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The Ford Davao Media Drive was nothing short of amazing. We were able to drive three amazing Ford Ranger vehicles: a Diffused Silver Ranger 2.2.L XLT 4×2 with automatic transmission,  a New Meteor Grey Ranger 2.0L 4X2 with automatic transmission, and my personal favorite, a Lava Grey Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo 4×4, also with automatic transmission.

Each vehicle was assigned 2-3 passengers. My assigned carmates were Mai & Rob. Basically, there were altogether 5 vehicles in the convoy: the Lead Everest 4×2 AT Aluminum Metallic, the three Rangers, the Sweep Marshall Ecosport Ruby Red Trend AT and the documentation vehicle, which was an orange Ranger.

The Media Drive began at the Ford Davao Showroom and ended at Malagos Garden Resort. There were three representatives from Davao Digital Influencers: Mai Antes, Janina Gantuanco, and myself. It was kind of interesting because all three of us were girls and all three of us were able to drive these vehicles dubbed as trucks and pretty much service vehicles.

Mai & I’s first car was the Ranger XLT 4×2 automatic transmission. I liked the fact that we started with the XLT because what happened was that we upgraded cars throughout the drive. I was Driver 2 of the first car and got to drive it at a Jetti gas station.

After switching drivers, I was able to enjoy and explore the feel of the XLT. I have driven both small and large cars before. I personally am used to driving SUVs but I enjoy the singit ability of the small cars. I’m not going to pretend I am a car aficionado. I know the basic things and the only reason I have any idea about them is because of my brother, Gian, who is obsessed with cars. Anyway, since I was used to SUVs, the feel and the size of the Ranger didn’t really faze me. 

We got to explore Davao throughout the Drive. We passed by Magsaysay Park and Quezon Park. Afterwhich, we proceeded to drive up Toril to Eden Nature Park. At Eden, we had our lunch and revisited our childhood by riding Indiana Jones. We were able to try the Cassava & Tablea Ice Cream. I personally favored the Tablea Ice Cream. 

Not long after, we had to resume the trip and switch cars. We were finally able to try the Wildtrak. The Wildtrak was smoother to drive and I want to say faster but I’m not sure if it’s the right term. In general, the feel and the power of the Wildtrak is definitely better than the XLT. We drove the Wildtrak from Eden Nature Park and it was the shortest distance we drove before switching to the Raptor.

Let me tell you a thing about the Ford Ranger Raptor: it is intense. The Ford Ranger Raptor is different from the Wildtrak in a way that it looks more intense, if that makes sense. The Ranger looks intimidating as it is, with its big wheels and heavy grille. To help me describe the Raptor better, let me quote Jason Tulio from TopGear, “The blacked-out Ford badge on the grille is loud, and tells you that this is a different kind of blue oval model. The black theme continues underneath with the bumper and foglight housings.” 

I’ve previously tried driving the Raptor before and the thing about the long drive is that we get to experience the ride more personally as opposed to driving it in a short obstacle course laid out for us. The Raptor is smooth and incredibly light to drive, despite its intimidating appearance. I honestly liked it most out of the three mostly because it felt easier to drive. The bulky exterior seemed to be alienated from its ride.

I drove the Raptor to Philippine Eagle, wherein Ford Philippines handed in a donation.

Afterwhich, we proceeded to go to Gran Verde Farms, where we met the owner and learned about Cacao Farming. We also experienced planting cacao pods and harvesting some. We tried their products, as well. I fell in love with their granola and bought a bag for myself. We had their tablea welcome drink and it was amazing and we even tried their 100% pure tablea nuggets. As much as I want to say that I loved it, I think I’m more of a 60% tablea kind of girl.

We planted some cacao pods and then harvested some and we explored the farm some more. We ended the experience by having merienda and being interviewed by the Ford Philippines team.

Overall, the experience was truly fascinating. The Ford Media Drive allowed us to see Davao in a new light: what it has to offer, what its products are, etc. Of course, the driving experience was incredible. Trying out the three Ranger variants let us see the how well-engineered these cars are. We tested it to its limits and got to see what each car had to offer. If you’re on the prowl for a sturdy car that can carry equipment and goods, I would highly recommend to get any of the Ranger variants.

For reference, I’m going to add the pricelist of the three Ranger variants we were able to try:

• a Diffused Silver Ranger 2.2.L XLT 4×2 with automatic transmission- Php 1,296,000
• a New Meteor Grey Ranger 2.0L 4X2 with automatic transmission- Php 1,515,000
• a Lava Grey Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo 4×4 with automatic transmission-  Php 2,058,000

If you have any questions, you can visit the Ford Philippines’ Facebook page here.