To Pagudpud and back with the Forester

There are worse things to be in, I suppose, than be stuck in a hot and dusty province that’s only one-fifth of the way to your destination. Worse, even, than spending four hours with your thumbs essentially up your butt in traffic, thanks to all the good people out there who think they have the God-given right to counterflow.

Ah well, when you take an almost brand-new, P1.2 million-plus Subaru Forester for a 1,200-kilometer round-trip to the tip of Luzon during Holy Week with your father just to tell a story, expect things to go wrong. And when they do go wrong, this is when you have a passable excuse to become philosophical and analyze things in the context of the overall Philippine experience. Traffic jams, exorbitant hotel rates, and bad service, you see, are perfect examples of why this benighted country is in such a mess.  

But let’s not talk about it now. As with any meal, let’s take the good stuff first.

GM Philippines, the distributor of Subaru cars, calls the Forester a "Sports Safety Vehicle" and not a generic "Sport Utility Vehicle". Heck, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it’s probably good to eat, right? Yet "Sports Safety Vehicle" isn’t such pretentious let’s-call-it-something-different copy after all. The car is actually rather nice. It is a tall, all-wheel-drive wagon for two that happily transported us to our destination and back with a minimum of fuss and a fair amount of driving enjoyment. This contrarian-looking Japanese SUV reminds more of Prime Minister Koizumi – edgy and slightly weird at first glance. 

Driving it, the Forester is a champ on long distance, delivering fatigue-free, high-speed cruising. Not many people in this country may know what the heck a Subaru is but the good boys and girls of Fuji Heavy Industries (which makes Subaru vehicles) apparently know how to build a wagon that loves to be driven long and hard.  

But did I say "for two"? The Forester is officially a 5-seater, but a cramped rear bench seat would have elicited complaints from any passengers. Why bring dead, living, or even living-dead weight along when you can free up that space at the back so the front passenger can recline his seat all the way back for a four-hour nap? This is important to consider, especially when a one-way trip up north can take up to 16 hours.  

After we’d thrown our bags, a mountain bike, and a cooler with the all-important booze onto the cargo area, there was just enough space to fit several bags of Doritos. Armed with cash, ATM and credit cards, but only 125 horsepower from the 2.0-liter flat four, we hit the road in style.

You know how many other Foresters we came across during the entire 1,200-kilometer round trip? Zero. We were so unique it was cool as long as we stopped worrying where we could have the car fixed in case something went wrong under the hood. But who cares? Nothing broke. Not even our resolve to finish the trip and not come home right away while still in Tarlac, as victims of the ghastly traffic mess.

Things brightened up after we got past that city, allowing us the pleasure of cruising at an average of 80 kph in La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte, with several 130 kph blasts whenever the road turned straight.

It was interesting to sample the Forester’s all-wheel drive, which apportions power equally to all four wheels all the time. That is, until traction changes and then the vehicle decides to reapportion torque to the wheels with the most grip. There’s even a lever to switch between "high" and "low" range. But who’d drive this thing on a terrain so grueling that you’d have to use "low" range?

We enjoyed the tight curves and switchbacks going into Vigan and past Laoag with the all-wheel drivetrain, getting a taste of how Tommi Makkinen must feel now that he’s piloting the Subaru Impreza WRC car.

Add a lovely 4-spoke Momo steering wheel, leather-wrapped shifter, smooth pedal operation, strong brakes with ABS, sharp steering response, supple ride, firm handling, and mucho sporty and comfortable, suede-covered seats, and this is what makes a potentially nerve-wracking trip worthwhile.

Fuel economy is about what you’d expect from a car that’s always driving all four wheels, and which thus has to counter more rotational inertia: 8 to 14.5 kilometers to a liter. Acceleration isn’t blinding since those 125 horses have to contend with 1,365 kilos of Forester, but the 5-speed stick helps in making the most of it. 

Once in Pagudpud – the beach where many a commercial and film has been shot – we had the good fortune to find the last available room within, oh, 150 kilometers since even Vigan had no vacancies. This is what you get when too many people gush about how beautiful and must-see Pagudpud is, annoying you no end until you actually make the trip yourself. Go there for a Holy Week getaway? You’re out of your mind. The people you think you’ll get away from have the same idea as you.

For an unholy Holy Week rate of P2,800 a night at the Terra Rikka resort, we got a double bed, air-conditioning, no cable TV, no free meals, and occasional water. Being the spoiled Manileños that we are, we were surprised to find out that 1) they don’t take credit, and 2) the nearest ATM is in Laoag, which is an hour away.

At least we didn’t have to get nailed to a cross. Then again, it’s not like we were out to save the world either.

Next day after making the run to Laoag and back to the beach for lunch, we had a scrawny piece of fried chicken and some grilled fish, fooled by an optimistic claim of their being "good for two".

In spite of all this, we still had a good time. Incidents like those you file in your memory for transcription later in a potential horror story.

Going back home, we were not surprised that we (again) got stuck in seriously heavy traffic in Tarlac. It’s difficult to have to shuffle CDs all the time with the car’s single-disc, in-dash player, but the cockpit is well designed for trips like these, traffic and high speed cruises included. More pockets, bins, and cubbyholes than you can stuff with potato chips, candy bars, and maps. Even the cupholders are neat. They fold out near the top of the center console and right below the central aircon vents, thus keeping drinks cool as long as the aircon’s running.

Details like those help make the best of a tiring situation.