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 Series2021 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr

Low Mileage

£19,799

Finance available £420 pm

1.5L
12.8K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

FOW Trafford

01616969155 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2013 (63) - 120d M Sport 5dr Step Auto

£4,795

Finance available £85 pm

2L
101.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Kays Automotive Ltd

01215160982 *

BMW 1 Series2008 (08) - 135i M Sport 2dr

Low Mileage

£6,995

Finance available £134 pm

3L
100.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Coupe

Junction 5 Car Sales

01494977888 *

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

Low Mileage

£21,699

Finance available £425 pm

1.5L
20.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motorplus Car Supermarket

01633742350 *

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

£8,000

Finance available £156 pm

1.5L
106.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Hounslow Cars Ltd

02039537374 *

2.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2021 (21) - 1.5 116d Sport (LCP) Hatchback 5dr Diesel DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£16,000

Finance available £342 pm

1.5L
59.1K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Blue Bell Hill

01634557830 *

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

£7,290

Finance available £141 pm

2L
130.9K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Dean Smith Car Sales

01613887695 *

5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 (70) - 1.5 116d Sport Hatchback 5dr

Low Mileage

£15,992

1.5L
31.4K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Bridgend Motor Group - SuperMini World

01563590214 *

BMW 1 Series2012 (62) - 2.0 116d M Sport Euro 5 (s/s) 3dr

Reduced

£3,895

Finance available £65 pm

2L
132.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Old Wool Motors

01616944295 *

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 2.0 120i GPF M Sport Hatchback 3dr Petrol Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (184 ps)

Low Mileage

£15,940

2L
33.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Dace Specialist Car Centre Manchester

01612417068 *

4.8/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2021 (21) - M135i xDrive Auto 5dr - Virtual Cockpit & Apple CarPlay & Heated Seats

£24,490

Finance available £483 pm

2L
37.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Crossroads Garage Limited

01909496760 *

5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2011 - 2.0 116d ES 5 door

£1,988

2L
118.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Fine Car Sales

01733942778 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 1.5 118i M Sport Shadow Edition Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£10,000

Finance available £201 pm

1.5L
89.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Browns Car Company

01621733495 *

4.4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 (71) - M135i xDrive 5dr Step Auto Petrol Hatchback

Low Mileage

£29,495

2L
19.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Exeter

01392341615 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2022 - 118i [136] Sport 5dr

Low Mileage

£18,995

Finance available £370 pm

1.5L
19.2K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

BMW Bavarian

02895908116 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (64) - 116d Sport 5dr Step Auto ++ SAT NAV / 35 TAX / DAB / BLUETOOTH / SENSORS ++

Low Mileage

£7,975

Finance available £156 pm

2L
49.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

Nick King Car Sales (Gloucester)

01452227299 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 116d SE Business 5dr [Nav/Servotronic]

Low Mileage

£6,395

1.5L
50.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

L4C LTD

01217288698 *

BMW 1 Series2018 - 1.5 116d M Sport Shadow Edition 5-door

£9,995

Finance available £201 pm

1.5L
92.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Frontline Cars LTD

01202048266 *

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

Low Mileage

£12,995

Finance available £268 pm

1.5L
29.0K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

King Street Motor Company

01782917189 *

BMW 1 Series135i M Sport DCT Coupe N55

Low Mileage

£12,990

Finance available £268 pm

56.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Coupe

Oakley Specialist Cars

01435510392 *

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