[MegaTurd]

In 2017 I ordered a fully loaded 2018 m550 and I absolutely loved that car. Fav car of all time. Owned it for a few years and other than blowing a few tires on Indy’s pothole/cratered sh!t roads I had zero issues with the car. For reasons I won’t go into, I had to part company with the car. To this day, I still regret selling it and miss it.

Fast forward to 2025 and I just happened to stumble across a 2018 m550 with 48k miles for $37k that is identical feature-wise (including the B&W) and in every other way to my first girlfriend. No accidents, was a CPO, 3 owners. I originally went on CarMax looking for another Infinity QX80 lol. Having the m550 shipped to a local CarMax.

I’m trying to evaluate (nostalgia aside) the prospect of purchasing/owning a 7 year old BMW and a discontinued model at that. I’m well aware of some of the known issues: cooling lines, etc., and familiar with some of the costs that come along with owning an m550 like having a set of dedicated winter/summer wheels. If I pulled the trigger I’d def purchase Carmax’s extended 100k mile warranty which doesn’t include maintenance.

I prefer the pre-LCI body and honestly I’m just not a fan of the direction bmw is headed from a design and engine perspective… why I gravitate toward the 2018-2020 m550s.

I’m concerned about the availability of parts as the car turns 8, 9, etc, owning an older car, engine issues that could potentially eat a giant chunk of the extended warranty total coverage ($38k) and the fact that m550s are just expensive to own. That said I freaking love that car! The plan would be to own/drive it for the next 3-4 years if I can.

Am I being stupid?

[br2wdc]

Ummm, yes, but only if you DO NOT buy it

There is NO chance you will regret this decision, given you are already very familiar with the car.

Quit posting and immediately go buy it

Originally Posted by MegaTurd

Am I being stupid?

[MegaTurd]

Originally Posted by br2wdc

Ummm, yes, but only if you DO NOT buy it

There is NO chance you will regret this decision, given you are already very familiar with the car.

Quit posting and immediately go buy it

Hahaha! Terrible influence!

[ab1752]

Do it. Parts supply is a non starter. That's just your mind playing tricks on ya...ive had (have) both a 2018 m550i and have a 2022 m550i. Honestly the 2018 was nearly problem free while the 2022 far less so.

[br2wdc]

I'm just here to help ...

Originally Posted by MegaTurd

Hahaha! Terrible influence!

[MegaTurd]

Originally Posted by br2wdc

I'm just here to help ...

Good! Counting on you and community to help me agonize over tinting 30% vs 35% and winter wheel/tire combos if I pull the trigger.

[koopa]

Originally Posted by MegaTurd

Good! Counting on you and community to help me agonize over tinting 30% vs 35% and winter wheel/tire combos if I pull the trigger.

I just bought a 2020 M550i and I'm getting 20% tint next week. Darker than what you listed, but I'll be posting pictures if that helps at all.

[MegaTurd]

Originally Posted by koopa

I just bought a 2020 M550i and I'm getting 20% tint next week. Darker than what you listed, but I'll be posting pictures if that helps at all.

Nice! Well equipped? How many miles? Def post pics.

I’ll be in a state where the legal limit up front is 50% (which is a joke) and 35% in the rear. Apparently, tint violations are a secondary offense, not to say a cop can’t find a reason to pull you over for something else and whip out 2 tickets but I’m thinking of rolling with 30%. Hoping since it would be right on the cusp and I won’t be tinting the windshield that I wouldn’t attract too much attention. Plus I’d be sure to pull down the front windows if I ever got stopped. I’d love to go 20% but don’t want to push it.

[adhrp]

Originally Posted by MegaTurd

Nice! Well equipped? How many miles? Def post pics.

I’ll be in a state where the legal limit up front is 50% (which is a joke) and 35% in the rear. Apparently, tint violations are a secondary offense, not to say a cop can’t find a reason to pull you over for something else and whip out 2 tickets but I’m thinking of rolling with 30%. Hoping since it would be right on the cusp and I won’t be tinting the windshield that I wouldn’t attract too much attention. Plus I’d be sure to pull down the front windows if I ever got stopped. I’d love to go 20% but don’t want to push it.

