 |
Road Trip
Class A Sabbatical
Some consider eight hours of driving punishment. With a Mercedes B-Class, we say, 'Bring it on!'
Words by Dinzo Tabamo; Photography by Joel Paz
The assembly time was bloody 7am, which meant I had to get up at roughly 5:30am, shower, then trudge to the rendezvous point at Serendra inside The Fort. But if anything is worth waking up early for, it's a road trip. Plus, this was a road trip by Mercedes-Benz—their first, in fact. I was curious as to how the German marque would undertake this traditional motoring event.
I was accompanied by Joel Paz, our former art director. This road trip held special significance because it was to be Joel's last official motoring event. Two weeks after this trip, he'd fly to Italy to join his family. We wasted no time in dubbing him the 'Italian Stallion'.
Joel and I arrived at Portico where some of our colleagues were already having breakfast. Apple Ting and Andros Villaraza of CATS Motors (Mercedes-Benz's official distributor in the country) welcomed us and settled us in while we waited for the latecomers (it felt good saying that for once). Despite Apple's beauty, we still couldn't help but gaze in anticipation at the small fleet of Mercedes vehicles parked in front of the restaurant. The thought that we would be driving them for a whole weekend only served to whet our appetite.
While having breakfast, we were handed our goodie bags. These normally contained a shirt with the carmaker's logo, press kit, and miscellaneous items that the organizer deemed necessary for the trip. But CATS included a compact toiletry bag that contained all the grooming products needed for an out-of-town trip. I almost felt fortunate that I had forgotten my toothbrush. Clearly, attention to detail is not a problem at CATS.
After eating, we changed into the polo shirts provided and were led upstairs to the conference room for the briefing. At this point, none of us had any idea what CATS had in store for us, other than the event was to be held in Camarines Sur. Andros started the presentation with a briefing on the B-Class and the M-Class, the vehicles we would be using for this trip. By now, we were close to salivating, eager to see and test everything, from the ABS to the traction control. We even kidded Andros about testing the airbags and safety features, but his nervous laughter suggested this was not a course of action to be seriously considered.
Apple then began the presentation about where we were really going. Everyone leaned forward in anticipation. Which quickly turned to shock. There seems to be a misconception that we motoring journalists are fond of extreme sports. Car manufacturers make us climb mountains, rappel, kayak, trek, and so on. Mercedes was no exception. Projected on the wall was a picture of someone suspended in midair at the apex of a wakeboarding jump.Wakeboarding! The Manila Standard's Dino Directo—who, like me, has a body that has seen too many buffet tables—looked at me with a funny look on his face. I suspect we were thinking the same thing: Mercedes would have to give us one of the B-Class units parked downstairs if they expected us to fling our bodies into the air, towed by a rope, while standing on a plank of wood. Probably the only one among us who would be in his element was Philippine Star writer Andy Leuterio, who is also the editor of Action & Fitness magazine.
We all looked at each other, nodded in silent agreement, and unanimously nominated Andy as our official wakeboarding representative. That settled, we eagerly went to our assigned cars to kick off Mercedes-Benz's first out-of-town drive.
There were three B-Class cars and one M-Class SUV in front of Portico. Two to three journalists were assigned to each car. Apple, Andros and the rest of the CATS team would ride in a Chrysler Pacifica and a Jeep Comman-der (CATS Motors also happens to be the Philippine distributor of Chrysler). Joel and I were assigned our own B150, which was so new it still had plastic inside. There's still nothing like the smell of a new car, never mind if it's probably the smell of plastic and resin glue.
After a quick photo session, we were off. I took the wheel first and we headed for South Luzon Expressway, through Batangas, then the vast expanse that was Quezon province. CATS planned for the trip and logistics well; Joel and I didn't. We forgot one very vital component of a road trip: music. We had iPods but no FM transmitter, and we forgot to bring CDs. Nevertheless, the B150 proved to be an entertaining companion.
