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Bavarian automaker BMW, once upon a time, claimed to produce the "ultimate driving machine." Though its fidelity to that mission may have strayed some in recent years, the brand generally distinguishes itself from its German rivals by being sporty and driver-centric; the classic BMW archetype is a powerful rear-wheel-drive sedan with a manual transmission and great handling.
However, BMW has adjusted to the modern car market like any other company. Stick shifts have been all but phased out from the lineup, and much of the track-tuning goes to four-door crossovers. Still, the cars remain instantly recognizable for their dual kidney grilles — though some have ballooned to cartoonish proportions.
BMW History
BMW stands for Bavarian Motor Works (Bayerische Motoren Werke in German). The company, formally BMW AG, was founded in Munich in 1916. BMW began as a WWI airplane engine manufacturer. Its first car did not appear until 1928. Only after WWII did building cars become the primary enterprise. Cars like the 2002 and its successor, the 3 Series, laid the foundation for BMW to become a luxury and performance powerhouse from the 1980s onward.
How BMW Names its Cars
BMW, like Mercedes-Benz and Audi, uses an alphanumeric naming system. BMW models comes in numbered series ranging from 1 to 8. Larger odd-numbered series mean a bigger car. Even-numbered series tend to be body style variants of the previous series. (Note that series names are not hyphenated like Mercedes-Benz classes: 3 Series versus E-Class.) X models are SUVs. Z models are roadsters. Models starting with a lowercase i are electric or hybrid models; models can also have the suffixes sDrive (two-wheel-drive) or xDrive (all-wheel-drive) — although not all RWD Bimmers are marked with an sDrive badge.
The second set of numbers in a model name indicate how big the engine is. They used to track engine displacement. Now, a bigger number just means a bigger engine. The final letter (e.g. 230i) indicates what type of engine the car has. Most cars end in i, for gasoline fuel injection. There are also "e" electrified hybrids and, in other markets, "d" diesel cars.
There are "M Cars" (like the M5) that are designed by BMW's M performance division. These are distinct from cars like the M550i xDrive which typically have more power and sportier tuning and styling than the standard models. An additional tuner, Alpina, produces high-performance BMWs built and sold by BMW. These contain the letter B (i.e. XB7).
Put it all together, and if you speak BMW, “X6 xDrive50i” concisely tells you exactly what the car is ... although telling someone you just bought that can be a mouthful.
BMW Terminology
Bimmer: A colloquial nickname for BMW cars, as opposed to "Beemer" for motorcycles.
Gran Coupe: A four-door coupe with a sleek, sloping roofline.
Gran Turismo: A four-door sedan with a higher roofline in the rear for more trunk space. Some might term this a “hatchback.”
Hofmeister Kink: Signature BMW design element where the rear passenger windows curve forward at their lower rear corner.
Sport Activity Vehicle: What BMW calls SUVs.
The BMW Buying Guide
2 Series
BMW opted for mass confusion with the 2 Series. It is actually two distinct cars: the 2 Series Coupe and the 2 Series Gran Coupe. The 2 Series Coupe has two doors, comes in RWD or AWD and was all-new for 2022, losing both its previous convertible option and manual transmission. The 2 Series Gran Coupe, using a different platform, debuted in 2019. It's a four-door sedan and comes in FWD or AWD.
BMW launched the all-new M2 Coupe for 2023, which will be the last "pure" BMW M car with 453 hp of internal combustion, RWD and a manual transmission.
From our M240i review:
"The steering is miles improved over those other cars, with a much more natural feel closer to BMWs of old. Pitching this Bimmer into a sharp turn serves up those sports car feels that remind you why you dreamed about buying a car with that roundel on its nose all those years. Plus, it rides nicely too; over the course of a weekend trip from NYC to D.C. and back, both me and my partner found the seats supportive and the ride pleasantly smooth."
Body Styles
- Coupe
Models
- 230i Coupe
- 230 i xDrive Coupe
- M240i Coupe
- M240i xDrive Coupe
- 228i Gran Coupe
- 228i xDrive Gran Coupe
- M235i xDrive Gran Coupe
- M2 Coupe
Engines
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
Base MSRP: $37,800
3 Series
The 3 Series is BMW's compact sedan. It has been a standout for decades since its 1976 debut, and is BMW's best-selling vehicle of all-time. The new seventh-generation launched for the 2019 model year; BMW dropped the wagon and gran turismo body styles in the U.S. market, as well as the manual transmission. It comes in 255-hp four-cylinder, 288-hp plug-in-hybrid and 382-hp six-cylinder versions. The new M3 arrived this year, as well, packing a 473- or 503-hp turbocharged inline-six.
Body Style
- Sedan
Models:
- 330i
- 330i xDrive
- M340i
- M340i xDrive
- 330e
- 330e xDrive
- M3
Engines
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four plug-in-hybrid
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
Base MSRP: $43,800
4 Series
BMW created the 4 Series in 2014, breaking off 3 Series body style variants into their own series. The 4 Series can come as a coupe, convertible or (new for 2022) a four-door gran coupe model. Power outputs range from a 248-hp four-cylinder to a 503-hp inline-six in the M4. The M4 can be fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, but only in base model forms; all others use an eight-speed automatic. In a recent test, we found the M440i coupe technologically packed but a disappointing drive.
