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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  smell funny, BUT ITS NOT - 2005 BMW 3-Series
  By heatherenea93 - November 22 - 5:48 pm

  I have 2005 325i i got it for my birthday this past year of june 2010. So anyways when we got it like 2 months after we got it the air went out. Well the guy at the dealership something happened and Someone else bought it out or something idk. But when that happened we lost our warrently. well we thought heck its a bmw what could possibly go wrong. Well like 2 months later air went out got it Fixed $1,200. Today Got home and it started smelling on the inside. Looked smoke under the hood oh no. WRONG Open the hood no smoke The rain was falling behind the motor and sizzling. But the smell was only coming from inside. The raining hitting the hood made made it steamy.. Please HELP?

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  Disappointed in Quality - 2003 BMW Z4
  By magicdolphin - November 4 - 7:41 pm

  I only have 30000 miles on my BMW Z4 2003 I bought it out at the end of my lease the elec. motor for the convertible top short circuit due to run off water that enters the plastic housing where the elec. motor sits in. The water cant drain and the electric motor will rust and quit. Very expensive repair, poor design. I had the housing replaced in 2008 and now it needs to be replaced again and of course my extended warranty wont cover the repair nor will the dealership ... very poor design indeed and not at all what I expected from BMW. I also just had to replace the rubber around the windshield and the cowel due to dry rot. I would have thought the convertible roof of a BMW would last

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  I love this car!! - 2004 BMW 3-Series
  By britay - October 31 - 1:36 pm

  This car sold me on BMWs. The only complaint is that little things break.

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  I really loved this car - 2003 BMW 3-Series
  By gabriel2011 - October 29 - 8:04 pm

  I must say, this car was a complete joy to own and drive. This car is a great starter car but the repairs and maintenance can be a bit costly but overall its a great car and very safe when it comes to accidents (trust me on that one).

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  perception is the name of the game - 2005 BMW 3-Series
  By nigthhawk779 - October 29 - 7:36 am

  We have owned it since new. It was maintained by the dealer of course until 50,000 which came quickly. The only two complaints that I have is that the skip plate is too fragile. If it touches the curb it will come off and sometimes you drive over the parts before you know it is failing. ($700.00) each time. So you learn not to park near the curb. A few times preminum gas was not available had to use 1/2 & 1/2. The back seat is hard to get any use out of. THe seat belt sets too far behind you when you first egage it. People (service personnel) are always surprised that it takes 8 guarts of oil.

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  Great car. - 2011 BMW 3-Series
  By chan88 - October 24 - 9:36 pm

  This is my 2nd BMW since I briefly owned a 325i in 1994. I had a Infiniti EX before I got this 335i (with sport pkg). This car runs great, but not a great value compared to others. It lacks a lot of standard features that others (acura or infiniti) have. Standard stereo is a joke at $50K price. My EX Bose system was much better. Fit and finish are great. No problem at 800 miles now. Ride quality on RFT is acceptable. I like the cars steering feel, suspension, engine, transmission, and solid chasis. These are the reasons I bought BMW. The driving dynamics is class leading.

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  BEWARE FRAME Issue on all E46 models BEFORE You Buy - 2000 BMW 3-Series
  By stockman77 - October 16 - 8:00 pm

  Ive owned 7 BMWs, 3-E46s and have only learned recently that all E46s had a Class Action law suit for a defective frame build. I just bought my 323ci 6 months ago & after an inspection was told my frame is cracked and in need of repair. BMW initially told me they werent going to offer any assistance until I mentioned litigation and now they are "determining" what theyll do if anything beyond what I was told thus far. I bought this car because I know the 3-series very well and have come to depend on BMWs brand but NEVER wouldve bought the car, without a detailed frame inspection at least, had I known about this immense problem. The Repair is about DOUBLE what the car is worth.

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  Beware of the convertible top! - 1998 BMW 3-Series
  By domermom - October 12 - 8:01 pm

  I just bought this car a couple of months ago. The previous owner spent over one thousand dollars at a BMW dealer attempting to fix the convertible-after all-that is why you buy this model. Although it does go up and down, it doesnt do it anywhere near as smooth as you would expect from a BMW. I am still going back and forth with the dealer I bought it from to get it right. Dont get me wrong-I LOVE the car_but I bought it for the convertible aspect and it is a very expensive and difficult thing to deal with.

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  BMW engineers are not very clever - 2007 BMW X3
  By vijayn - October 10 - 11:48 am

  I have a 2007 X3. Keeps getting Service Engine light every 2000 miles. I bought it as certified pre owned in 2007 May. So far I have been to service for about 15 times (This is real number, not exaggeration). Dealer keeps saying they dont know whats wrong, they just do whatever BMW engineers tells them to do and looks like BMW engineers havent been able to figure out whats wrog so far. Every time they find a new excuse on whats wrong. If they cant even find the reason behind such a small issue, one wonders about the accuracy of their claims towards their "intelligent" safety features - its probably just a claim.

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  2003 BMW X5 3.0i - 2003 BMW X5
  By ppsnow - October 6 - 10:02 am

  I have this car for 3 months now and I put about 3000 miles including a trip to Myrtle Beach. I enjoy driving this car. My wife loves it and my son wants to drive anywhere we take this car! So far so good. MPG about 20 highway around 17 in the city. I expected better! The only despoilment is the stereo and the fading of all the readout on the instrument panel. For a 50K + car when new is a disappointment! Other then that I very happy with the car. No problems so far other replacing the rear window regulator in the first week! Very easy to do and I was done in 20 min. Shop around for parts. You will find big difference in money. As a used car and paying only 1/4 of original price is GOOD!