We took the Ford Ranger Wildtrak on a 12-hour road trip to Sagada

The all-new Ford Ranger’s local launch is upon us and we won’t have to wait too long, but the current generation model definitely does not want us to forget about it because it really is one good truck, one of the best perhaps.

A few weeks ago, Ford Philippines gave us a chance to take the Ford Ranger Wildtrak 4×4 on a 12-hour road trip from Metro Manila all the way to the small town of Sagada up north in the mountainous province of ummm…Mountain Province (hehe). 

After such a long drive tackling clogged city streets, the expressways of Central Luzon, the long provincial highways of La Union, as well as the non-stop twisties of Ilocos Sur and the Cordilleras, how does the Ford Ranger (T6) perform after almost a decade in our market and does it prove that pick-up trucks are a good road trip companion?

Design Impressions

It’s no longer a secret that the next generation Ford Ranger will be coming into the local market before the year ends. Despite that, the outgoing model we have still looks very fresh thanks to several updates that Ford has given it over the past years. It’s very easy to conclude that this is one of, if not the best looking among all models in the segment. This is further enhanced by the combination of the Wildtrak and this particular test unit’s Saber body color together with the various gloss black trims all around, including the 18-inch alloy wheels.

Like the exterior, Ford has done a great job in keeping the interior of the outgoing Ranger Wildtrak very fresh to the eyes. It still has one of the most premium interiors among its competitors especially with the leather-covered upper portion of the dashboard with contrast Saber stitching. The same color combination can be found on the leather seats which are also among the most comfortable in the segment, at least in front. 

Overall, it really is hard to find fault with the Ranger’s exterior and interior design, much more so on the Wildtrak. 

Practicality

Of course, the main reason you would buy a pick-up truck is for practicality when loading items at the bed. This however is not usually a pick-up truck’s strength on long road trips especially when occupying both front and rear seats. In the case of this road trip, there were 4 of us including the driver. Each of us brought our own luggage as well as other necessities such as personal reusable water bottles. This particular unit of the Ranger Wildtrak 4×4 was fitted with a power roller shutter on the bed. In other words, it’s a fully-powered retractable cover for the vehicle’s bed. This made it easier for us as all our luggage were placed in the truck bed, freeing up space inside the cabin.

Passenger and storage space for personal items was also not an issue. The two rear passengers had just the right amount of space to be comfortable, both legroom and headroom. One of them was at 5’6” while another was at 5’9” and they both had no issues or concerns. There were also enough places to store their personal smartphones and laptops.

Technology

Technology is one of the Ranger’s strengths over its rivals even until now. Since we were lent the top-spec Wildtrak 4×4 variant, we have all the bells and whistles you can ask for in a pick-up truck. Of course first is the 8-inch SYNC3 touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Having this system of course made it a lot easier for us to navigate to Sagada through the use of Waze which was mirrored onto the screen.

In addition, this variant is also fully-equipped with Ford’s CoPilot 360 System. This means it comes with a handful of driver-assist safety technology such as Pre-Collision Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Aid with Lane Departure Warning, Active Park Assist, and Automatic High Beams. Some of which proved very useful during our road trip.

Driving Experience

Like I mentioned earlier, Ford Philippines lent this to us so we can take it on a long road trip to Sagada, way up in Northern Luzon. The whole trip had a total distance of roughly 900 km from Mandaluyong City to Sagada and back, with a couple of stops which I will detail later. Total travel time one-way should have been between 8 to 9 hours with non-stop driving. It took us 12 hours because of our decision to make a stop in Angeles City, as well as a lengthy stopover in San Juan, La Union. Also, the route involved driving in clogged city streets, expressways, long stretches of provincial highways, and finally tight twisties on mountain roads.

First let’s talk about what’s under the hood. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBlue Bi-turbo Diesel that produces 210 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque, paired to the brand’s 10-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. This is still the most powerful engine in the segment and is shared with the high performance Ranger Raptor and I’m telling you, this engine is also best-in-class.

As mentioned, we started our drive in Mandaluyong City, in the vicinity of Shangri-La Plaza Mall and SM Megamall to be exact and departed at exactly 8:00 PM. This was still during the evening rush going Northbound so as soon as we got on the road, we were already met by standstill traffic on EDSA. There’s really not much to say here except for the fact that the Ranger Wildtrak kept us comfortable for the nearly 1 hour drive going to the North Luzon Expressway, especially with its light steering which was very much useful when switching lanes.

