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.

2,941 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 1.5 116d Sport Hatchback 3dr

£7,899

1.5L
79.5K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Bridgend Motor Group - Irvine Outlet & EV Centre

01294444950 *

BMW 1 Series2024 - 118i [136] SE Step Auto [Live Cockpit Pro] 5-Door

£20,697

Finance available £422 pm

1.5L
18.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

CarSupermarket.com Stoke

01782432938 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2023 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP]

Low Mileage

£25,993

Finance available £513 pm

1.5L
9.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Stratstone BMW Doncaster

01302203473 *

BMW 1 Series2015 - 2.0 118d Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£7,800

Finance available £152 pm

2L
62.4K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

MIDLANDS AUTOHAUS LIMITED

01164646024 *

BMW 1 Series2023 - 118i (136) Sport LCP 5dr Step Auto (Navigation)(Fr

Reduced

£19,000

1.5L
25.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motorparks Preston

01772347475 *

BMW 1 Series2020 - 118i SE 5dr

Low Mileage

£14,698

1.5L
41.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Arnold Clark Peugeot/SEAT/Cupra/Skoda (Edinburgh)

01312025128 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 2.0 125d M Sport Euro 5 (s/s) 3dr

£7,990

2L
117.2K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Keywise Cars Ltd

01392344397 *

BMW 1 Series2019 (69) - 2.0 M135i Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (306 ps)+NEW SHAPE+

£21,490

2L
60.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Fish For Motors Ltd

01204939523 *

BMW 1 Series2024 - 120 M Sport 5dr Step Auto

£28,995

Finance available £575 pm

1.5L
7.4K
Miles
Hybrid
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Jack Reid Cars Carrickfergus

02893448937 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (68) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£8,986

Finance available £193 pm

1.5L
82.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Staverton Garage Limited

01327221580 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 1.6 118i M Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£7,900

Finance available £154 pm

1.6L
100.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Browns Car Company

01621733495 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 1.5 118i M Sport (LCP) DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£20,000

Finance available £390 pm

1.5L
26.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Quality Part X Ltd Dunstable

01582280653 *

BMW 1 Series2020 (20) - 2.0 118d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (150 ps)

Low Mileage

£19,200

Finance available £415 pm

2L
21.8K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Leeds

01134689988 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (68) - 2.0 120i GPF M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (184 ps)

£10,995

Finance available £223 pm

2L
101.7K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Duman Autos

01506376796 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (68) - 1.5 118i Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£8,499

Finance available £168 pm

1.5L
87.4K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Sterling Motor Group Ltd

02039537434 *

BMW 1 Series2023 (23) - 2.0 128ti (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 - £10k of Upgrades Air rid

£29,490

Finance available £585 pm

2L
2.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

CHESHIRE MOTOR WORKS

01244562666 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - 2016 BMW 120d sport start/stop ulez compliant £35 road tax 5-Door

£6,893

Finance available £132 pm

2L
98.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

GPS Transporters

01280730894 *

BMW 1 Series2019 - 116d M Sport Shadow Edition 3dr

Low Mileage

£15,399

Finance available £322 pm

1.5L
16.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

FOW Winsford

01606535848 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2025 (25) - M135 xDrive 5dr Step Auto [Tech+/Pro Pack] Petrol Hatchback

Low Mileage

£43,990

2L
2.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Bridgwater

01278555750 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2024 - 118i [136] Sport Step Auto [Live Cockpit Pro] 5-Door

£21,297

Finance available £435 pm

1.5L
23.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

CarSupermarket.com Birmingham

01215165158 *

4.6/5 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

Author: Jack Evans

View profile

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.