use a seemingly aimless system of numbers and letters to differentiate their vehicle lineups instead of the conventional "proper" nameplates employed by other manufacturers.

But there is some method behind the madness, as Cartelligent reports.

BMW’s intuitive naming convention

Cartelligent

writes, the numbering and lettering scheme behind BMW model names is generally pretty intuitive, with smaller numbers typically indicating smaller and less expensive vehicles.

The 2 Series denotes a smaller two-door model that is available as a coupe or convertible. The 3 Series indicates a compact four-door vehicle that can be had as a sedan, sports wagon, or GT model.

The 4 Series represents compact coupes available as two-door hardtops or convertibles or a sedan. The 5 Series is a midsize four-door sedan or GT model.

The 6 Series is a midsize two-door hardtop or convertible coupe which has typically been available as a four-door Gran Coupe or Alpina.

The 7 Series is a full-size four-door sedan, while the 8 Series is a top-of-the-line two- or four-door coupe or sedan.

BMW has also used the last two digits of the vehicle model to indicate engine displacement and other performance figures.

That means a BMW 3 Series is going to be smaller and cheaper than a 5 Series or 8 Series. But if you've ever been shopping for a Bimmer, you know that they like to throw some confusing letters and sometimes a lowercase "I" in there for good measure. So what do those mean?

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BMW’s organized alphabet soup

BMW has a few vehicle groups that, in addition to numbers, have some letters tossed in for good measure. These include the X models, which are SUVs or crossovers.

The Z4 is a two-door roadster. M models are the high-performance iterations of BMW models such as the M3 or M8.

The BMW i-series is BMW's line of electric vehicles, but that shouldn't be confused with other vehicles with the letter "I" thrown into the name, which can stand for fuel-injected. The letter "D" can also be used to indicate a diesel-powered vehicle.

MORE: What Does the ‘B’ in BMW Stand For?

Fancy names, fancier vehicles

Where BMW gets closer to normal naming conventions are its trim levels, which include Gran Coupe (a four-door coupe with two-door styling), the Gran Turismo (or GT, a four-door wagon with a higher roofline), and the Alpina, which is a higher-performance variant of the base BMW upgraded by an outside company.

Want to know what xDrive and sDrive mean? That's just how they differentiate their all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive models, respectively.

Trims galore for BMWs

To add to the confusion, BMW also uses different line names to indicate trim level. That includes the Luxury Line, which upgrades wheels, steering wheel, and interior trim, while the xLine is available on select X Models to upgrade the wheels and roof rails.

The Sport Line makes a vehicle more sporty, while the M Sport Line adds premium cosmetic features from the M series to less expensive vehicles.

How much is it to insure your BMW?

According to our data, BMWs have an average monthly insurance premium of about $261—which is about $11 cheaper per month than another German luxury automaker, Mercedes-Benz. That means your average yearly premium is going to be about $3,134.

But don't take our word for it; let us do the quote hunting for you. The best way to get the lowest rate is to shop around.

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