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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  06 325i - Current college student - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By Cesar - October 15 - 1:58 pm

  Bought an 06 325i with 67,000 last august. Saved up all my money to get a nice car to commute to and from school. Drives amazing, feels amazing, and quite frankly you feel amazing! It honestly feels like driving in a spaceship. You hear nothing except the sound of silence and the road. I am in love with my car. To do my oil changes it usually costs me about 90$ every 5-6,000 miles just because I try to be proactive with oil. Unfortunately things took a turn for the worst.. my water pump went this past june which cost me about 1,300 with the change of a battery too. The guy i bought it from didnt change his battery so that battery in there was from 2005 when it was first built. This shows how much of a monster this car! The only problem with the car is it can be expensive. Any repair will cost you a decent chunk. Luckily my father knows about cars and we can do the simple tasks such as oil changes and brake pad changes. Also the car is super low so be careful with potholes as well as speed bumps and going in your drive way since it can scrape the bottom of it. Love my BMW! Any repairs for this vehicle, Id suggest KAM specialties in Reading, PA. These guys are great and competitively priced.

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  Fourth BMW, and best one yet - 2015 BMW X4
  By john - October 12 - 10:10 pm

  Just picked a practically brand new x4 35 xline from Momentum Motorsports in Marietta Georgia. Driving the 350 miles home on the X4 was better than the 350 miles up their in our 2011 535i GT, gas mileage up was 27.3 on the GT and back home it was 25.7 on the X4. Really liked everything about it so far. Probably could have one or two more nook and cranny places to hide things but its ok. Prior to the 11 GT we had a 07 X5 4.8 and a 535i and loved all of them so far. The X4 is faster than the x5, 535i GT and faster than our 14 JGC overland with 5.7 hemi, our 2002 jeep wrangler with 31s would smoke the X4 in the mud though, ha ha. With NO maintenance cost first 50k miles, why not own a beemer

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  400 HP Imola Red Super Sedan - 2002 BMW M5
  By Kurt G. - October 12 - 6:58 pm

  They say, use the proper tool for the job.This car is the tool for a proper driving experience. I couldnt say enough about it. Its great on the highway, with ample power to overtake the lemmings in the fast lane. Its agile on back roads, and twisties for spirited driving. Its true, they are a bit of bite to the coin purse when they break, but fortunately they have a bullet proof build quality, and breaks are infrequent. Its nice to have the ponies on tap at the press of a button. The car definitely wants to go when you press the sport button. Throttle response quickens, power and torque pin you back in the seat, steering tightens up, transmission shifts quicker. Truly a drivers car. Not for the person who just wants a personal conveyance.

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  Five years and still going - 2011 BMW 3-Series
  By Casper - October 7 - 8:00 am

  Bought this when I was five years younger and it still is a good car. A couple of repairs all under warranty, nothing major. My roof is 99% water proof, only once or twice a few drops of water noted. I use Hoffman car wash, they do not recommend power wash i.e. the brushless type. Back seat is useable for kids and the occasional adult, need to push the front seats forward for the adults. Fueling, use the newer slim pumps, or you will stand there a long time to fuel to max because the auto shut off kicks in frequently. Still get lots of looks when the top is down!

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  Amazing car - 1991 BMW 3-Series
  By Justin - October 6 - 10:52 am

  Bought mine a month ago with 178,000 miles on it. Other then missing a few trim pieces the car is perfect. After market performance suspension is the only thing that has been done. I have owned some very fun cars in the past (2006 gto) and those cars are great in a straight line. But i have learned to appreciate corners with this little car. What the 1.8 ltr m42 lacks in off the line power it makes up for in high rpms and the ability to take corners at rediculous speeds. And still feel in control.

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  What A Automobile - 1991 BMW 5-Series
  By Chuck Sperry - September 28 - 6:40 pm

  I purchased this car off the showroom Floor in October 1991. I wished I could buy a new one again! This car has been a DREAM, it currently has 281,000 miles on the original transmission and engine. Ive always changed the oil every 4,000 miles and have always used Mobil 1 Syn. OH! by the way...always make sure to change all your fluids (Brake, power steering, rear end, coolant as needed. This is the year 1991 where BMW went from a timing belt to a timing chain. The M50 engine also has a large-big pusher oil pump. I might be buried in this thing..............DiD I ever get my moneys worth. Learn to work on the car yourself...its not that hard. The only thing I had to change was the ECM....theres a place in Miami that will repair ECMs for $400.00 with a lifetime warranty....besides that just regular maintanance. This vehicle doesnt burn a drop of oil. Automobile of the Century!

