The ULTIMATE German I6 Engine Tier List

The Inline 6 engine is one of the best configurations out there, with major German manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes producing heaps of them. However, not all of them were made equal, so this video determines which of them is best by ranking in a tier list format!

Check out our other engine tier lists!

Modern American V8 Tier List:

V10 Tier List:

V12 Tier List:

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00:00 Introduction
00:30 BMW
11:26 Mercedes
18:47 Volkswagen
19:32 Opel
20:35 Final Thoughts

[runningredline]

Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed this installment of the series! These are only German made gasoline I6 engines, the diesels may come in a future video simply because there are so many. Let me know what you would change or rank differently. Thanks for watching and welcome to the channel if you’re new!

[lyzzrsz]

B58 should be S. Incredibly reliable and can make 900whp with bolt ons

[leonlange]

I’d have to swap the places of B58/S58 as there are some minor problems arising for the S58 while the B58 is still to this day basically completely flawless even tho it went into production 7 years ago

[philipejeuceoututkache]

Sad to not see the monster OM606 with Mercedes. it's basically the "diesel 2JZ" so much it can handles power, and probably one of the best diesel engine ever made for "Mr.Everyone's car".

[Saida]

Glad to see the N52 made it on the A list. I have one still running strong and very reliable unit i don't know why they even decided to make the N53.

[brunobegic]

I'd say the M104 is probably one of the best straight sixes you can get right now. They're dirt cheap, easy to find, very reliable once you install new gaskets and they're capable of producing ridiculous power when turbocharged. It's basically a German 2JZ but actually obtainable by mortals.

[ivanmartinez]

S54 is actually the best in-line 6 all time

[mwk]

Just got a bmw roadster z4 2.2 m54 engine. At 70k miles. That engine is just bullet proof 😲. Never selling it. Changed oil every 6months or 3000miles which ever came first. With ceratec oil additive

[dardo]

I can argue that B58 deserves the S tier... Definetly yes if S58 is there

[tre_EC]

Great video, love these rankings. N54 in D is a little harsh, yes they're super unreliable and expensive but with $1500 in bolt ons they'll make 100-150hp over their 300hp stock

[fuze]

Haha i drive a E90 3 series with the N52, its a fantastic motor that just loves to rev and pull, makes a great noise and sings at 7k rpm. I love it and i was so happy to see it receive the recognition it deserves. Definitely a high A tier motor. happy that u agree :D

[borismatesin]

Late to the party, but I'm glad you remembered to include the Opel CIH-6 engines. They're a really unique design - and I'm glad they rank high on this list!

[Sawubona]

I think that the M30 is the greatest German six-cylinder engine ever made.

[CLka]

M103 and m104 should be higher on list. They hold boost very well. 800hp stock block on e85 is nothing on them.

Ps do video for i8 engines.

[GreenHawkDrive]

should make a tier list on diesels. great video as always man!

[dudfr]

The VR6 is technically a straight 6/inline 6, not a V6. The name VR6 comes from the combination of German words “Verkürzt” and “Reihenmotor” meaning "shortened inline engine".

I think it should've had a spot on the list, maybe in high C or low-mid B tier

[noidex]

I get the N54 fuel pump being a disaster, but D tier? It's known for being able to push far above stock power reliably, so it's great as a cheap 500-600hp build.
Otherwise, it's a great list!

[ZondaS]

Reliability issues aside, the N54 had great performance and was found in some of BMW's best cars.

[michelveit]

Having owned a couple of different engine configurations, mostly i4, i6, v6 and v8, I have come to the conclusion, that the i6 is the best configuration. Many of those engines are bulletproof, and offer more than enough power for daily use, while still being quite affordable to run, compared to v8s. also the i6 beats the V6 in my Oppinion, because it is much smoother and, should anything break, you have much fewer parts. And out of all the Engines, my personal favorite is the M50. It is in my oppinion the very best engine for daily use ever made. You have the increadible smoothness of the engine, making every car feel high value. You have 4 valves and fuel injection, making the engine quite efficient and reliable. But it is also not so new, that you have a ton of technology attached to it. Well, the later M50s came with Vanos, but they are still available without. And god damn it does this engine make an awesome sound. Especially if you throw a good manifold on, it is just a blast to listen to

[exoroxx]

I have a N52 and it perfectly fits in the A tier. It's one of the best N/A engines BMW ever made (but it also has its issues, e.g. DISA). But I see the B58 (like the even better S58) definitely in the S tier. And the N54 is not that bad, later versions (like in the Z4 E89) were quite reliable and not far behind the N55. The N54 can handle even more power and is happier with higher revs. Just don't go for the early versions or check what has been done yet.