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:

• 

  Hesitation Problems driving me crazy! - 2011 BMW 5-Series
  By wonmarco - February 5 - 11:19 am

  I would think twice about purchasing this vehicle. I have had a big problem with surging and hesitation at low speeds. The dealer has insisted that it is normal with the adaptive transmission, but I can assure you it is not normal! (Google BMW F10 transmission problems and you will see the problem is widespread). The sad thing is that I really love the rest of the car, but after spending $50,000+, I dont think I should be dealing with this. It really takes the pleasure out of owning the car.

• 

  Fun To Drive But Very Poor Reliability - Automotive Engineer - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By tomkat2kid2 - January 19 - 9:53 am

  I am an Automotive / Commercial Vehicle Engineer. I am also the original owner of a 2006 BMW 325i with 75K miles, and while I like the cars handling and styling, the quality and reliability of this vehicle has been extremely poor. I have owned many different brands of vehicles, and this vehicle by far has had the most problems under warranty. Luckily I purchased an extended warranty (which I had never done before) but it is due to expire in 5K miles. See below for a list of issues with this vehicle over a 4 year period. While the vehicle is fun to drive and has good styling, I would caution anyone considering this vehicle due to the risk of significant out of pocket repair costs.

• 

  Buyer Beware - 2011 BMW X5
  By njbmw1 - January 13 - 9:07 pm

  Bought a X5 5.0 and it has been a disaster. Car has gone down (literally wouldnt start or drive) 3 times in under the first 7,000 miles. First time it was the battery/alternator. Second time it was an engine coil and now they claim my spark plugs went bad. This is not to mention a defective DVD player that had to be replaced. Also, one thing your salesperson wont tell you but every service guy knows right away is that Verizon Blackberrys do not work with the Idrive system. The Idrive will go down about every two months. You then have to unpair your phone, take the battery out and reset up the phone. They should tell people this before they buy the cars but they dont.

• 

  Automatic Transmission Issues - 2005 BMW 5-Series
  By panthersb - January 8 - 10:22 am

  In all, the 545i is a well-balanced rig -- amazingly fast and agile for a car of its size and comfort. My car has been plagued with electrical issues however, and a glitch with the transmission is enough to force me to replace it. When driving under slight power between 35 and 40 mph, the car feels as if there is a disruption in the fuel delivery or ignition. When I first demonstrated this to the dealer, a tech said it was the transmission, it was normal, and by shifting it to sport mode I could eliminate the issue. Unacceptable, in my opinion. This isnt "normal" behavior for any car, and I dont want to drive in sport mode to fix a transmission malfunction. Major buzz kill.

• 

  Dissapointed - 2006 BMW 5-Series
  By pietraadm - January 3 - 3:06 pm

  This is my first BMW. I find it a good handling car, but with POOR RELIABILITY. I will sell it at 65,000 miles. The straw that broke the camel back is the need for a new transmission, after a new radiator,etc. I am just 15,000 mi over the warranty limit, and I see nothing but expenses ahead. So GOOD BY BMW for me.

• 

  2010 BMW 3 Series Diesel 335d Sedan (3.06L 6cyl Turbo diesel ) - 2010 BMW 3-Series
  By hua1 - January 2 - 4:13 pm

  After searched and compared so many times amount Mercedes E, Lexus GS, ES and BMW, finally I bought this 2010 BMW 3 Series Diesel 335d 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl Turbo diesel 6A). on January 23, 2010. I have driven this car for less than one year, but I am not so lucky as I expect, I have a lot of trouble for this car, I have send back to dealer for 4 times already for service. First I got vehicle indicating the refill diesel exhaust fluid as soon as possible warning on 5440 mileage. And refilled diesel exhaust fluid on 7/28/2010. Second time was Recheck and program control at 5768 mileage on 8/4/2010. Thirded time was vehicle indicating check engine soon light on, at 7747 mileage on 10/4/2010, this time the car stayed at dealer service for five days. Fourth time was break and DSC malfunction light on, this was after big snow on 2/27 at New Jersey, at mileage 10560. The appointment will be on January 7, 2011. right now I donÂ’t know how long the car will stay there. This is worst car I never have before, I had Toyota Cressda 1980, Toyota Celica 1990, Nissan Maxima SE 2000, and Mercedes Benz C230, 2003, in my family, but no one has these so many problems, and all problems are electronic problem, not mechanics, I donÂ’t know how BMW did the quality control for this car? When you drive a trouble car, you fell yourself sick, and uncomfortably, you did not get fun for driving. I am still wandering is this qualify for the New jersey LEMON LAW? This car is fuel economy which goes 36 mpg on high way and 32 on local. I have no complain on driving and handling.

• 

  Fun to drive when not in shop - 2008 BMW 3-Series
  By soccerprnt - December 29 - 12:13 pm

  Loved it when new. After 45000 miles I wish I had never heard of BMW. This car is continually having issues. It started with the antilock brake light coming on intermittently, about once a month. It was at the dealers at least 4 times for this before the problem was finally fixed. Similar problem with engine light coming 3 visits to fix this. Recently my clock has been clearing the time. Engine now stalling out occasionally while I am driving the car. Happens after driving from a few hundred feet to about a mile after I have begun driving it. Extremely dangerous. Diagnosed bad battery . Not covered under warrenty. They also did a programming update on the engine.

• 

  Safety Concerns - 2006 BMW 7-Series
  By john496 - December 25 - 11:22 am

  The soft-close doors on our car have failed multiple times creating a signficant safety hazard that continues to be ignored by our dealer (and BMW Coporate). The driver door has failed multiple times. Imagine the terror of having to drive down a highway worrying that your door will not latch and stay closed. Imagine having kids in the car and your back door pops open while taking a curve. Yes, this severe, unimaginable problem has been ignored as normal wear and tear rather than the disaster waiting to happen that it is for BMW...did they not watch the Prius debacle on TV? Did they not learn?

• 

  Total LEMON, will never buy BMW again - 2005 BMW X5
  By purdue_flunkie - December 17 - 2:16 pm

  Spent more time in the shop than on the road. Very cheaply made, tons of Chinese plastic. Engine misfires, coolant leaks, vacuum leaks, broken sunroof, door handles, door windows, and even cup holders brokeÂ… just to name a few issues during the 4th and 5th year of ownership. BEWARE repairs and parts are extremely overpriced and time consuming. Other than reliability and dependability, powertrain performs very well and acceleration is impressive considering the carÂ’s weight. However Xdrive sucks, yes it can pull you out of a deep snow, but when it comes to cornering on a wet and/or icy surfaces it performs much worse than FWD vehicles. Summary: fun to drive while new, falls apart after 50k

• 

  Snookered by the ads - 1995 BMW 3-Series
  By frankzen - December 13 - 7:36 am

  Bought my 1995 318i in 2005 with 165,000 km (about 102,000 miles) on it - it now has 217000km (about 135000 miles) on it. It also has rusted out rockers and right rear fender, cracked windshield, the cluster (mph,tach etc) no longer works, lower control arms are shot, struts shot, wont idle, and the drivers seat (its cloth) is worn out. I have replaced the alternator, starter, O2 sensors 3 times, MAF (twice) and innumerable other smaller items for a total repair bill of about $3000 I paid $5000 for the car in 2005...its now worth about $500. BMWs are fine...if youre willing to spend upwards of $1500 a year on repair and maintenance.