Overview & Reviews

BMW is an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG -- or, in English, Bavarian Motor Works. Whatever you call it, the German-based company is one of the world's most respected automakers, renowned for crafting luxury cars and SUVs that offer superior levels of driving enjoyment.

Founded in Munich, the company began in the early 1910s as an aircraft manufacturer. BMW's current logo, designed to represent white propeller blades against a blue sky, reflects these origins; its blue-and-white color scheme also references Bavaria's blue-and-white checkered flag.

It wasn't until 1928 that production began on the first BMW automobile, the Dixi. The car proved tremendously popular, and its success helped the manufacturer weather the Depression. BMW's best-known pre-World War II vehicle was the Type 328 roadster, a supple two-seater that racked up more than 120 victories on the motorsport circuit between 1936 and 1940. Postwar BMW cars maintained this tradition, with several racing, rallying and hill climb victories.

The early 1950s saw the launch of the BMW 501, a roomy, voluptuous sedan that was resplendent with all of the hopefulness of that era. It was soon followed by the 502, which was powered by the world's first light-alloy V8, foreshadowing BMW's ongoing commitment to developing new technology. The best-selling BMW of that decade was the Isetta, a petite two-seat "microcar" typically powered by a 12- or 13-horsepower engine. The mid-'50s also saw the debut of the limited production and breathtakingly beautiful 507 sports car, which had an alloy body and used the 502's V8 for propulsion. In the 1960s, BMW sales strengthened significantly, thanks in part to the immense popularity of the 1500, a sporty family sedan.

By the 1970s, BMW was establishing itself as a full-fledged car company. It was a pioneer for many emerging technologies, including turbocharging and advanced vehicle electronics. BMW of North America was established at that time, and consumers who coveted both sports and luxury cars became loyal "Bimmer" owners. The '70s also saw the birth of BMW's three-tier sport sedan range consisting of the compact 3 Series, midsize 5 Series and large 7 Series cars and the creation of its performance M division. Though the 3 Series could be had with four-cylinder power, it was the company's inline-6 engines that developed BMW's reputation for spirited, yet highly refined performance. At decade's end, the limited production, short-lived M1 supercar debuted.

Throughout the 1980s, BMW became the unofficial poster car of yuppies, as the brand ostensibly signified one's financial success as well as a passion for driving. The elegant 6 Series coupe debuted, and the latter part of the decade saw the high-performance M division working its magic on various production models.

In the early 1990s, BMW replaced the 6 Series with the powerful (V12-powered at first) but heavy 8 Series grand touring coupe. A bit later, BMW introduced its popular Z3 roadster. The company also opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in the latter half of the 1990s.

The 2000s brought a midsize SUV (the X5) as well as a compact SUV (the X3) as BMW joined the hot-selling segment. Since then, BMW has replaced the Z3 with the Z4, introduced the compact 1 Series, produced hybrid versions of a few models and debuted the X6 fastback crossover. The company has also expanded its empire to include Mini and Rolls-Royce and continues to build motorcycles, something it has done since the 1920s.

BMW's famous advertising slogan describes each of its vehicles as "the ultimate driving machine," and it's not mere hyperbole. Over the past couple of decades, BMWs have become the standard for performance and luxury in most of the "over $30,000" segments. With family-friendly wagons, crisp sedans, distinctive coupes, nimble sports cars and spacious SUVs offered, BMW's model roster is diverse. But its vehicles all share a common characteristic: the ability to make drivers feel gloriously connected to the road.

User Reviews:

• 

  x3 needed new transmission - 2011 BMW X3
  By Julio Hwu - October 21 - 11:00 pm

  Bought it used at carmax with maxcare warranty After 1 year using the car the transmission broke and need a new one($9000.00).Max care warranty dont wanna pay for a new one.They will put a used one instead. It was supposed to be done in a week and took a month.Of course because of their fault i will have to pay for all this time the rental car.The ony pay for 7 days of rental. First they dont agree with the Bmw dealer than i have to tow to their mechanics and they send a supervisor and try to cut corners giving me a used transmission. Next time i will buy Cpo from the Lexus that is the most reliable brand. The Bmw X3 is excellent but unreliable.