I didn't get the character of the B150 right away. It had power, but the transmission wasn't inclined to give it to you right away. The B-Class is what Benz calls a 'Sports Tourer'. It has a high roofline that increases interior space, but also raises the center of gravity. And a high center of gravity is not good for handling. I also noticed that the two other B-Class units were B170 models. While the engine difference was minimal, the other two were shod with 17-inch tires compared to our 16-inchers. And that made a difference in handling. But I soon got the hang of our B.
Joel, who had easily been the best driver in the Top Gear team that had participated in a media driving challenge, showed me how to use the B's continuously variable transmission, allowing me to draw more power out of the B150. By the time we got to Batangas, I had understood the Tourer aspect of the B-Class. This car isn't a sprinter; it's more like a long-distance runner. Weaving through the national road was lots of fun. The B didn't corner like it was on rails, sure, but it was honest to you about its limits. With a good view of the road ahead, it was easy to anticipate a turn or bend, and you knew just how much to push the car. No nasty surprises here. Despite only a few hours' sleep, I was enjoying the drive immensely.
We had lunch at a restaurant in Quezon, which was roughly halfway to our destination. After lunch, Joel and I switched places. The road became bad past that point as the highway was being extensively repaired. The road turned from bad to worse, and it wasn't about avoiding ruts and holes anymore—it was choosing the least jarring ones. It then dawned on me that we were lucky we had 16-inch tires instead of lower-profile 17s. Our thicker tires absorbed the shockwaves better, and the wonderful selective damping suspension did the rest.
By nightfall, we arrived at the CamSur Watersports Complex, just in time for dinner. Total travel time was about eight hours. After dinner, I availed of the massage offered by the resort. The pressure was a bit hard, so I told the girl: "Not too much pressure, plea-zzz..."
The next morning, I went to partake of the breakfast prepared for us. In the daylight, I got my first good glance around the resort. At the center was the cable wakeboarding facility. A small man-made lake was the centerpiece, with a big lagoon in the middle. Scaffolding went around the ring of water surrounding the lagoon. This structure held the ropes and the handles that the wakeboarders held on to while they were pulled around the artificial lake. On the water were ramps of different sizes for the air tricks.
It looked easier than it sounds, and it seemed simple enough when Andy did a few rounds. Philippine Star's James Deakin was emboldened by the apparent simplicity, and he went to the staging area and got suited up. A few minutes later, we saw him being pulled by the rope and onto a wakeboard. He seemed to be having fun. He aimed for the first ramp he saw. We held our breath as he flew for a split second before plunging face first into the water. That was all the encouragement we needed. We ordered a round of beer and waited for lunch.
The rest of the day went by revolving on those three activities: relax, drink, eat. Now it might seem like a total waste to travel to a world-class watersports facility and not try out the main attraction. But I would be lying—and I believe I can speak for my peers as well—if I said we didn't enjoy ourselves. We were in shorts and sandals, sipping cold brewskies, breathing the fresh air (all around the complex were open fields and there was a good breeze), and enjoying each other's company.
One of my colleagues commented that this wasn't a bad idea. Those who wanted to wakeboard or swim in the pool or avail of the resort's other activities were free to do so. No program and no pressure. As far as I and Joel were concerned, we were there to enjoy the vehicles and the sights. Everything on top of that was mere icing on the cake.
The next day, we were very refreshed for the long drive back. It rained in several portions of Quezon, but the B150 didn't even blink. The electronic stability control kept us planted on the road despite the wet condition. The rain didn't diminish the driving experience at all.
We arrived in Manila by late afternoon.
Mercedes' first media out-of-town activity was much like the B-Class. It wasn't aggressive but it let you go where you wanted to go—all in the comfort and style characteristic of a Benz. The laid-back atmosphere was so refreshing for people with erratic schedules like us. We can't wait for the next one. SLK, anyone?
Click on the thumbnails to view larger image
Post your opinion in our Top Gear Forum!
Top Gear Philippines - October 2007
|
|
Top Gear's informative, entertaining and readable
guide to every new car on
sale. Search Car
Download these wallpapers
right to your desktop.
Download
|
|
