M Buyers Guide
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BMW M4 F83

BMW M4 F83

2015 to 2020ConvertibleM car

Guide Score 83Excellent$2,522 a year to ownProvisional: 8 to 29 of 69
Best year
2020
Example asking
$28k to $49k
Prices near you
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Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, plate blurred, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

The F83 M4 Convertible is the F82's open-air sibling, S55 twin-turbo six, manual or DCT, retractable hardtop.

The score, part by part

83Guide Score for 2017Excellentabout $2,522 a year to own
Place among the 69 generations
Provisional: places 8 to 29 of 69
Likely score range
74 to 89
Confidence
Low
Acclaim
38 of 100
Chance of a bill over $10,000 in five years
3.4%
Best purposes
Daily driver, 8th of 69

The seven parts and acclaim, 2017 model year

Heritage counts 15 of 100
3524% of it not measured
Engine counts 15 of 100
59
Drive feel counts 20 of 100
78
Analog connection counts 10 of 100
90
Weight counts 10 of 100
64
Long-term value not scored
not measured
Ownership counts 17 of 100
65
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

3 prices from sources that allow this use (driveway.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $36,999, about 49% of the price new (35% 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 $2,522 a year to own ($1,614 to $4,176), about $11,944 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. Retractable hardtop mechanism: about $240 over five years, possible (source)
  3. Rod bearing wear: about $215 over five years, rare (source)

Expect about $1,600 to $4,200 a year; the bills that decide it are crank hub slippage, retractable hardtop mechanism and rod bearing wear. 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-clutch16 city, 22 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

2020The best year to buy, reading 83 of 100, about $2,491 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 2020, and no logged fault separates them.

  1. 201582$2,552 a year
  2. 201683$2,532 a year
  3. 201783$2,522 a year
  4. 201883$2,512 a year
  5. 201983$2,502 a year
  6. 202083best 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

Inherits the F82's character and chronic issues but is about 500 lb heavier, less rigid, and more cruiser focused, a different buyer than the coupe.

What to look for
  • All F82 checks (S55 crank hub, charge pipe, cooling, oil leaks, a leaking fuel tank) plus the retractable hardtop mechanism, hydraulic pump, trunk dividers, and any moisture damage
  • Verify the top cycles fully through every position
  • Ask whether BMW's drain fix has been done (SI B01 08 26, which replaced SI B51 33 16; a dealer confirms BMW's 15-year, 150,000-mile cover by VIN), look for water under the rear seat and in the trunk, and check recalls by VIN

Holds value

  • Working retractable hardtop
  • Competition Package
  • Six-speed manual
  • Signature colors
  • Low documented mileage
  • Complete records

Hurts resale

  • Top mechanism faults
  • Hydraulic pump issues
  • Water damage
  • Accident history
  • Undocumented heavy tuning
  • Common colors

What to do next

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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.