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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  Owned it for 16 years - 1998 BMW M3
  By adupont - August 26 - 1:40 pm

  Bought it new and havent regretted one day of ownership. Tracked it a Buttonwillow in California and that was what made me a believer. Before that I thought I just had a nice coupe. It has unbelievable handling. As the driving instructor said, dont change anything on the car. What needs to be modified is the driver. Been very dependable overall, but there have been many owner fixable repairs, if you are handy. Door panels will need to be regaled if left in hot climate, cooling system is actually not bad IF you change the cooling fluid every three years. Warning! If you put Bilstein shocks on, yur spouse may think the ride is too harsh. Have no plans to sell.

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  Slight improvement over the 2006 325i - Excellent Car - 2009 BMW 3-Series
  By dic_camarillo - August 26 - 2:04 am

  A slight improvement over our 2006 325i. Slightly better looking, a little more power, good navigation system, nice stereo controls - though a bit confusing and I love the speed warning feature (makes a noise and light comes on when set speed is hit or passed). The Bluetooth works well. The Navigation is much better than the Toyota version. Great visibility, great balance, superb handling, comfortable, spacious front seats, great looking, smooth, the right balance of power and fuel economy, comfortable seats, nice quality materials, doesnt feel cheap anywhere in or out of the car, back seats are tight, trip computer is nice feature. This car is the perfect entry level sports sedan!

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  Great driving car - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By dic_camarillo - August 26 - 12:29 am

  We thoroughly enjoy our 2006 BMW 325i sedan. Ours has a sport package, which includes larger wheels (looks nice), sport steering wheel, but most important is the sport seats. Dual power seats with power side bolsters and manual seat bottom extenders. Compared to our 2009 328i (Premium - no sport), the seats on the 06 are so much better. The ride comfort isnt as good as the 09, but its still good for a performance sedan. The fit and finish is still good, materials are very well made and have held up well. Paint still looks good, except for the repainted bumpers from a parking lot ding (factory paint is so much better than a body shop repair). Overall, were very happy!

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  Suburb driving machine - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By donkeypunch321 - August 16 - 3:56 pm

  The way this car pulls, brakes and handles is nothing short of perfection. After having this car in the shop (for water damage that was my fault) I got a 2010 Passat rental. I am glad I did as it just made me appreciate the performance of this BMW all the more. One major flaw though is that all the wiring is beneath the floor carpeting and the panels actually lead the water to the electrical wiring and modules (super poor design). So when I left my windows open and it rained, it fried my electrical wiring and burnt a hole in my carpet ($6000 bill). ***So make sure you get quality rubber mats to keep rain and snow from penetrating the carpet from your shoes or windows open when it rains.

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  The Future is Here Today - 2014 BMW i3
  By brucebolen1 - August 6 - 10:15 pm

  Revolutionary from the ground up, sitting on top of a aluminum skateboard with batteries underneath in a carbon fiber passenger space capsule while seated in a Swedish living room and catapulted forward with instant, silent torque. Perfect size, design, airy, comfortable, quick, awesome turn-in, one-foot driving. Honestly thrilling. The proof of the pudding is in daily traffic (vs. a test drive on a freeway which is also awesome) when you wish to place yourself in a certain position and the car is already there by the time you think about it, and you made no fuss while not making a fool of yourself. Unique functionality, purposeful build to be an EV achieves mission perfectly.

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  11 year old BMW 330xi - 2003 BMW 3-Series
  By tazntwo1 - August 1 - 9:57 am

  I bought this car almost 5 years ago with 88K miles on it. Because of where I worked for 2 years car now has little over 200K. With proper maintenance, changing oil when light comes on after turning off key, I have had virtually NO problems with this car. It runs like the day it came off the showroom floor. You guys saying poor reliability or have tons of repair work on it - did a poor job of inspecting the car before you bought it. The place where I bought the car from took care of every little thing and I had it worked on, at his expense, at two different places, one of which was BMW. I absolutely love my car.

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  First BMW - 2014 BMW 3-Series
  By jclaeys - July 24 - 10:16 pm

  Had to have it! Have had 3 German built cars so far and this by far knocks it out of the park, in all areas including price...it was nearly 50K MSRP. Mine is in gorgeous Mineral White with drop dead beautiful Saddle and Black interior. This car is a rocket. Leave it to BMW to build a twin turbo 4 CYL. that can do 0-60 in 5.5 secs. Just got back from trip to Carmel (some 170 miles from here) and averaged in combined driving situations an astounding 33.6MPG! Love what BMW has accomplished. Glitz, (in the Luxury Line) with plenty of "masculinity" thrown in. I havnt had a car in years that I so look forward to driving. The new 8 SPD. transmission is phenomenol. It is butter smooth.

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  The greatest car on the road!!! - 2003 BMW 5-Series
  By anthony_e39 - July 24 - 11:02 am

  Being only 16 years old I am fortunate enough to have a 2003 525i for my first car its got 45k miles and this car is truly a dream! It rides so smooth! Mine has the sport package and it is a joy to drive! It handles like a dream and the most fun car to own! If you have the opportunity to own one DONT HESITATE!!!! The repairs are kinda pricey but if youre a car guy like myself DIYing it will save you plenty of money! Truly love this car and am now a loyal BMW owner!

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  Love this car! - 2015 BMW X4
  By ielshareef - July 16 - 6:40 pm

  Just got the car from Bob Smiths Calabasas and Im loving it. It drives like a dream and has lots of "hybrid" qualities for driving around town without burning a ton of fuel. I called Chase at Edmunds Live Advice and he helped me with numbers that made me feel like I got as good of a deal as I could get on this brand new car. Im very happy :)

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  Wow!! The MPG is no joke!! - 2014 BMW 3-Series
  By robankn - July 14 - 11:39 pm

  My wife and I purchased a 2014 328d sedan about 2 months ago and we could not be happier. She had a 2009 G8 GT and were used to driving a high performance car BUT it got horrible fuel mileage (avg 17.3 mpg). When I found the 328d and the 32-45mpg estimates I was very skeptical of the accuracy of that fuel rating but let me tell you right now for a fact, this car gets every bit of 45mpg on the highway and I drive it with a heavy foot. We took a 500 mile trip and I drove at 85-90 mph almost the whole way and I was blown away when I saw 42.2 MPG driving in comfort mode and I was not trying to conserve in any way. We have not found anything that we do not like about this car so far.