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.

2,592 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2023 (73) - M135i xDrive 5dr Step Auto Petrol Hatchback

£29,450

2L
25.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Teesside

01642630363 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 118i GPF M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps) Full

Low Mileage

£12,995

Finance available £268 pm

1.5L
47.5K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

H and M Cars Ltd

07921081064 *

BMW 1 Series2020 (69) - 1.5 118i M Sport DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Reduced

£17,799

Finance available £375 pm

1.5L
42.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Sandles Car Supermarket

01553601835 *

4.7/5 Stars

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

£16,551

Finance available £347 pm

1.5L
73.9K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

CARS YARD

02039577371 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2012 - 1.6 116i Sport Auto Euro 5 (s/s) 3dr

Low Mileage

£8,190

Finance available £161 pm

1.6L
38.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Alex Marc Motors

01389311467 *

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

Low Mileage

£7,499

Finance available £145 pm

2L
83.8K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

CARS-WORCESTER

01905676567 *

3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (66) - 1.5 116d SE Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£8,000

Finance available £156 pm

1.5L
85.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Hammond Cars Great Yarmouth

01493806041 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2024 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP]

Low Mileage

£25,298

1.5L
10.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Arnold Clark Edinburgh Sighthill Vauxhall / Peugeot / Leapmo

01312025858 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 2.0 118d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (150 ps)

£13,995

Finance available £290 pm

2L
50.2K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

The Roxburghe Group

01217288719 *

0/5 Stars

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

£16,900

Finance available £362 pm

1.5L
38.5K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Camberley

01276983839 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP] Petrol Hatchback

Low Mileage

£22,947

1.5L
18.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Exeter

01392341615 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2009 (59) - 2.0 118d SE Steptronic Euro 5 2dr

Low Mileage

£5,499

2L
58.9K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Coupe

AL PRESTIGE CARS LTD

02380017157 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2018 (67) - 2.0 125d M Sport Shadow Edition Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 3dr

£12,490

Finance available £257 pm

2L
80.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Cars Direct Peterborough Limited

01733971397 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2015 (65) - 2.0 120d M Sport Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£10,995

Finance available £223 pm

2L
87.7K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Blackline Motors Ltd

01618042356 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 1.5 116d M Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£8,501

Finance available £168 pm

1.5L
101.2K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

PRO AUTOCARS LTD

01256587054 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (65) - 1.5 116d ED Plus Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£5,695

1.5L
85.9K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Northwest Trade Centre Lancaster

01524938637 *

BMW 1 Series2019 - 1.5 118i SE 5dr

Low Mileage

£10,800

Finance available £219 pm

1.5L
42.1K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Braunstone Crossroads Motors

01164028881 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - 1.5 118i M Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£10,995

Finance available £223 pm

1.5L
49.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

MOTO PORIUM LTD

01274924177 *

BMW 1 Series2008 (08) - 120d M Sport 3dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£2,195

2L
128.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

SK CAR COMPANY LTD

01384885534 *

BMW 1 Series2013 - 2.0 116d M Sport 5 door

£5,995

Finance available £112 pm

2L
116.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Peak Automotive Limited

01637801278 *

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