Heading to Haga in the 320i

The other day, my family of four and I took a trip to Haga in Hyogo Prefecture in our BMW 320i. Haga is a rural town located in Shiso City, in the central-western part of Hyogo Prefecture. Many car and motorcycle enthusiasts in the Kansai area might already know it, as the roads and scenery there are truly beautiful.

At our house, whenever we get a new car, the first place we go is always Haga. That’s because not only are the roads beautiful, but there’s also a perfect hidden gem of a spot to take stunning photos of our beloved car. This photo spot has been a secret favorite of my husband’s for about 25 years.

So this time, we decided to head to Haga in the freshly delivered 320i, and since it was a special occasion, I let my husband drive. Later on, as usual, he’ll write a report on how he felt about driving it. (Since I drive it every day, he only got a quick spin on delivery day.)

…I guess I’ve been relying on my husband’s test drive reports a bit too much lately… I should work harder to write my own reports too (sweat).

Putting My Manual Transmission Practice to the Test!

I started off driving. “I’m going to show off the progress I’ve made in the 10 days since delivery!” I thought, and eagerly began driving. My husband said, “You can start off normally now!” but somehow, having him sitting next to me felt like having an instructor in the passenger seat. I ended up stalling in places I normally wouldn’t and panicked during hill starts (-_-).

My husband teased me,

“Mina, you’re the kind of person whose ‘mental state’ directly affects your ‘driving skills,’ huh? lol”

So I defended myself, saying, “No way, I’m usually better! It’s just that having an instructor riding shotgun makes me nervous!” and somehow pulled myself together to keep driving.

Gradually, I got used to having the instructor in the passenger seat and regained my usual driving feel. Then, casually glancing at the sticker on the car ahead…

There it was—a sticker that read “MT Car: Beware of Rolling Back on Hills” (ﾟдﾟ)! I had briefly mentioned ordering this sticker on the blog before (I got the wide version).

Turns out, some people really do put this sticker on their cars! It was my first time seeing it in the wild.

This sticker is surprisingly effective. As a following driver, I kept a cautious distance, but the car ahead didn’t roll back on the hill at all and actually started smoothly—it was driven very skillfully. There was really no need to put the sticker on, so maybe it’s just for the family’s practice.

After that, we got on the highway and switched drivers at a service area. Now it was my husband’s turn to drive the 320i. Curious about what he’d say, I listened closely as he tried shifting up and down while driving.

“The clutch engagement feels really clear,” “As expected, BMW’s handling is sharp—it carves through corners,” “The highway stability is good, but I wonder if the slightly floaty ride is due to the tires?”

The 320i started off in “Comfort” mode, which made the suspension soft, but since my husband and I prefer a firmer ride, switching to “Sport” mode made the suspension feel just right and crisp.

That said, once we got used to it, I found myself wishing for a “Sport Plus” mode or something similar that would stiffen the suspension a bit more. But since this 320i is the base model—not the sportier M Sport version—it’s probably unrealistic to expect that.

Still, this 320i is very quiet. Even when my husband downshifted and revved the engine, the engine noise was barely audible, so the sensation of acceleration was muted. (Which means watch out for speeding! lol) It felt like a Mercedes-Benz—quiet and comfortable, making it very pleasant for passengers.

Taking the Back Roads to Haga

We exited the highway at Yamazaki IC and headed to Haga on local roads. Traffic was heavy at first, but as we went north, it thinned out and we enjoyed a refreshing run on peaceful country roads. The weather was sunny and almost hot, so we stopped at a convenience store to hydrate.

After that, we drove freely along the country roads leading to Haga.

Driving these rural roads made me realize once again, “Japan is truly beautiful.” Cherry blossom-lined streets in spring, fresh greenery in summer, colorful autumn leaves, and snowy white landscapes in winter—each season offers a completely different charm. The road to Haga looked totally different when we visited during the autumn foliage season, so I never get tired of coming here.

After about an hour on local roads, we arrived at the parking lot of the hidden photo spot. As usual, there was no one else there lol.

When we come here, my husband usually spends 30 minutes to an hour taking photos of the car, so I left the photography to him and let the kids play on the grassy field next to us.

A clear stream runs nearby, and at night you can even see fireflies. The kids were thrilled, playing barefoot. When I thought, “They’ve played a lot,” I glanced over at my husband… and yep, he was still taking photos (laughs).

By the way, here are some photos my husband took then.

I want to come back here to shoot in other seasons too… Though I say that, I left all the shooting to my husband and didn’t take a single photo myself (lol).

After my husband finished photographing the 320i, we took some pictures of the kids as well.

We tried to climb further up the mountain and descend the other side, but a “Caution: Road Collapse” sign blocked the way, so we turned back (typical when I’m driving) and returned the way we came, heading home.

The kids were so tired from all the playing that they fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

In total, we drove about 200 km that day on highways, city streets, and country roads, achieving fuel efficiency of 12.3 km/l. I thought, “Not bad!” but I wonder if that’s good compared to other cars in this class… After seeing Porsche’s fuel economy, my sense of scale is totally warped (-_-).

Still, cars are wonderful. With a car, you can take your family anywhere in Japan. I felt grateful once again for these daily blessings and this environment.

Now, time to keep practicing my manual driving!