• 

  Seriously? - 2001 BMW X5
  By Berj Yepremian Jr Plagued MMA - October 21 - 7:55 am

  Listen youre buying a 2001 BMW not a brand new one nor a used fairly new one like an 07 -14.. For 3500 dollars youre getting quality, luxury, awesome comfort, saftet, AWD which basically makes it worth 3500 just for it being an awd, the x5 3.0I run great, i bought one after i sold my 1988 corvette with modifications and a terrible interior. This 2001 BMW X5 puts my 2007 Lincoln Navigator in its place its that reliable and comfortable to drive. If the door handles are worth writing a complaint Youre wasting time not fixing an easy problem. Yes theres a few small problems here and there but Ive never seen an SUV as loaded and well performed as this BMW X5. I come from a classy NFL football family and have seen plenty of my share of luxury and sport cars as well as exotic and super cars, the best car Ive bought is a 2001x5 3.0i with 180k miles, i happily gave my fiance the keys to navigator thats how happy i am with this old thing. ***Also those who arent tech savy or into the whole technology age this is the right vehicle to start out with because it literally has everything thats easy to learn without reading about. The horsepower differences are why Im on here writing a positive comment about these X5s. Great gas mileage considering a 225 horsepower SUV. Lincoln Navigators get half the mpg city and highway compared to the x5s. The 2001s also accelerate when you need it to perform at those right times. They have front and rear sensors, also they have alarms at least mine came with them so maybe thats why the handles are causing trouble. Its really the neatest high end suv im proud to drive and talk highly about. I get so bored of cars in 2 months, but mine has been with me for 6 months and I dont want another suv. I already spent 3,000 grand on a few parts. Give it a chance and see how right it feels its worth fixing to me. Thank you BMW for making the most reliable SUV. Good luck everyone.

• 

  First German car. - 2011 BMW X3
  By Noe Miranda - October 18 - 8:59 pm

  So I want to start off with that I’ve never owned a German car before. So my notes and my review will be coming from that stand point. This information will hopefully help those thinking of buying a used BMW. Car facts: One owner No accidents Non smoker Millage was: 33374 Bought the X3 from a non BMW Dealership but it wasn’t one of those used car lots. BMW warranty had run out (due to over 4yrs) Bumper to bumper warranty (would only cover 6 years from when the car was originally bought so only about 1 yr and 9 mnths) it cost a lot about 4k so said no Maintenance warranty was about 3k (would only cover 6 years from when the car was originally bought so only about 1 yr and 9 mnths) so said no My thinking is that in 1yr and 9 mths I shouldn’t rack up over 7k in repairs and if it starts down that path we will have to get rid of it. The car was clean inside and out no body damage and no accidents. Only 2 issue with X3 1) the glove box cover had been pulled up from the lower left corner not sure how this happen but the Dealer agreed to repair it as part of the we owe you agreement 2) the dealership had changed the oil and fixed the breaks but the lights hadn’t been reset and since they are not an BMW dealership they said they can’t reset those service lights. So part of that we owe you agreement they said they would get that all fixed and reset. Why did I buy the X3? I test drove and looked at all the other competition I was looking for an all-wheel drive SUV for the wife something upscale. I narrowed it down to the X3, the Q5 and the RX and we went with the X3 due to price and the mileage and the car was a 1 owner car. Thoughts so far only have had it for a week but so far so good. No issues. Took the X3 in to get the “We owe you” repairs done. I will try to update as things happen. If you guys have question I will try and answer.

• 

  Best car Ive ever had - 2003 BMW 5-Series
  By bdclass - October 18 - 9:06 am

  Bought in September 2014 with 93,000 miles from a family friend. Only paid $5400. She bought it cpo in 2006 for $32,000 had 19,000 miles when she purchased it. Incredibly reliable car. Only issues with the car are the clutch crapped at 101,000 miles, new clutch for $1,200 drives like new. Passenger side power seat died when our friends owned it they spent around $1000 to fix. The drivers side power seat has died on me in my position so we arent fixing it. The instrumentation is pixlelated, also too expensive to fix. I put 16,000 miles on it in one year of ownership and have never been worried about it leaving me sit. For a 12 year old car it drives like new, I enjoy driving it much more than my 2009 Honda Accord v6, despite it being half the age with 30,000 less miles. (Also a nice car though for those on the market for a car.) Once I get a new job Im going to buy a new 3 series, because that is about the last 4 door BMW you can buy with a manual transmission.

