One aspect of our job that we constantly look forward to are the media drives. It’s a fun way to test out new vehicles, with destinations usually being hotels/resorts, restaurants, or even landmarks, especially when you’re close with your colleagues during the drive.
But, there’s always that sense of duty to test the vehicles, take notes, and produce content, meaning work and play has to be balanced since we still have a job to do. Hence, I was in a state of preparing myself to find out what content I’d need to produce for this drive, courtesy of Mazda Philippines.
The catch? Instead of testing out one of the newer vehicles from the brand, I would use my very own Mazda 3 (nicknamed Hotaru), and we would meet up with fellow motoring journalists and content creators at Shell Mobility Haven in Mexico, Pampanga. What happened over the next day turned out to be one of the most fun and relaxing media drives I’ve ever been in.
Apart from the two BT-50 Pangolins driven by Alex Lim (BanaweBoy), Justin Santos (Buzzhype), Chenee Jimenez, and Albert Quiroz, the rest of the lineup was different cars from Mazda Philippines’ lineup.
Isaac Atienza of GoFlatOut PH and Macoy Averillia (Macoy Dubs) brought in two Mazda 6 20th Anniversary Edition wagons. Charles Banaag and Leandre Grecia of TopGear Philippines arrived in a Mazda 3 equipped with AutoExe parts, and Reph Bangsil in the MX-5 Club Edition. Julian Panlilio of The AutoPH would be riding and taking second driver duties with me, and a CX-60 Turbo Diesel would be following us with folks from Mazda Philippines acting as a sweeper car.
The end goal? Just a trip to Baguio Country Club, where we would experience the full capabilities of our vehicles in one of the most underrated driving routes in the country.
This was a chance to know my car better. I rarely bring my car out on long road trips, using it as a weekend car within the city. Despite being only 1.5 years old, Hotaru accumulated 6,700km on the odometer before the trip took place, with cabin rattles and battle scars included.
The variant I have is the Sport, but with a few modifications. I fitted the original Speed body kit with a color-matched spoiler, and swapped out the stock 18-inch wheels in favor of 18-inch BBS SRs with the same factory Bridgestone Turanza rubber (215/45), just a tad bit stretched.
This meant that the Mazda 3’s notoriously low front clearance was a little bit lower, and that the two 3s in the convoy had to be extra cautious during the trip. In fact, I ended up scraping my lip when we were pulling up to the villa’s steep parking area. A skill issue, as Julian told me.
While the long (and admittedly boring) drive from NLEX to Shell Rosario could have been made less arduous with adaptive cruise control as the Sport only has standard cruise control, at least the ride was very comfortable in the 3’s nice cabin.
Supportive black leather seats, the 12-speaker Bose sound system, and the intuitive, minimalist layout featuring a 10.25-inch non-touch screen operated by a commander knob in the middle. Admittedly, it’s not the roomiest in its segment, especially when it comes to the rear seats, but it’s a very driver-focused layout that’s rare in today’s screen-focused interiors.
Once we started climbing up, I began to understand Hotaru’s driving dynamics even more. Asin Road is composed mostly of twisties, corners, and sharp elevation changes. Enthusiasts love this place as it challenges both your skill and your car to enjoy this road at a safe pace.
While the 3 may have been the weakest of all the cars in the convoy with only 155 horsepower and 200 Nm of torque, the 2.0-liter naturally aspirated Skyactiv-G engine was encouraging me to wring the engine to the (safe) redline of 6,000rpm.
The six-speed automatic transmission may look archaic compared to the transmissions today, but shifts are quick and responsive, and intelligent enough to know when it’s time to kick down to a lower gear for more power. The 3’s heavy, communicative steering, controlled body roll, surprising agility for a front wheel drive car, and responsive brakes made it feel very confident in the hairpins and chicanes.
It did get a bit tiring toward the end for the drivers after nearly an hour of hard driving, but it was rewarding to be able to stretch Hotaru’s legs and find out how much more capable the car is, and that my driving needs a lot of work.
Isaac found that his 6 Wagon was more comfortable than he thought it was, with suspension improvements over the previous facelift. Macoy said his 6 Wagon was composed and confident, with an engine that loves to be revved high, perfect for a practical enthusiast.
Charles was impressed by the 3’s handling and the connected feel with the driver, while Leandre and Julian were left infatuated with the combination of style and driving dynamics, making it a must buy for them in the future.
Justin loved the BT-50’s mix of styling, premium feel, and power for a pickup truck. Chenee found it very stable with impressive steering feedback in the twisties. And as for Alex, he liked it so much that he’s genuinely considering buying one of his own.
It was Reph’s first time with an ND MX-5. He describes it as if “it was like a dream, a partner in crime that followed his every move with a true mind-muscle-machine connection.”
Musings about the cars aside, this was one media drive where everything felt a little bit different.
With help from Mazda Philippines, Macoy was the one who planned everything, so big props to him and the team.
We’re all close friends with each other, so there was no awkwardness. Coordinating with each other for shooting content, the radio banter, small mistakes we made, and the hijinks within Baguio made the trip feel more like a road trip with friends, rather than your typical ride-and-drive plus work affair.
Admittedly, there were inappropriate times during the drives that I ended up working or shutting myself out. In today’s digital-heavy world, genuine gatherings like these should not be taken for granted. Rare moments with friends and family should be cherished, whether on or off the road.
