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.

2,787 Used BMW 1 Series cars for sale

BMW 1 Series2009 (59) - 2.0 118d SE Steptronic Euro 5 5dr

Low Mileage

£3,695

Finance available £60 pm

2L
66.0K
Miles
Diesel
Automatic
Hatchback

Junction 7 Motor Village

01254919227 *

BMW 1 Series2015 (15) - 1.5 116d ED Plus Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (116 ps)

£4,795

1.5L
119.1K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

North West Trade Centre

01772285821 *

BMW 1 Series2018 - 118i [1.5] Sport 3dr [Nav/Servotronic]

Low Mileage

£11,780

Finance available £241 pm

1.5L
50.3K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Hippo Approved

01254445378 *

BMW 1 Series2023 (23) - 118i [136] M Sport 5dr Step Auto [LCP] Petrol Hatchback

£21,813

1.5L
30.1K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu Ford Newcastle

01918146410 *

4.8/5 Stars

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

£17,050

Finance available £358 pm

1.5L
48.9K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Car Planet Watford

01923927636 *

4.5/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (69) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol DCT Euro 6 (s/s) (140 ps)

£14,795

1.5L
66.2K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Motor Trust UK Bury

01612416386 *

BMW 1 Series2013 (13) - 116d EfficientDynamics 5dr

Reduced

£3,490

Finance available £56 pm

1.6L
112.4K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Denovan Motor Co Ltd

01786232417 *

4.1/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 (19) - 1.5 116d M Sport Shadow Edition Hatchback 5dr

Low Mileage

£14,792

1.5L
23.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Bridgend Motor Group - Kilwinning Autoplex

01294440522 *

4.7/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2016 - 2.0 120d M Sport Hatchback 5dr Diesel Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (190 ps)

Low Mileage

£10,495

Finance available £212 pm

2L
55.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

MSC MOTORS LTD

01782917198 *

4.8/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2006 (56) - 2.0 118d SE Euro 4 5dr

Low Mileage

£1,999

2L
127.5K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

AL PRESTIGE CARS LTD

02380017157 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2016 (66) - 1.5 118i Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (136 ps)

Low Mileage

£8,495

Finance available £167 pm

1.5L
62.0K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Grosvenor Cars Norfolk

01493808752 *

BMW 1 Series2023 (73) - 128ti 5-Door

Low Mileage

£28,200

2L
10.0K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

John Clark BMW Aberdeen

01224451046 *

BMW 1 Series2023 - 1.5 118I Sport Auto 5dr

£19,710

Finance available £384 pm

1.5L
27.3K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Ryds Group Ltd

02038704048 *

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

Low Mileage

£10,250

Finance available £207 pm

1.5L
55.8K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Dynamic Motor Company Ltd

01422413648 *

4/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2019 - 118i [1.5] M Sport 3dr [Nav/Servotronic]

Low Mileage

£13,199

Finance available £272 pm

1.5L
31.1K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

FOW Winsford

01606535848 *

4.3/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2020 (Z5) - 1.5 118i M Sport Hatchback 5dr Petrol Manual Euro 6 (s/s) (140 ps)

Reduced

£15,495

Finance available £304 pm

1.5L
52.6K
Miles
Petrol
Manual
Hatchback

Birchwood Motor Centre

01708932573 *

BMW 1 Series2025 (74) - M135 xDrive 5dr Step Auto Petrol Hatchback

£37,016

2L
5.6K
Miles
Petrol
Automatic
Hatchback

Vertu BMW Exeter

01392341615 *

0/5 Stars

BMW 1 Series2017 - 120d M Sport 3dr [Nav]

Reduced

£10,695

Finance available £217 pm

2L
64.5K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Ratcliffe Car Sales

02890026912 *

BMW 1 Series2010 (59) - 120d M Sport 3dr

Low Mileage

£2,995

2L
118.0K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Hatchback

Ks Carz

01752749708 *

BMW 1 Series2012 (62) - 2.0 118d Sport Plus Edition Euro 5 (s/s) 2dr

Low Mileage

£4,300

Finance available £74 pm

2L
94.3K
Miles
Diesel
Manual
Coupe

SMS Motors

01144786434 *

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