The Most Reliable BMW Engines Ever Made 

Many strong engines made by BMW. The amount of m52, m54, m62, m57 powered cars i see for sale with 250k+ miles is really quite impressive!

E36 328i touring best car I ever had. Want it back

I would take a BMW E 46 any day over any General Motors vehicle

Best BMW I've ever owned was a 2004 BMW 330i, its only issue was the cooling system, but it drove like a charm

Hey Mark, great channel! I’m a HUGE enthusiast and have been for over 20 years!! I’ve been shopping for a BMW for some time and used your videos and reviews as a guide. So....today I picked up my 2012 328i e92. It had all the things I was looking for like low mileage (75,000 kms), dealer services (all service records) the straight 6, M package, all wheel drive for local weather and of course Standard! Thanks for all the info Mark!!!

I'm glad you mentioned the M52 inline-6 as one of the most reliable BMW engines, as I've been thinking about buying an E46 with this 2.0 liter engine (1998-00). Thanks man!

Years of ownership and we can say it's true. He was right naturally aspirated is on the BMW one of the best motors BMW ever made. Most reliable for sure. And for those of us who know how to save money doing everything ourselves. Just perfect..

I subscribed to your RU-vid channel last week and im hooked! Especially when i considering buying my first BMW, keep them coming mate 👍

Glad the n52 got a mention! Got one in my z4 and love it!

From 98 to 06 I liked where thier heads were at.

Thanks man. Most helpful vid I've watched ion a while

I own e46 330i and still kicking ass like crazy. My car is 18 years old but still locking ass on the road. May God bless that German who made this machinery!

Great video and very informative. I love my E90 335i, but, you are definitely correct about them having issues, especially, the cooling system. Overall, it's been a great car and alot of fun though.

BMW mechanic for over 20 years, M54 hands down. Nothing made today will last as long.

Thanks for another great video 👍

Great info, you really know your engines. Thanks!

I have to be honest with you, so here is what hopefully to you is constructive critism. I hope this will help you: I, as the viewer, clicked this video in the hope of getting more knowledge on the realiability issues (pros and cons) of single engines, so when you title is "BMW engines" and not "BMW modeles" i was expecting specific engines to be mentioned. Personally i was looking for info and differences in N54, N55 and B58. (i currently have the N54 and knows its pros and cons) I think that is where your dislikes comes from. I dont believe people think that your knowledge is wrong, or you have your head on the wrong way. I simply think your title was a bit too misleading, or atleast the information in the video did not match up to the expectations the title gave. Thank you anyway for the video, you do have some great knowledge about the BMW's. I hope this will help you somewhat from a viewers perspective!

Just coming in on the 5s. The e39 m62tub is actually very reliable if well serviced, timing chain tensioner changed between 80K-100K miles. The V8 gives huge motorway miles reliability and the kind of power, torque and 130mph driving for 100s of miles that I have never found in a straight 6.

Thx for the video, well done

Great 👍 video I had anM52 320i. Very reliable, fast, safe, and elegant!’ Thank you 🙏

Love the N52 in my 1 series coupe, such a lovely classic feel

The most reliable 4 cylinder engine was M10 (produced from 1961-1986).The most reliable 6 cylinder engines are:M30,M20,M50,M52,M54.N generation engines are more mechanically complicated than the M generation but N52 and N55 are solid engines.V8 BMW engines are not so popular among people who look for reliability but M62 is a good one.It has forged crankshaft and fracture-split conrods.The S62 from M5 E39 is based on M62.

Great video! The M52 is and was the most reliable and you are right on with the cooling system. Now I own 2018 340i b58. We will have to see. Only time will tell. I only have 2,000 miles on her.

Thanks for sharing! Toward the end of the video, you're talking about the newer turbocharged i6.. would that also apply to the 2.0 turbocharged i4 engine (like the ones used in the 2017 gran coupe)? Thinking of getting one, a bit hesitant due to potential reliability issues. Thanks.

Had the rod bearings replaced and upgraded, water pump, alternator, and thermostat, but the s54 in my M3 is about to hit 170k and it's crossed america numerous times and gets me to work everyday. Still performs greet

I have the 330i (2002)... inline 6 and fast as hell with 300hp driving the German Autobahn is pure heaven!

