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

12 modern cars, by Guide Score

  1. 1BMW E46 M3Best year 2006 · 2nd of 69
    96Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,715 a year to own
  2. 2tiedBMW Z3 M Roadster and M CoupeBest year 2000 · Provisional: places 3 to 18 of 69
    91Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,321 a year to own
  3. 2tiedBMW E82 1 Series MBest year 2011 · About 9th of 69, likely 3rd to 21st
    91Guide ScoreExceptionalabout $2,924 a year to own
  4. 4BMW E39 M5Best year 2000 · About 13th of 69, likely 5th to 27th
    86Guide ScoreExcellentabout $3,685 a year to own
  5. 5BMW E92 M3Best year 2013 · About 16th of 69, likely 5th to 41st
    84Guide ScoreExcellentabout $3,493 a year to own
  6. 6BMW E60 M5Best year 2010 · About 24th of 69, likely 9th to 36th
    78Guide ScoreVery goodabout $5,023 a year to own
  7. 7tiedBMW E85 Z4 M Roadster and CoupeBest year 2008 · About 26th of 69, likely 13th to 45th
    75Guide ScoreVery goodabout $2,822 a year to own
  8. 7tiedBMW F13 M62013 model · About 26th of 69, likely 17th to 46th
    75Guide ScoreVery goodabout $3,188 a year to own
  9. 9BMW F10 M5Best year 2013 · Provisional: places 21 to 53 of 69
    70Guide ScoreVery goodabout $3,125 a year to own
  10. 10BMW E63 M6Best year 2010 · About 33rd of 69, likely 16th to 51st
    67Guide ScoreGoodabout $4,999 a year to own
  11. 11BMW E71 X6 M2013 model · About 67th of 69, likely 56th to 69th
    40Guide ScoreNot for most buyersabout $5,046 a year to own
  12. 12BMW E70 X5 MBest year 2013 · About 69th of 69, likely 56th to 69th
    39Guide ScoreNot for most buyersabout $5,046 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.