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.

2,700 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2019 (69) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (140 ps) FSH X7!

£12,495

1.5L
93.9K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motor Trust UK Bury

01612416386 *

BMW 1 Series2014 - 2.0L 116D Sport Hatchback 3dr Diesel Manual Euro 5 (114 bhp)

£4,495

2L
97.9K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

One Cars

01259230762 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 3.0 M140i Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (340 ps)

£16,900

Finance available £334 pm

3L
67.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Birchwood Motor Centre

01708932573 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - 1.5 116D SPORT 5d 114 BHP 5-Door

Low Mileage

£8,995

Finance available £179 pm

1.5L
69.6K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Cars4You Edinburgh West

01313226854 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (63) - 2.0 120d BluePerformance SE Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (184 ps)

Low Mileage

£7,900

Finance available £154 pm

2L
64.7K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Hammond Cars Ipswich

01473927579 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2015 - 118i [1.5] Sport 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£7,999

Finance available £156 pm

1.5L
73.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Edwards Cars

01992367599 *

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

Low Mileage

£21,949

Finance available £459 pm

1.5L
10.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motorpoint Derby

01332419211 *

BMW 1 Series2008 (08) - 120i SE 2dr Step Auto

Reduced

£3,499

Finance available £56 pm

2L
63.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Convertible

Newcastle Runabouts

01913387314 *

BMW 1 Series2017 - M140i Shadow Edition 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£20,079

3L
44.9K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Marshall Jaguar Leicester

01164785124 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 1.5 118i M Sport (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£20,100

Finance available £353 pm

1.5L
36.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Enfield

02037634741 *

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

Reduced

£10,595

Finance available £219 pm

1.5L
51.7K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

T Wall Garages Citroen - Kingswinford

01384319487 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 3.0 M140i Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (340 ps)

£15,995

Finance available £335 pm

3L
69.9K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

WMGB

01278550715 *

BMW 1 Series2012 (12) - 118d Sport 5dr Step Auto

Reduced

£4,395

Finance available £76 pm

2L
126.8K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Noahs Automotive LTD

02476936621 *

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 2.0 118d M Sport Auto Euro 5 (s/s) 3dr

Low Mileage

£7,695

Finance available £150 pm

2L
72.8K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Norton Car Sales Limited

01616720268 *

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

£12,195

1.5L
56.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motor Trust UK Bury

01612416386 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (66) - 1.5 118i M Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£9,995

Finance available £201 pm

1.5L
64.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Car Genie

01484509565 *

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

Low Mileage

£22,289

1.5L
18.7K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Marshall BMW Scunthorpe

01724707996 *

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 118i GPF M Sport Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s)

£11,995

Finance available £246 pm

1.5L
83.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Derbyshire Elite Car Sales Limited

01332419205 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2015 (65) - 120d xDrive M Sport 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£12,995

Finance available £268 pm

2L
56.1K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Orwell Motors

01383661016 *

BMW 1 Series2010 (60) - 2.0 116i M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 5 (122 ps)

Low Mileage

£4,250

Finance available £73 pm

2L
72.9K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

LNK Motors

01618049256 *

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