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.

2,744 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2018 (68) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 3dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

Low Mileage

£11,195

1.5L
39.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Motor Trust UK Bury

01612416386 *

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 3.0 M140i Shadow Edition Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 3dr

Low Mileage

£23,999

Finance available £472 pm

3L
29.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

TDC Collection LTD

02038928005 *

BMW 1 Series2011 - 120i M Sport 2-Door

£4,000

2L
120.5K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

Walters Motor Group Loddon

01603937289 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2012 - 2.0 116d ES Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 5 (s/s) (116 ps)

Low Mileage

£2,990

2L
107.3K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Motors Avenue Inc

01483917624 *

BMW 1 Series2020 - 118d M Sport 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£19,895

Finance available £439 pm

2L
27.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Motor Range Liverpool

01515417938 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2021 (21) - D SE 1.5DIESEL 115PS 5 DOOR HATCHBACK (EURO 6)

Reduced

£13,600

Finance available £282 pm

1.5L
45.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Merthyr Motor Auctions

01685702344 *

BMW 1 Series2020 (70) - M135i xDrive 5dr Step Auto

£24,975

Finance available £493 pm

2L
50.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Cottrell Motor Co LTD

01925903926 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 2.0 125d M Sport Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr

Reduced

£8,995

Finance available £179 pm

2L
72.4K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Leeon Limited

01493801777 *

BMW 1 Series2009 (59) - 120i M Sport 2dr

Low Mileage

£2,495

2L
97.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Convertible

SK CAR COMPANY LTD

01384885534 *

BMW 1 Series2020 (70) - 1.5 118i M Sport DCT Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£17,995

Finance available £349 pm

1.5L
48.7K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

M AND R SALES LIMITED

01536851839 *

4.4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

£8,490

Finance available £167 pm

1.5L
87.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Junction 21 Motors

01934312906 *

BMW 1 Series2021 - 116d M Sport 5dr Step Auto

£17,650

Finance available £342 pm

1.5L
74.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Jack Reid Cars Carrickfergus

02893448937 *

BMW 1 Series2019 - 118i M Sport 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£19,470

1.5L
10.4K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Perrys Barnsley Citroen

01226449434 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 - 116d SE 5dr [Live Cockpit Professional]

£15,998

1.5L
47.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Arnold Clark Vauxhall (Morecambe)

01524938898 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2010 - 118D M Sport 3-Door

£3,295

Finance available £51 pm

2L
128.7K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Van Station

01216615532 *

BMW 1 Series2010 (60) - 118d M Sport 2dr

Reduced

£3,195

Finance available £49 pm

2L
77.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Coupe

SK CAR COMPANY LTD

01384885534 *

BMW 1 Series2021 (21) - 1.5 118i M Sport (LCP) Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£19,600

1.5L
17.4K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

JC Select Edinburgh

01312877260 *

BMW 1 Series2022 (72) - 2.0 M135i Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (306 ps)

£27,450

Finance available £543 pm

2L
31.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Beehive Cars

01204939561 *

4.1/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series(68) - 2.0 118d M Sport Shadow Edition Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£12,494

Finance available £257 pm

63.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Not Supplied

AutoTrade Southwest

01453701529 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 118d SE 3dr

Low Mileage

£8,990

Finance available £179 pm

2L
54.3K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Riverside Sports & Prestige

01924975090 *

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