From our BMW M440i review:
"On paper, at least, it seems like it has everything you'd expect a fun Bimmer to possess: a smooth, powerful inline-six; excellent weight distribution; advanced powertrain management. But the pieces don't come together well. It’s not that BMW can’t still build great cars; the M5 and M8 and X5 M are spectacular, the Alpina XB7 is wonderful, the Z4 is delightful. It’s just that one of their bread and butter models — the 4 Series coupe/convertible — has lost the plot, as the Brits say."
Body Styles
- Coupe
- Gran Coupe
- Convertible
Models:
- 430i (Coupe/Gran Coupe/Convertible)
- 430i xDrive (Coupe/Convertible)
- M440i (Coupe/Convertible)
- M440i xDrive (Coupe/Convertible)
- M440i xDrive (Gran Coupe)
- M4 Coupe
Engines:
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
- Single-motor electric
- Dual-motor electric
Base MSRP: $49,900
5 Series
The 5 Series is BMW's midsize car. It was the first numbered series in BMW's lineup when it debuted in 1972. It's currently sedan-only in the U.S. market. And BMW just unveiled an all-new version for the 2024 model year. Currently, BMW has revealed the four-cylinder base models and new i5 electric models. But a new M5 should arrive soon. And rumors say it will have more than 700 horsepower from a plug-in hybrid system and a wagon variant.
Body Style
- Sedan
Models:
- 530i
- 530i xDrive
- i5 Drive 40
- i5 M60
Engines:
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Single-motor electric
- Dual-motor electric
Base MSRP: $57,900
7 Series
The 7 Series is BMW's flagship full-size luxury sedan, the competitor for cars like the Lexus LS and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. BMW unveiled an all-new 7 Series for the 2023 model year. It can be fitted with multiple gasoline engines, a plug-in hybrid and both single-motor and dual-motor electric motors as well also some wild new tech like your own person movie theatre.
From our 7 Series review:
"BMW may have aspired to make it the best-driving car in its class, but that class still prioritizes a comfortable ride over razor-sharp reflexes. Both i7 and 760i are capable of making good time through the bends — dialing up Sport mode is a must, though, to button down the suspension — but both feel more content taking the road at 7/10ths than pushing hard."
Body Style
- Sedan
Models
- 740i
- 740 i xDrive
- 760i xDrive
- 750e xDrive
- i7 Drive50
- i7 xDrive60
- i7 M70
Engines
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six plug-in hybrid
- Turbocharged 4.4-liter V8
- Single-motor electric
- Dual-motor electric
Base MSRP: $96,400
8 Series
The 8 Series is BMW's luxury grand tourer. The brand revived the nameplate for the 2018 model year. It can be ordered in three body styles: coupe, convertible and four-door gran coupe.
The 8 Series is BMW's luxury grand tourer, revived for the 2018 model year. It can be ordered as a coupe, convertible or a four-door gran coupe. BMW offers two flavors of halo model for this car. The top-tier M8 Competition is a sleeker — and at $143,000-plus, more expensive — version of the M5.
From our Alpina B8 review:
"BMW quotes the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 as making 621 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, but I'd swear this thing is cranking out at least 700 ponies based on the way it picks up speed when you slam on the gas, the way it explodes forward both in the midrange and towards the top of the tach. Forget 60 miles an hour; leave your foot in it a beat too long and you’ll blast through 100 mph before you know it."
Body Styles
- Coupe
- Gran Coupe
- Convertible
Models
- 840i Coupe/Gran Coupe/Convertible
- 840i xDrive Coupe/Gran Coupe/Convertible
- M850i xDrive Coupe/Gran Coupe/Convertible
- M8 Competition Coupe/Convertible
- Alpina B8 Gran Coupe
Engines
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
- Turbocharged 4.4-liter V8
Base MSRP: $90,800
Z4
The Z4 is BMW's small roadster. It's a descendant of the BMW Z3 that appeared in Goldeneye, which was a movie before becoming perhaps the greatest video game of all time. The Z stands for "zukunft," the German word for future. It comes in two versions, a 255-hp four-cylinder and a 382-hp six-cylinder. Both cars are RWD. Toyota uses the Z4 platform and engines for the Supra. BMW lightly refreshed the car for the 2023 model year.
Body Style
- Roadster
Models
- Z4 sDrive 30i
- Z4 M40i
Engines
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
Base MSRP: $58,800
iX
The iX is BMW's all-new electric midsize crossover. BMW sells it in two versions, a 516 hp iX xDrive50 and a 610 hp ix M60. Both have dual-motor AWD. The iX xDrive 50 offers 324 miles of EPA range to the ix M60's 288 miles. The BMW iX features on our best cars you can buy list.
