Best BMW cars - our favourite models from the Bavarian brand

BMW has been responsible for many memorable cars down the years, and these come in all different shapes and sizes. From elegant sports cars like the 507 and Z8 roadsters to the brawny M-badged super saloons, the magnificent M1 and i8 supercars and the groundbreaking i3 EV. There are plenty of stone-cold classic BMW models that are worthy of contention in any list of the best BMWs ever made.

It all makes choosing that list a major challenge but it’s one that the Auto Express team were happy to take on. Our expert team have picked their favourite examples of the Ultimate Driving Machine and you’ll find them all in the list below. Our experts haven’t always gone for the obvious choices but each makes a powerful case for their chosen model’s inclusion in our best BMWs selection.

Don’t forget to join-in and let us know your favourite ever BMW in the comments section below. Let’s get started…

The best BMW cars

BMW 2002 turbo

By Richard Ingram

11

• Price new: £4,221 (1973)  
• Price now: circa £100k
• Powertrain: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol; four-speed manual
• Power: 170bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 6.9 seconds/130mph 

I’m biased. I own a non-turbo 2002, so my favourite BMW of all time had to be the best of the breed – the turbo. An iconic three-box shape, red, white and blue graphics, and a stripped back, analogue driving experience; what’s not to like?

The standard 2002 is considered the precursor to today's 3 Series. But the turbo was a different beast. Europe’s first turbocharged road car, it debuted in 1973 to critical acclaim. It’s laggy and not quick by modern standards, but the driving experience, supple ride and compact dimensions make it a joy to drive. A good job, because the best examples now sell for more than £100,000 – despite all being left-hand drive. Just 1,672 were built, though beware: convincing replicas are common.

BMW Z1

By Alex Ingram

11

• Price new: £37,000 (1989) 
• Price now: £50,000-plus 
• Powertrain: 2.5-litre 6cyl petrol; five-speed manual 
• Power: 170bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 7.9 seconds/140mph 

Alongside many of BMW’s greats, the Z1 will never rank as the sharpest to drive, nor is it close to the fastest –  it’s based on the E30-generation 325i, after all. But how many BMWs have electrically retracting doors and you can drive while they’re ‘open’?

That’s not the only reason I love the Z1, but is part of it. I've been lucky enough to drive many of BMW M’s hottest cars, and while every single one can thrill and excite, none has ever put a smile on my face the way a Z1 can on a balmy summer evening. It’s a top tier feelgood car; from the looks to the straight-six engine, to the pops and flutters from the exhaust as you rev match a downshift, to the general enjoyment of an open-top car, I adore it.

BMW X5 (E53)

By Ryan Birch

11

• Price new: from £35,035 (circa) 
• Price now: from £2,250 (2024)
• Powertrain: 3.0-litre 6cyl petrol; five-speed automatic 
• Power: 224bhp
• 0-62/top speed: 8.8 seconds/131mph

The BMW X5 (E53) was ahead of its time. BMW’s first attempt at a ‘big car’ was a success, laying much of the groundwork for today's premium SUVs.

It’s hard to imagine that the earliest E53 X5s are now approaching 25 years old, but in usual BMW fashion, the first generation is ageing like fine wine. The X5 isn’t a one-trick pony, either. It combines fine looks with a commanding road presence, great comfort and decent driving dynamics, making it a great all-rounder. 

BMW M550i (G30)

By Jordan Katsianis

11

• Price new: (2021) £71,715 
• Price now: £40-45,000
• Powertrain: 4.4-litre V8 twin-turbo, eight-speed automatic 
• Power: 523bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 3.8 seconds/155mph  

M5s: hardcore, stiff, often uncompromising. But for me, it’s the one-level-down M Performance variant of the previous-generation G30 5 Series that’s one of my all-time favourite BMWs. Just like the BMW M5 Competition, the M550i features a V8 engine, eight-speed auto transmission and all-wheel drive, but it runs softer coil springs and subtle active anti-roll and rear-wheel steering systems. The surprise is that its 523bhp V8 is actually more charismatic than the M5’s, with a more defined rumble in place of the M5's more synthetic bark. 

BMW 750 iL (E38)

By Shane Wilkinson

11

• Price new: £12,000 
• Price now: circa £70,000
• Powertrain: 5.4-litre V12 petrol, five-speed automatic
• Power: 326bhp 
• 0-62/top speed:  6.6 seconds/155mph

The latest BMW 7 Series is a special car to sit in – and that’s a good thing, because it’s awfully challenging to look at on the outside. Many people complain about the Bavarian brand’s latest designs, and when you see the E38 you’ll quickly appreciate why subtlety is key. This generation of BMW’s luxury car has a simplistic style, yet it’s instantly recognisable and appears great to this day.