Great video thanks for posting mate

Good insights on the engines, I think you are on point with the major issues. Owned the E46 330C and E90 330 series cars and would concur.

N52 6 cyl 3.0l 195 kw is normally aspirated. Best engine ever. I have 2 x 130i manuals with 180k and 305k and they both rev to 7k rpm happily and sound and feel like new. No turbos no high pressure pumps, just pure enjoyment in a small package. Have seen and driven lost of them and all felt tight and powerful.

I was looking for something else and this video pops up. Weird is I own a 2006 BMW 330i E90 n52 and after I saw the video I can said I invest my money very well thanks for the info thumbs up

As always a real nice Video. I was hopeing you were going to mention BMW 3 1.8ti compact 2003 model. It's really a 2 litre.thanks bro

E36 323i touring 1997, M52B25. Still a thing of beauty. Everday. Love it.

One of the best BMW engines is the 3 litre 6 cyl turbo diesel. Good power, incredible torque, economical. Hell, it even sounds good (at anything above tick over). Same max torque as a Lambo Huracan!

The M42 and M44 engines are so reliable, more so with the fact that they’re the smaller ones.

Thanks for all your insight and knowledge!

Cool! Own a M52B25 323i and it is a very smooth engine. Lovely sound too, no issues (maybe Vanos at a given time).

Best BMW engines: GAS: M54, DIESEL: M47TU

Hi Mark ! Am an avid fan already as I have learned so much from watching your videos - as of May 1st of this year I had never even driven a BMW - I had heard they were nice cars, but I had no idea until a huge tree fell on my prior car ( a 2017 Toyota Yaris iA ) on April 29th and crushed it beyond repair. Well I limped to a local car lot and ended up purchasing a 2005 BMW 325i even though it had 230,000 miles on it, but I was in no position to shop around and this was the only vehicle on the small 20 - 30 vehicle lot I could afford the 20% mandatory down payment. The lot owner said yes, it has alot of miles, but don't make up your mind till you take it for a good test drive. Well the second I took off I knew I was in something special - GEEZ - this car was so incredibly smooth, shifted almost imperceptibly, and before I knew it I was going 80 ! Virtually silent, quiet even with the moonroof open, and felt glued to the road with absolutely no vibrations anywhere and nothing but smoothness coming through the steering wheel. I said to myself - " Well, this must be what everybody's talking bout !! " Now I know why this is called "The driver's car. " Well I went back to the dealer and told him without hesitation - " I'll take it !", and haven't had a moment of regret since. Unbelievably to my surprise with all that mileage and 15 years, EVERYTHING on the car works, all windows, moonroof, gauges, to cruise, lights, warnings, HV / AC, superior ride & handling, not a speck of rust, no dings or scratches, an absolute "dream car" to behold ! And it'll be paid for in 15 months and the insurance is only $110.00 a month. Now I'm not stupid and know BMW'S need proper maintenance and have some areas to be consistently mindful of ( cooling system, oil & filter, suspension, etc.), but the more I drive it the more I appreciate it for what it is, and understand that all the effort that goes into it is repaid to me in spades for the enjoyment I get every time I get behind the wheel. I just turned 66 and now I really have something to look forward to as I live in Tennessee and there are so many beautiful roadways in this area - especially the Blue Ridge Pkwy in North Carolina where you often see new and different BMW'S being road tested from their huge BMW factory in Spartanburg, S.C. Again though, thanks Mark for your videos - they've really settled my mind about my purchase and also retroactively taught me that if I were to have gone shopping for a BMW, this 325i is the model that is the most appropriate for me. Your forever subscriber and RU-vid watcher, Al Kane 👍😎

Thanks for talking about the n52! love mine

Great video! You are totally right!

Great video. I would have to agree with all you stated, such as cooling being a weakness. Why stay away from M cars? Own a 1998 M3 264k miles. Clutch went 190k starter 225k. No major issues other than the cooling system which is remedied with the correct components.

