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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  Sportwagon - Child Seat Comments included! - 2014 BMW 3-Series
  By Wilson - January 18 - 3:57 pm

  I spent the better part of a frigid New England (just snowed) morning test driving two cars 1) a 2014 BMW 328xi wagon with luxury package and 2) a new 2015 BMW 328xd wagon with nav and a couple of the basic packages. I had never driven a diesel before so I felt I owed it to myself to try these two head-to-head. While the diesel had a broadly useable torque band, I felt it lacked uphill oomph especially in the 2nd or 3rd gear range (tough to tell because the transmission shifts so smoothly in both models). Granted this was a 25 degree day and we basically started it cold from the dealership, but after having driven a similarly cold gasoline model over the same roads earlier in the morning, the diesel just didn’t compare. In my opinion, the diesel was overpriced even with the 2015 “leftover” discount, about $7k more than the lightly used 2014 with 10k miles. The diesel exhaust note, as many reviews have noted, is coarse and loud at revs. The gasoline exhaust note is fake, pumped in through the sound system. You can actually hear it change its volume if you switch from Comfort to Sport under hard acceleration. Still, I prefer a quiet car with some audio theatrics to one that sounds like an economy car with gravel under the hood. Now for some comments that pertain to both models: 1) Very few reviews ever cover the fit and functionality of child seats. The local used car dealership graciously allowed me to mess around with different configurations after I test drove it. I am 6’0 and need to use a fair amount of front seat track to get comfortable behind the wheel. In the rear-facing position, I found the child seat to be workable, but it took a fair amount of finagling. Both test cars were equipped with power front seats rather than the manual kind found in some of the base models. For 6’0+ drivers, you might have to live with your seatback a little more upright than you’re used to in order to get the child seat to fit correctly in the rear-facing position. I also found it helped to drop the driver’s seat almost to the floor. In the front-facing position, there were no problems at all. Now, I didn’t try one of our newer child seats – a Britax G3 Marathon. Those stay in my wife’s minivan since she does 90% of the child transportation. They are a bit more bulky, mostly laterally, than the regular G3 because they have the extra head protection. With BMW’s new 40-20-40 folding seatbacks, you might be able to utilize your “20” with two regular G3s in the back, but you’d have a much harder time doing the same thing with the wider G3 Marathons. 2) The stock stereo system is middling. Not sure the upgrade would necessarily be worth it, but it could be worth considering. 3) Despite some criticism of the new suspension, I found the Sport mode in both models to be amply stiff for hard corners in slippery conditions. Yes, I did try a couple after dropping off my sales minder at the front door. 4) Visibility out the back is limited and the side mirrors are tiny. Unfortunately, this means springing for blind-spot detection is a must. 5) After half an hour in the standard seats, I wasn’t loving them. The seat bottoms are totally flat with just average padding. They reminded me of the mid-90s Subaru Outback wagon seats. Both my testers had lumbar support, which even for me as a relatively healthy mid-30s guy is a must. I would probably limit my search to models with the sport seats from here out. 6) The new touch-sensitive controller is little too sensitive for the initiated, but I found myself accidentally clicking stuff when I was trying to use the jogger control. 7) Overall, I don’t think either of these models is worth the near $50k price tag, but finding a lightly used CPO at <$40k seems right for the gasoline-powered model. The diesel model really doesn’t warrant a premium, but my commutes most days are fairly short so I’m probably not the target market for it.

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  Good hauler - 2015 BMW X5
  By Sean - January 17 - 1:26 pm

  Replacing an E350 wagon is hard, since we still need cargo hauling space and enough back seat room for three teens. Although the X3 had better handling, we couldnt give up the cargo space, so the X5 is the solution for the next 3 years. Only wish I could turn off or stow the nav/radio screen. Its distracting, especially at night.

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  @6 months - 2010 BMW 5-Series
  By Irvin, Lapell - January 6 - 11:06 pm

  2010 BMW purchased in 8/15 with 80k....love it, love it.....I traded in a 2006 azera bought new, but caught a little deer damage and never quite felt the same....went in to buy a Audi, left with the bimmer.....for a 5 year old car, it was a better driver than my Hyundai was new.....the ride is incredible the handling is fantastic....it original sticker was 57k and I got it for 17k.....I dont know if I lucked up and made a good find, but for 17k Im very satisfied.....oh and the power is bone chilling for a sedan....

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  Stylish roadster - 2015 BMW Z4
  By Paul V - January 6 - 4:15 pm

  Sporty and comfortable roadster with great build quality and materials. Seats are amazing and power is very good on the 4 cylinder model. The hardtop takes kind of a long time to put up and down and draws a lot of attention so not as quick as a softtop but its much more secure and gives the car a nice dual personality with the top up vs down. Rearward visibility is among the best ive seen with minimal blind spots and great mirrors that auto dim at night. The 6 speed manual is slick and easy to easy to use and makes it feel like a proper sports car. Rev matching is easy and the engine is torquey and willing at almost any RPM The standard run-flat tires are too hard and non-forgiving and make for a terrible ride especially with the M package suspension and larger wheels. I recommend swapping them out for non run-flats and sticking to 17 or 18 inch wheels. The car looks and is small from the outside but feels larger and very substantial from the inside. Its probably at least 300lbs overweight though. Even though it has great power and decent fuel economy, this car would really benefit from losing a few pounds. As is its more of a comfortable, fast highway cruiser then a tight-curve hugging car that you can fling around. This would be a seriously great car if it lost a few pounds but its still an enjoyable and classy vehicle.

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  New to vehicle - 2006 BMW 5-Series
  By Douglas Polzin - January 5 - 10:07 am

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  Hard to Hold... - 2004 BMW X3
  By Terry Nobles - December 30 - 6:20 pm

  The steering has a very heavy feeling, not sure if this is common to this vehicle type. The interior has faded, which is to be expected in an older vehicle, but evidently BMW uses different types of material that may have all been the same color when it rolled off the line, but now some elements are totally different colors. Also, the seats are a bit hard and unsupportive - I expected more in this class of vehicle. Those things being said, I am happy overall with the vehicle, but I havent had it that long.

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  Very happy - 2011 BMW 3-Series
  By Kerry young - December 28 - 2:06 pm

  Poor gas mileage

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  Edmunds Lease Help with BMWi3 Lease - 2015 BMW i3
  By Scott Ottersen - December 22 - 10:31 am

  The Edmunds pricing guideline and leasing suggestions really helped us decide between purchase and lease. It also helped us get a fair price on our lease and to make sure we were fully informed when we sat down with what to ask for and what to watch for. Our BMW dealership was helpful and straightforward in their approach. They answered all the questions that the Edmunds guide suggested that we ask. We really love the car and are still learning about all the technical innovations that it has.

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  My 2008 535i - 2008 BMW 5-Series
  By B.K. - December 19 - 8:19 pm

  I got a great deal buying a used 535i for $9000 cash. The car is great in terms of performance. Turn off traction control in the rain and the machine is a blast to have all sorts of fun with! However, things seem to go wrong electrically. My adaptive headlights, rear brake light bulb and reverse light bulb all went out in the same week. Also the fuel pump was leaking when I bought it but I was aware of this. I live in the Philadelphia area so there is a repair shop that specializes in German cars. They were able to get me a reasonable price for the repairs. However, if I had to take this to a BMW dealer, I wouldve gone insane with the prices.

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  CHEAP!! - 1994 BMW 3-Series
  By Daniel Hippensteele - December 17 - 8:51 am

  I bought my BMW for $700 Pre owned i did not run at the time all we did was put nes spark plugs in and it ran like brand new it gets very good Gas millage.