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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  BMW 2008 328xi - got rid of it at 104k miles - 2008 BMW 3-Series
  By perk82 - October 28 - 1:45 pm

  If you are under warranty or less than 75K miles, you are lucky otherwise get rid of it before parts start to fall of the car and it stops on you in the middle of a freeway at 75 miles per hour speed not once but thrice, each time for a different issue. I would also quote here a dealership words on a expensive repair cost "Sir, what do you expect, your BMW has over 90K miles". I learnt my lesson that day.

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  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.

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  The great hype - 2005 BMW 6-Series
  By Dave Heywood - October 7 - 9:06 am

  Just bought this car this past august. Ive seriously have driven the car no more than two weeks. This car is already a nightmare. Gasket leaks and misfiring issues. Should have stuck with Mercedes. BMW dealer cant even pin point the issue. Very poor customer service. BMW of Peabody ma. Stinks. Im ready to throw in the towel at this point.

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  5 Major Failures in 50K miles - 2012 BMW 5-Series
  By Darrel Moening - October 5 - 7:45 pm

  Im the first and current owner of a 5 series BMW. The car has had the following failures - power train, tie rods, turbo charger, engine tune-up, oil filter housing, and coolant system. Weve had the car towed twice and have had the car in the dealership a half dozen times for repairs. Weve escalated to BMW USA but they have refused to provide any additional assistance. Save yourself the trouble...

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  Never will buy X5 again - 2004 BMW X5
  By Razor - September 22 - 12:12 pm

  BMW = Be My Wreck 2004 X5, 4.4. When I bought this hunk of junk 3 years ago, I was glad I spent the extra money for an extended warranty. And, before I bought it, I insisted the seller take it to a BMW dealership and have it checked out. It cost me $100, and was found to have no issues at that time. Within the first six months, all the seals for the transfer case had to be replaced - $3,300. Within the next year, it started blowing white smoke from the exhaust, also common with this model. I took it in for an oil change and diagnosis for the white smoke. The repair shop found 3 small pieces from the oil pan and informed me that I needed a new oil pump, another common issue with the 4.4 engine - $3,000. Next, they informed me that, due to BMW using cheap valve guides which wore out prematurely causing the engine to burn oil, those had to be replaced. Another common issue with the 4.4 engine. Cost - $7,000. My extended warranty provider refused to pay for repairs that totaled more than the value of the vehicle, so I ended up paying $4,000 out of pocket. After only six months since the rebuild, the engine is now leaking oil all over the driveway. Total cost paid by me and extended warranty = $22,000. My advice: Never buy a BMW x5 with over 100,000 miles on it. I am now shopping for a 4Runner.

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  Bent rod, needs a new engine - 2011 BMW 3-Series
  By Dominic Moruzzi - September 21 - 9:18 pm

  Ive been a member of the BMWCCA for more than ten years now. This is my 7th three series. M package, rear wheel drive manual 6speed, Power Kit so 320 HP. Noticed and felt engine noise since 68k miles. thought it might be the flywheel and clutch. Replaced at $3,000. Not the issue Dealership did a compression test, said it needs a new engine. $18,000! BMW will cover 50% because its out of warranty. I provided all oil change docs. BMW wanted to see oil changes at least every 15k. I averaged every 7,500 miles. Never auto crossed or tracked. Commuter car, 42 year old father of four. Not laying down patches or beating on the car. My take, dont buy a turbo model. Too much stress on the engine components. Never own one of these out of warranty, youre asking for trouble. Fuel pump was replaced under warranty (common issue), water pump was on my dime. Hardly reliable, worst car Ive ever owned. Beast on the highway? at 4.3 0-60 yes. Sad to say it, Im a Bimmer guy through and through but thats it for me. BMW corporate said they wouldnt make a repair coverage decision until they knew for sure what the problem was. I wanted the dealership to drop the oil pan to definitively diagnose the issue so I could tell BMW NA what was wrong. After the compression test all of a sudden the dealership clammed up like it was a cover up? The dealership would not go any further. They told the manufacturer that it needed a new engine without ever dropping the oil pan and taking a peek. Didnt make sense. I still want to have an independent garage take a look so maybe I can get some video or pics and post them. Forget about BMW customer service. I got someone on the line outsourced from India. If you must buy a BMW again never own one out of warranty! Unless your buying a fixer upper for a couple of grand. Good luck!

