BMW 1 Series review

The design team behind the latest BMW 1 Series seem to have adopted a Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) philosophy – and with good reason.

When the first-generation 1 Series debuted, it was a proudly unconventional family car with a sporty rear-wheel-drive lay-out, bold styling and a wide range of engines, including a punchy six-cylinder petrol.

While those features thrilled driving enthusiasts, they didn’t always appeal to the car’s primary target: families. So with the third-generation 1 Series BMW shifted to a more practical front-wheel-drive layout (with the option of four-wheel drive for certain variants).

BMW 1 Series video review

Now, as part of the 1 Series' latest facelift, BMW decided to simplify the 1 Series package further. In the UK you can get two versions – the BMW 120 and 123 – plus a hot-hatch model, the M135. They all run on petrol, and the 120 and 123 have mild-hybrid tech.

The front end was given a sharper look, while the interior received a fairly thorough makeover – pretty much the whole dashboard has changed.

So is the latest BMW 1 Series still competitive against its key rivals, the Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class and Volkswagen Golf? And how does the M135 fare against the Audi S3 and Mercedes AMG A35 hot hatches? Read on to find out…

In entry-level BMW 120 form, the 1 Series gets a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with 168bhp and can officially sprint from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds. That’s fractionally quicker than an equivalent Audi A3 35 TFSI or Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI 150.

The other option – unless you go for the M135 – is the BMW 123. That gets a more powerful 215bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and four-wheel-drive for a pretty sprightly 0-62mph time of just 6.3 seconds.

Every 1 Series has a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox that delivers well-judged shifts in its default mode and snappy shifts when knocked into Sport mode. It helps make the BMW 120 an easy and relaxing companion once you're moving, but there is a big pause between pressing the accelerator and the car setting off from stationary.

The 1 Series in M Sport trim gets stiffer suspension than entry-level Sport versions, and we found it made the car feel more like a hot hatchback than a family car. Even so, while it doesn’t feel as calm over most urban surfaces as the more forgiving Audi A3 S line or VW Golf R-Line, it’s far from harsh or annoying, and stops short of feeling crashy.

The upside to a firm ride is impressive body control in the bends. If you enjoy a sporty drive, you’ll find the 1 Series a willing partner on a demanding country road. The quick steering gives the car a lively feel and body lean through quick changes of direction is minimal. It also gets less upset over undulations than the softer Mercedes A-Class.

At higher speeds, the 1 Series is fairly civilised – as is the rival Audi A3. Wind noise is low and the suspension is quiet, even over lumpy surfaces, but there is a fair amount of road noise. The A-Class is quieter on motorways.

The 1 Series’ engine has moved ahead of the A-Class and is far closer to a four-cylinder A3. The engine sounds grumbly on start-up but fades into the background on the move, and the stop-start system working seamlessly.

The consistent brake pedal response makes it easy to bring the car to a smooth stop, although the regenerative braking system could activate more smoothly when you lift off the accelerator pedal in the car’s default Personal mode.

What if you want a more poke in your 1 Series and go for the hot hatch version, the BMW M135? Well, that gets a 296bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and four-wheel drive for 0-62mph in a brisk 4.9 seconds. The Audi S3, Mercedes AMG A35 and VW Golf R are slightly quicker, but not by much.

The M135’s engine is best described as effective but not particularly exciting. It has good shove in the low to mid rev range, but the Honda Civic Type R races to its redline with more enthusiasm and the S3 sounds more invigorating.

During cornering, the M135 can hold its own, with quick, precise steering, plus good grip and agility. There’s also some scope to play with the handling balance if you let off the accelerator mid-corner.

But you need to push it hard to truly access its talents, and even when you do it falls short of the entertainment the lighter Ford Focus ST provides.

The Civic Type R is a better driver’s car, thanks to more feelsome steering, less body lean and the fact that its available with a manual gearbox. Sadly, the M135's auto gearbox is pretty unremarkable. It can be quite slow to respond in all but its sportiest setting.

If your heart is set on a premium hot hatch, the M135 is worth considering, but we’d recommend taking a longer look at the Audi S3.

"I find the BMW 1 Series agile and eager to change direction, aided by smooth, precise and responsive steering. That said, the Audi A3 is a touch more engaging thanks to a more natural handling balance." – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Build quality in the BMW 1 Series remains class-leading. It lacks some of the dramatic visual wow factor of the Mercedes A-Class but everything is screwed together beautifully and feels plush. The optional M Sport Pro Pack adds some branded stitching on the dashboard, M Sport seatbelts and bespoke ambient lighting.

The dashboard and door tops are covered with vegan leather or soft-touch plastics, and all the metallic detailing on the dashboard is aluminium, not sprayed plastic (which you find in some Mercedes models). We also love the wide selection of cloth or artificial leather seats.

Speaking of the seats, the 1 Series gives you plenty of movement to the driver's seat, and also lots of height and reach adjustment for the steering wheel. You have to pay extra for lumbar adjustment but it's not too expensive (nor is full electric adjustment).

The standard seats are comfortable enough, but you can also upgrade to M Sport seats, which feel as though they've been plucked straight out of a BMW M4. They come with chunky side bolsters to hold you in place in bends and an illuminated M logo on the headrest. They make a whole lot more sense in the BMW M135 than the 120 or 123.

