only very little)? You are paying for armor underneath that adds weight that you won't need. I agree on washout interior. I know some have complained about noise from the MT.
Get dual tops if you will change it seasonally and have a place to store a top.

The plates are a nothingburger, they're pretty lightweight and just take off the ones you don't want if it bothers you. Meh?

However, the BL does have the e-disconnect, which I consider a bigger unused plus with a big downside, that is, I don't think many of them are going to last and it's finicky to remove entirely. So I would say, ask yourself if you really need the e-disco and the complexity and potential issues it implies.

On the other hand, if you're a button completist or a super symmetry OCD freak, you will have all the buttons. Which one is the one with the ketchup holder, er, single missing button?

 

[3pedals]

my .02$
Why are you getting a Badlands if you are not going offroad (or only very little)? You are paying for armor underneath that adds weight that you won't need. I agree on washout interior. I know some have complained about noise from the MT.
Get dual tops if you will change it seasonally and have a place to store a top.

So the Badlands reason comes down to a few things. I want the 33" tires and the burlier looking Sasquatch fender flares that comes with all Badlands because it gives the Bronco the most appealing height and aggressive stance and that is part of it. I don't care for the look of the Base or Big Bend with the smaller AND more importantly narrower tires that just don't look as good IMO. I find the non-SAS Badlands the perfect middle ground on that. Just tall enough and wide enough.

Also, the Badlands allows me to spec the LUX Package with the Bose stereo, heated steering wheel, (can't remember if the heated seats are also not available on the Big Bend) but there were just a few options I wanted that I had to move up to the Badlands to get. The Outer Banks is NOT an option because it is Automatic transmission only.

And I can get wheels I like better on the Badlands than the Big Bend.

 

[Bio86250]

Ford Performance Tune is a must for the 7-speed. I have it on my Sasquatch and couldn't be happier. I would recommend dumping that fat-ass factory exhaust and going down the aftermarket exhaust route. It's not for making it sound better, but for making it easier to hear the RPM and shift!

 

[3pedals]

It's a decent spec but try get fabric seats (or custom fabric covers) because these seats have very poor bolstering and fabric grips you in and comfortable all the time. .

Katzkins installers may stuff additional foam in to eliminate bagginess from poor fabrication precision which ruins heater performance.

Full.rubber Matt's on carpet work well.

Must have mesh top.

On ALL my cars in Colorado with snow and rain in the spring I go with all weather mats. Yes, usually over carpet, but I like the idea of the washout interior/drains. And like I said I read the leather upgrade is not that great with the real only upside is power seats. I figure I can aftermarket the seats to a durable leather or get covers as I do know the MGV is hot and a sweat nightmare. That said, I had not though about the potential impact on the seat heater performance.

 

[3pedals]

If you’re going skiing I would remove the carpets and go with the rubber instead. I went with the 2-door Badlands non-Sasquatch, and painted roof. I was going for the MT but when I found out that the Auto had a Manual drive mode I switched over to that instead. I went with the 2.3 engine for better MPG.

I do have the vinyl interior with rubber, not carpet selected. For us, the MT is the only route, and really one of the biggest driving factors in getting a Bronco. I really enjoyed the transmission from my initial test drive. Dealer is giving us a half day extended test drive this weekend to let us really see how we like it. Then we are on to ordering.

 

[3pedals]

Ford Performance Tune is a must for the 7-speed. I have it on my Sasquatch and couldn't be happier. I would recommend dumping that fat-ass factory exhaust and going down the aftermarket exhaust route. It's not for making it sound better, but for making it easier to hear the RPM and shift!

Thanks. I had thought an exhaust upgrade might be in the cards at some point. Have you done it? Recommendation? I haven't looked into that yet at all.

 

[TomC]

There are plenty of Badlands MY 2025 that have some big discounts on them around where I live, but you may have to compromise on a couple of your items. I have the non-SAS BL, and the only 2 things I wish it had were the 2..7 and painted top. Good luck

 

[Bio86250]

Thanks. I had thought an exhaust upgrade might be in the cards at some point. Have you done it? Recommendation? I haven't looked into that yet at all.

I did the Rough Country muffler delete kit and it's only 120 bucks. It still sounds terrible, has drone, and is loud, but I am a bachelor now so who cares. I would recommend Borla; they do make quality exhausts with no drone.

 

[Brian_B]

non-Sasquatch - want the 33" tires but not the 35s. Don't need the other SAS elements.

That's pretty much the only SAS element that Badlands gets hah

That said - all good. Badlands will do way more than you will be asking of it.

Take advantage of Off Roadeo even if you don't think you'll be offroading it.

 

[Brian_B]

Thanks. I had thought an exhaust upgrade might be in the cards at some point. Have you done it? Recommendation? I haven't looked into that yet at all.

I did the MRT Elite - was a nice upgrade. Overall the sound was roughly the same loudness, just shifted down to a lower frequency a bit (I mean, you can't really make a 4cyl growl, but closer to it). Not annoying or droney, and much less noticeable while at cruising speed (7MT will run a lot higher RPM in general than the 10AT) - so I was happy with it.

I've seen others do mid-mount mufflers and it frees up a tremendous amount of space under the rear cargo area that can be used creatively too.

I wouldn't recommend a muffler delete unless you hate your neighbors and nature in general.

 

[Brian_B]

Roof rails with Crossbars for our roof box - though I might skip it, and get a vertical hitch mounted ski and board carrier - do those work well with the large spare?

They can work, I've seen them. Definitely easier to get at than on the roof.

Check this out, lots of ideas in this thread
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/ski-and-snowboard-rack-hitch-solution.38394/

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