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:

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  GREEN MACHINE - 2004 BMW 5-Series
  By EASYED - June 12 - 3:23 pm

  The sports package tires and rims do not meet the rough roads (potholes,etc.). Expect out of pocket costs (new tires/new rims )potentially after 25,000 miles. Out of pocket costs could near $3,000. Also, three recalls to date, which are not what I expected in a $60k vehicle. Cupholders are terrible!!!

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  Pretty good - a few faults - 2005 BMW X3
  By Miami BMW Girl - June 12 - 1:00 am

  Great drive and awesome performance! Had some problems with CD player and some interior finishes. Dont lock yourself out - no way to open the doors without a key or being towed to dealership for reprogramming. I had to break my own rear window to get into my car when I locked myself out.

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  Unreliable! - 2001 BMW 3-Series
  By Brian - June 11 - 6:38 pm

  I just spent over $3,000 for numerous problems: A/C - evaporator leaking ($2,400), Window regulator, $450 - my second window regulator replacement! Also, strange thumping sound from right undercarriage (arm bushings?) $500. The next day the service engine soon light comes on and the oil pressure warning. Ridiculous at 69k miles.

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  I love it ...BUT... - 2005 BMW M3
  By red - June 8 - 4:11 pm

  Looks great drives like a dream. BUT Ive had too many "quality" issues. The first was stalling when it had less than 500 miles. Turned out to be a computer fault. Next the rear lights started getting water inside after a rain - dealer had the car for three days to replace rear light components. NEXT - the passenger side door handle came off completly - the dealer said its because its hand assembled! - What a joke. Just this week it started stalling again at idle. I had some reservations buying the car when I looked at the JDP reliability survey and now I think Ill keep it about a year and then get a Corvette.

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  Best overall sportscar - 2005 BMW Z4
  By Anthony - June 5 - 8:20 am

  The power is more than adequate with excellent low end torque. The engine is the most refined in any sportscar. Transmission is excellent with well defined gates. Clutch take up and feel is excellent. Steering tightens up beautifuly at speed. Corner placement is intuitive with no corrections necessary in steering feed. Run flat tires provide safety, consistent feedback due to very low flex, rim protection in potholes and excellent convertible trunk space. Interior is excellent in design amd materials. Excellent rear visibility with top up. Solid roll bars. Exceptional sound system even with top down at high speed. Minimal wind buffeting and noise at high speed. Excellent 2 stage skid control

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  A Great All-Rounder - 2004 BMW 3-Series
  By Helios - June 4 - 4:22 pm

  Our first BMW. Its difficult to summarize why we love this car so much - lets just say it does everything well. All the components work together perfectly. Athletic and refined at the same time. Driving it can be relaxed or exciting - you choose. Options can add up quickly, but do yourself a favor and spring for heated seats and park distance control. The stock halogen headlights are the best Ive ever used - no need for Xenons in my opinion. The 2.5 liter engines fine above 2500 rpm and absolutely loves to run at highway speeds.

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  Bmw performance - 2001 BMW 5-Series
  By Mr.Bmw - June 4 - 2:29 pm

  This car is one of the best cars I ever driven. The styling is very terrific. I love my xenon lights and the rounded fog lamps. The leather seats can feel a little uncomfortable at times but if youre not going on long trips it should be just right. The thing I hate most is the reliability. I seem to find myself at my local Bmw dealership about every month for such things like noises, brakes etc.

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  2016 750i xDrive (G12 Platform) - 2016 BMW 7-Series
  By JW - June 3 - 8:12 pm

  After having a less than acceptable ownership and service experience with my 2015 MBZ S63 AMG Sedan (Transmission failures less than 8k miles), I decided to try the new 7. I would have opted for the Alpina B7 had it been avail but due to timing I opted for a 750i xDrive. Although not quite as fast as the much more expensive Benz I traded, this car is far more engaging and athletic to drive. The 4.4L V-8 is silky smooth and the transmission programming is spot on. On a car with as much technology as these high-end sedans have, I much prefer the interfaces and user-friendliness of BMWs approach to controls, infotainment, and gizmos (exception of the seat controls.... MBZ has the best placement for seat controls). The drive settings provide a cadre of options ranging from pillow soft to firm. Perhaps I havent discovered how yet but Id like the car to stay in the mode I last drove it in (defaults to comfort every time I start it up). In all drive settings the car performers admirably on road trips over varied pavement. I do notice more dramatic pitch from the front suspension than I am used to in a BMW under hard braking or hard acceleration. I dont opt for the 21" wheels based on others reviews that they are overly harsh. I am running the 20" M-Sport 5-Spoke wheels on Pirelli Run-Flats and they seem to be a good compromise. I am sure, as with all other BMWs Ive owned, performance comes partly at the price of accelerated tire wear. This being a long wheelbase all-wheel drive 7-series, I expect 12-15K miles out of a set of tires tops.... The Bowers & Wilkins Stereo is worth the coin and far superior to the top of the line Burmester Audio in the Benz (Speakers in my AMG were poorly designed/installed and began resonating badly very soon after purchase). My initial impressions on the new 7 series are positive and my hope is I still enjoy my seat time in this car in year 2, 3, and beyond. I believe BMWs biggest strengths in this segment are in its general user-friendliness of high end features and general quality implementation and refinement of all systems. For me, BMW has done a far superior overall job to MBZ and Audi and worth noting, Tesla (Sorry Tesla, If I want to open my sunroof, I dont want to browse through menus on a big screen to get there....).

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  Very Good Car - 2001 BMW 7-Series
  By Bimmer - June 3 - 3:41 pm

  Purchased new when I traded my 93 740iL. 93 had better interior and build quality but needed engine replaced at 110k. Both cars very comfortable, powerful and attractive. Have had to replace radiator, expansion tank and water pump as well as front end work. Great integrated phone and (older CD type) nav, all voice activated too! Phone/radio controls on steering very handy. Will never buy car without those features again. I find the nav system easy to use but all require some time to learn. Wish CD player was not in trunk. It is quiet at highway speeds and has a huge trunk. So far I have had nearly 80k of great driving. Hope next car will work as well.

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  Could be better - 2004 BMW 5-Series
  By JMZ - May 30 - 8:13 pm

  Like the looking and performance. Marked 225 hps but feels stronger than Infiniti G35 during the acceleration, which claimed 280 hps. Navigation system works better than my portable Garmin one, particularly the voice reminder, split screen: one for map and one for arrow direction. Parktronic and adaptive headlight are good features. The basic stereo sound is already better than the Bose in my previous Infiniti i30. Things I do not like: the interior looks cheaper than most of the same level cars in the market. IDrive is ok but not much advantages. No mp3 playable although the manual said so. No DVD playable in parking like Infiniti M Series.