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:

• 

  X1 not a BMW - 2017 BMW X1
  By Jlk - June 14 - 11:09 am

  Take car out for a day drive.

• 

  bad deal - 2002 BMW 7-Series
  By ronn - March 7 - 7:01 pm

  Purchasing this car was one of my bigest mistake

• 

  BMW = BIG MONEY WASTER - 2011 BMW 3-Series
  By J. Singletary - October 16 - 9:39 pm

  I have had my 2011 bmw 328i for about 2 years, within the last 4 months I have dumped over $4k into repairs.. one leak, after another, after another. my radiator went out at 80k miles, valve cover assembly replaced, oil pan gasket leak, and more. This car has been nothing but problems, and everything (shocker) is not covered on my warranty... after research online and reading forums, a lot of others have had these issues. BEWARE once you hit 80k miles!! your bank account will hate you.

• 

  Shoulda remembered not to buy Euro car w 40k+miles - 2008 BMW X5
  By poor car - October 5 - 4:50 pm

  The reason being is you dont know how it was treated, and boy has this car been costly. Worst car Ive ever owned in terms of reliability. Not worth the "privilege/pride" of "...but its a BMW." Seems theres 2 kinds of reviews here, crummy car & I love it but its expensive to maintain (wait till you get more miles on it)! Bought used at 72,500k miles and in 3 months we were moving/driving from Seattle to AZ. Wed had it checked before the move & I asked the mechanic "is summer heat in the desert a factor with reliability at all?" He chuckled at the question. 1) paid $400 to check car & replace oil cooler seal & filter stand gasket. 2)&3) 15 miles into the moving trip the transmission slipped & did so 5-6 times on trip to AZ. Over $10k repairs for this & replacing the catalytic converter, and the mechanics said 4) it desperately needed a "system update" which had it in the shop an extra 3 days. 5) The USB port went out right away. The A/C is kind of annoying because you never feel the left drivers side vent on you unless its blasting. 4 months later 6) the water pump went out at 81k miles along with 7) thermostat assembly: $1300. 8) The suspension needed work signal by one of many times warning light come on: about $1000. If you worship a car & devote much money to it- this is the car for you!

• 

  BMW 745i MONSTER ISSUES - 2003 BMW 7-Series
  By Ken Ganner - July 4 - 2:00 am

  THIS CAR IS VERY BAD IS A FREAKING NIGHTMARE. OTHER BMW PRODUCTS ARE GREAT,,STAY AWAY FROM THE 745i. THEY NEED TO DO A TOTAL REPLACEMENT. COMPLETE SCRAP OF THIS GARBAGE.

• 

  Worst Buy of My Life- Never Again - 2004 BMW 3-Series
  By Mike MacMahon - March 7 - 10:00 am

  Since I purchased the car a little over a month ago I have had many problems with the car and have had it in for service for many re-occurring problems. The transmission went bad at 500 miles, the window regulator went out, and the car has poor handling and performance. This is the last time that I will buy a BMW or a german automobile ever again.

• 

  Not good - 2005 BMW X3
  By Crappy Bmw - February 16 - 3:16 am

  Not a good experiance for what I paid for this crappy car. I think A hynduai santa fe has the same cheap looking interior of the the bmw x3. Plus a hynduai has a better warrenty

• 

  Needs Service - 2011 BMW 3-Series
  By Tom Hert - December 21 - 12:17 am

  I am 76 years old, have owned many new cars and this is by far the worst car I have ever owned. It is constantly in need of service. Purchased used with 19k miles. At 45k the carbon build up removal cost at $ 2500 was considered "normal". The particulate filter $ 3000 was considered "normal maintenance". The defective DEF tank, $ 1600, not normal and the list goes on and on. Dumped this car at 120k and never a BMW again!

• 

  Piece of cheap junk - 2013 BMW 5-Series
  By lns - November 20 - 7:19 pm

  I bought a 2013 CPO 528XI and I also got the 100K warranty. Lucky I did. The first thing I noticed was the door panels and console covering coloring coming off. The tan interior on the door panels and console was turning. At first I thought it was dirt. But when I started “cleaning” it I realized it was actually the tan coloring coming off. Brake rotors have to be replaced every 25,000 of highway driving. Next BMW had to replace the transaxle. Then the turbo charger and all lines had to be replaced. It uses a quart of oil every 6,000 miles. BMW says that is normal. After turbo replaced, my gas mileage has gone down by 4 MPG. I’m 66 years of age and I have had many cars in my life time. But in all honestly, I can actually say this is the worse car I have ever owned. And I have owned, everything from Mercedes to VWs to Corvettes to Chevy trucks. The car is made of cheap materials.

• 

  BMW 335D performance - 2009 BMW 3-Series
  By Vi Co - November 9 - 3:34 pm

  directly after the expiry of manufacturers warranty, the turbos failed. They fail unexpectedly so, if I am on the road, the car will suddenly lose turbo power, and, despite engine revs rising, nothing speeds the car over 40 mph. The car has spent more time and I have spent more money in repair shops than I spent on a smaller car I have as well, which runs flawlessly. I had believed that, after having spent a small fortune purchasing this car, I would not need extended warranty, but I was wrong! The help I received from Bavarian was no help at all. I was offered a $1000 discount on my next purchase of a Beamer! I wanted to have some diagnosis, but all the diagnostics have been steadily repaired and the same problem recurs. I wonder if the car was made to run in cooler weather, as it runs hot and may have caused damage to the diagnostics in the computer, which is the more expensive one to replace