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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  The good and the bad - 2006 BMW 5-Series
  By squadless - September 30 - 12:28 am

  Ive had this 550i for about a year, the car is awesome. Very fun to drive, turns heads (especially those people who rev up their engines in their G35 or the equivalent). Reliability - not so good. In 1 year I went through 5 tires and 2 cracked rims. Note I do live in New York City where the roads are NOT the best but before this I had a Lexus LS430 since 2001 and I only went through 1 tire so do the math.

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  99 Convertibles Rock - 1999 BMW 3-Series
  By sanderson14 - September 29 - 7:36 pm

  So far have logged 190k miles. I run 10k miles between oil changes with full synthetic and drive hard and fast. This dream car has held up perfectly. I can get just under 30mpg if I keep the speed below 70. No leaks, doesnt burn oil and still looks like a new car. Repair history: replaced radiator (185k miles) brakes once (front at 90k and rears at 110k - nearly 90% of my driving is highway. Control arms at 100k, HVAC unit at 90K and one tune up at 100k. Advice - DIY for repairs (great websites out there for "how-to" advice and it is pretty easy to work on) buy parts from a reputable aftermarket company. Buy a wind deflector and put the top down!!

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  The Ultimate Unseen Cost Nightmare - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By I Want My Lexus Back - September 28 - 9:39 pm

  Sell your BMW before the warranty runs out. Dont bother to buy a new BMW with run flat tires unless they give you tires for as long as you own the car. The front tires cost about $425.00 and the rear $375.00. I have had to replace 9 tires in the 3 years I have owned the car. They dont last and the flat tire sensor comes on all the time. If you take it to a BMW dealership they will not give you the car back unless you replace the tire. There is no fixing it. Im not even sure if there was anything wrong with the tire. They never let me see it. The passenger air bag sensor will cost you $1500.00. I have no idea what the LCD display for the stereo will cost, but it has completely faded.

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  Overall dissapointing - 2007 BMW 3-Series
  By MN - September 28 - 5:44 pm

  Extremely slow steering for a bmw. It takes so much cranking of the wheel just to make a simple turn, and on top of that the effort is really heavy. And they dont offer active steering in xi models. The bridgestone runflats are joke. A fairly quick stop will make them slide. Starting from a stop is jarring. Press the gas in automatic mode and it will first pause for a while and then buck and jerk while it decides if it should continue in second gear or downshift to first. It goes through coolant and oil pretty quickly. Much faster than scheduled maintenance happens. Oh, and forget about spirited driving without sports package..there is NO seat bolstering whatsoever.

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  One Word: Amazing! - 2005 BMW M3
  By Tim Fleener - September 27 - 11:21 pm

  Cant say enough good things about my M3. I love it! I have test driven many of these over the years, and I finally took the plunge and bought one earlier this year. It is everything I have always wanted in a car. Excellent good looks, enough room to have my wife and two kids in the car (plus a decent amount of luggage in the trunk), and power and handling that are absolutely breathtaking. Even with the amazing raw power that the engine is capable of, it still gets very good mileage if you arent "on it" all the time. When not driving aggressively, I have averaged 27.1 mpg for a whole tank of gas. The ride is very stiff, so if you are looking for a cushy car, this is not the ride for you.

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  Always in the service bay - 2008 BMW 5-Series
  By cunn5 - September 27 - 4:21 pm

  I have owned two 550is in a year and a half. The reason for two is that the first one was in service for massive computer troubles 14 times in a 12 month period. The dealership swapped me out of the trouble maker and now in only four months and 4000 miles I am in service overheating and all the windows and sunroof seem to open by themselves. Please avoid this model

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  My 6speed dream come true! - 2003 BMW 5-Series
  By flyguy102 - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Took delivery on this black on black 6 speed 540i 2 weeks ago. First test...700 miles to Scottsdale and back. In a word...IT BLEW ME AWAY! The powertrain is an art form! Low end torque incredible. The cars build quality is so strong that you become oblivious to speed. Ride and handling impeccable. Interior build/sound quality is excellent. Fit, and finish wonderful. Im so glad that I didnt drop $65K on a Lexus convertable instead. This was my first BMRr and now Im a convert for life. Next stop...a companion M3 convertable for my 6 mile RT commute to work!

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  So far, so good - 2004 BMW 3-Series
  By DanK - September 27 - 10:00 am

  I absolutely love this car. I take the long way home each day. I thought my V6 EX Honda Accord was a pretty good car. until I drove my 04 SP/6sp 330 Ci. I test drove the new Accord (coupe and sedan), S2000, and the Audi A4 1.8T before choosing this car. I tried to test drive an Infiniti G35 Coupe but was told I couldnt unless I put a deposit down. NO THANKS! The BMW dealers were fantastic!

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  Best car/ nothing much to us... - 2003 BMW 3-Series
  By Jts@330i - September 27 - 10:00 am

  Last year I saw in the magazine that Bmw will build a new 330i with Performance Package, Actually I did wait for year before decided to get the car, now finally got it, I was so impressed, nothing more to us, I think this is the best car I ever had, and for sure Ill keep this one forever...

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  Nice to be driven - nice to drive - 2008 BMW 7-Series
  By maiaibing - September 27 - 9:33 am

  The passenger comfort of this car is hard to beat. Quiet and smooth - I often feel like power napping between meetings! Rear windows not too small or high. At the wheel its a pleasure to drive. But it is b-i-g. Some may feel uncomfortable handling the sheer size. Too early to really say anything about the quality of the build and engine. First impression is very good, but with all the tech there are lots of things that can break or go wrong. Tested another 750li before buying this one - and it had a broken sunshade.