Quite frankly I prefer 50%. Looks classy. Since I'm in FL, I got 35% done for practical reasons but I don't like the drug dealer darkened look.

Best wishes with your purchase. Keep us posted.

[Joe-BMW33]

Long time BMW owner here with a 2018 M550. You have ZERO to worry about in terms of parts. BMW produces OEM parts for 20-30, even 40 years for classic models. I recently put my 2003 E39 to rest. I had no issue sources any of the MANY parts replaced over the years. Including everything under the engine or in the cabin (trim, etc.).

I have no data or support on this, but the 2018 MY cars seem to have the most options and the least problems, other than the coolant lines needing to be upgraded.

[MegaTurd]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

Long time BMW owner here with a 2018 M550. You have ZERO to worry about in terms of parts. BMW produces OEM parts for 20-30, even 40 years for classic models. I recently put my 2003 E39 to rest. I had no issue sources any of the MANY parts replaced over the years. Including everything under the engine or in the cabin (trim, etc.).

I have no data or support on this, but the 2018 MY cars seem to have the most options and the least problems, other than the coolant lines needing to be upgraded.

I appreciate it. That is very reassuring! I love that car so much I’d hold onto it till someone parks me in the Villages if I could.

Really hope someday soon BMW wakes up, fires their lead designer and realizes they’re an ultimate driving machine manufacturer vs a shuttle craft manufacture. If they don’t bring back the M550, the V8, the shifter, the cockpit, and loose the buck teeth then I truly will be holding onto this rocket for the next 30 years.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by MegaTurd

I appreciate it. That is very reassuring! I love that car so much I’d hold onto it till someone parks me in the Villages if I could.

Really hope someday soon BMW wakes up, fires their lead designer and realizes they’re an ultimate driving machine manufacturer vs a shuttle craft manufacture. If they don’t bring back the M550, the V8, the shifter, the cockpit, and loose the buck teeth then I truly will be holding onto this rocket for the next 30 years.

Yeah, for the first time ever, I honestly don't know what my next BMW move will be in terms of my "fun" BMW. I'd pick up another X5 or X7, but those are utility vehicles to me that serve a purpose. There is not one sedan in the entire current line-up that I would consider. It's a combination of the fugly designs with the presence of electrification in every model.

G30 is a keeper, if anything, I would add the right F90 to the garage.

[CrimsonMoonLight72]

yes, I saw that car...it's in Florida and they want 39k plus your shipping to VA. They DO NOT negotiate btw...It will be 39,700 with shipping plus tax of course. A bit overpriced but its options are ridiculous! Just keep in mind that a lot of carmax cars are crap and abused...I have done the 24-hour rental on 3 cars, x3 m40i, Genesis GV80 3.5 and X5 M50i and wouldn't even come close to buying any of them. They fill there cars, even the high-end ones with regular 87 gas so...just keep in mind

