S55 vs M50

Side-by-side reliability comparison

Higher reliability score
M50 BEST 88/100
+23 points over S55
0 / 100
CAUTION S55 BMW
0 / 100
BEST M50 BMW

Specifications

S55
M50
Brand
BMW
BMW
Verdict
CAUTION
BEST
Reliability
65
88
Years
2014--2018
1990--1996
Displacement
2979 cc
2494 cc
Layout
I6
I6
Type
Petrol Turbo
Petrol Na
Power
431--450 hp
150--192 hp
Known Issues
3
2
Total Risk Cost
€2,800--€7,000
€400--€1,100

Character

S55

"Track weapon. M-car level care mandatory. Fragile if abused."

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

S55 3

◆ CRITICAL
Crankshaft hub failure — pre-2016 production €800--€2,000 0 km--80,000 km
◆ CRITICAL
Rod bearing wear — M-car maintenance required €1,200--€3,000 60,000 km--120,000 km
● MODERATE
Turbo oil seal wear €800--€2,000 80,000 km--150,000 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

S55 5

M4 F82 2016--2020 M2 F87 2018--2021 M3 F80 2016--2018 M4 F82 2014--2020 M3 F80 2014--2018

M50 0

No models listed.

Full S55 Report Full M50 Report