I’ve been driving my old Ford Ranger Trekker every day for 15 years now. It is a 2005 model and it has survived the great flood of 2011 in Cagayan de Oro during the onslaught of Typhoon Sendong. I mostly used hauling goats and materials in the farm.

Until recently, I got the chance to drive the newest model of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak for the entire weekend. The Wildtrak is one of the top of the line models of the Ford Ranger pick-up truck series. The model I drove is the 2.0-liter 4×2 A/T with Single-Turbo Diesel engine. I realized that driving on an automatic transmission is fun and relaxing especially in the winding country road of Bukidnon.

I went to the Ford dealership in Cagayan de Oro City one Saturday morning to pick up the Ford Ranger Wildtrak. After a quick briefing of the features of the vehicle, I climbed on the Ford Ranger Wildtrak and took it out for a spin.

The interior is way cooler with all the latest technologies available in my arms’ reach compared to my old Ranger. The instrument cluster has a digital display already along with the standard features. You can control the display including the sound system within your steering wheel which is so convenient now. It has dual-zone control of the aircon too where I can lower the temperature of the passenger side and have the cooler temperature on my side. This is great if your spouse or girlfriend doesn’t want the colder temperature and you’re perspiring on your side of the vehicle.

I went driving along several mountains in Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon, exploring the highlands of Cagayan de Oro with my sister and niece. Since we got off in the afternoon already, we encountered heavy downpour going up the mountain road but the Wildtrak handled the wet and muddy roads easily. On the second day of our road trip, we went to the Malitbog area in Bukidnon to see the scenic view of the Tagoloan Canyon, which is considered as the grand canyon of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental. From there, we drove down back to the main highway and went up again to Bukidnon in Manolo Fortich to visit a friend and got some huge pots of red palm tree and calla lily. We also visited Camp Philips at the Del Monte pineapple plantation and grabbed lunch at the famous and historical The Bungalow restaurant.

 

 

As we continued on with our journey, we further drove to reach the foot of the Mount Kitanglad ranges in the popular tourist destination of Dahilayan, but most of the tourist spots and farms are closed to the public due to the COVID pandemic, so we turned around and decided to drive by the Libona route passing by the Agusan Canyon which is a steep downhill and a steep uphill back going up to the Libona, Bukidnon area. I was so impressed with how the Ford Ranger Wildtrak handled the difficult terrain easily despite the rainy weather.

Before going back to the city, we stopped by the Instagram-worthy Chelli’s resto in Kili-og, Bukidnon to have some hot chocolate and torta. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is a great vehicle to be in while driving along the mountains even with a ton of load at the bed. It’s also great for city driving with its car-like steering that is soft to maneuver, thanks to its electric power-assisted steering.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is also fuel-efficient, so those who want to save on gas while driving between long distances will find joy in driving the Wildtrak.

My weekend driving the latest Wildtrak made me realize how technologically-advanced, versatile, and capable the Ford Ranger has become over the last few years. It has become more than a pickup truck but an everyday vehicle that can stand all roads and weather conditions.

If you want to test drive the Ford Ranger, you may reach the Ford Cagayan de Oro dealership via the contact details below:

Contact Person: Dorie Bahian
Designation: General Sales Manager
Contact Number: 0917 772 4989