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
Tires & Wheels
Front P245/35R20 and Rear P275/30R20 Run-Flat
Tires (NONTR) included
Front 20" X 8" and Rear 20" X 9" V-Spoke Wheels
(2QR)
$950
Seating
BMW Individual Full Merino Leather Upholstery
(ZB__) $3,200
Exterior
Power Rear Sunshade with Manual Rear Side
Window Shades (416)
$575
Interior
Leather Dashboard (4M5) included
Apple CarPlay Compatibility (6CP) $300
Gesture Control (6U8) $190
Dynamic Digital Instrument Cluster (6WB) $350
Ceramic Controls (4U1) included
Caramel/Black (ZBCR) included
Lane Departure Warning (ZN4) included
Entertainment
Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System
(6F1) $3,400
Paint
Black Sapphire Metallic (475) included
Parking Assistance Package (ZPK)
$700
Surround View with 3D View (ZX3)
Parking Assistant Plus (5DN)
Cold Weather Package (ZCW)
$800
Heated Steering Wheel (248)
Front and Rear Heated Seats (4HA)
Driving Assistance Package (ZDA) $1,700
Head-Up Display (610)
Active Driving Assistant (5AS)
Driving Assistance Plus Package (ZDB) $1,700
Active Driving Assistant Plus (5AT)
Dynamic Handling Package (ZDH) $3,600
Adaptive M Suspension Professional (2VW)
Active Roll Stabilization (ZX5)
Integral Active Steering (Z1A)
Executive Package (ZEC) $1,200
Ceramic Controls (4U1)
WiFi Hotspot (6WD)
Soft-Close Automatic Doors (323)
Wireless Charging (6NW)
Luxury Seating Package (ZLS) $1,200
Front Ventilated Seats (453)
Front Massaging Seats (4T7)
Optional Equipment Price $19,865

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by CrimsonMoonLight72

yes, I saw that car...it's in Florida and they want 39k plus your shipping to VA. They DO NOT negotiate btw...It will be 39,700 with shipping plus tax of course. A bit overpriced but its options are ridiculous! Just keep in mind that a lot of carmax cars are crap and abused...I have done the 24-hour rental on 3 cars, x3 m40i, Genesis GV80 3.5 and X5 M50i and wouldn't even come close to buying any of them. They fill there cars, even the high-end ones with regular 87 gas so...just keep in mind

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
Tires & Wheels
Front P245/35R20 and Rear P275/30R20 Run-Flat
Tires (NONTR) included
Front 20" X 8" and Rear 20" X 9" V-Spoke Wheels
(2QR)
$950
Seating
BMW Individual Full Merino Leather Upholstery
(ZB__) $3,200
Exterior
Power Rear Sunshade with Manual Rear Side
Window Shades (416)
$575
Interior
Leather Dashboard (4M5) included
Apple CarPlay Compatibility (6CP) $300
Gesture Control (6U8) $190
Dynamic Digital Instrument Cluster (6WB) $350
Ceramic Controls (4U1) included
Caramel/Black (ZBCR) included
Lane Departure Warning (ZN4) included
Entertainment
Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System
(6F1) $3,400
Paint
Black Sapphire Metallic (475) included
Parking Assistance Package (ZPK)
$700
Surround View with 3D View (ZX3)
Parking Assistant Plus (5DN)
Cold Weather Package (ZCW)
$800
Heated Steering Wheel (248)
Front and Rear Heated Seats (4HA)
Driving Assistance Package (ZDA) $1,700
Head-Up Display (610)
Active Driving Assistant (5AS)
Driving Assistance Plus Package (ZDB) $1,700
Active Driving Assistant Plus (5AT)
Dynamic Handling Package (ZDH) $3,600
Adaptive M Suspension Professional (2VW)
Active Roll Stabilization (ZX5)
Integral Active Steering (Z1A)
Executive Package (ZEC) $1,200
Ceramic Controls (4U1)
WiFi Hotspot (6WD)
Soft-Close Automatic Doors (323)
Wireless Charging (6NW)
Luxury Seating Package (ZLS) $1,200
Front Ventilated Seats (453)
Front Massaging Seats (4T7)
Optional Equipment Price $19,865

I don't think that is the car he is considering. This is literally the only 2018 M550 on Carmax, this seems like it:

https://www.carmax.com/car/27473416

I agree somewhat on Carmax. Never been a fan of the cars they get.

[koopa]

I'll be the support for Carmax then. I've had nothing but good experiences with them, whether buying or selling. I've purchased two vehicles from them and my mother purchased her vehicle from them 5 years ago (100k miles later and it's been perfectly reliable). Carmax is no different than any other dealer, and I've had way worse interactions at dealerships or used car lots. My preference would be to buy from a BMW dealership first but after them I'm happy to shop at Carmax over most domestic dealerships or used car lots. If you don't get Maxcare from them, their 90 day warranty still covers everything and you can buy Route 66 elsewhere like everyone else does anyway.