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  Horrible experience -returned in one day! - 2014 BMW i3
  By BH - September 15 - 11:21 am

  We purchased this car, I loved the look and everything about it. We were told it would charge over nite in our garage. When we got it home the car showed it wouldnt be charged for 20 hours. Then it runs for about 100 miles on that charge. The BMW chargers are about $6,000 and then it is a shorter charge time. After paying $60,000 for a car we didnt want to spend that. Other chargers can screw up the system. We returned the car and on the way back to the dealership at 45 miles an hour trying to reserve the power to get there, a tire blew out and completely shredded so there was no tire left. After you pay top dollar for the car there are thousands of dollars of upgrades and insurances. Be sure to pay for the tire insurance, they insisted we would need it because of the low profile of the tires they dont last very long but we never dreamed one would blow out the first day we had the car. Wasted two days and will never buy an electric car after this!

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  money pit - 2000 BMW 3-Series
  By terri - September 6 - 9:55 pm

  i drove the 324ci for close to 2 years. The repair bills emptied my bank account. I replaced timing belt, brakes, rotors, tune up air conditioner, misfiring twice, radiator, tie rod... The list keeps growing. I finally had to draw the line when the trunk started flooding and I had to vacuum over a foot of water out from under the spare tire. I "traded "it for another car. The value was next to nothing and I spend my savings fixing this awful car. Huge regret and now broke.

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  Biggest bucket of worms Ive ever owned - 2009 BMW X5
  By Frugal German - September 2 - 3:15 pm

  Bought the car with the extended warranty. Started out having to replace the bulbs of the headlights several times. The run flat tires are expensive, no spare. The computer display will display the message that you have a flat and to pull over, or drive for 50 miles if you have run-flats, however the computer will not allow you to exit this screen and switch to navigation. Was on a trip in Canada when I had a flat and had no idea which would be the closest city. Battery drains in a heart beat if you open and close the back hatch several times while packing for a trip. Need a big truck to give you a jump. Had to replace battery twice within the first 5 years. The plastic components like inside driver door handle and steering wheel spokes are crap. The have a thin colored plastic coating on it that bubbles up and peels off. Was told it is the acid in my skin - first car ever that was allergic to me! On 05Aug15 I had the routine maintenance done. The warranty ran out 18Aug15, but I only had 86937 miles on the car. On 20Aug15 I break down on the side of the road with a trunk full of perishable groceries. Had to have it towed to dealership 50 miles away. Electronic water pump and thermostat needed to be replaced $1950. Picked up the car the next week and on the drive home the A/C went out. They picked up the car the next day, and it needed a new compressor at $3,000. Received the car two days later and now the passenger side electric mirror control is messed up. Run, honey, run!

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  Worst nightmare!! - 2007 BMW X5
  By Bmw - August 28 - 4:51 pm

  I purchased a 07 BMW X5 40i for 22k. On the first week of purchased, problems started. And, every week after until ever 3 months. I now have this vehicle for a year and have spent 12k out of pocket trying to fixed it. Thats does not include additional 6k thats warranty paid. And just found out it has another problem which cost 4k to fixed. This car has cost me nothing but, pain and stress! I have not driven this vehicle for 2months without not going into the shop. I literally cry dealing with this piece of cabbage. I would advice ppl to stay away form It. I no long need this car, because its nothing but problems and still has to pay the bank monthly. Am stuck with a hefty loan and the car is of know use to me.