Brand reputation matters when it comes to cars. But over time, BMW’s consistently stood out for its rich history of excellent vehicles and reliability. The abbreviation “BMW” stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke, or, translated into English, Bavarian Motor Works. Bavaria is a state in southern parts of Germany where BMW originally started making airplane engines around 1917. Today it’s part of the BMW group, composed of BMW, Mini, and Roll-Royce, with its headquarters in Munich, Bavaria.

Source: J. D. Power