The BMW 3 Series is a entry-level luxury car/compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It was the successor to the 2002 coupe, and has now been produced in five different incarnations and a no less than five different bodystyles. The 3 Series is BMW's best selling automobile, accounting for nearly 40% of all automobiles sold by the company in 2005.The 3 Series is the best selling foreign luxury sedan in the United States — 98,000 vehicles were sold in 2005.
The 3 Series has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list 17 times, from 1992 through 2008, making it the longest running entry in the list. The E90 was named "Best New Sports Sedan" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards. Also, it was awarded the World Car of the Year at the New York Auto Show in 2006.