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9.9% APR On all electric cars
BMW 1 Series variants
Total price
Monthly payment

Finance representative example (PCP)

Total cash price £26,549. Borrowing £23,894 with a £2,655 deposit at a representative APR of 11.9%.

48 monthly payments
£394.78
Fixed interest rate
11.9%
Total amount payable
£35,380.51
Cost of credit
£8,831.51
Optional final payment
£13,776.00
Purchase fee
£10.00
Annual mileage limit
6000 miles

Why buy a used BMW 1 Series?

The cheapest and easiest to park BMW is a top choice if you’re after a premium-feeling hatchback. Lower-powered engines are very efficient and affordable to run, or there are several high-performance options that take the daily commute to the next level. You’ll typically find big screens, comfy sports seats and much of the technology from larger and more expensive BMW models.

Popular BMW 1 Series trims for sale at Motorpoint

BMW’s M Sport trim is a popular choice with 1 Series buyers, giving the car a sporty look that suits its driving experience. Beneath that are SE and Sport trims, which are still well kitted out. Above M Sport, you get to the performance models: the fun 128ti and the ferociously fast M135i.

Owning a used BMW 1 Series

The BMW 1 Series gives you the feel of a premium car without the running costs of one. The regular petrol engines return over 45mpg, while diesel versions get close to 60mpg on a long run. For most models, insurance and road tax is perfectly reasonable. The 1 Series feels well built and should be utterly reliable, although an extended warranty can give you additional peace of mind.

Read our BMW 1 Series review to learn more about owning and driving this model.

Other models you may be interested in

The 1 Series’ main rivals are the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class – they follow a very similar recipe to the BMW. You might also consider the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 and Cupra Leon.

Read our latest BMW 1 Series alternative and comparison guides:

Why buy from Motorpoint?

Your BMW 1 Series questions answered

Going back a few years, the BMW 1 Series was offered as a hatchback, a coupe and a convertible. Now, the latter two are badged the BMW 2 Series, with every modern 1 Series being a hatchback. The previous generation (produced until 2019) came with a choice of three or five doors – the rear doors make it easier to get to the back seats – while every post-2019 1 Series has five doors.

The BMW 1 Series has always been a compact hatch but the latest generation is more practical than its predecessors. It’s still a little smaller than its main rivals, though. At slightly more than 4.3 metres long and 1.4 metres high, it’s slightly shorter and lower than a Mercedes A-Class and Ford Focus. The boot is on a par with its nearest alternatives.

The BMW 1 Series has a simple engine range with conventional petrol and diesel options – there’s no hybrid like a Toyota Corolla and no plug-in hybrid like an A-Class or Audi A3.

The BMW 1 Series is built to manage German autobahns so it should be reliable. That’s not to say that every car will be faultless, but any issues that crop up are more likely to be electrical glitches than major engine faults.

Until 2019 the BMW 1 Series was exclusively rear-wheel drive. The latest-generation 1 Series ushered in a move to front-wheel drive, which improved passenger space and running costs. But the 1 Series is still one of the best-driving hatchbacks. The range-topping M135i hot hatch now comes with four-wheel drive.