Can’t Afford The New 2025 BMW M4 CS? Here Are 5 Half-Price M Alternatives

BMW has unveiled the 2025 M4 CS, and it costs $123,500 plus $1,175 for destination and handling. That’s more than twice what the average American spends on a new car, and right up there with the Porsche 911 Carrera S. But the average CS customer will likely be a hardcore BMW fan and will, therefore, not even consider the Porsche. Unfortunately, the high price also puts it out of reach of most hardcore BMW fans, but fear not. BMW’s M department has built some iconic cars over the years, and we decided to see what you could get on the used market for half the price (or less) than the cost of a new M4 CS.

We were kind of hoping that 2011 BMW 1 Series 1M prices had dipped to below $62,000, but it’s a no-go. The 1M is officially a $80k car, which is a massive increase from 2019 when they were selling for roughly the price of a new M2. Thankfully, there’s half a century of M cars to choose from, but we stuck to cars made within the last 25 years or so. Here they are, from the cheapest to the most expensive.

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1

2000 BMW M Coupe – $34,995

The good news is that you can get either an M Coupe or a Z3 M at this price. We’re sticking with the Clownshoe because it’s such an iconic piece of design. BMW tried to capture the spirit of the original car with the Concept Touring Coupe last year, but it just didn’t hit the same. Given that the M Coupe has already cemented itself as a legendary M car, it’s surprising to see that they’re still quite affordable. We found a clean example with 44,000 miles on the clock for less than the price of a Honda Civic Type R.

The 1997 to 2000 M Coupe had a lot going for it, apart from the chunky design and quad tailpipes. It was the first time the S50B32 naturally aspirated inline-six produced more than 100 horsepower per liter, which was an almost unbelievably dense power output at the time.

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It also followed a simple sports car recipe. Engine at the front, a stubby manual shifter in the middle, and all the power going to the rear wheels. Because the driver and passenger seats were so close to the rear axle, it felt like the M Coupe pivoted around your hips. No Z car since has been able to pull off the same trick. A bit of shopping advice if you’re looking around. The early models used an updated version of the E36 M3’s inline-six, while the 2001 model year was blessed with the E46’s 3.2-liter screamer. As a result, you can double the price if you want E46-like power in your M Coupe.

2

2001 BMW M5 – $42,500

The E39 BMW M5 is arguably the best M5 ever made, which means it’s always surprising when you find one with 55k miles on the clock in good shape for such a low price. A base 2024 BMW 3 Series is more expensive, but if you’re willing to go for a classic, you’ll get the go-faster luxury express by which all executive sedans are still measured to this day. Yes, the latest M5 Wagon, which is coming to the USA, will undoubtedly be faster, but will it provide the same thrilling handling and barking soundtrack of the E39? We doubt it.

Around 8,500 units came to the USA, so it’s not the rarest BMW ever made, but the values of these early noughties third-gen models are already surpassing what you can expect to pay for fourth- and fifth-gen models. The only way is up, so not only can you enjoy the car, but you can rest assured that it’s only gaining in value.

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3

2007 BMW M6 – $50,000

The S85 V10 used in the M6 and M5 is probably the most problematic engine BMW’s M department ever made, but it’s also one of the most epic. Who doesn’t love a Formula 1-inspired V10 that produces 500 horses and revs all the way to 8,250 rpm? People who don’t have thousands to spend on repairs, that’s who.

Ideally, you want a relatively low-mileage model, like the one we found. It only has 35,000 miles on the clock, which is roughly when they start to become problematic. If you’re interested in a BMW model with this V10, it’s worth doing the proper used-car-buying checks or even paying an expert to take a look at it to ensure that it hasn’t developed rod bearing issues yet. The terrible SMG transmission can also cost thousands to fix, but you can get around that by buying a manual. BMW went through a lot of trouble to develop a manual gearbox just for the USA, and luckily many previous owners opted for this option.

4

2020 BMW M2 Competition – $58,000

Interestingly, the new 2024 M2 Coupe falls just above our limit with an MSRP of $63,200. With that being said, there are some out there who will still prefer the previous-generation M2 Competition, which has less power but is arguably more fun to drive. The price listed above appears to be static, as we saw models with between 7,000 and 30,000 miles sell for that price. Luckily, there are plenty of manuals available.

The new model’s S58 inline-six produces 453 hp and 406 lb-ft, but it weighs 3,814 lbs. Its successor only tipped the scales at 3,600 lbs. It’s also the right choice if you’re not a fan of simple interiors that are not dominated by screens. The 2020 M2 CS is the closest thing to the original 1M BMW has built since, and unfortunately, the prices reflect that. We weren’t able to find one within our budget, but the M2 Competition gets you 90% of the way there. You can always do some beginner car modifications to get it even closer to CS levels of fun.

5

2020 BMW M8 Competition – $60,000

Admittedly, this is a different kind of M car, but it hit all the targets BMW set for it. The M8 and M8 Competition weren’t built for setting lap times but rather for covering ground at the kind of pace that would land you a jail sentence. It’s every bit as fun to drive as the Bentley Continental GT, but it costs half the price, and depreciation has not been kind to it. When it was introduced in 2020, the MSRP was nearly $150,000. Now, you can get one with 40,000 miles on the clock for $60k.

Both coupes and drop-tops are available, but we’d go for the coupe because it looks better, and it’s more practical, which is what you want when covering multiple states in the shortest amount of time possible. The M8 is often forgotten, but it’s easily one of the best modern M cars ever made.