Which is the most popular engine in the BMW 1 Series?

The older 118d diesel powertrain has been among the most popular, but it isn't available in the newer models. This diesel engine had a good balance of value and power, rated at 148bhp. The most popular petrol engine is the 118i, likely because it's the entry level in the lineup, making it the most affordable to buy.

Which are the most popular trim levels?

The new 1 Series comes in five trims: SE, Sport, 128ti, M Sport and M135i. The M Sport is among the most popular in the used market because of its upgraded performance and styling features, including upgraded suspension, 18-inch alloy wheels and special 'M' trim detailing.

Is the BMW 1 Series a good family car?

Even though it's a compact hatchback, the BMW 1 Series is a good car for families. While it can be tight for adults in the rear seat, there's plenty of room for children, and ISOFIX points are included for child seats.

Is there a hybrid version of the BMW 1 Series?

BMW hasn't fitted a hybrid powertrain to the 1 Series yet. It has only been offered with traditional petrol and diesel engines.

Is the BMW 1 Series available as an automatic?

The 1 Series has been available as an automatic and with a manual gearbox. Both of these are popular among the used models, so it should be easy for customers to find the example that suits their needs.

Is there a four-wheel drive version available?

The BMW 1 Series started as a rear-wheel drive car. It was later reconfigured to have front-wheel drive as standard. The top specification M135i is equipped with all-wheel drive, as are some variants of the 120d. Look out for cars badged as xDrive - this is the name of BMW's all-wheel drive system.

2,722 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2012 (62) - 116i Sport 5dr

Low Mileage

£4,250

Finance available £73 pm

1.6L
91.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Amon Motors Solihull

01216615432 *

BMW 1 Series2012 (62) - 118d Exclusive Edition 2dr

Low Mileage

£4,795

2L
73.1K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Coupe

Wheels In Motion Sherborne

01935311739 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2023 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr [Live Cockpit Professional]

Low Mileage

£22,900

1.5L
14.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Stratstone BMW Bury St Edmunds

01284338953 *

4.4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2015 (65) - 120d M Sport 3dr Step Auto

Reduced

£6,195

Finance available £116 pm

2L
125.7K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

4 FAB WHEELS

02039122513 *

BMW 1 Series2021 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr

Low Mileage

£19,450

1.5L
22.5K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Stratstone BMW Milton Keynes

01908104093 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2021 - 118i [136] Sport 5dr

Low Mileage

£18,249

Finance available £374 pm

1.5L
19.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

cinch

01273121210 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2023 (23) - 1.5 118i Sport (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£20,999

Finance available £411 pm

1.5L
29.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motorplus Car Supermarket

01633742350 *

BMW 1 Series2018 - 116d Sport 5dr [Nav]

£8,750

Finance available £173 pm

1.5L
77.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

JB Autos Sales

02870440586 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 1.5 116d SE Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£5,495

Finance available £100 pm

1.5L
128.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

PX Cars Ltd

01924667043 *

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 3.0 M135i Auto Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr

£9,995

Finance available £201 pm

3L
96.9K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Large Motor Company

01635885044 *

4.8/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2016 - 1.5 118i M Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£9,500

Finance available £190 pm

1.5L
59.4K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

MIDLANDS AUTOHAUS LIMITED

01164646024 *

BMW 1 Series2011 (61) - 2.0 118d Sport Steptronic Euro 5 2dr

Low Mileage

£3,495

Finance available £56 pm

2L
107.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Coupe

PX Cars Ltd

01924667043 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (68) - 1.5 118I SPORT 5d AUTO 134 BHP 5-Door

£11,695

1.5L
59.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Wavertree Car Centre

01513189401 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (66) - 118i, 1.5 Petrol, M Sport Edition, Hatchback, 3 Door Coupe, Manual, Euro 6.

Low Mileage

£10,499

1.5L
60.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Elm Tree Car Sales Ltd

01913387238 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 - 118i M Sport 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£20,491

1.5L
22.8K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Marshall BMW Scunthorpe

01724707996 *

BMW 1 Series2009 (09) - 2.0 118i SE Euro 4 2dr

Low Mileage

£3,000

Finance available £45 pm

2L
81.4K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

Martyns Car Sales

01932687838 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 1.5 116d M Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£7,990

Finance available £156 pm

1.5L
92.5K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

MOTORSTOP WEST MIDLANDS LTD

01384885524 *

5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 (70) - 116 SE 1.5D 115PS 5 DOOR HATCHBACK (EURO 6)

£12,602

Finance available £259 pm

1.5L
62.4K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Merthyr Motor Auctions

01685702344 *

BMW 1 Series2008 (08) - 2.0 120d M Sport Steptronic Euro 4 2dr

Reduced

£2,990

2L
137.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Convertible

Lennox Auto Limited

02039484608 *

4.1/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 116d M Sport Shadow Edition Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£11,250

Finance available £229 pm

1.5L
88.5K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Dynamic Motor Company Ltd

01422413648 *

2.8/5 Stars

Why buy a used BMW 1 Series?

