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.

2,589 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2008 - 118i M Sport 2dr

Reduced

£4,495

Finance available £78 pm

2L
90.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

Parkgate Auto Solutions

02890026882 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (66) - 1.5 118i M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£9,495

Finance available £190 pm

1.5L
72.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Car Hunters

01621733521 *

BMW 1 Series2025 (15)

£9,499

Finance available £190 pm

1.6L
33.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Not Supplied

CAZOON LTD

01162165624 *

BMW 1 Series2020 - 1.5 118i M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 s/s 140 Ps

Low Mileage

£15,995

1.5L
38.5K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

EMG Motor Group Huntingdon

01480597486 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 2.0 116d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 5 (s/s) (116 ps)

Low Mileage

£8,995

Finance available £179 pm

2L
38.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Cars Of Conwy

01492525999 *

BMW 1 Series2018 - 2.0 118d M Sport Shadow Edition 5-door

£10,695

Finance available £217 pm

2L
105.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Baytree Car Sales

01406430108 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 2.0 118d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (150 ps)

£8,880

Finance available £176 pm

2L
94.2K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Velvis Cars

01206986293 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 1.5 116d SE Business Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£9,995

Finance available £201 pm

1.5L
70.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Cars Of Conwy

01492525999 *

BMW 1 Series2019 - 1.5 118i M Sport Shadow Edition 5-door

Reduced

£12,699

Finance available £261 pm

1.5L
41.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Icon Cars

01663798281 *

BMW 1 Series2016 - 1.6 120i M Sports With sunroof

Low Mileage

£11,450

Finance available £233 pm

1.6L
24.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Loyal Corporations (UK) LIMITED

02476936627 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 116d SE Business 5dr ++ SAT NAV / ULEZ / DAB / BLUETOOTH / CRUISE

Low Mileage

£8,675

Finance available £171 pm

1.5L
59.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Nick King Car Sales (Gloucester)

01452227299 *

BMW 1 Series2024 - 1.5 118i M Sport (LCP) DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£24,990

1.5L
7.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Oldham Volkswagen

01614139803 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 (72) - 1.5 118i SE (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£15,700

Finance available £268 pm

1.5L
43.1K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Blue Bell Hill

01634557830 *

BMW 1 Series2007 (57) - 118d SE 5dr

£1,395

2L
157.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Dave's Car Sales

01612417052 *

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 3.0 M135i Hatchback 3dr Petrol Auto Euro 5 (s/s) (320 ps)

Reduced

£10,949

Finance available £222 pm

3L
80.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

A1 Ortos

01613887641 *

0/5 Stars

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

£18,690

Finance available £363 pm

1.5L
31.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

UK WHEELS LIMTIED

01279212123 *

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

Low Mileage

£16,999

2L
40.5K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

HPL Motors Preston

01772957419 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 1.5 116d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£9,095

Finance available £181 pm

1.5L
92.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Bedfordshire Car Sales

01234987567 *

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

£10,999

Finance available £223 pm

1.5L
86.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Vantage Auto House Ltd

01633742374 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (17) - 5-Door

Low Mileage

£21,995

Finance available £431 pm

3L
40.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Elgin Autos

01343610498 *

5/5 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