The forward view in the 1 Series is as good as in an Audi A3 or Mercedes A-Class thanks to its slim windscreen pillars and a clear view over the dashboard. You get LED headlights as standard, and can upgrade them to adaptive LEDs as part of the Technology Pack, allowing you to leave them on high beam without dazzling anyone.

The 1 Series' chunky rear pillars restrict the view over your shoulder, but front and rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and a semi-automatic parking assistance function come as standard. A Parking Assistant Professional package is available as an option and allows you to park your car using your smartphone.

All 1 Series now have a curved display screen that comprises a 10.7in digital driver's display and a 10.3in infotainment touchscreen that's angled towards the driver. It’s a good set-up and places the screen within easy reach – but there's a problem.

You see, while the pre-facelift 1 Series had a rotary controller to help you navigate the infotainment menus, the latest version doesn't. You can only control the system through touchscreen prods or voice commands, and unfortunately the user interface seems as though it was designed to work with a rotary controller.

The Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class don't have rotary controllers either, but they do have proper switches for the climate-control settings – on the latest 1 Series you have to change the temperature and fan speed using the touchscreen, which is fiddlier.

The 1 Series' comes with DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a six-speaker, 100-watt stereo. Options include a head-up display and a 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

"If BMW had kept the iDrive system’s rotary controller, I think the 1 Series' mid-life facelift would have been a slam dunk. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and the new system is quite distracting to use." – Oliver Young, Reviewer

You’ll have no complaints about space up front in the BMW 1 Series. There are bigger family cars but it has lots of elbow room, and more head and leg room than its key rivals, the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class.

The door bins are a decent size, and you get a big glovebox and a generous storage cubby under the central armrest. Combined with a couple of trays below the front centre air vent, you'll have plenty of places to put your bits and pieces.

The space on offer in the back of the 1 Series isn’t as impressive. Six-footers will feel their heads brushing the roof but anyone shorter should be comfortable. There’s more leg room than you get in an A-Class and more foot space under the front seats.

We'd recommend avoiding the optional panoramic sunroof, because while it doesn’t eat into head room up front, it does create a curve in the roof lining that swoops down in front of a rear passenger's eye line.

As with the A3 and A-Class, there's nothing amazing about seating flexibility in the 1 Series, and the rear seats don't slide or recline. They fold in a 60/40 split, unless you pay extra for a 40/20/40 split. Every A-Class has 40/20/40 split seats, as do most versions of the A3 (the cheapest version gets 60/40 split seats.

Strangely, the BMW M135 hot hatch has a bigger boot – with 380 litres – than the otherwise more sensible 120 and 123 versions, which get 300 litres (because their mild-hybrid tech takes up space).

For comparison, the Mercedes A-Class has 355 litres while the Audi A3 has 380. Note that those figures exclude plug-in hybrid versions, which lose some boot volume.

The BMW 120 and 123 boots are quite shallow but do have a wide rectangular storage well under the floor. There's only a small load lip at the entrance and you can also add an electric tailgate as part of the Technology Pack.

“I find it a bit odd that the hot hatch version of the 1 Series has more boot space than the others. That’s because the mild-hybrids lose 80 litres of boot capacity to their battery.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

On paper, the BMW 1 Series looks a touch more expensive than the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class but it’s not quite that simple.

You see, the line-up has been slimmed down and the entry-level SE trim has been dropped. That means you need to compare an entry-level BMW 120 against a higher specification A3 or A-Class, which gives a difference of a few hundred pounds rather than thousands. You can compare prices for all models using our New Car Deals pages.

With its new 48-volt mild-hybrid system, the 120 now has an official fuel economy figure (52.3mpg), broadly matching its rivals. We saw an indicated figure of around 45mpg on a long motorway stint. Expect to see roughly a 5-10mpg drop if you choose the BMW 123 instead – and another if you opt for the hot hatch version, the BMW M135.

However, it's a shame a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 1 Series is not an option, especially for company car drivers looking for lower BIK tax rates.

In terms of trims, you can choose between Sport and M Sport. Sport gets 17in alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated cloth seats, cruise control, illuminated aluminium interior trim, touchscreen infotainment and parking aids.

We’d recommend stepping up to M Sport trim, which gets firmer suspension, more distinctive styling, 18in alloy wheels, and suede-like Alcantara and artificial leather seats. You can opt for adaptive suspension on M Sport cars but we don't think the improvements it delivers justify the extra cost.

The BMW M135 gets its own trim that includes lightweight 18in alloy wheels (19in wheels are available as an option) and a host of go-faster goodies, including beefier brakes, tweaked suspension and a sports exhaust.

All versions of the 1 Series include automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, traffic-sign recognition, speed-limit assist and a system to warn you if you get too close to the car in front.

On top of that, the optional Driving Assistant Professional package adds an upgraded AEB system that looks out for pedestrians, plus, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.

The pre-facelift 1 Series received a full five-star rating when it was tested in 2019 by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. The A-Class scored higher for adult occupant and pedestrian protection when it was tested a year earlier.

The 1 Series is covered by a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which matches the cover offered by Mercedes and beats Audi’s three-year warranty, which is limited to 60,000 miles. BMW as a brand came eighth out of 31 car makers in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, beating Mercedes and Audi (in 22nd and 24th).

“The 1 Series starts at a higher price than its main rivals but I think it's important to note that that’s because BMW has removed entry-level SE trim and the base 118i engine.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

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