Had E46 328i with M52 straight six...215,000 miles when sold. THE best car ever had in thirty years. Now have N52 to avoid the turbo issues with N54

great content

Thanks for the info

128i coupe, N52, 6 speed, sport suspension. Last modern "old school" BMW made. Absolute gems.

im gonna be honest, alot of my family members like 6 of them,including cousins and uncles have bmw cars.....and its like some had it for 8 years with no major issues others just suffered and refused to give up on them prolonging the suffering with the dealership...you either get lucky with those or you dont do they drive better than other eco boxes ? hell yeah that i give you if you want a reliable car just dont gamble with BMWs...the price of owning and keeping those running well isnt cheap unless...you a Bmw mechanic/bmw know how guy and you know what doing when fixing it your self then you can save alot on the labor

Ive learned a lot from this video man.... I've had experience with Hondas, Nissan, Toyota, Ford but started falling madly in love with BMW lately especially with the 335i. But I'm more of a durability person so the inline6, 320 series will be my choice.

My N-52 E83.... easy to work on for a weekend warrior mechanic contrary to popular belief and lots of aftermarket replacement part choices. Reliable and safe.....and fun to drive for sure. Also, you don't need an extravagant tool box with tons of unitasker tools for basic upkeep.

Love ur reviews man, really helpful! I’m in Jamaica, planning to buy a BMW 318 M Sport 2004... is it a reliable vehicle? This would be my 1st BMW. Please let me know.🙏🏽

Love the videos Mark. Just purchased an e60 m5 after my e60 528i (which was the most reliable car i’ve ever seen had a 123,000 miles) was totaled. I am sad to have lost a great car but i’m having trouble wrapping my head around the extra care and maintenance needed for the m5. It has 91000 miles and I have nightmares about the engine spinning a rod. I need to change rod bearings asap lol

Heard your voice- I immediately thought Edmonton. Sure enough this is the back parking lot at Bavaria BMW in Edmonton. Going to look at some 325s and 328s tomorrow. Hoping to find one that’s been babied 🤞

nice video. i have a e39 528i. '98 year, its a tank. very strong and reliable. keep up the good work.

Obviously has a 3 series bias, i think the f10 n55 535 bmws, specifically 2011 has one of the best bmw engines ever made and a lot of bmw master techs would agree with me. Yes, my beauty beemer was built overseas in germany and shipped to the u.s.a. amazing and beautiful car.

Have 2 F10's with the N55; one has 84K miles and the other 46K miles. Both have been great so far with the 2012 (84K miles) needing an oil filter housing and valve cover gasket only; pretty common from what I've read. I was going to get the N63(TU) but after reading about the V8's problems I went to BMW's bread & butter engine; the straight-6. The N55 also doesn't suffer the carbon build-up the N54 does.

Very Nice Video 👊🏻

This is helpful. No buyer want issues in the near future especially after paying a pretty penny for luxurious ride. 👍

The 325 ci and most 5 series, including some of the X5s, were powered by the M54 engines.

I love my 2004 330ci convertible. One of the most reliable cars I've owned. Great video.

thanks for the info man been looking at bimmers for awhile I just copped my first BMW 2011 328i inline 6 N/A runs immaculate got a great deal on it handles fucking awesome im happy with it

...content rich,as usual

I have an 07 bmw 328i 250k miles on it still going strong 💪

Original owner of a 2001 E46, 19 yo and still going strong with 82 K miles...

Great video could u make one about disel engines in bmw older and new ones would u recommend n.52/53 engine on LPG conversion

I swear by my 1988 528e as it has the 2.7 I-6 Super ETA. It's fast, reliable, and gets decent gas mileage. I bought it used 13 years ago as a project car and would put it up against almost anything with an inline six. IMO, This car was built to be at the top of its game. It doesn't burn oil and the original A/C unit stills works ice cold. Of course, it is well maintained and cared for. That helps.

'10 E60 550i, most underrated in the whole BMW lineup. Well engineered easy to work on and quick.

I have a N52, most reliable car I've ever owned...then i slapped a procharger on it and now its fairly unreliable lol

Got a 07 525i I love the thing even for the base model hope to upgrade some time soon!

Great video...was expecting to hear you mention the likes of M57 engine on the e90 330d and the N47T on the F30 320d (& some e90 320d engines if I'm not mistaken). Actually no mention of diesel engines on your video & these are quiet solid.

e36 and e39 with the m52 engine. Oh how i wish you could get one of those from The factory nowadays.

