BMW 1 Series Review and Prices

The BMW 1 Series is a high-tech family hatchback with eye-catching looks and a posh cabin. Just like the Mercedes A-Class and Audi A3, it comes with front-wheel drive as standard – a first for BMW’s smallest car.

Because of this, the new 1 Series doesn’t have a long, sweeping bonnet like the car it replaces, but it still packs plenty of angular creases to make sure it’s one of the sportiest-looking hatchbacks around. Well, at the back and sides at least, because the front is more snort than sport – just us seeing a pig’s snout?

Things are a little tamer inside, but the BMW 1 Series’ minimalist dashboard and 9-inch infotainment display look more modern than the equivalents in the old car’s cabin. It’s easy to get the hang of and comes with plenty of bang-up-to-date equipment too, including Apple CarPlay, optional gesture controls and BMW’s personal assistant system. The latter is similar to the A-Class’ ‘Hey Mercedes’ feature.

Less impressive are BMW’s optional digital dials for the driver which are darker and not quite as appealing as an A3’s or A-Class’s. All-told, the Mercedes’ system is the most impressive to look at, but BMW’s iDrive has the edge for usability. The same goes for interior quality – the 1 Series and Audi A3 are now battling at the very top in terms of their plastics, trims and switches.

Sending power to the front, rather than the rear, wheels means BMW has been able to redesign the 1 Series’ cabin to maximise room for passengers. As a result, there’s more space in all five seats than in the old car so you should be able to carry tall adults in the back in reasonable comfort. The driver benefits with loads of seat and wheel adjustment too. The BMW 1 Series’ boot is also bigger than in the old car, and more spacious than the load bay you’ll find in a Mercedes A-Class.

The BMW 1 Series might not be a looker, but it certainly stands out from the likes of the rather staid and sensible Audi A3 and VW Golf.

You can get the BMW 1 Series with a range of petrol and diesel engines; from the entry-level 1.5-litre 118i three-cylinder petrol that’s ideally suited to town driving to the 2.0-litre 118d version that’ll lap up longer motorway trips with ease. There’s a 265hp 128ti, which is front-wheel drive with an automatic gearbox, and which is a hoot. Finally, there’s a sporty M135i model that’ll sprint from 0-60mph in less than 4.8 seconds – although we’ve reviewed that separately.

As with the previous BMW 1 Series, you’ll be able to have the new car with a manual or automatic gearbox, and with optional four-wheel drive for a little extra grip in slippery conditions. There’ll also be the option of some high-tech driver assistance systems to help keep you safe and take the stress out of long drives and trips in heavy traffic.

The good news is that whichever BMW 1 Series you buy, it remains comfortable over lumps and bumps in town. That even goes for M Sport models with stiffer, lower sports suspension, and while adaptive suspension is available as an option, it isn’t really necessary. The 1 Series also has light, precise steering and decent forward visibility for easy urban manoeuvres. Rearwards it isn’t so good, but then, front and rear parking sensors are standard on all cars.

Happily, the 1 Series is comfortable and quiet on the motorway, but importantly it’s still great fun to thread along a country road, despite its move from rear to front-wheel drive. For some, the 1 Series’ high levels of grip and keen steering will never replace the feel of rear-wheel-drive, but it’s definitely possible to enjoy covering ground quickly in this 1 Series.

So, the latest 1 Series is good to drive, comes with some great engines and is high-quality inside. If you like its new looks and aren’t outraged by its driven wheels then you’ll love it. It’s a little bit more expensive than rivals, but why not check out our BMW 1 Series deals pages to see how much you could save? Or get offers for our recommended model by clicking the link below…

If you’ve not quite made up your mind yet, see how the BMW 1 Series compares with its likely alternatives – the Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class and the VW Golf – in our video review.

Common BMW 1 Series Questions

What’s the difference between BMW 1 Series Sport and M Sport?

Sport sits below M Sport in the BMW 1 Series model hierarchy yet, on the face of it, there isn’t actually that much difference between them. Both come with the same equipment and are available with the same engines.

What marks the M Sport out is its sportier styling, featuring bigger 18-inch wheels, more aggressive bumpers and big rear spoiler. The suspension is firmed up for a sportier drive, too.

What is the best BMW 1 Series to buy?

The BMW 118i M Sport Steptronic automatic is the pick of the range. Why? The 118i’s 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine provides a good compromise between performance and economy. With 140hp, it sprints from 0-60mph in 8.5s and has enough power when you need to overtake. It returns 44mpg and emits 145g/km of CO2, so first-year road tax is only £215.

The M Sport model’s styling and driving experience are as sporty as you’d expect of a BMW and it comes equipped with everything you need including sat-nav, air-con and leather seats.

Adding the optional Steptronic automatic gearbox box bumps the price up, but it’s worth the extra. Gearshifts are smooth and the auto doesn’t affect performance and has little impact on fuel economy. Automatic BMWs are always worth more than the equivalent manual come resale time, too.

What does BMW 120i mean?

The BMW 120i badge denotes a 1 Series powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine. The 120i was the largest ‘mainstream’ petrol engine available in the 1 Series; models with bigger engines were more overtly sporty. It was available in the first two generations of the BMW 1 Series – the first launched in 2004, the second in 2011. The 1 Series is now into its third generation and the 120i model has been dropped and replaced by the 118i, powered by a 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine.

BMW 1 Series design

The new BMW 1 Series is front-wheel drive, rather than the rear-wheel drive set up of the old one. That actually affects the car’s styling. The new car has a shorter bonnet than the previous version thanks to its engine now being placed sideways into the car rather than lengthways. So with its shorter front end the BMW 1 Series doesn’t look quite as unique as before. Still, to make up for that it has a large front grille, though not quite as big as on other new BMWs these days.

BMW 1 Series SE design
The basic SE model looks a bit plain. The grille is made up of black strakes and there’s a broad black air intake with built-in foglights.

From the side the 1 Series looks more like a conventional hatchback than before and SE cars come with 16-inch alloys. All models get thinner and broader brake lights that makes the 1 Series look wider. SE cars have a colour coded rear bumper insert.

BMW 1 Series Sport design
Sport cars have the same grille as SE, but adds glossy black trim to the outer, topmost edges of the lower intake insert. They sit on 17-inch alloy wheels and the rear of the car has a gloss black lower section.

BMW 1 Series M Sport design
The BMW 1 Series M Sport unsurprisingly looks the sportiest. It has chrome grille strakes, a thinner lower central intake with an extra vertical slit under each headlight and a more heavily sculpted lower bumper. It has 18-inch alloys and lowered side skirts and at the rear it has a taller gloss black insert with integrated red reflectors and fake diffuser ribs.

BMW 1 Series 128ti design
The 128ti looks very similar to M Sport cars. It has got a few red trims around the air intakes and on the side skirts, as well as some ti badging under the back doors. You also get 18-inch alloy wheels, dark-coloured mirror caps and grille inserts.

BMW M135i design
The M135i is also very similar to the M Sport, but at the front it loses the foglights and adds silver trim under each headlight. It has 18-inch alloy wheels, but a different design to those on M Sport cars. At the rear the M135i gets the same M Sport upgrades but comes with a different rear spoiler and 10mm larger exhaust pipes.