Best used BMWs - and how reliable they are

A class-leading executive car and our top pick within the BMW brand, the BMW 3 Series is stronger than ever in its latest form. It's great to drive and sports a varied range of excellent petrol and diesel engines, along with a powerful and fuel efficient plug-in hybrid – the 330e. 

Even the now-entry-level petrol (badged 320i) is seriously punchy. Meanwhile, the M340i is seriously quick, if you feel the need for speed, and then there's the BMW M3 performance car, which is even quicker than that. 

And when you've had your fun, the 3 Series reverts back to being a quiet, refined, luxurious cruiser – especially if you avoid the firmer suspension of the M Sport trim – and one with good passenger and boot space. If you'd like even more boot space, there's always the BMW 3 Series Touring estate car, too. 

Both petrol and diesel 3 Series models are dependable choices,  with reliability ratings of 97.5% and 96.0% respectively. Diesel versions have more problems than petrols, though: 17% of diesels had a fault, compared with 9% of petrols, and most diesel issues were with the engine and its electrical systems, while minor electrical issues were the main bugbears of petrol cars. While BMW covered the cost of repairs for more than 80% of all 3 Series models, its dealers took longer to fix diesel models - 60% of them were in the workshop for more than a week. 

The 3 Series represents great value as a used buy, with respectable examples going for as little as £13,000.  

"There's nothing like the 3 Series. It absolutely defines the class. I love the possibilities inherent in the 330e, and driving it is always a pleasure." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2021 BMW 3 Series 320i SE, 45,204 miles, £15,800

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The BMW 5 Series is a larger, even more luxurious alternative to the 3 Series. Yes, it won't be quite as agile and economical as the 3 Series, but relative to other rival luxury cars, the 5 Series is both of those things and yet another class leader.

Our pick of the 5 Series range is the 530e plug-in hybrid. It combines a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a battery and an electric motor to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. It's capable of an impressive turn of pace, yet in electric mode, you can glide around town in near silence.

Originally, the 530e received an electric-only range of 29 miles, but this figure was upped to 37 miles in late 2019. There's also the four-wheel drive, six-cylinder 545e. It's sports car quick, but the trade-off is that it has a slightly shorter official electric range – it'll go 34 miles before running out of juice. 

Like the 3 Series, you can also get the 5 Series as an admirable estate car – the BMW 5 Series Touring. 

Whether you choose the 5 Series in saloon or estate form, your best bet for a dependable car is a petrol model. That's because petrol versions of the 5 Series have a reliability rating of 96.7%, while diesels can only muster 79.8%, and 43% of the diesels reported on in our annual reliability survey went wrong, compared with only 14% of petrol models.

Diesel models were also most costly and slower to fix: 46% of diesels were repaired for free compared with 75% of petrols, and 46% of diesels took more than a week to compare, while only 25% of petrols were out of action for this long. 

"Oh yes, the quality, luxury and sheer good value of a used 5 Series are almost peerless. It's one of my very favourite cars full stop, never mind among BMWs." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2021 BMW 5 Series 530e SE, 57,820 miles, £19,500

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Like the latest 3 Series (on which it's mechanically based), the BMW 4 Series is fantastic in all of its forms, from the four-cylinder 420i to the six-cylinder M440i and BMW M4. It sacrifices some practicality over its saloon counterpart, plus it costs more to buy, but the 4 Series is still rather spacious and it's arguably the more stylish product, being a sleek two-door coupé.

It's even better to drive than the 3 Series, too, because its suspension is stiffer and, therefore, the 4 Series is slightly sharper in the corners. 

The latest 4 Series is proving car more dependable than the previous version: it scores a creditable 98.5% in our reliability survey, while the 2013-2022 4 Series only gets 79.0%. Not only does the latest generation model have far fewer faults (8% vs 25%), it's also much cheaper and quicker to fix. Owners told us all current generation 4 Series models were fixed for free, while only 33% of older cars were, and all new cars were rectified in less than a week, while 60% of older ones were off the road for more than seven days. 

"This is a great car to drive and fully up-to-date in every area. It's so complete it could be at the top of my list." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2021 BMW 4 Series 420i M Sport Pro Edition, 34,518 miles, £19,799

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The BMW X3 shares many parts with the excellent 3 Series and is essentially a family SUV version of it. As such, the X3 shares many of its saloon sibling's strengths, but adds some extra practicality and a high driving position on top of its list of attributes. 

The X3 is a great used buy, and if you have the cash and crave a slice of the premium SUV lifestyle, you won't be disappointed. As a bonus, its reliability record is good, too. You'll need around £17,000 or more to pick one up. 

There's little to choose between petrol and diesel X3s when it comes to reliability: petrol models gained a rating of 94.3% and diesels 92.4%, and both had a fault rate of 23%. Petrol models had more troubles with their sat-nav/infotainment systems, while bodywork and other electrical issues were the main bugbears of diesel owners. At least three quarters of both petrol and diesel models were fixed gratis, and most cars were out of the garage in less than a week. 

"Years ago we thought an SUV couldn't successfully embody all that we'd come to expect of BMW's driver appeal, but the X3, though large, manages it." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2018 BMW X3 20d SE xDrive, 50,000 miles, £17,950

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If you're stuck between a rock and a hard place – in other words, a 3 Series saloon and a 4 Series coupé – then the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is your way out. You get sleek, sporty looks, but five-door practicality as well, with that fifth one being its handy hatchback tailgate. 

