[eldogo]

Hi everyone,

Im in the the market for an M2 but cannot decide if the price difference between the 2016 and 2018 is worth the jump.

Are the LCI updates worth it? If its just the headlights, taillights and the drive then I think it's something I can live without and retrofit them later.

I would love to hear your thoughts. im leaning towards a 2016 since they are cheaper.

[DanG]

The LED headlights and taillights are worth the upgrade. A vast improvement over the 2016-2017 Zenon headlights.

At least that was why I bought a 2018.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by DanG

The LED headlights and taillights are worth the upgrade. A vast improvement over the 2016-2017 Zenon headlights.

At least that was why I bought a 2018.

Ah I feel you. I hope it's and easy swap. Thanks for your advice.

[jkoral]

Originally Posted by eldogo

Im in the the market for an M2 but cannot decide if the price difference between the 2016 and 2018 is worth the jump.

Are the LCI updates worth it?

There are a bunch of threads like this: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1542992

Personally I was set on a 2018, but found a local dealer CPO 2017 with less mileage and decided to live with a 2017. And for warranty purposes in-service date is what counts, the non-CPO 2018 I wanted (which was 500 miles away) was only 6 months newer from a warranty perspective.

If you like the gauge cluster, that is an easy retrofit as well for $1K + coding.

Generally speaking, I usually recommend friends/family that want a used BMW to buy the newest model they can afford, the longer you get the factory warranty the better. That said, the N55 M2 is relatively reliable. But most 2016s will be out of the factory 4 yr warranty and are priced accordingly.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by jkoral

There are a bunch of threads like this: https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1542992

Personally I was set on a 2018, but found a local dealer CPO 2017 with less mileage and decided to live with a 2017. And for warranty purposes in-service date is what counts, the non-CPO 2018 I wanted (which was 500 miles away) was only 6 months newer from a warranty perspective.

If you like the gauge cluster, that is an easy retrofit as well for $1K + coding.

Generally speaking, I usually recommend friends/family that want a used BMW to buy the newest model they can afford, the longer you get the factory warranty the better. That said, the N55 M2 is relatively reliable. But most 2016s will be out of the factory 4 yr warranty and are priced accordingly.

Thanks for input. Yeah I do prefer the 2018 but my pocket prefers the 2016 lol. The newer cluster and led headlights are something I would love to have.

Maybe I should wait till 2021 and get a 2018 Aaah!

[OG///M]

Originally Posted by eldogo

Hi everyone,

Im in the the market for an M2 but cannot decide if the price difference between the 2016 and 2018 is worth the jump.

Are the LCI updates worth it? If its just the headlights, taillights and the drive then I think it's something I can live without and retrofit them later.

I would love to hear your thoughts. im leaning towards a 2016 since they are cheaper.

Personal preference but I liked the pre-LCI better with the original full ring headlights and the grey background on the more analog looking cluster which pays homage to the E46. Indifferent about the taillights.

The full dash is also slightly different. If the changes to LCI don't mean much to you I'd say just go with the 2016

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by poweredbym

Personal preference but I liked the pre-LCI better with the original full ring headlights and the grey background on the more analog looking cluster which pays homage to the E46. Indifferent about the taillights.

The full dash is also slightly different. If the changes to LCI don't mean much to you I'd say just go with the 2016

Got you. I'll have to google the dashboards. I thought there were only 4 differences

[DanG]

The dash and idrive are different in the 2018. Also all 2018s have a rear view camera. You had to buy the executive package on the 2016 and 2017 to get the rear view camera.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by DanG

The dash and idrive are different in the 2018. Also all 2018s have a rear view camera. You had to buy the executive package on the 2016 and 2017 to get the rear view camera.

Great catch re the rear camera

[ried]

I prefer the real, analog gauges from 2016-17 as well as the original dash layout and the original taillights. The 2018 LED headlights are certainly an upgrade in technology, if not style.

Between 2016 and 2017, the older model has iDrive 4.x (with NBT hardware) while the 2017 has iDrive 5.x (with NBT Evo hardware) and supports Apple CarPlay from manufacture dates of August, 2016 onward. So, the 2017 is certainly more desirable in that regard.

My unsolicited advice? Get a 2017. Best of (nearly) all worlds.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by ried

I prefer the real, analog gauges from 2016-17 as well as the original dash layout and the original taillights. The 2018 LED headlights are certainly an upgrade in technology, if not style.

Between 2016 and 2017, the older model has iDrive 4.x (with NBT hardware) while the 2017 has iDrive 5.x (with NBT Evo hardware). So, the 2017 is certainly more desirable in that regard.

My unsolicited advice? Get a 2017. Best of (nearly) all worlds.

Great point. I think a bump to 2017 will be the move unless I find a nicely priced 2018

[Al Bundy's Dodge]

Good luck, there is no right or wrong answer here, just what you prefer.

I went with the LCI because I preferred the dash layout...it looked "cleaner" to me. Less busy. I figured since that is what I'd see most on the car, it was probably important.

Also preferred the upgraded idrive. It felt a lot more modern compared to my 2015 335. But sometimes I'm just a sucker for something new and different.

