I use Harbor Freight stuff and have never had a problem. I got their low profile steel jack for around $75 and it has worked very well (still not low enough to get under the front/center jack point without lifting the side).
The jack stands can be problematic because of BMW's jack points with the rectangle hole. You can find stands made for BMW that fit in there but can be pricey.
https://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=685917
I Just cut a block of wood to fit in the hole and use a regular stand. Others have come up with some creative modifications to stands. Have are some from a google image search:
