M Buyers Guide
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BMW M235i F22

BMW M235i F22

2014 to 2016CoupeM Performance

Guide Score 86Excellent$2,150 a year to ownAbout 13th of 69
Best year
2014
Example asking
$11k to $27k
Prices near you
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Photo: Alessandro, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The M235i was the first M Performance model BMW sold in the US: a 2 Series with the N55, a 3.0-liter turbo six rated at 320 hp.

The score, part by part

86Guide Score for 2014Excellentabout $2,150 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
About 13th of 69, likely 4th to 20th
Likely score range
80 to 92
Confidence
Medium
Acclaim
62 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
under 0.1%
Best purposes
Track, 2nd of 69; Tuning, 2nd of 69

The seven parts and acclaim, 2014 model year

Heritage counts 15 of 100
2224% of it not measured
Engine counts 15 of 100
53
Drive feel counts 20 of 100
82
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
90
Weight counts 10 of 100
82
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 14 of 100
64
Acclaim counts 15 of 100
62

Each part is scored from 0 to 100 on a fixed outside scale. Acclaim comes from published expert lists, launch reviews and awards; the more acclaimed a car, the less its ownership cost counts in this all-time score (its dollars below are unchanged). A part marked not measured carries no weight for this car, and the others share its weight.

Long-term value, shown and not scored

No permitted price yet: we have not found three prices for this car from sources that allow this use.

Long-term value starts to count in the score once 75% of the 69 generations have permitted prices. Today 43 do.

The cost to own

About $2,150 a year to own ($1,492 to $3,240), about $10,249 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Electric water pump and thermostat failure (N55): about $525 over five years, common (source)
  2. Valve cover and oil pan gasket leaks (N55): about $455 over five years, common (source)
  3. Fuel tank leak: about $245 over five years, common (source)

Expect about $1,500 to $3,200 a year; the bills that decide it are electric water pump and thermostat failure, valve cover and oil pan gasket leaks and fuel tank leak. Ownership risk: moderate.

Other bodies, scored on their own

  • BMW F23 M235i Convertible, best year 2016 · About 15th among the 69, likely 6th to 23rdGuide Score 85, about $2,115 a year to own

Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.

N55320 hpRWD, AWD6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic21 city, 31 hwy mpg

Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.

Routine service a year, estimate
$450 to $950

Best year to buy

2014The best year to buy, reading 86 of 100, about $2,150 a year to own.

The 2016 reads 87, a point higher on this scale; the model scores the two years level and names the 2014 as the year to buy.

No logged change between model years sets it apart; every year reads within 2 points of it, so buy on condition and records.

No year to think twice about: none reads 3 or more points below the 2014, and no logged fault separates them.

  1. 201486best year
  2. 201586$2,132 a year
  3. 201687$2,115 a year

From our log of the changes between model years, each with its source. Only changes the score reads count as reasons; recalls BMW fixes for free, options and tuning notes do not. The cost a year is for a car bought at five years old, or its own age if older, kept five years. How the score works.

The longer answer

It was sold here from 2014 to 2016, as a rear-drive coupe from launch, then also as a convertible and an xDrive coupe from 2015 and an xDrive convertible for 2016; the six-speed manual came only on rear-drive cars, and every xDrive car has the eight-speed automatic. Car and Driver named it a 10Best car for 2015 and 2016, and for 2017 it became the M240i, with the B58.

There were no special editions; the car buyers chase is a manual coupe with BMW's M Performance limited-slip differential, a dealer-installed accessory. The N55's known bills are the electric water pump, oil leaks at the filter housing, valve cover and oil pan, and the plastic charge pipe.

What to look for. Records for the electric water pump and thermostat, a dry oil filter housing, valve cover and oil pan (a shiny, oil-soaked drive belt means stop and fix it), a stronger aftermarket charge pipe or a crack-free original, no coolant smell or low-coolant warnings, oil changes every 5,000 to 7,500 miles rather than BMW's 10,000, the tune history (many N55s have been tuned), a receipt for any M Performance limited-slip differential, a VIN check for open recalls (a fuel pump recall on early 2014 cars and two head air bag recalls on some 2014 and 2015 coupes), no wet fuel or fuel smell under the driver's side, where the tank's welded top plate can leak (BMW covers it for 15 years), and on manual cars a clutch that does not slip.

Holds value

  • Six-speed manual coupes
  • The dealer-installed M Performance limited-slip differential with receipts
  • Estoril Blue paint
  • Coral Red leather
  • Low documented mileage
  • The water pump and oil leaks already fixed with records
  • Stock, unmodified cars

Hurts resale

  • Tuned cars with no records
  • Oil leaks left alone
  • Accident history
  • High mileage with gaps in the service history
  • Convertibles for buyers who want the coupe

What to do next

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Follow the M235i

The M Index, once a month: any change to the M235i's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.