We're referencing the older, previous-gen version here, because it's currently a more compelling used buy than the latest model. Prices are very tempting: you can get one for as little as £10,000 if you opt for an early example. 

We don't have sufficient reliability data to report on the 4 Series Gran Coupé. 

"Here's a good one. You want a 4 Series with four doors but the budget's tight? My nephew has had one for years and he loves it" - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2018 BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé 420i Sport, 50,909 miles, £11,995

Read our full used BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé review

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Fancy the quality, image and exciting driving style of a BMW but in a family hatchback package?

That’s where this third-generation version of the BMW 1 Series comes in. It's based on BMW's own Mini, and if it isn’t quite as spacious as some rivals, the payback is a high level of driver involvement combined with all the quality and kudos of a BMW. 

On the road, the 1 Series is smooth and refined to drive, with some strong yet economical engines. The driving position is spot on. The interior is of exceptionally high quality, featuring plush materials and a generous use of upmarket plastics, which creates a noticeably upscale feel. There's plenty of space for the family, too, and a practical hatchback boot. 

It's also extremely reliable, more so than most of its rivals in this class. Only 8% of the cars reported on in our survey had any issues, and all that did were fixed for free and in less than a week. On top of that, used prices are really competitive. 

"There's something really appealing about this 1 Series. I think it's sharp to look at and to drive. That infotainment system's really good, too." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found 2022 BMW 1 Series 118i Sport, 28,000 miles, £20,000

Read our used BMW 1 Series review

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The BMW iX3 is an excellent electric SUV. It offers swift acceleration – 0-62mph takes 6.8sec – and will go a decent distance on a single charge, that being 285 miles. Like the X3 on which it's based, the iX3 gets you rugged style, a high driving position and good passenger and boot space. 

What's more, used iX3s go for much less than new ones do – the most affordable examples are currently going for around £20,000. 

The iX3 is BMW's most robust pure electric model, with a reliability rating of 96.7%. Only 12% of the examples reported on had any issues, and all were with non-motor electrical systems, such as the air-con and infotainment system. All faulty cars were fixed for free, and back on the road in less than a week. 

"The only pure electric car on our list here, but what a suave mover. Good practicality and such tremendous value bought used." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2021 BMW iX3 Premier Edition, 50,114 miles, £20,999

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The original BMW X1 predated other premium family SUVs by a good few years. It offered a dose of luxury SUV to those who'd rather do without the hefty sizes and prices those cars usually come with. The model sold well, but it had some flaws that stopped it from being a top choice of ours.

This second-gen model came as a vast improvement, being better to drive and more practical. It was further improved in 2020, when the X1 received a host of updates, including a larger, more distinctive grille, tweaks to the eight-speed automatic gearbox and better in-car technology with Apple CarPlay and an 8.8in infotainment screen.

Reliability is strong, especially if you opt for a petrol model rather than a diesel. The former scores 96.6% for dependability, compared with 82.6% for the diesel, and only 7% of petrol models had a glitch, while 36% of diesels did. Owners also told us that only 43% of diesel cars were fixed for free, compared with 80% of petrols, and the diesels were slower to put right, too.   

"Another very strong BMW SUV. My brother has a petrol-engined one which is surprisingly smooth and has the xDrive four-wheel drive too. Rare but worth seeking out." - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2020 BMW X1 20i SE, 41,207 miles, £15,549

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Although it isn't a fully fledged 'M' product, that hasn't stopped the BMW M140i from going down a storm with car enthusiasts. Underneath its hot hatch skin, the M140i is unlike its peers in that it has a six-cylinder engine and is rear-wheel drive – mechanically, it's more like a sports car. 

Its 335bhp aids 0-62mph in just 4.6sec and you can have a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic one. Being rear-wheel drive, there’s good traction off the line and the ability to be a bit playful with the car’s rear end – should you be driving on a track, of course.

While we don't have enough data to report on the reliability of the M140i separately, we expect it to be as robust as other 1 Series models in many respects. 

"Oh, this is playful, very playful. I should be careful attempting conclusions on a wet roundabout but love it everywhere else. Great fun.' - Mark Pearson, used cars editor

We found: 2018 BMW 1 Series M140i Shadow Edition Auto, 57,278 miles, £15,998

Read our full used BMW M140i review

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It may be an older design than most BMWs on this list, but, be honest, would you know that from looking at the BMW i8? No, you'd think it's set to come out 10 years from now, not that it came out around 10 years ago. 

This futuristic sports car is a plug-in hybrid, with a 228bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine driving the rear wheels and a 129bhp electric motor driving those at the front. This contributes to a rapid 0-60mph time of 4.2sec, yet it can run on electricity alone when needed. 

From behind the wheel, it feels agile, sharp and precise. Additionally, it's a relatively easy car to live with day to day, thanks to its impressively low running costs, handy rear seats and decent practicality. It's likely to be a sound investment as well, seeing as the i8 has all the makings of a future classic. 

The i8 is a rare beast, and we didn't get enough responses to rate it in our latest reliability survey. 

"You don't often make money on everyday cars but this could be the one. You'll attract thousands of admiring glances too because it still looks great today." - George Hill, used cars writer

We found: 2017 BMW i8, 50,000 miles, £37,995

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