From our BMW iX review:
"Give the wheel a turn, and you'll find an unexpected surprise — sharp steering and taut handling, more in line with a sedan than most SUVs. Some credit certainly goes to the giant 111.5-kWh battery pack that keeps the center of gravity so low, but plenty also deserves to go to the suspension and chassis engineers whose work keeps this hefty trapezoid's mass so well controlled even under extreme duress."
Body Style
- SUV
Model
- iX xDrive50
- iX M60
Engine
- Dual-motor AWD
Base MSRP: $87,100
i4
The i4 is BMW's compact, four-door electric sedan. It comes in three single-motor versions and a dual-motor i4 M50 model. The AWD i4 M50 model will deliver up to 536 hp, more than the combustion M3, and 270 miles of range.
From our BMW i4 review:
"While it may be able to keep up with an M3 Competition from naught to 60, odds are good the gas-powered car would dominate it on track. That's because the i4's battery makes it a good bit bulkier; the EV weighs in at just over two and a half tons, versus the comparable M-car's roughly 3,850 pounds. Still, all that weight has the decency to be mounted low and evenly across the middle of the car, so the i4 maintains the planted, neutral handling that's long been a defining character trait of the Bavarian Motor Werks's best cars."
Body Style
- Sedan
Models
- i4 eDrive 35
- i4 eDrive40
- i4 xDrive40
- i4 M50
Engines
- Single-motor electric
- Dual-motor electric
Base MSRP: $52,200
X1
The X1 is BMW's entry-level subcompact crossover, which is all-new for the 2023 model year. It now only comes in one AWD trim with a 241 hp inline-four. It's larger, boxier and rides higher than the related X2. The X1 is a multiple-time Car and Driver 10Best award winner.
Body Style
- SUV
Models
- X1 xDrive28i
Engine
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
Base MSRP: $39,100
X3
The X3 is BMW's compact SUV. First introduced in 2003 as a smaller alternative to the X5, the X3 has become BMW's best-selling vehicle. BMW debuted the third generation for the 2018 model year, which includes the high-performance X3 M model. BMW dropped the PHEV X3 xDrive30e model from the lineup.
Body Style
- SUV
Models
- X3 sDrive30i
- X3 xDrive30i
- X3 M40i
- X3 M
Engines
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
Base MSRP: $46,900
X4
The X4 is the sportier-styled version of the X3 compact crossover. It has a sloping coupe-like body style. It only comes with all-wheel-drive. Like the X3, BMW launched an X4 M edition with 473 hp (or 503 with the Competition package) for the 2020 model year.
Body Style
- SUV
Models:
- X4 xDrive30i
- X4 M40i
- X4 M
Engines
- Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
Base MSRP: $55,000
X5
The X5 is BMW's midsize SUV. It was the first SUV the brand introduced in 1999. It was one of the first luxury SUVs to use a more crossover-like unibody architecture when the Mercedes-Benz M-Class and others were still truck-based. The fourth generation launched for the 2019 model year. Outputs for the family hauler range from the 335-hp base model to the track-tuned 617-hp X5 M Competition.
Body Style
- SUV
Models
- X5 sDrive40i
- X5 xDrive40i
- X5 xDrive45e
- X5 M60i
- X5 M Competition
Engines
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six hybrid
- Turbocharged 4.4-liter V8
Base MSRP: $65,200
X6
The X6 is BMW's midsize crossover coupe, a body-style variant of the X5. The new third-generation model debuted for the 2020 model year. There is an AWD base version — BMW dropped the RWD — and higher performance M versions. According to J.D. Power, the BMW X6 is one of the cars buyers love the most.
Body Style
- SUV
Models
- X6 xDrive40i
- X6 M50i
- X6 M
Engines
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
- Turbocharged 4.4-liter V8
Base MSRP: $73,900
X7
The X7 is BMW's new full-size, three-row luxury SUV that debuted for the 2019 model year. It is the largest BMW road car ever built. There's no X7 M, but Alpina offers the 612-hp XB7 which can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds. BMW facelifted the X7 for the 2023 model year with some new tech and aesthetic upgrades.
Body Style
- SUV
Models
- X7 xDrive40i
- X7 M60i
- Alpina XB7
Engines
- Turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six
- Turbocharged 4.4-liter V8
Base MSRP: $81,900
XM
BMW just unveiled its new super SUV, the XM. The XM is only the second BMW designed purely by the M division — the first since the BMW M1 in the late 1970s. It's the M Division's first electrified high-performance car. And starting at $159,000, it will be the most expensive vehicle in the BMW lineup. The plug-in hybrid system will put out 644 horsepower — enough to push the XM from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds — and offer 30 miles of EV-only range.
The XM Label Red comes with aggressive red detailing and packs an upgraded 738 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. It is the most powerful BMW M car to date. And it can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 175 mph.
Body Style
- SUV
Models
- BMW XM
- BMW XM Label Red
Engine
- Twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 plug-in hybrid
Base MSRP: $159,000
