M Buyers Guide
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BMW M4 F82

BMW M4 F82

2015 to 2020CoupeM car

Guide Score 87Excellent$2,481 a year to ownProvisional: 4 to 24 of 69
Best year
2016
Example asking
$30k to $56k
Prices near you
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Photo: Alexandre Prevot, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The F82 is the first turbocharged M4, the coupe twin of the F80 M3, sold in the US as 2015 to 2020 models with the S55 twin-turbo inline-six and a carbon fiber roof, standard unless the car was ordered with the optional moonroof.

BMW M4 F82 in Austin Yellow metallic, a studio render of a 3D model
Austin Yellow metallic, paint code B67. Filmed with a 3D model by 3D Cars Studio, CC BY 4.0.

The score, part by part

87Guide Score for 2020Excellentabout $2,481 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
Provisional: places 4 to 24 of 69
Likely score range
77 to 92
Confidence
Low
Acclaim
38 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
3.2%
Best purposes
Tuning, 3rd of 69; Daily driver, 5th of 69

The seven parts and acclaim, 2020 model year

Heritage counts 15 of 100
4124% of it not measured
Engine counts 15 of 100
59
Drive feel counts 20 of 100
79
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
90
Weight counts 10 of 100
79
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 17 of 100
69
Acclaim counts 15 of 100
38

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

4 prices from sources that allow this use (classiccars.com, driveway.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $56,419, about 83% of the price new (62% once the price new is put in today's dollars). Asking prices sit above what cars sell for.

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 $2,481 a year to own ($1,573 to $4,135), about $11,656 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.

  1. Crank hub slippage: about $360 over five years, rare (source)
  2. Rod bearing wear: about $215 over five years, rare (source)
  3. Cooling system / water pump: about $82 over five years, possible (source)

Expect about $1,600 to $4,100 a year; the bills that decide it are crank hub slippage, rod bearing wear and cooling system / water pump. Ownership risk: moderate.

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

S55425 hpRWD6-speed manual or 7-speed dual-clutch17 city, 24 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

2016The best year to buy, reading 88 of 100, about $2,481 a year to own.

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 2016, and no logged fault separates them.

  1. 201588$2,501 a year
  2. 201688best year
  3. 201787$2,481 a year
  4. 201887$2,481 a year
  5. 201987$2,481 a year
  6. 202087$2,481 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

Sharp, fast and very tunable, and more collectible in manual form. A good long-term buy when well specced and maintained.

What to look for
  • Full documented service history, clarity on tuning and whether the crank hub has been addressed on tuned cars, charge pipe and cooling maintenance, clean accident record, manual gearbox for collectibility, and desirable options and colors
  • Check by VIN that recalls are done, above all the driveshaft recall on 2016 and 2017 cars (18V-713) and the head airbag recall on 2015 cars (24V-288)
  • Check for a fuel smell or wet fuel under the car on the driver's side, where the tank's welded top plate can leak; cars built through April 2016 have BMW's 15-year cover for it (SI B01 03 22)
  • On a 2016 M4 GTS, have the front wheel carriers (steering knuckles) checked for cracks at the bolts that clamp the struts: five GTS owners have reported cracked carriers to NHTSA since 2020, one replaced under warranty, and no recall covers them

Holds value

  • Six-speed manual
  • Competition Package
  • The 2016 M4 GTS and the 2019 to 2020 M4 CS
  • Signature colors like Yas Marina Blue, Austin Yellow, and Sakhir Orange
  • Low documented mileage
  • Complete records
  • Carbon ceramic brakes

Hurts resale

  • High mileage
  • Accident or salvage history
  • Heavy or undocumented tuning
  • Common colors
  • Missing service records
  • Unresolved known issues
  • DCT for purists who want the manual

What to do next

Check a carFound one for sale? Paste the listing's link or its VIN, or enter its details, for a report on that one car.Compare it with a rivalSee where the M4 F82 wins and loses, part by part.Take the checklistWhat to ask, look for and test before you pay.
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Follow the M4

The M Index, once a month: any change to the M4's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.