M Buyers Guide
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BMW M rankings

Every BMW M and M Performance generation by Guide Score, each with its cost to own beside it. Where most of a car’s evidence is borrowed from a related car, it shows the range of places it could hold and “provisional”. Places close together are not reliably different.

Which M should I buy? A shortlist by purpose, budget and repair risk

15 generations on the First M list, by how well each fits it

  1. 1BMW G82 M4Best year 2021 · About 6th of 69, likely 3rd to 16th · First M 1 of 15
    92Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,780 a year to own
  2. 2BMW F87 M2Best year 2021 · About 4th of 69, likely 2nd to 13th · First M 2 of 15
    92Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,326 a year to own
  3. 3BMW F82 M4Best year 2016 · Provisional: places 4 to 24 of 69 · First M 3 of 15
    88Guide ScoreExcellentabout $2,481 a year to own
  4. 4BMW G80 M3Best year 2022 · About 10th of 69, likely 4th to 19th · First M 4 of 15
    89Guide ScoreExcellentabout $2,818 a year to own
  5. 5BMW G87 M2Best year 2025 · About 10th of 69, likely 4th to 21st · First M 5 of 15
    88Guide ScoreExcellentabout $2,845 a year to own
  6. 6BMW F80 M3Best year 2018 · About 16th of 69, likely 6th to 27th · First M 6 of 15
    84Guide ScoreExcellentabout $2,506 a year to own
  7. 7BMW E36 M3Best year 1999 · Provisional: places 3 to 18 of 69 · First M 7 of 15
    92Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $1,822 a year to own
  8. 8BMW E46 M3Best year 2006 · 2nd of 69 · First M 8 of 15
    96Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,715 a year to own
  9. 9BMW E30 M3Best year 1988 · 1st of 69 · First M 9 of 15
    97Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,903 a year to own
  10. 10tiedBMW F97 X3 MBest year 2021 · About 33rd of 69, likely 24th to 51st · First M 10 of 15
    66Guide ScoreGoodabout $3,288 a year to own
  11. 10tiedBMW F98 X4 MBest year 2020 · About 41st of 69, likely 27th to 53rd · First M 10 of 15
    64Guide ScoreGoodabout $3,270 a year to own
  12. 12BMW Z3 M Roadster and M CoupeBest year 2000 · Provisional: places 3 to 18 of 69 · First M 12 of 15
    91Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,321 a year to own
  13. 13BMW E85 Z4 M Roadster and CoupeBest year 2008 · About 26th of 69, likely 13th to 45th · First M 13 of 15
    75Guide ScoreVery goodabout $2,822 a year to own
  14. 14BMW E82 1 Series MBest year 2011 · About 9th of 69, likely 3rd to 21st · First M 14 of 15
    91Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,924 a year to own
  15. 15BMW E92 M3Best year 2013 · About 16th of 69, likely 5th to 41st · First M 15 of 15
    84Guide ScoreExcellentabout $3,493 a year to own

Guide Score method v5-final.14. An editorial score from 1 to 100, built only from permitted, sourced data; how it works is on the method page. Every score is in the download.