A Saturday, a Full Tank, and Seven Hampshire Journeys Worth Taking Slowly
Photo: Glenluwin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
There is a particular pleasure in pointing a well-sorted car down an unfamiliar lane with nowhere urgent to be. Hampshire, mercifully, offers no shortage of such opportunities. The seven suggestions below all sit within ninety minutes of our showroom, and each pairs naturally with a different character of BMW.
Before setting out, a brief word on preparation: a car destined for winding B-roads deserves healthy tyres and fresh brake fluid. If yours is overdue, our service team can have it road-trip ready in a single visit.
1. The Test Valley — For the 5 Series Touring
Follow the river south from Wherwell towards Stockbridge, arguably England's finest fly-fishing town. The gently flowing roads suit a long, relaxed estate car, and the 5 Series Touring devours them with quiet authority. Stop in Stockbridge for coffee and watch the world go by.
2. Old Winchester Hill — For the X3
The lanes climbing towards this Iron Age hillfort in the South Downs are narrow, steep, and utterly rewarding. A raised seating position helps you read the road ahead, and the X3's sure-footedness inspires confidence when the verges close in. The views from the top repay the climb.
3. The New Forest Edges — For the X1
Enter the Forest from the north via Landford and drift towards Burley. Ponies have right of way here — genuinely — so this is gentle driving, best done in something nimble and easy to place. The X1 is precisely that.
4. The Salt Road to Lymington — For the 4 Series
The run down through the New Forest to Lymington's quayside is a classic. On a clear evening, with the Solent glittering beyond the masts, the route justifies a car with a sporting streak. The 4 Series Coupé makes short work of the forest straights.
5. The Hampshire Downs via the A272 — For the M340i
The A272 west of Petersfield has long enjoyed a near-mythical reputation among drivers. It is a road of crests, dips, and sweeping corners, and it deserves a car with genuine pace held in reserve. The M340i is, in our view, the perfect companion.
6. Chawton and Selborne — For the 2 Series Gran Coupé
A shorter, gentler loop through Jane Austen's Chawton and Gilbert White's Selborne suits compact saloon motoring. Park up, walk the Hanger footpaths, and let the car wait patiently.
7. The Coastal Detour to Chichester Harbour — For the i4
Stretch the ninety-minute limit slightly and the harbourside lanes around Bosham reward the electric driver: silent, refined, and cheap to run, with charging now readily available along the south coast.
Ready When You Are
Every one of these routes starts within a short drive of RG21. Whether your current car is due a pre-journey inspection or you are simply curious what the M340i feels like on the A272, our doors are open — particularly on a Saturday morning, when these roads are at their best.
