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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  Worst SUV in History - 2007 BMW X5
  By emcman - March 11 - 10:34 pm

  Run from this SUV. Mine has been in the shop over 2 months. Two dead tow ins and two dead battery caused by electrical flaws. Poor customer support. It is March 12 and last time I drove it was Feb 8th. Been at dealer no end in sight. Now I have to sue them as they accept no responsibility. For $65000 get a good reliable auto. Not this.

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  Safety defect with BMW X5 4.8i - 2008 BMW X5
  By Sam Kawa - March 5 - 4:41 am

  I am a life long owner & loyal fan of BMW, so it is with regret i publish that my BMW X5 2007/8 4.8i almost cost the lives of my family. This BMW has now done 16,000kms (10,000miles), it has a serious electric defect preventing it from accelerating & on occasion stalls. It has been into BMW 3 times for this problem & it is now strike 3 & out for this BMW. My pregnant wife was driving the car with my 11mth old son, when the BMW failed to accelerate & stalled at a major intersection, almost causing a serious accident. We will not be driving this vehicle again. Please note i am a lover of BMW, the older model X5 i had was perfect, however due to the severity of this incident this review is out.

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  Bloddy Mangled Wreck - 1998 BMW 3-Series
  By DPhill - February 25 - 2:33 am

  i always like the E36 since i was a kid so i bought one with 98,000 miles on the clock. it seemed that as soon as the odometer turned over 100,000 miles, it no longer wanted to do anything correctly. it needed fixing and the parts are expensive. i have spent $6k-$8k on this car in parts alone this past year. the check engine light always comes on as soon as one problem is fixed another thing is wrong. i drive conservatively and i can not get more than 15mpg and it goes through back tires very quickly. the engine is very noisy and vibrates a lot. the power windows can not go up without help and the headliner is falling off. all in all: i can not wait to buy another car.

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  THE WORST SUV YOU WILL EVER BUY!!! - 2001 BMW X5
  By Audra - February 3 - 8:22 pm

  I bought this SUV loved the design and it is a fun SUV to drive although the car is horrible. It has been in the shop for countless issues...which are major .. water pump went out had to be towed, radiator went out, numerous sensors that wont go off even after going to the shop for repair, engine misses at low speeds, the car is very unreliable and I do not feel safe driving it. I will never own another BMW ever! Too costly and not enough reliability. Constant headache of whats going to happen next. I have a huge folder of all its repairs...that is ridiculous considering what I paid for it. I am selling it tomorrow hopefully the warning lights will stay off until then. DONT BUY!

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  Worlds Worst Vehicle - 2005 BMW 3-Series
  By lknarea - February 2 - 8:17 am

  Do not get me wrong, Really Nice "Looking" Car. That is it ,though. Rides like a board, Problems with top, Ac, Wheel Bearings, Alignment issues, Power windows stopped working all under 40k miles. German engineered junk. Same as a VW. Problematic. Unreal for a $50k new price tag. So dissapointed, I sold it and lost $10k, But ius what worth it because I figured That would be the cost of a few Scheduled Maint. intervals. Seriously, No Joke, My wife loved the looks, But PLEASE, PLEASE trust me, It will be a Bad mistake to purchase one.

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  disappointment - 2008 BMW X5
  By carol fries - January 28 - 8:33 pm

  Beginning May 15th 2009 the battery went dead 9 times, always when I needed it most, until Nov 13th & the service dept was no help at all. They actually had the salesman deliver it to us on Saturday night Nov 14th saying it was our problem! It was our 3rd X5 & wed had with no trouble with the others but I fixed the problem myself by buying a Mercedes GL450. bye bye bmw!

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  Not so good - 2004 BMW X3
  By BML - December 29 - 2:00 am

  So little car for so much money. Still think I got the wrong car.

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  Needs better quality & reliability - 2010 BMW X5
  By Tap - December 28 - 3:26 pm

  The X3 and X5 have the same 3.0 sized engine. But the X5 is about 1000lbs heavier. Where is the "Efficient Dynamics"? It is sluggish after making turns. You are constantly downing shifting gears just to be normal on the roads. This one is not part of the Ultimate Driving machine class!!

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  SAAAAAADDDD BMW owner - 2008 BMW 5-Series
  By Annie - December 27 - 9:43 pm

  I bought this car used with a clean car fax in 2010 with less than 15000 miles. I bought an extended warranty just in case. I spent 8 month researching vehicles i would like to own and keep for 10 years. I have made a very poor decision. The maintenance cost on this vehicle will exceed its worth. Its been fun to drive, a very comfortable car with decent gas mileage. However, when Ive taken it in for service, its like sleeping with the devil. Goodbye emergency fund and hello credit card debt. Its the most disappointing feeling to love a car so much and be saddled with such repair bills. Fuel injectors replaced, water pump, thermostat, numerous hoses and vacuum hoses, and now replacing turbos and catalytic converters all before 90,000 miles. Not good resale either!!!

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  16 years later... - 2000 BMW 3-Series
  By rob f - December 14 - 6:39 pm

  Bought this from my daughter for next to nothing because it had NO trade in value. It was always breaking on her and not reliable. It is the same with me. 16 years , 111,003 miles today and has another 4000.00 dollar repair on the horizon. I am convinced nothing from germany is worth owning after 2 years. (Except a Porsche, which i also spend too much on but enjoy) So it will leave our family and end our relationship with German cars. Repair bills ARE a factor to consider. Before I traded this car off, I fixed it, still got nothing for it on trade. Never a Mercedes or BMW.