BMW vehicles are for the most part very well built, trouble free and very nice to drive. They feature fine German engineering and are always introducing leading edge technology.
They’ve come a long way since the fifties, when reeling after WW2 they produced a 13 HP vehicle called the Isetta; an Italian designed, very small car with the entry door at the front of the vehicle. It’s sure to put a smile on your face.
BWM’s feature engines from 4 to 12 cylinders but their most common offering is their inline 6 which has been used for several decades. This engine always featured an overhead camshaft which when introduced was state of the art. Over time they have evolved the engine to incorporate more modern features such as variable valve timing , multiple camshafts and more sophisticated fuel injection and engine management systems.
As for reliability, the six cylinder is excellent with very few concerns. The V8’s while very good engines are considerably more costly to service as they age. Much of this is due to way the engine is constructed: it features coolant pipes and a covered “valley” full of coolant. This cover can leak and along with engine oil leaks can incur costs of several thousand dollars to repair.
There is a wide variety of vehicles in the BMW line-up ranging from sporty convertibles to rough, rugged and luxurious SUV’s. What is missing are pick up trucks, and wagons are quite rare.
Diesel engines are a very popular offering from Mercedes and Volkswagen and BMW has recently offered a diesel engine into the North American market. It makes for an excellent, economical to operate, powerful and highly luxurious vehicle.