Last week, Doug DeMuro put out a video in which he talked about BMW’s recent fall from grace; how it went from being one of the most beloved automotive brands to one of the most mocked. Now, though, DeMuro talks about the good ole days of BMW, when it seemed like everything with a Roundel was excellent. He decides to list his top six BMWs of all time. Why six? Because he couldn’t cut it down to five. Good problem to have for BMW.
First up on the list is the original BMW X5. Not the sexiest of enthusiasts cars but he does have a point. The original X5 was not only the beginning of “sporty” luxury SUVs but it was also likely the best X5 ever made. We’re big fans of the original X5, thanks to its fantastic styling, great driving dynamics and its importance to the brand. We tend to mock SUVs now but the O.G. BMW X5 was truly a great car. Minus its reliability issues…
After that, DeMuro chose a car that’s close to my heart personally, the E36 BMW M3. Most fans think of the E36 M3 as one of the worst ever M3s, as it was a step down from its predecessor in every way but power and speed. However, the E36 M3 is actually a great car even today, thanks to great steering and a lovely chassis. Maybe it just took time to truly appreciate its charms.
For third place, DeMuro actually chooses two cars, in a tie; the E9-series cars and the BMW 2002. The BMW E9 was a series of models that produced such cars as the BMW 2800 and 3.0 CSL. All E9 BMWs features essentially the same, and absolutely stunning, body. They were incredible looking cars with a classic design that still looks wonderful. While the BMW 2002 was essentially the 3 Series before the 3 Series and showed the world that small cars could be fun. Journalist Jason Cammisa says that BMW is a “2002 company”, meaning that the 2002 was the car that defined the brand and what it’s supposed to be. He’s not wrong, so it’s a worthy inclusion to this list.
We won’t spoil the rest of the list for you, as you should go and watch DeMuro’s video. Go check it out.
