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:

• 

  330ci - 2003 BMW 3-Series
  By Bob - April 8 - 5:11 pm

  Got the car during summer 08. I loved the cabrio part of the car and the handeling. After month or 2 power steering failed had to replace the hoses. A little later engine started overheating which was cover under the warranty. Then i kept getting other minor issues. Then all of a sudden the tranny went down had that rebuilt under the aftermarket warranty. The car was fun till it lasted with all those problems i still liked recently the computer gave up on me that when i realized i should just sell the car.

• 

  On the fence - 2008 BMW 5-Series
  By OnTheFence - April 5 - 11:13 am

  My lease comes up at the end of the year but not sure if I would buy it. It was at the dealership multiple times due to the high pressure fuel pump and gasket leak issues. Morning starts feel like a boat motor. Engine misfires. Car lurches back and jumps forward at stop lights etc. Its a joy to drive when the engine is trouble free. I-drive is so slow it drives me nuts. The blutooth works about 50% of the time. Im eying the infiniti M and the lexus G because I really want a trouble free vehicle with better ergonomics. Ill have to sacrifice the driving dynamics of this vehicle though. There should not be a compromise for a $60,000+ car.

• 

  Fuel System Problems - 2008 BMW 5-Series
  By Tom - April 4 - 12:52 pm

  Great car, amazing when running well. My 535 is having a lot of problems with the car running very rough and has had several engine malfunctions. The dealership has put in a new module, high pressure pump (HPP), and several new injectors. Problem is routine to N54 engine. BMW acknowledges the problem is a design fault. Check out and have good warranty if purchasing. Love the car when it works.

• 

  2010 BMW x5 Diesel first quarter - 2010 BMW X5
  By Old_Navy - April 2 - 11:51 pm

  First of all Bellvue could not have treated me better. I had been to to other dealerships locally in the Portland area and they were unsat. My only complaint is the Nav system that cant find anything and the sound system. The nav system has Probability of Success for finding something of less than .5. You could go to the vendor website and enter the lat long, but if you dont know where it is then you dont know lat long either. The radio will tune to both HD and standard signals and sometimes both which is the problem. Like an echo due to signal lag. Sound is not exceptional. Ride is great with the Multi contour seats. Overall car is great though Diesel performs well. Moon roof is nice

• 

  the shop guys call it a truck - 2009 BMW X5
  By woolly - March 31 - 7:53 am

  Love that diesel note at idle. Reminds me of being in Europe. Cant hear it at speed. Surprising punch with dual sequential turbo. Feels best at 80 mph. Gets an honest 26 mpg at that rate. Town is 17/18. Electronics are suspect. Clock wont boot sometimes. Nav screen will not come up on occasion. Had three Nav heads installed on warranty. Probably fixed. Had an alternator go out, took three weeks to get replacement. Dealer made a courtesy payment! With all those gears it is hard for trans to select medium takeoff velocity. Easy is fine and stoop on it and it flies. The middle is hard to attain. I love/distrust this car and will probably trade before warranty expires.

• 

  Picking right options is key - 2008 BMW 3-Series
  By JThom - March 28 - 10:39 pm

  I recently bought used 328i, auto, prem package. I drove a 335i w prem and almost bought a 328i w sport package, manual trans (drove it for several days). My thoughts: forget the sport package unless you have lots of open road for high speed cornering etc. The standard suspension is very good & sporty enough for most of us - and the ride is noticeably better. 335i is overkill (and unreliable it seems) - the 328 is actually very fast. Also, 6-sp manual is a bit clunky and auto is very good (esp when shifted manually). Finally I do not have run- flats got the M Mobility pump and sealer instead. Thought I had to have sport and manual, but am much happier with standard suspension and auto.

• 

  A practical beauty with a lot of zazz! - 1990 BMW 3-Series
  By cyberork - March 27 - 6:41 pm

  I bought this car in 2004 and drove it as daily driver until I switched over to a Porsche 993. Since then she is my backup, but I just cant part from her. She has been very reliable as a daily driver as well as on long multi-state drives in any weather conditions. This car is very practical as a convertible, it has a decent trunk space and can chauffeur 4 adults, for a BMW cheap to repair and (when washed/waxed) gets a lot of looks and questions. The car is very responsive, reacts quickly with a slight understeer. Get it as a manual with a manual top. This is a GREAT package of beauty, driving fun, high reliability and practicality and the convertible is guaranteed to become a classic.

• 

  Bad Experience 540, m-sport - 2001 BMW 5-Series
  By rams - March 27 - 4:03 pm

  I purchase this vehicle for my wife. Looks and feels excellent. powerful v- 8, excellent handling however it had 277,000 kilometers. i understand that with this mileage the car may need repairs et.. however the engine had a stalling problem. When stopping the RPM gauge would drop causing the engine to stall sometimes. the problem became progressively worse. BMW and 2 other mechanics looked at the car and ran scan tests. Nobody was able to solve the problem. I sold the car as is and lost thousands. Buyer beware

• 

  Beware "the convertible roof" - 2004 BMW 6-Series
  By John - Los Altos - March 25 - 8:34 pm

  Love to drive my 645 when the roof works which is not very often over the last year. BMW cant fix it after 4 attempts on my nickel and I can no longer afford these repair bills. Like some women, this car looks absolutely terrific, but dont even think about getting too close. Itll cost you! There are other cars out there that are a joy to drive, do the right thing - buy a coupe!

• 

  To D or not to D - 2010 BMW 3-Series
  By David Gulfcoast FL - March 23 - 11:52 am

  Sold Audi a6 2.7t-too big for my needs. 3 series, though smaller than I wanted, is a better size. Miss the radio, larger comfortable seats, larger trunk for golf clubs-but BMW gives Superior free maintenance for next 4 yrs, huge savings in fuel consumption-diesel is evident only at start up and low mph-highway speeds, you cannot tell this is a diesel. I would have preferred an Audi quattro a5 a4 or a6 with more features, but hard to pass up the ecocredit, more aggressive dealer pricing than local Audi dealers - strong resale-all made the BMW less expensive over the next 2-4 years. Fit and finish are great-navigation is very good, but Audi navi is better. No complaints but economics drove me to BMW.