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.

2,609 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

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

£8,997

Finance available £193 pm

1.5L
82.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Staverton Garage Limited

01327221580 *

BMW 1 Series2021 (71) - 2.0 M135i Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (306 ps)

Low Mileage

£25,000

Finance available £434 pm

2L
23.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Cannock

01543221765 *

BMW 1 Series2018 (18) - 118i [1.5] M Sport Shadow Edition 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 Series2013 - 2.0 118d Sport 3-door

£3,499

Finance available £56 pm

2L
130.1K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Tizzys Transport

01935311816 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 118i [1.5] Sport 3dr [Nav]

Low Mileage

£6,850

Finance available £131 pm

1.5L
49.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Oldbury Car Sales

01216474046 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 116d SE Business 5dr ++ SAT NAV / ULEZ / DAB / BLUETOOTH / CRUISE

Low Mileage

£8,675

Finance available £171 pm

1.5L
59.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Nick King Car Sales (Gloucester)

01452227299 *

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 118i GPF Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£14,995

1.5L
24.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

The Carsite London

02038933723 *

BMW 1 Series2013 - 1.6 116i SE 3 door

Low Mileage

£6,150

Finance available £115 pm

1.6L
77.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Peak Motors Limited

01663790344 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2012 (61) - 116i [2.0] Performance Edition 3dr

Low Mileage

£3,460

Finance available £55 pm

2L
81.6K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Gregs Cars Ltd

01889224516 *

BMW 1 Series2022 - M135i xDrive 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£25,799

2L
23.1K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

cinch Store Maidstone

01252947629 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2023 (23) - 2.0 M135i Hatchback 5dr Petrol Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/s) (306 ps)

£26,500

Finance available £462 pm

2L
27.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Camberley

01276983839 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (66) - 1.5 116d M Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 3dr

Low Mileage

£11,750

Finance available £240 pm

1.5L
44.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Lichfield Road Motors Ltd

01543220813 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 1.5 116d Sport Hatchback 3dr Diesel Auto Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

Low Mileage

£10,999

1.5L
57.6K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Corner Park Garage (Swansea)

01792344016 *

2.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2012 (62) - 2.0 120d Sport Plus Edition Euro 5 (s/s) 2dr

Reduced

£4,999

Finance available £89 pm

2L
97.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Coupe

Blaydon Part Exchange Centre Ltd

01918237728 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 1.6 114i ES Hatchback 3dr Petrol Manual Euro 5 (s/s) (102 ps)

Low Mileage

£4,952

Finance available £88 pm

1.6L
68.9K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

REVS (automotive) Limited

01205332693 *

BMW 1 Series2021 (70) - 1.5 116d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

Low Mileage

£18,900

Finance available £326 pm

1.5L
24.3K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Enfield

02037634741 *

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 Series2023 - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP]

Low Mileage

£24,295

1.5L
14.5K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Stratstone BMW Tunbridge Wells

01892571854 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2008 (08) - 123d M Sport 5dr

£2,495

2L
142.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

SWIFT MOTORS STOKE

01782917215 *

BMW 1 Series2016 (16) - 1.5 116d Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 3dr

Low Mileage

£7,995

Finance available £156 pm

1.5L
54.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Harpers of Essex Ltd

01279598863 *

3.3/5 Stars

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