Its timeless beauty is more than skin deep, too, because opting for the full-fat 750 iL meant having an Autobahn-friendly 5.4-litre V12. In short, the car offers everything that a proper BMW should: elegance, performance and an in-car phone. Indeed, it was a combination fit for James Bond himself.

BMW M5 (E28)

By Ellis Hyde

11

• Price new: £31,295 (1985) 
• Price now: circa £55,000 
• Powertrain: 3.5-litre 6cyl petrol; five-speed manual 
• Power: 282bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 6.5 seconds/152mph

The entire lineage of the BMW M5 is magnificent, and includes some of Germany’s best performance saloons. The E39 is regarded by some as The Holy Grail, or there’s the E60 with its screaming 8,250rpm V10. But my favourite generation of Munich’s genre-defying super- saloon is the ‘OG’ of them all – the E28 M5.  

I  love the boxy, classy yet conspicuous design that makes this car a proper sleeper, while hiding under the bonnet is the same M88 straight six that powered the BMW M1 supercar. It actually produces a little bit more power in the four-door saloon, which only weighed about 1,400kg – a full tonne less than the new plug-in hybrid M5. If that wasn’t enough, all 2,191 examples of the car were completely hand built.

BMW 320d Touring (E46, E91 and G21)

By Alastair Crooks

11

• Price new: £43,000 (2023) 
• Price now:  from £1,000 (E46) 
• Powertrain: 2.0-litre 4cyl; six-speed man/auto
• Power: 187bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 7.5 seconds/142mph

We could choose any era of BMW’s diesel-powered compact executive estate and add it to this list under the category: “all the car you could ever need”. The E46 generation and early E91 stand out with their much-lauded M47 engines, although in the current G21 320d Touring form, it’s as good as it has ever been (at least, before the diesels were axed from the line-up earlier this year).

The ingredients didn't change for decades - an efficient four-cylinder turbocharged engine that managed to feel far more flexible in its power delivery than oil-burners from rivals, rear-wheel drive and – most importantly – a handy split-opening tailgate. True, boot space has always been pretty average in the 3 Series Touring, but no other rival has managed to combine great driving dynamics with handsome looks as successfully as the BMW.  

BMW M6 (E63)

By Chris Rosamond

11

• Price new: £83,300 (2005) 
• Price now: circa £15,000
• Powertrain: 5.0-litre V10 petrol; seven-spd semi-auto 
• Power: 500bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 4.6 seconds/190mph

My all-time F1 hero Nigel Mansell owned a V10 version of the E63 M6 and "really liked it". I know this, because in a previous job I invited his son to offer readers of another title hot laps of Silverstone in my long-term test example on loan from BMW. After two laps the brakes were on fire, and soon after that I had an £800 tyre bill.

Powered by a 5.0-litre V10 inspired by BMW’s F1 involvement, the M6 made 500bhp and revved to a spine-tingling 8,250rpm. Top speed was limited to 155mph, but it would do 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and was a relaxed cruiser.

BMW M635 (E24)

By Dean Gibson

11

• Price new: £33,875 (1984) 
• Price now: circa £40,000 
• Power: 282bhp 
• Powertrain: 3.5-litre 6cyl petrol; five-speed manual 
• 0-62/top speed: 5.8 seconds/158mph

Touring car racing has been a BMW mainstay for decades, and one of its most successful models was the M635CSi. This two-door coupé used the M88 in-line six from the M1 supercar, but with Bosch fuel injection for even better performance. 

The racing cars delivered success in Group A touring car events across the globe, with three wins at the Spa 24 Hours, two in the UK’s Tourist Trophy enduro and another pair of victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The roadgoing M635CSi set the template for all of the M-badged models that came after.

BMW M3 CSL (E46)

By Paul Barker

11

• Price new: £58,455 (2003) 
• Price now: circa £80,000
• Powertrain: 3.2-litre 6cyl; six-speed automatic 
• Power: 355bhp 
• 0-62/top speed: 4.9 seconds/155mph

It’s pretty simple really. The best BMW has to be the best BMW M car, such is the back catalogue of brilliance that has come out of Munich’s sporting division.

And 2003’s M3 CSL, based on the already brilliant E46 M3, is a legend. A mate has one, bought for around £30k before prices rocketed, and was kind enough to let me behind the wheel. One roundabout was enough to show me how special it was, and how capable a driver you have to be to extract the maximum from it. It even had a carbon roof before everyone was doing it. 

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