• 

  Love the car ..... Hate the maintenance - 2006 BMW 7-Series
  By Amanda - October 17 - 8:21 pm

  My 750i sport currently has 80k miles. Since about 40k miles the car has been blowing smoke when I idle for more than 5 mins was told it was the valve cover gasket then I was told the valve stem seals and quotes $15k to fix. Not to mention some days the car just wont start I hit the button power comes on cars clicks but does not fire even after having a brand new battery. Tires and brakes every 6months to a year which is $1500. Transmission fault all the time but never have a slip in the transmission. The parking sensors have not worked since about 50k miles and no body can figure out why??? Car is a mess but fun to drive I give it that.

• 

  I JUST LOVE THIS CAR! - 2002 BMW 5-Series
  By MP Morris - October 17 - 12:18 pm

  WIth traffic increasing daily in Atlanta, I decided to sell my daily driver (Mini Cooper S) for a larger and heavier car in 2013. I lucked up, found a 2002 530i, and bought it immediately. This has been one of my best purchases ever! The E39 handles like a dream, and has only had the normal problems that come with a car of its age. I can only exclaim "I JUST LOVE THIS CAR"!

• 

  Best of both worlds - 2015 BMW 5-Series
  By Jerry - October 17 - 5:43 am

  The 535i xdrive gives you great performance/comfort and awd capability. I purchased it in December 2014 and had no problem getting through one of the worst winters in the Northeast with the standard all season tires. I have had several suvs and can honestly say I dont miss them. Ive put 24,500 on it with no problems. Ive been to the dealer twice for oil changes and cabin filter which were included in the free maintenance program ( 4yr/50k miles ).

• 

  Big fun in a little package - 2009 BMW 1-Series
  By Scott - October 15 - 8:49 pm

• 

  06 325i - Current college student - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By Cesar - October 15 - 1:58 pm

  Bought an 06 325i with 67,000 last august. Saved up all my money to get a nice car to commute to and from school. Drives amazing, feels amazing, and quite frankly you feel amazing! It honestly feels like driving in a spaceship. You hear nothing except the sound of silence and the road. I am in love with my car. To do my oil changes it usually costs me about 90$ every 5-6,000 miles just because I try to be proactive with oil. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worst.. my water pump went this past june which cost me about 1,300 with the change of a battery too. The guy i bought it from didnt change his battery so that battery in there was from 2005 when it was first built. This shows how much of a monster this car! The only problem with the car is it can be expensive. Any repair will cost you a decent chunk. Luckily my father knows about cars and we can do the simple tasks such as oil changes and brake pad changes. Also the car is super low so be careful with potholes as well as speed bumps and going in your drive way since it can scrape the bottom of it. Love my BMW! Any repairs for this vehicle, Id suggest KAM specialties in Reading, PA. These guys are great and competitively priced.

• 

  Fourth BMW, and best one yet - 2015 BMW X4
  By john - October 12 - 10:10 pm

  Just picked a practically brand new x4 35 xline from Momentum Motorsports in Marietta Georgia. Driving the 350 miles home on the X4 was better than the 350 miles up their in our 2011 535i GT, gas mileage up was 27.3 on the GT and back home it was 25.7 on the X4. Really liked everything about it so far. Probably could have one or two more nook and cranny places to hide things but its ok. Prior to the 11 GT we had a 07 X5 4.8 and a 535i and loved all of them so far. The X4 is faster than the x5, 535i GT and faster than our 14 JGC overland with 5.7 hemi, our 2002 jeep wrangler with 31s would smoke the X4 in the mud though, ha ha. With NO maintenance cost first 50k miles, why not own a beemer