If you want a Carmax experience that is ran by a national car dealer chain, you can check out Driveway but it's significantly worse and more expensive. There's also Carvana, but I swear half the cars on that site have accidents on them and they don't really have a store front. Both Vroom and Shift are dead and gone.

The reality is if you want a hard to find vehicle like a fully loaded M550i, your options are very limited, most likely to either driving halfway across the country to drive one at a random car lot or getting one shipped to your local Carmax. I've seen a dozen or so M550i's pop up at my local BMW dealers over the last few years and none of them were well optioned.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by koopa

I'll be the support for Carmax then. I've had nothing but good experiences with them, whether buying or selling. I've purchased two vehicles from them and my mother purchased her vehicle from them 5 years ago (100k miles later and it's been perfectly reliable). Carmax is no different than any other dealer, and I've had way worse interactions at dealerships or used car lots. My preference would be to buy from a BMW dealership first but after them I'm happy to shop at Carmax over most domestic dealerships or used car lots. If you don't get Maxcare from them, their 90 day warranty still covers everything and you can buy Route 66 elsewhere like everyone else does anyway.

If you want a Carmax experience that is ran by a national car dealer chain, you can check out Driveway but it's significantly worse and more expensive. There's also Carvana, but I swear half the cars on that site have accidents on them and they don't really have a store front. Both Vroom and Shift are dead and gone.

The reality is if you want a hard to find vehicle like a fully loaded M550i, your options are very limited, most likely to either driving halfway across the country to drive one at a random car lot or getting one shipped to your local Carmax. I've seen a dozen or so M550i's pop up at my local BMW dealers over the last few years and none of them were well optioned.

You make some great points. I guess my experience with Carmax is when I am looking for a car a few years old that BMW dealers can CPO. The cars I have seen at carmax were not CPO-able for one reason or another. They were most likely traded in at a BMW dealer and that dealer wholesaled it off instead of keeping it to sell.

You are right though, after the dealer, the options are limited.

[CrimsonMoonLight72]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

I don't think that is the car he is considering. This is literally the only 2018 M550 on Carmax, this seems like it:

https://www.carmax.com/car/27473416

I agree somewhat on Carmax. Never been a fan of the cars they get.

yea man...that's the same car we are both talking about. besides its reserved already by some young heavy-footed bro anyhow! these 24 hour rentals....lol they beat the tar out of them usually

[CrimsonMoonLight72]

Originally Posted by koopa

I'll be the support for Carmax then. I've had nothing but good experiences with them, whether buying or selling. I've purchased two vehicles from them and my mother purchased her vehicle from them 5 years ago (100k miles later and it's been perfectly reliable). Carmax is no different than any other dealer, and I've had way worse interactions at dealerships or used car lots. My preference would be to buy from a BMW dealership first but after them I'm happy to shop at Carmax over most domestic dealerships or used car lots. If you don't get Maxcare from them, their 90 day warranty still covers everything and you can buy Route 66 elsewhere like everyone else does anyway.

If you want a Carmax experience that is ran by a national car dealer chain, you can check out Driveway but it's significantly worse and more expensive. There's also Carvana, but I swear half the cars on that site have accidents on them and they don't really have a store front. Both Vroom and Shift are dead and gone.

The reality is if you want a hard to find vehicle like a fully loaded M550i, your options are very limited, most likely to either driving halfway across the country to drive one at a random car lot or getting one shipped to your local Carmax. I've seen a dozen or so M550i's pop up at my local BMW dealers over the last few years and none of them were well optioned.

Idk man....CarMax up by me is full of cars that have clearly not been taken care of. But i live in central NJ where everyone is super concerned about status so these people buy a 1 or 2 owner high end car, they get to be seen in it for a year or two then they dump it off as they start having problems because they don't want to spend $1200-1500 a year to properly maintain them, and they probably don't have the cash anyhow. Thats the jersey used car market in a nutshell, not all , but a lot of it.

