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.

2,635 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2014 (14) - 1.6 116i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

Low Mileage

£5,790

Finance available £107 pm

1.6L
76.7K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Motorchoice UK Ltd

01782917226 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 1.5 116d Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£8,395

Finance available £165 pm

1.5L
102.8K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

MOTO PORIUM LTD

01274924177 *

BMW 1 Series2020 (20) - 2.0 M135i Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (306 ps) M135i PLUS

£21,490

Finance available £421 pm

2L
68.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

The Car Arena

01158222721 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (71) - 120d xDrive M Sport 5dr Step Auto Diesel Hatchback

£24,232

2L
34.2K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Bridgwater

01278555750 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2010 (10) - 2.0 118d Sport Euro 5 2dr

Low Mileage

£5,795

Finance available £107 pm

2L
49.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Coupe

Broomhill Car Sales

01803226597 *

4.4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 2.0 118i Sport Plus Edition Euro 5 (s/s) 2dr

Low Mileage

£6,495

Finance available £123 pm

2L
60.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

Brookmans Motor Group

01707242293 *

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

Low Mileage

£13,999

Finance available £290 pm

1.5L
29.7K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

RCS Car Sales

01905953512 *

BMW 1 Series2016 - 1.5L 116d Edition+ Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (114 bhp)

£5,995

Finance available £109 pm

1.5L
107.1K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

North End Motor Company

01382213491 *

BMW 1 Series2015 - 118d M Sport 5-Door

Low Mileage

£11,290

Finance available £230 pm

2L
48.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Fresh Motors Ltd

01953665835 *

BMW 1 Series2016 - 2.0 118d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (150 ps) - BLUETOOT

Low Mileage

£14,825

Finance available £290 pm

2L
32.7K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Carsa Bradford

01274087627 *

4.4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 - 116d M Sport 5dr [Nav] Step Auto

£11,995

Finance available £246 pm

1.5L
67.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

CJS Car Sales ltd

01229440568 *

4.2/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2021 (71) - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr

£18,500

Finance available £360 pm

1.5L
38.7K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Richard Nash Cars Ltd

01603931816 *

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

£17,775

1.5L
51.1K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Stellantis &You Chingford

02039577333 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 - 1.5 118i M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (140 ps) Automatic

£17,800

Finance available £345 pm

1.5L
48.4K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Taylors Pitstop

01293221182 *

BMW 1 Series2014 - 116d EfficientDynamics 5dr

£5,875

Finance available £109 pm

1.6L
100.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Carmichael Cars

02890023196 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (72) - 120d xDrive M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Pro Pack] Diesel Hatchback

Low Mileage

£29,121

2L
10.7K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Bridgwater

01278555750 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 1.5 116d M Sport (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£18,200

Finance available £392 pm

1.5L
31.8K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Cannock

01543221765 *

BMW 1 Series2017 - 120d Sport 5dr [Nav/Servotronic] Step Auto

Low Mileage

£15,099

Finance available £315 pm

2L
29.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

FOW Winsford

01606535848 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 118i GPF Sport Hatchback 3dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

Reduced

£12,484

Finance available £257 pm

1.5L
39.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

K W Motors Ltd

01727648035 *

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

£24,599

Finance available £517 pm

1.5L
13.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motorpoint Sheffield

01143086607 *

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