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.

2,754 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 3.0 M140i GPF Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (340 ps

Low Mileage

£20,045

3L
43.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motor Trust UK Bury

01612416386 *

BMW 1 Series2019 - 118i [1.5] Sport 5dr [Nav/Servotronic]

Low Mileage

£12,249

Finance available £246 pm

1.5L
33.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Motorpoint Oldbury

01217525220 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 1.5 116d Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

Low Mileage

£8,499

Finance available £168 pm

1.5L
65.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Wise Auto Ltd

02038737355 *

BMW 1 Series2017 - 2.0 M Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Reduced

£12,750

Finance available £263 pm

2L
62.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Jonathan Dawson Car Sales Ltd

01134676315 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - 2016 BMW 120d sport start/stop ulez compliant £35 road tax 5-Door

£6,893

Finance available £132 pm

2L
98.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

GPS Transporters

01280730894 *

BMW 1 Series2015 - 1.5 116D M Sport 5dr

£8,710

Finance available £172 pm

1.5L
79.2K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

RallySport Automotive Limited

01206489764 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (22) - 1.5 (134bhp) 118i Sport DCT 5-Door

£19,600

1.5L
27.9K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

John Clark Skoda Perth

01738230206 *

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

Low Mileage

£12,840

Finance available £265 pm

45.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Not Supplied

Smart Wheel Motors

02039467705 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (65) - 1.5 116d Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£5,999

Finance available £112 pm

1.5L
90.9K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Big Bob Car Sales

01482739309 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (14) - 116i Sport 5dr

£5,295

Finance available £96 pm

1.6L
96.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

J LALL CARS OF BLACKPOOL

01253376711 *

BMW 1 Series2009 (09) - 118d SE 2dr

Reduced

£3,995

Finance available £67 pm

2L
100.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Convertible

Car Nation Bourne

01480597473 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - 116d Sport 3dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£7,695

Finance available £150 pm

1.5L
43.3K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Land Auto West Ltd

01213872434 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - M135i 5dr Step Auto

£14,490

Finance available £301 pm

3L
76.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Wainman Motors

01733902676 *

BMW 1 Series2023 (23) - M135i xDrive 5-Door

Low Mileage

£30,000

2L
9.4K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

John Clark BMW Tayside

01382238686 *

BMW 1 Series2025 (74) - 123 xDrive M Sport 5dr Step Auto Petrol Hatchback

£33,494

2L
6.4K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Bridgwater

01278555750 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 (72) - 2.0 M135i 5dr Auto xDrive (SAT NAV, PRIVACY GLASS)

£24,988

2L
37.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Jeff White Motors

02920028289 *

4.7/5 Stars

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

£1,650

2L
198.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Heaton Vehicle Sales 1

01708204883 *

BMW 1 Series2023 (73) - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP] Petrol Hatchback

Low Mileage

£25,304

1.5L
6.7K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW York

01904237114 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2021 - 1.5 118i M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (140 ps)

Low Mileage

£18,367

Finance available £396 pm

1.5L
24.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Carbase - Bristol

01172331396 *

4.4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series(22) - 118i M Sport 5-Door

Low Mileage

£24,300

13.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Not Supplied

John Clark BMW Aberdeen

01224451046 *

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