2016 to 2021CoupeM car
Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The F87 is the first M2, a compact RWD coupe beloved for its size and balance.
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.
3 prices from sources that allow this use (classiccars.com, driveway.com), read October 27, 2026: the middle one is $55,495, about 94% of the price new (73% 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.
About $2,410 a year to own ($1,678 to $3,770), about $11,378 over five years, bought at five years old or its own age if older, kept five years.
Expect about $1,700 to $3,800 a year; the bills that decide it are electric water pump and thermostat failure, oil pan gasket leak and rear differential mount knock. Ownership risk: moderate.
Guide Score method v5-final.14, an editorial score built only from permitted, sourced data. How it works.
Colors it came in, most wanted first. Pick one to see the page in it.
2021The best year to buy, reading 92 of 100, about $2,326 a year to own.
No year to think twice about: none reads 3 or more points below the 2021, and no logged fault separates them.
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.
Sold in the US as 2016 to 2021 models, it started as the N55-powered "OG" M2 at 365 hp, then switched to the S55 engine for the 405 hp Competition and the limited, most-collectible 444 hp CS.
The OG is more reliable and analog; the Competition and CS are faster but carry the S55 crank hub concern. All three are in strong demand.
Under about $40,000 you are looking at a 2016 to 2018 car with the N55, the original M2; the S55 Competition (2019 to 2021) and the 2020 CS cost more. The model year settles which engine a US car has.
What goes wrong on this generation, roughly what a fix costs at an independent shop, and how to spot it before you buy. Every M2 generation compared.
Ask about mileage and whether walnut blasting has been done; budget for it as the car accumulates miles.
Look for an aftermarket aluminum charge pipe, or ask whether the original has failed or been replaced.
NHTSA files some owner complaints about this car under the M2 Competition and M235i, so they are missing here. Read them by year, make and model at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
The factory plastic charge pipe can crack under boost on both engines. Inexpensive upgrade to an aluminum unit.
Look for an aftermarket aluminum charge pipe, or ask whether the original has failed or been replaced.
Carbon deposits on intake valves over time; walnut blasting eventually needed.
Ask about mileage and whether walnut blasting has been done; budget for it as the car accumulates miles.
The N55 OG M2 uses an electric water pump; the S55 Competition and CS use a mechanical pump with an electric auxiliary pump. Either setup and the related cooling parts can fail with age.
Check service records for water pump and thermostat work, and watch for temperature irregularities.
A hard knock from the rear on and off the throttle. BMW's bulletin SI B33 03 18 blames the rear differential mount and replaces it with an updated part.
Listen for a knock from the rear when getting on and off the throttle at low speed, and ask whether the updated differential mount has been fitted.
The S55 crank hub can slip on tuned cars, risking engine damage. The S55 is in the Competition and CS; the N55 in the OG M2 uses a similar friction hub, but with less torque, slips are rare unless it is tuned.
If it slips and bends valves, one shop puts the repair at $3k to $6k; if it costs the engine, a used S55 is $5.5k to $11k before fitting. Source: Palenon Performance, a shop that sells the work, September 2026; used-engine asking prices on eBay, October 18, 2026.
Confirm whether the car is the N55 OG or the S55 Competition/CS. On S55 cars ask about tune history and whether a pinned or upgraded crank hub has been fitted.
The plastic fuel tank has an opening on top, on the driver's side, closed by a welded plastic plate, and BMW says that weld can be damaged over time and leak fuel, with a check engine light (SI B01 03 22). BMW extended the emission warranty on the tank to 15 years or 150,000 miles for M2s built from August 3, 2015 to April 29, 2016, the same cover it gives the F80 M3 and F82 M4; the bulletin does not name later M2s, and no M2 owner has reported a leaking tank to NHTSA. RepairPal puts a tank replacement at about $1,900 to $2,200.
Look under the car on the driver's side for wet fuel or staining, sniff for fuel after a fill-up, and scan for fuel tank leak codes. A BMW dealer can confirm by VIN whether the 15-year cover applies.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2021 2 Series (230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive), 330e, 330e Xdrive, 4 Series Coupe (430i, 430i xDrive, M440i xDrive) M4 Coupe, M4 Competition Coupe, BMW 4 Series Convertible (430i, M440i), BMW X1 sDrive28i, xDrive28i, 2 Series Gran Coupe (228i, 228i xDrive, M235i xDrive), M2 Competition Coupe, 330i, 330i xDrive, M340i, M340i xDrive, M3, M3 Competition, 530i, 530i xDrive, 540i, 540i xDrive, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper, CooperS, JCW), X2 sDrive28i, X2 xDrive28i, X2 M35i, Z4 sDrive30i, Z4 M40i, MINI Hardtop 2 Door (Cooper SE), MINI Convertible (Cooper, Cooper S, JCW), MINI Clubman (Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW), MINI Countryman (Cooper, Cooper All4, Cooper S, Cooper S All4, JCW All4), Rolls Royce Ghost, MINI Countryman (Cooper S E All4), Rolls Royce Phantom, Rolls Royce Cullinan, and Toyota Supra vehicles. The passenger seat belt Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, before the webbing fully retracts. As such, these assemblies fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2020-2021 M2 Coupe and 2020 M4 Coupe vehicles. Fuel injectors may have been installed without a damping component which is used to reduce vibration. If a damping component is not present, vibration will increase at the connection between the fuel line and the fuel rail, which over time, can result in damage at the connection.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2019-2020 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2 Competition Coupe, 430i, 430i xDrive, 440i, 440i xDrive, M4, and 2019 330i xDrive Sportswagon vehicles. The driver and passenger knee air bag assemblies may have been improperly folded and assembled.
BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2018 230i, 230i xDrive, M240i, M240i xDrive, M2, and X3 xDrive 30i SAV vehicles. These vehicles may have an error in the software for the instrument panel, causing the display to not properly illuminate. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
BMW North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2016 BMW M2 Coupe vehicles, 2015-2017 M3 Sedan vehicles and 2015-2016 M4 Coupe and M4 Convertible vehicles. During servicing of the rear differential for a prior service action, the rear sub-frame bolts may have been reused instead of being replaced. Reuse of the existing bolts may cause the bolts to loosen.
Live from NHTSA, across the 2016 to 2021 model years.
Our estimates at an independent shop, parts and labor; fuel from the EPA.
Pricing tires for this car? Compare the factory sizes at Discount Tire, and ask a local shop to match it.
Fuel from EPA fueleconomy.gov: its yearly cost is for 15,000 miles with 55% city driving, moved here to the miles a year the two-year budget uses. The rest are our estimates at independent-shop and retail prices from September 2026. Service is a year of routine maintenance at 10,000 miles: one or two oil changes, brake fluid, filters, and spark plugs spread over their interval. Repairs are separate. Tires are a mounted set of summer tires; brakes are pads and rotors on both axles. Prices vary by region and shop.
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The cars this one gets weighed against, by lineage and by price.
The 1M spiritual predecessor, N54 single-year halo (2011).
First M2, compact RWD coupe. Launched on the N55, switched to S55 for the 405 hp Competition and the limited 444 hp CS. Manual or DCT.
Second-gen M2 on the CLAR platform with the S58 detuned to 453 hp (473 from the 2025 update), still offered with a manual, and with M xDrive available from 2027.
The M2 is BMW M's compact RWD coupe. It picks up where the one-year E82 1M Coupe left off, a halo from 2011 that proved enthusiasts wanted a small M car again.
Head to head: F87 M2 vs G87 M2.
The M Index, once a month: any change to the M2's guide or score, with the reason, new recalls on M cars, and one thing to check before you buy.