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  Second best car I have ever owned. - 2004 BMW 3-Series
  By Mitch Young - September 22 - 11:58 pm

  This is simply an amazing car. I dont really have a complaint about the car. For starters, the 330xi is a great car for road trips, it is extremely comfortable. I put a lot of miles on the road due to the nature of my work. The Harmon Kardon stereo system delivers a tremendously crisp sound , far better than the Bose systems that were offered in the Audis of the same year. The All-Wheel drive proves excellent traction in the winter. I have plowed through 8 inches of un-plowed snow, no problem. The BMW 330xi matched with the right tires makes for a remarkably quiet ride. On a less important note in regards to sound, the exhaust sound is quite entertaining to listen to. The transmission shifts effortlessly and for the sport enthusiasts you can get the AWD car sideways on an on ramp if you would like to. The engine sounds like it has more to give than it actually does, in turn if i had a complaint it would be the acceleration, although it isnt bad, you would expect a little more out of the top-of-the-line 3 series. What I love most about the car isnt the specifications or even the unsurpassed build quality, but the way it makes you feel. It makes you drive with a smile, not many cars have the ability to do that. The question yet to be answered is personal reliability, I hesitate to answer this because it varies from car to car and how you take care of the car, doing proper on time maintenance and so on. With that in mind, I take exceptional care of my cars, and I have only put $900 into the car so far, it was the power steering rack, which through research has been found to be a relatively common fix on these machines. In comparison to other cars I have owned this proves to be far superior, other than an Audi S4 of the same year. However, it is a different caliber of car, so it does not really count in the realm of the 330xi. To finish my review, I do in fact highly recommend this car. If you ever have the opportunity to own one, do so. Your increase in daily happiness surpasses the worry of paying for premium fuel.

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  Bimmer Junkie - 2006 BMW 3-Series
  By Kevin Stewart - September 22 - 10:11 pm

  I have had my 325ci for one month now and let me say its the best car Ive ever owned. I recently owned a Mercedss Benz E320 I know there is now comparing the two my BMW is truly in a class of its own. The overall performance is superior, the way it handles on the highway is a delight for those individuals that want a fast ride. Riding with the top down on a bright sunny day is simply the best.

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  328d - a BMW with the mpg of a geek box - 2015 BMW 3-Series
  By gary patterson - September 18 - 11:09 pm

  If you drive a lot, youll love the comfort, handling and mpg...and with diesel youll save enough to pay for it. I cannot believe Im getting 37.5 mpg combined in a BMW. Im getting 48 mpg on the freeway...75mph with the a/c on. I went from $75 for a tank of premium to $30 for a tank of diesel (yes,its $1/gallon less) in Los Angeles...and im now filling up once per week, compared to every 4-5 days. Fit and finish is German. Instruments laid out as expected. Drink holders actually work in this model. Could use storage under front seat, but lack of spare tire (run flats) gives enough extra space in the car...just not up front. iDrive system works well, and short cut buttons on the dash come in handy. Will store 3 drivers information (radio presets, seats, short cut buttons, climate preference...really slick.) If you cannot find something to listen to, youre not trying...cd,radio, satellite, bluetooth, usb. Backup camera works well with sensors.

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  To New York and back 51mpg! - 2014 BMW 3-Series
  By Magnus Rundqwist - September 17 - 2:58 pm

  I love the car. This is my 3rd 3-series, -when my last 328i at 180,000 miles started to show signs of costly repairs I thought is was time to trade in. I was hopping around for fuel efficient cars including hybrids, once used to the driving environment of the BMW its difficult to switch. The car has been 5/5. The mileage I get has been great. I am a bit of a mpg-geek and think its fun to keep track. Most recent was a full-packed 4 people trip to NY from Atlanta, including Labor day traffic jams and driving on Manhattan. Coming home after 1750 miles the trip computer showed 51mpg average. -Im happy with that. Around town (Atlanta traffic 25-30mph average): ~40-45mpg MPG "geek" driving (careful driving smooth acc etc): 55-60 mpg Typical highway at 75mph: ~53mpg