Best scenario is to buy a 2022 M550 from a bmw dealership with some factory left on it then transition to a dealer backed extended warranty right before factory runs out.

All this talk about Rt 66 extended is a lot of tall tales. Good luck getting someone to even reply to you and enjoy opening a up a PITA credit union account in the meantime just to get the warranty. While all that is going on your expansion tank takes a leak all over your injectors...lol

[klrsmith]

Originally Posted by Joe-BMW33

...There is not one sedan in the entire current line-up that I would consider. It's a combination of the fugly designs with the presence of electrification in every model.

G30 is a keeper, if anything, I would add the right F90 to the garage.

Joe-BMW33

I literally couldn't have said it any better myself. It's sad what's happening to the once great manufacturers now.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by CrimsonMoonLight72

yea man...that's the same car we are both talking about. besides its reserved already by some young heavy-footed bro anyhow! these 24 hour rentals....lol they beat the tar out of them usually

This car does not have individual Caramel/Black Full Merino Leather(ZBCR) which you posted in the VIN dump. This car has Black Nappa. If it did, that would be friggin sweet. That is why I originally looked for it, to see the individual interior, and hence the reason I question it not being the same car you posted.

[Joe-BMW33]

Originally Posted by CrimsonMoonLight72

Idk man....CarMax up by me is full of cars that have clearly not been taken care of. But i live in central NJ where everyone is super concerned about status so these people buy a 1 or 2 owner high end car, they get to be seen in it for a year or two then they dump it off as they start having problems because they don't want to spend $1200-1500 a year to properly maintain them, and they probably don't have the cash anyhow. Thats the jersey used car market in a nutshell, not all , but a lot of it.

Best scenario is to buy a 2022 M550 from a bmw dealership with some factory left on it then transition to a dealer backed extended warranty right before factory runs out.

All this talk about Rt 66 extended is a lot of tall tales. Good luck getting someone to even reply to you and enjoy opening a up a PITA credit union account in the meantime just to get the warranty. While all that is going on your expansion tank takes a leak all over your injectors...lol

You need to do some homework on Route 66 before you just throw ignorant shit out there about tall tales. There is speaking from experience, and then there is talking out of your ass. I am a dealer only purchaser unless it's a classic from BaT or something and I definitely enjoy factory or CPO, but after that runs out, the cost of additional CPO or BMW Patimum makes the decision to insure or self insure debateable. Most of my BMW life, I never drove a BMW out of BMW warranty. That was my rule, but this car is special. Many of us bought route 66 and I don't think anyone yet has had an issue with the speed of approval or the process. In terms of coverage, it's black and white and exclusionary. My BMW dealer recommended it and they deal with them. No brainer for ~$3,000 bucks. Trust me, the guys here who bought Route 66 were more anal and diligent than you probably are about doing homework and research. It also ain't that hard to open a $25 account with a credit union to become a member, which is how credit unions work.

[koopa]

Originally Posted by CrimsonMoonLight72

Idk man....CarMax up by me is full of cars that have clearly not been taken care of. But i live in central NJ where everyone is super concerned about status so these people buy a 1 or 2 owner high end car, they get to be seen in it for a year or two then they dump it off as they start having problems because they don't want to spend $1200-1500 a year to properly maintain them, and they probably don't have the cash anyhow. Thats the jersey used car market in a nutshell, not all , but a lot of it.

That's dealerships too though.

My 2020 M550i I bought from Carmax was a 1 owner vehicle that was accident free and it had an extended warranty on it still, plus an oil change package.

Meanwhile, while not the same car, my closest BMW dealer has a 2021 M4 for sale that's overpriced and is on its third owner already. I'm also not sure if it's just my local dealers or not, but they never CPO cars anymore. And don't even get me started on how they force you to buy Stargard for $695 and it's not negotiable (shout out to BMW of Salem though, they are the only dealer around here that doesn't do this crap but they always have a limited inventory).