If you're in the market for a car that's practical, fun to drive and stylish, then a used BMW 1 Series is a fantastic choice. With BMW build quality, a used 1 Series provides luxury motoring at an affordable price. The interior offers supportive seating, high-tech features and upscale materials that provide a refined driving experience.

Used BMW 1 Series snapshot review

Pros

Economical diesels
Fun to drive
Excellent build quality

Cons

Lack of hybrid/electric model
Limited cabin and boot space
Firm ride

Read our BMW 1 Series review

BMW 1 Series video review

lite-youtube[videoid='ryiOCbFViwg']{cursor:initial;background-image:url("https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/ryiOCbFViwg/sddefault.webp")}lite-youtube[videoid='ryiOCbFViwg']::after{background:no-repeat center/68px 48px url('data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 68 48"><path d="M66.52 7.74c-.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79.13 34 0 34 0S12.21.13 6.9 1.55c-2.93.78-4.63 3.26-5.42 6.19C.06 13.05 0 24 0 24s.06 10.95 1.48 16.26c.78 2.93 2.49 5.41 5.42 6.19C12.21 47.87 34 48 34 48s21.79-.13 27.1-1.55c2.93-.78 4.64-3.26 5.42-6.19C67.94 34.95 68 24 68 24s-.06-10.95-1.48-16.26z" fill="red"/><path d="M45 24 27 14v20" fill="white"/></svg>')}

Used BMW 1 Series buying guide

Engines and transmissions

The BMW 1 Series has been available with petrol and diesel engines, a manual or an automatic gearbox, and rear, front or four-wheel drive.

Petrol

1.5-litre 118i produces 134bhp for a 0-60mph time of 8.6 seconds and an efficiency rating of up to 49.6mpg. This is the most popular engine.
2.0-litre 128ti boosts the output to 261bhp, giving it a 0-60mph time of 5.9 seconds and an efficiency rating of 40.9mpg.
3.0-litre M135i tops the range with 315bhp and a 0-60mph time of 4.9 seconds, but the efficiency drops to 35mpg.

Diesel

1.5-litre 116d makes 114bhp for a 10-second 0-60mph time and a rating of up to 62.8mpg.
2.0-litre 120d outputs 187bhp to reduce the 0-62mph time to 7.3 seconds, while still maintaining efficiency of up to 57.6mpg.
Older 118d creates 147bhp and was one of the most popular options.

Practicality

Despite being a compact car, the 1 Series hatchback provides a surprising amount of room, making it practical for everyday driving.

Interior space

Front seats are supportive and offer a lot of room.
Rear seats can be tight for adults on long drives.
ISOFIX mounting points for child seats are easy to access.

Boot space

380-litre boot compares with the Audi A3.
Folding the rear seats down opens up 1,200 litres of room.
Available 40:20:40 split folding seats allow for the middle seat to be folded independently.

Bodystyles

Five-door hatchback has been the main body style since its introduction.
Three-door hatchback was discontinued after the second generation.
Two-door coupé was available for part of the first generation, later joining the 2 Series lineup.
Two-door convertible was only available during the first generation, but later became part of the 2 Series lineup.

Safety

Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating given in 2019.
87% rating for child occupant and an 83% adult occupant rating.
Standard safety kit includes parking sensors (front and rear), cruise control and LED headlights.

Technology

10.3-inch Live Cockpit Professional driver display matches the 3 Series.
Larger 10.3-inch infotainment system display replaced the smaller 8.8-inch model.
Available wireless device charging.

Buying a used car checklist: what to look for

Buying a used car can be a daunting task, but with our checklist, you can make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.

View guides

* Telephone numbers starting with 084X or 087X will cost you up to 13p per minute plus your telephone company's access charge. Calls to other telephone numbers will only cost your phone company's access charge.

Used BMW 1 Series snapshot review

Pros