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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  Good Perfermance, poor durability - 2002 BMW X5
  By performanceplus - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car new and it was great until the 50k mile warranty expired. Thats when onboard computer readout started to go bad... just the start of one big headache. The resale is awful on this car. Also, car had a noise that the dealer was never able to fix. Goes thru the oil, fast. Maybe I just got a lemon.

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  Bugs in the Computer - 2004 BMW 6-Series
  By Lkitty - September 15 - 2:00 am

  Love the car, drives like a dream. Brakes are wonderful. Car attrackes a big crowd. Unfortunitly, severe creaking with body twist and active steering gets floaty over 105mph. Back seat is just for groceries. Car has been in the shop for total of 15 days and 4 trips in first 2 months, all computer related. No radio, no phone service, navagation meltdown, iDrive meltdown. This car was just not ready to be sold to the market, they needed another year to work out the bugs.

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  Bad Styling - 2011 BMW Alpina B7
  By Bob - September 14 - 5:30 pm

  All in All this car is very pleasing to live with. Only complaint is the styling, which is to busy in my opinion. Styling mimicking the regular 7 series would be a big improvement.

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  Luxury comfort with style! - 2000 BMW 3-Series
  By MikeMa - September 12 - 10:00 am

  Wonderful car to cruise the block. Definetly makes your neighbours jel..

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  Pricey but better - 2008 BMW 3-Series
  By Bill - September 8 - 9:10 pm

  Traded up from previous 04 Saab. Car is best on open road and takes turns like on rails. car not best for city commuting, does not like to go slow and has slow idle speed. Top down car stays toasty with great heat. Pretty soon see how cool it stays with AC on and top down. Did not get sport package and have no harsh ride, think it is the sport tires rather than run-flats that does gives stiff ride.

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  BMW X3 - 2004 BMW X3
  By Scott Harley - September 8 - 2:00 am

  First BMW. We had a Toyota 4runner. The X3 is the perfect size car for my wife. Love the sunroof. fair gas mileage of about 27 on first trip. The car handles great. Fit and finish is very good...I cant find any rough spots yet or defects..except for the the transmission computer failure which was replaced in two days and they gave us a loaded 525 to drive. Lucky it kept running until we got it to the garage.

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  Great Car but Cant Wait to Sell It - 1997 BMW 5-Series
  By JonesDM - September 6 - 2:00 am

  Great highway cruiser, quiet, firm, comfortable - feels like its part of the highway. Fun to drive and looks great- an almost perfectly executed car, but has needed over $12,000 in repairs since new.

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  Hits and some misses - 2014 BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo
  By smoothwhite - September 3 - 1:10 pm

  I live intown in a big city with 2 little kids. Was looking for a small sedan after I dumped the 2008 X5, since the wife just got a Subaru Outback. Was leaning towards getting a 3 Series when I came across the GT. Little known fact: The GT was a best seller chassis for the upscale china market for people who wanted to be chauffeured around. This need gives the GT 3-4 inches longer wheelbase than the standard sedan. Hence, the backseat is the size of a 5 series. Absolutely huge. Great for a family. Only issues I have had: 1-Sunroof broke after 3 weeks. Software fix. 2-Backup sensor broke-Replaced 3-Steering wheel off center Other than those (I leased so I dont care!)

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  FIRST TIME BEEMER OWNER - 2004 BMW X3
  By beemergirl - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I just traded in a toyota corolla for my first BMW. I previously owned a Ford Explorer Sport. The ride is amazing. MPG isnt so bad - appx 20mpg. Definitely worth owning. Dealership was very helpful.

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  expensive to maintain - 2000 BMW 3-Series
  By bagua - September 2 - 2:00 am

  Overall a decent car but once its over warranty its not worth having due to extremely high repair costs. Could use more power at times. One major complaint is the drivers seat has no support, becomes very uncomfortable quickly and I only have 50000 miles on the car so the seats should have held out longer than that I would have thought. The brakes are very high maitenance and dont have a very long life. If I ever buy another BMW I would only buy or lease new.