My E46 m52 has 320 000km going strong. But my 91 E34 535i had over 500k before I sold it. Wouldn’t be surprised is it’s still running somewhere

Love the video's. E36 my favorite Car 👌

Thanks for the video, I am going to take the 325i e90

The 325 and the 330 had the m54 while the m52 was for the 323 and 328

N52 here.

My e46 is 2005. I've done a lot of work on. Still drives great after 15 years.

I love watching your videos about bmw . I am currently driving a x5m... you should also make something on that as well .. I have got lot of artifacts about its maintenance

I’d take an E92 328i any day. NOTHING beats the sound, feel, and addictive quality of an NA 3.0 straight 6 pounding away. GOD I love it 😍

Extremely reliable after you replace almost everything

I have an S62, M62, and N52b30 and the worst of the 3 is the M62 in my X5. Badly designed CCV, chain guides, and so on. I've had my E39 M5 since 2007 and it's awesome. The biggest thing I had to do was the T-stat. The rest has just been maintenance. The N52 in the 330xi that we recently bought is silky smooth(very little NVH) but the oil level sensor is a bit sketchy, so much so that they gave us a spare. It drives beautifully though. Some decent jam to it; not M5 jam but good enough for most people to put a smile on their face.

Hi thanks for the great reviews. I am looking to get a bmw x3 2004 to 2010 what is the best engine to get

2011 328i. 308,640 miles. Runs perfect. Shifts perfect. Haters Hate, Drivers Drive.

How come u didn't include the all mighty M50 engines from the bmw e34 ,? By far the most reliable engine ever made amongst the rest ,thank you

You're A Dream! Thx! I'm looking for a 2016-2020 BMW. I like the 7series BUT will consider a 5 or 6series. Which 7s would you suggest? Or 5 or 6s if there is no good 7s suggestions?

Excellent review, I have an 07 328i, love the car, but those rings on the back axle hubs always develop rust and swell😡

M54 are good reliable engines and they're light with an aluminum block even great for supercharging and 350HP.

The M50 in my E36 was the smoothest, fastest revving engine I have ever had. Had 277k miles on it when I got rid of it.

great vid as usual man, I've got a n55 in a f20, any info on reliability

Every thing going good with my 528I loving it.

Agree with the poster below - reliability is relative, but I've had really good luck with the N52 in my 328 coupe. Basic rule of thumb that I've always followed (and know other owners in the CCA group who will vouch the same): avoid the 335i unless you want to replace the HPFP. There is a reason why you see so many of them for sale at relatively low prices...

Too much complain.I have 328i xdrive 2014 and I love it. No problem at all.

Whats the main difference between the m52tu and m52 engines? Are they the same? Greetings from Guatemala city central America I love all your vids I always learn something new thanks for sharing your knowledge!!!!

2009 e92 328i owner here. I’m so in love with my naturally aspirated i6. I have about 140k on the dash and she still runs soo smooth. By far the best car I’ve ever owned 💯💯

I got a 2006 BMW E90 320i and it’s been the most reliable car I have ever had

Think it honestly depends on how the car has been maintained more than anything, my old M54 E39 needed repairs about 3 or 4 times as often as my extremely notorious N62 powered E60 which happened to be an exceptionally reliable and well maintained car.

Good information, thank you. How about a 2016 BMW 435i Gran Coupe with the N55 engine? Is this a reliable engine?

I agree that the naturally aspirated inline 6 is reliable, Ive owned a 2007 328i with just over 100,000mi for 2 years and have only had to change an ignition coil pack. Of course I've done preventive work but that comes with the territory. I love my daily driver.

N52, leaking valve covers, vanos solenoid issues, coil pack issues, ccv, pcv, oil sensitivity (oil sludge if specific oil is used and at more less often intervals), and starter/battery issues. None of these are too bad if the owner did maintenance and didn’t ignore bad symptoms, but if you get a used one with bad oil sludge or ignored issues, you could have to replace the engine. It might be more reliable than other BMW engines, but the N52 isn’t super trustworthy either, it’s no Honda 4 cylinder. But you gotta know that coming in if your shopping for a BMW.

I have an N52 engine, love it

Love my e46 330ci, M54B30 is a wounderful enginen, aslong as you take care of the coolant system and valvecovergasket it will never dissapoint you!!

Good video