Whichever way you go, you will have a blast driving the car, and in the end that's really all that matters imo.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by Al Bundy's Dodge

Good luck, there is no right or wrong answer here, just what you prefer.

I went with the LCI because I preferred the dash layout...it looked "cleaner" to me. Less busy. I figured since that is what I'd see most on the car, it was probably important.

Also preferred the upgraded idrive. It felt a lot more modern compared to my 2015 335. But sometimes I'm just a sucker for something new and different.

Whichever way you go, you will have a blast driving the car, and in the end that's really all that matters imo.

I'm a geek when it comes to tech. I guess I'll need to be patient and just get the 2018. Maybe around December people might want to part with their 2018 for a reasonable price

[VisualEcho]

I was in the car business for 7 years.

My advice is to buy the NICEST car you can buy.

So I'd buy a mint '16 over a beat up '18 any day.

The updates you can do at your leisure.

But if you find a mint '18, and you have the coin, that's my recommendation.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

I was in the car business for 7 years.

My advice is to buy the NICEST car you can buy.

So I'd buy a mint '16 over a beat up '18 any day.

The updates you can do at your leisure.

But if you find a mint '18, and you have the coin, that's my recommendation.

Ok cool.

So I found a 2018 with 29k miles for 38k. What do you think?

[RAM_F30_F87]

Just about everything has been covered, but to sum it up...
Depending upon your finances, you'll need to balance price/mileage/condition/warranty/tires/BMW Performance options/distance away.
If you want a sunroof, you'll need the 2018 (option)
If you like the LCI headlights/taillights/gauge cluster changes, you'll need the 2018
The 2016/2017 speedometer/tachometer are hard to see under low light conditions such as under a bridge or with overhead tree cover.
There are expensive workarounds such as LCI gauge cluster replacement, and full-feature vent replacement gauges.
I really don't find the lighting an issue as I drive primarily by sight and feel.
I bought a relatively inexpensive (~$40) dual OBD2/GPS Heads Up Display (HUD) and just use it as a digital speedometer in GPS mode.
For clarity, I picked a small self-contained unit so I wouldn't need to place reflective film on the windshield.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by RAM_F30_F87

Just about everything has been covered, but to sum it up...
Depending upon your finances, you'll need to balance price/mileage/condition/warranty/tires/BMW Performance options/distance away.
If you want a sunroof, you'll need the 2018 (option)
If you like the LCI headlights/taillights/gauge cluster changes, you'll need the 2018
The 2016/2017 speedometer/tachometer are hard to see under low light conditions such as under a bridge or with overhead tree cover.
There are expensive workarounds such as LCI gauge cluster replacement, and full-feature vent replacement gauges.
I really don't find the lighting an issue as I drive primarily by sight and feel.
I bought a relatively inexpensive (~$40) dual OBD2/GPS Heads Up Display (HUD) and just use it as a digital speedometer in GPS mode.
For clarity, I picked a small self-contained unit so I wouldn't need to place reflective film on the windshield.

Great summary. I think I have a good idea of what I need to look for when I shop.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by eldogo

Ok cool.

So I found a 2018 with 29k miles for 38k. What do you think?

That's a LOT of miles for an M2. I'd skip that in a heartbeat.

Remember, the AVERAGE mileage for an M2 is 5,000 a year.

Yes, you read that right, call your insurance company and they will confirm.

My bro just bought an '18 LCI 6MT with Ex and no roof for $46K, with 6500 miles on the clock. I'd look for something like that if I were you. Under 10K miles for sure. The cars are out there if you are patient.

[eldogo]

Originally Posted by VisualEcho

That's a LOT of miles for an M2. I'd skip that in a heartbeat.

Remember, the AVERAGE mileage for an M2 is 5,000 a year.

Yes, you read that right, call your insurance company and they will confirm.

My bro just bought an '18 LCI 6MT with Ex and no roof for $46K, with 6500 miles on the clock. I'd look for something like that if I were you. Under 10K miles for sure. The cars are out there if you are patient.

Got it. Thank you

[PackPride85]

iDrive 4 in the 2016 model is pretty bad compared to ID 5 (2017) and 6 (2018). Difference between 5 and 6 is minimal. The dash issue in my 2017 is annoying but not a deal breaker. The LED lights look great but didn't seem like a giant improvement on the 2 series over xenon.

[MONSTAR]

I'd for sure go with 2018, but maybe I am biased.

I think the headlights and tail lights are a much better design. The gauge cluster doesn't matter much to me but I do prefer the LCI.

I actually prefer the dashboard layout of the pre-LCI.

FWIW I just bought an '18 with 11k miles for 42,500

Free standard backup camera is nice.

[gphung]

Some have mentioned you could essentially retrofit the 2018+ adaptive leds into an M2 that doesn't already have them. This is true, but it's definitely an expensive retrofit at $4K USD for just the parts from IND (https://ind-distribution.com/product...01a9&_ss=r). Here in Canada, you need to explicitly option the adaptive LEDs for 2018 model year M2s (they come standard on 2019+ M2C in Canada), which only costs $1000 CAD (https://f87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1390212).

IMO, take a long hard look at the styling differences and decide for yourself which lights you truly prefer. This won't be a cheap retrofit, unlike the LCI gauge cluster and tail lights.