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.

2,730 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2020 - 116d M Sport 5dr

Reduced

£15,950

Finance available £334 pm

1.5L
87.1K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Gary Hutchinson Car Sales Ltd

02890026790 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (63) - 2.0 125d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 5 (s/s) (218 ps)

Reduced

£11,740

Finance available £240 pm

2L
40.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

DR Motors

01162162407 *

3.8/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 116d SE Business Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£10,450

1.5L
55.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Windmill Motors Ltd

01778308209 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (17) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£9,250

Finance available £184 pm

1.5L
80.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Cars To Go Ltd

01202051975 *

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 116d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£13,650

Finance available £283 pm

1.5L
50.2K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

North Star Sussex Ltd

01273003666 *

4.1/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 1.5 116d Sport Hatchback 3dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£8,600

Finance available £170 pm

1.5L
86.5K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Hammond Cars Ipswich

01473927579 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 (70) - 2.0 118D SPORT 5d AUTO 148 BHP 5-Door

Low Mileage

£18,499

2L
26.1K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

HPL Motors Preston

01772957419 *

BMW 1 Series2010 (60) - 118d M Sport 2dr

Reduced

£3,195

Finance available £49 pm

2L
77.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Coupe

SK CAR COMPANY LTD

01384885534 *

BMW 1 Series2020 - M135i xDrive 5dr Step Auto

Reduced

£25,868

2L
28.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Marshall Mercedes-Benz of Blackburn

01254781054 *

BMW 1 Series2021 (21) - 1.5 118i M Sport (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£18,800

Finance available £406 pm

1.5L
39.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Blue Bell Hill

01634557830 *

BMW 1 Series2022 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP] Automatic

£20,944

Finance available £410 pm

1.5L
25.7K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

D M Keith Select Ossett

01924667079 *

4.8/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 - 128ti 5dr Step Auto [Live Cockpit Professional]

£24,298

2L
33.1K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Arnold Clark Nottingham Motorstore / Vanstore

01158964024 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr [Live Cockpit Professional] Petrol Hatchback

Low Mileage

£20,386

1.5L
18.7K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Bridgwater

01278555750 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (17) - 1.5 116d SE Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£7,995

Finance available £156 pm

1.5L
76.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Hampton Motorgroup

01216618720 *

BMW 1 Series2021 (71) - 1.5 118i M Sport (LCP) DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£21,799

Finance available £465 pm

1.5L
23.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Sandles Car Supermarket

01553601835 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 - 120d xDrive Sport 5dr Step Auto

£16,795

Finance available £353 pm

2L
58.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Frank Gardiner Motors

02838298738 *

BMW 1 Series2018 - 116d SE Business 5dr [Nav/Servotronic] Step Auto

Low Mileage

£11,995

Finance available £246 pm

1.5L
54.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

JB Autos Sales

02870440586 *

BMW 1 Series2024 - 1.5 118I M Sport Auto 5dr

Low Mileage

£25,700

1.5L
5.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

LMC Cars

01708206105 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (64) - 1.6 116i SE Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£4,795

Finance available £85 pm

1.6L
137.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Allton Cars Ltd

01216618747 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 2.0 M135i Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (306 ps)

Reduced

£26,500

Finance available £459 pm

2L
13.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Enfield

02037634741 *

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