S50/S54 vs M50

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
M50 BEST 88/100
+10 points over S50/S54
0 / 100
BUY S50/S54 BMW
0 / 100
BEST M50 BMW

Specifications

S50/S54
M50
Brand
BMW
BMW
Verdict
BUY
BEST
Reliability
78
88
Years
1992--2006
1990--1996
Displacement
3246 cc
2494 cc
Layout
I6
I6
Type
Petrol Na
Petrol Na
Power
286--343 hp
150--192 hp
Known Issues
2
2
Total Risk Cost
€2,500--€7,500
€400--€1,100

Character

S50/S54

"E36 M3 (S50) and E46 M3 (S54). High-revving NA legends. S50B32 is bulletproof. S54 has rod bearing and VANOS concerns but iconic. Preventive rod bearing replacement recommended on S54."

M50

"Cast iron block legend. One of BMW's most reliable ever. M50TU added single VANOS. Strong internals handle 300k+ km. Cooling plastics only weakness."

Issues Comparison

S50/S54 2

◆ CRITICAL
Rod bearing wear (S54) €2,000--€6,000 80,000 km--150,000 km
▲ HIGH
VANOS bolt failure (S54 recall) €500--€1,500 60,000 km--120,000 km

M50 2

▲ HIGH
Water pump plastic impeller failure €200--€500 60,000 km--120,000 km
● MODERATE
VANOS unit wear (M50TU) €200--€600 100,000 km--200,000 km

Models

S50/S54 3

M3 E36 1992--1996 M3 E36 1996--1999 M3 E46 2000--2006

M50 0

No models listed.

Full S50/S54 Report Full M50 Report