Once we entered the expressway, it was all smooth sailing and with light traffic, I immediately took advantage of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which was admittedly the best among all those I tested. Of course, when not using ACC, the Wildtrak’s bi-turbo engine proved itself very well. It offers all the overtaking power you need and has more than enough to keep you at the speed limit. The Wildtrak also proved to be a comfortable highway cruiser despite having a leaf spring suspension set-up at the rear. It absorbed all road imperfections, especially on the highways of La Union and Ilocos Sur, really well and I must say that it has the best ride quality in the segment after the Navara.

Once we got to the twisties of Ilocos Sur, the Ranger Wildtrak once again proved itself with more than enough power to carry its weight on steep curvy uphill roads. What I did find lacking was steering feel where the Wildtrak’s electronic power-assisted steering felt too light at the corners giving me a little less confidence as I took them. Nevertheless, it was a joy to drive the Wildtrak all the way to Sagada, plus we were able to appreciate some amazing views along the way. Next thing we know, we were already making our way up Sagada’s Staunton Road.

Oh by the way, for those wondering, the entire drive from Metro Manila to Sagada and back returned to us a fuel economy of 11 km/l which is really good if you ask me, especially with the rising costs of diesel fuel.

Sagada Tour

This write-up won’t be complete without me sharing the main highlight of this road trip, the town of Sagada. Within the borders of Mountain Province in the central part of the Cordillera Region, it has an elevation of roughly 1,472 meters above sea level, similar to the more popular and tourist haven Baguio City. Our accommodation was Misty Lodge & Cafe. It was actually my second time staying there, having checked-in during my previous trip to Sagada. Now with a new building, the rooms were much improved compared to before. We initially reserved a room for 4 people but we were given a nice large room for 6 with its own bathroom and balcony. The room itself felt very homey and warm largely thanks to its wooden materials all around.

Our first day was really meant for some rest and relaxation but once we recovered our energy from the long drive, we went out for some yogurt, one of Sagada’s specialties. Of course, Yoghurt House was the place to go where we ordered some Honey Yogurt and Blueberry Granola Yogurt. These tasted really good and are always definitely worth coming back for. After that, we made our way to Lake Danum to see the sunset. Unfortunately it was closed during our visit so we went up a nearby view deck instead. Once there, the view was immediately covered with fog so we went up a view deck with no view (lol).

After that, we made a stop at Sagada Pottery. Not only can you buy various pots and mugs, and other hand-made dishware, you can also make pots yourself. We went here to check out their products. Dinner soon came and we went for some really crunchy and tasty fried chicken at the Masferre Inn.

Day 2 was spent for activities, at least for my team. I took the opportunity for some more relaxation while they visited popular Sagada landmarks such as the Hanging Coffins and Sumaguing Cave, both of which I already visited. There’s also the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin which is a must-visit especially for architecture geeks. Oh, we also had lunch together at Sagada Brew which is one of the few restaurants in the town that has its own parking area. The food here is also one of the best and is definitely highly recommended.

Conclusion

With travel definitely booming once again, Sagada is definitely one of the best places to drive to. Of course, make sure that you have with you a trustworthy vehicle and in this case, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak proved itself to be one. Extremely light steering aside, it ticked all the right boxes for it to be a trusty long road trip companion.

Sagada Travel Tips

When visiting Sagada, be sure to plan the places you want to visit in advance as you will need a tour guide as required by the town’s tourism department. You’ll also need to pay in advance and everything you need to know can be found below:

• You must have booked at least a one-night stay at a DOT- and LGU-accredited tourist accommodation establishment. 
• Before traveling, make sure to register at https://umali-kayo.sagada.gov.ph. You will receive some codes (one per person) from your accommodation establishment which you’ll need during registration.
• Bring your vaccination card during your trip as this needs to be presented at the checkpoint at the border of Sagada and Bontoc. You can only enter Sagada between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
• Make sure to bring your own private vehicle when traveling to Sagada as public transportation remains suspended.
• You will need to pay a tourist registration fee of Php 100 per person at the checkpoint. Make sure to keep the receipt as you will need it to book your tours of different Sagada attractions.
• When touring around Sagada, it is best to leave your vehicles at your accommodation establishment as parking space is limited and roads are tight. In our case, only two establishments have their own parking while the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin has a pay parking area.
• Respect the locals of Sagada as they have a different culture from ours.

Vehicle Summary