The year 2018 is starting out for BMW pretty much the same way 2017 ended: with automotive publications and sites bestowing awards on our favorite marque’s products. This time around, it was the German trade journal auto, motor und sport handing out “Best Cars Award” trophies to two BMWs. The BMW 5 Series was named Best Car in the Upper Midrange category, repeating for the second year. The BMW X1 took the Best Car Award in the Compact SUV class.
The auto, motor und sport Best Cars Award is one of Europe’s longest-running and most prestigious automotive award programs, with this year’s competition being the 42nd iteration. It’s no wonder why the automakers hold this prize in such high esteem.
In a public survey, more than 117,000 readers of auto, motor und sport were invited to vote on 378 current vehicle models in eleven categories.
The BMW 5 Series received a decisive 28.8 percent of votes in the Upper Midrange class. Not quite so lopsided, but still with a strong 15.9 percent of the votes in the Compact SUV class, the BMW X1 continued collecting accolades.
If the wins by the 5 Series and X1 weren’t enough, BMW was also well-represented with podium finishes in six other classes, meaning BMWs finished in the top three positions in eight of eleven categories.
Proving the staying power and unique attraction of BMW i cars, the BMW i3 placed second in Small Cars, while the BMW i8 finished third in Sports Cars. Not bad for a couple of BMWs that have been in the marketplace for almost four years now.
The other BMWs that finished in their categories’ third spots included the BMW 2 Series Coupe in Compact Class, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe in the Midrange Class, The BMW X3 in Large SUVs, and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer/2 Series Gran Tourer in the Vans category.
