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.

2,936 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

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

Reduced

£6,495

Finance available £123 pm

1.5L
152.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Abbey Car Sales Ltd

01134676312 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (14) - 118d M Sport 3dr-some service history- nice car inside and out

£5,295

Finance available £96 pm

2L
120.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Cleveland Street Car Sales

01515417937 *

3.8/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 125i [224] M Sport Shadow Ed 3dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£10,990

Finance available £223 pm

2L
50.4K
Miles
Petrol
Semi Auto
Hatchback

HD AUTOS SHEFFIELD

01144786507 *

BMW 1 Series2021 - M135i xDrive 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£26,998

2L
18.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Arnold Clark Fiat/Abarth (Glasgow)

01416118816 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 - 2.0 118d M Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£14,980

Finance available £312 pm

2L
29.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

JF Cars Southwest Ltd

01460201372 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2014 (63) - 2.0 125d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto Euro 5 (s/s) (218 ps)

Reduced

£11,640

Finance available £238 pm

2L
40.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

DR Motors

01162162407 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2014 - 2.0 120d M Sport 3 door

£5,695

Finance available £105 pm

2L
106.2K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

MUGIEMOSS AUTO CENTRE LTD

01224453658 *

BMW 1 Series2012 (62) - 1.6 116i M Sport Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£6,135

Finance available £115 pm

1.6L
77.7K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Crown Auto Hub Limited

02038895452 *

BMW 1 Series(66) - 2.0 118d M Sport Euro 6 (s/s) 3dr

£9,490

Finance available £190 pm

85.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Not Supplied

365 MOTORS LTD

01204968071 *

BMW 1 Series2024 - M135 xDrive 5dr Step Auto

Low Mileage

£37,795

2L
4.8K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Stratstone BMW Tunbridge Wells

01892571854 *

3.9/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2025 - 120d M Sport 5dr Step Auto [Live Cockpit Pro]

Low Mileage

£32,950

Finance available £656 pm

2L
1.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

JKC Approved Used BMW

02870441623 *

BMW 1 Series2012 - 1.6 114i ES Hatchback 3dr Petrol Manual Euro 5 (s/s) (102 ps)

£3,500

Finance available £56 pm

1.6L
105.7K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

KC KARS UK

01332418996 *

4.6/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 - 1.5 118i Gpf M Sport Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 s/s

£12,799

1.5L
61.6K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Tustain Motors Cramlington

01670335009 *

BMW 1 Series2018 - 118d M Sport 5dr [Nav/Servotronic] Step Auto

£13,995

Finance available £290 pm

2L
67.0K
Miles
Diesel
Semi Auto
Hatchback

FK Car Sales

02825440922 *

BMW 1 Series(62) - 3.0 M135i Auto Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£10,995

Finance available £223 pm

84.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Not Supplied

SOUTH HAMS AUTOS LTD

01364700699 *

BMW 1 Series2017 (67) - 2.0 120d M Sport Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr Diesel Auto xDrive Euro 6 (s/

£13,995

Finance available £290 pm

2L
75.7K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Sandhaven Car Sales

01917314499 *

BMW 1 Series2015 - 2.0 125d M Sport Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

Low Mileage

£9,250

Finance available £184 pm

2L
73.9K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

NYA AUTO SALES LTD

01215166160 *

BMW 1 Series2024 (24) - 118i [136] Sport 5dr Step Auto [Live Cockpit Pro]

£20,200

Finance available £349 pm

1.5L
30.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Big Motoring World Blue Bell Hill

01634557830 *

BMW 1 Series2014 (14) - 2.0 116d Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 5 (s/s) (116 ps)

Low Mileage

£7,999

2L
43.3K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Lakeside Car Sales Ltd

01527911363 *

BMW 1 Series2013 (63) - 2.0 120d BluePerformance SE Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr

£4,480

Finance available £78 pm

2L
109.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Vision Motors Direct - Leeds

01138875266 *

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

Author: Jack Evans

View profile

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.