DIsclosure: Ford Philippines took us on a two-day media drive with the next-generation Ford Territory. The company paid for all our meals and accommodation. 

Ford Philippines recently allowed us to test all variants of the Ford Territory on a quick media drive from Pasig to Tagaytay and back.

Instead of taking the typical highway route to Tagaytay, we took the long way around which brought us through Tanay's mountain roads through Pagsanjan and then up the back roads of Tagaytay to get to our final destination, Anya Resort. 

ALSO READ: FULL REVIEW: 2023 Ford Territory Titanium -- The 'Blue Oval' hits the bulls-eye!

An ideal road trip car

A good road trip car must be easy to drive, comfortable, and not taxing on the driver over long distances. This is where the Ford Territory shines, as it has excellent supportive seats that hold you well in place but are soft enough for long-distance travel.

Ford's compact crossover also has advanced driver assist systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Emergency Braking, and Lane Keep Assist to make long stretches of highway feel like a breeze. They made it easier for the designated driver to watch over the car and helped reduce stress over the long drive.

It also has a decent amount of power with 160 PS and 248 Nm of torque from 91 octane or higher fuel to give it balanced acceleration, making it handy on mountain roads. The Territory even offers several driving modes, such as Standard, Eco, Sport, and Mountain, the latter made our drive exciting as the Ford Territory was more responsive in this mode.

We also averaged around 10km/l for the trip, which isn’t bad considering the quick pace and the winding mountain roads we had to deal with.

Comfortable even as a passenger

What you feel as a driver differs from what you feel as a passenger. The front seats are more supportive than the back. So in fast corners, rear passengers  tend to be thrown around. But with the seat belts on, the rear seats held us in place for the most part and are soft enough to be comfortable even through extended periods of sitting.

The Ford Territory also has a surprising amount of legroom and headroom in the back. It gives a spacious feeling even with the front seats pushed to the back. There's enough room to relax and enjoy the sights, especially with the  Titanium X version which has the panoramic sunroof.

Useful driving aids

One of the highlights of the Ford Territory is its 360-degree camera and massive infotainment system. It can already support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

To make things even more convenient for the driver, the Ford Territory's automatic parking feature does all the heavy lifting by driving and steering the vehicle into your desired parking spot. It takes a bit more time than if you did it yourself, but the system is very intuitive and will even correct itself if it thinks it made a mistake.

The 360-degree camera also makes parking a breeze. It even helped in tight situations where we needed an extra pair of eyes, as demonstrated in the miniature obstacle course Ford set-up for the Territory that had us use the feature.

The 360-degree camera, along with the automatic parking feature, takes the cake

Overall, our driving experience with the Ford Territory showed us that it is a balanced vehicle for those who want something they can take on a road trip on the fly. It can also double as a capable daily driver and as a vehicle that can keep up with your active lifestyle.

But don't just take our word for it, test-drive one for yourself!