Used BMW M140i 2016-2019 review

What's the used BMW 1 Series like?

The BMW M140i is essentially a facelifted 2012-2016 BMW M135i and, when that car arrived in 2012, it caused quite a sensation. Although it was based on the rather unassuming BMW 1 Series family car, the rear-wheel-drive hot hatch proved that it can go like stink and handle corners with more vigour and liveliness than than many of its rivals.

Messing up that car (during a facelift of all things) was near impossible and, fortunately, the M140i didn't let us down. Both when it arrived back in 2016 and today, it's great fun.

Overview

The M140i is a great hot hatch, albeit one resembling a full-on sports car under its skin. There's lots of performance on offer here, complimented by lively handling. It's plush inside, too, yet used prices are less than you might think.

Pros

• Terrific performance
• Lively handling
• Confidence-inspiring reliability

Cons

• Ride can get unsettled over some surfaces
• Steering could be more communicative
• Although it's great value, there are cheaper hot hatches out there

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Engines & Performance: When creating the M140i, BMW swapped out the M135i's turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine for a newer, slightly more powerful one. Power rose from 315bhp to 335bhp, dropping the 0-62mph sprint from 4.9sec to 4.6sec. The car stuck by its rear-wheel drive setup and its two gearboxes: there's a six-speed manual and an eight-speed automatic one.

The engine pulls eagerly from low down and makes a hearty sound as the needle spins eagerly around the dial towards the 7000rpm redline. This is a very quick car, of course, with plenty of go always on tap.

Ride & Handling: Approach a bend and you'll find the steering is quite light, even in the sportier modes, but super responsive. Grip is immense and the handling eager and entertaining. Of course, 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 private track, of course.

We recommend trying to find a car that’s had the optional adaptive dampers fitted, because these give the car a surprisingly forgiving ride on all but the most broken surfaces. It feels comfortable enough around town even in Sport mode, shrugging off smaller imperfections with relative impunity. As a day-to-day proposition, it’s in a different league of comfort and refinement compared with its firmer hot hatch rivals, such as the Renault Mégane RS.

Interior & Practicality: Inside, the M140i is a rather modest thing considering all that performance. The model is available in three or five-door form, but interior space is acceptable rather than immense – that goes for both. Things are fine up front, where the low-slung driving position is excellent, with plenty of electrical adjustment to the steering wheel and seat. However, while there are three rear seats, space will be tight for taller adults, especially leg room.

What is absent inside is any sort of sporting drama; there’s precious little inside to distinguish it from any run-of-the-mill 1 Series. There is, of course, a practical hatchback, and within it an average-sized boot that can be increased in size by folding the rear seats down, which in turn reveals a usefully flat floor.

Trims & Equipment: Standard kit levels are reasonable and include sat-nav, dual-zone climate control and auto lights and auto wipers. Meanwhile, there’s also a Shadow Edition to seek out that adds dark grey wheels, a black framed grille, dark headlight surrounds, tinted rear lights, rear parking sensors and cruise control.

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Ownership cost

What used BMW 1 Series will I get for my budget?

Around £14,000 gains you entrance to the M140i club, this relating to a 2016 car in good condition with a less than 70,000 miles on the clock.

For a 2019 model that's done less than 40,000 miles, have a budget of at least £20,000.

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Our recommendations

Which used BMW 1 Series should I buy?

Specification: There is only the standard version of the M140i, and the Shadow Edition. We wouldn’t go out of our way to find a Shadow Edition, because it's not especially different.

The only thing we'd advise you on here is to look for a five-door model. It's easy to do and you'll enjoy that little bit of extra practicality.

Engine: Since there's only one engine, we'll focus on the gearbox here. The manual is nice if prefer to swap gears yourself, but the eight-speed automatic is much more common and a very slick gearbox, so we'd stick to that.

Our favourite BMW M140i: M140i Auto (five-door)

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used BMW 1 Series?

The Ford Focus RS has superb handling, strong performance and is fantastically good fun to drive. Against those virtues, its ride is firm, its driving position is a tad awkward and its steering has a rather limited lock.

The 2017-2022 Honda Civic Type R handles brilliantly, goes like a rocket and, if Batman drove a hot hatch, it'd probably look like this one. It’s also surprisingly easy to live with, and although its infotainment system is as dreadful as the standard Civic’s, that, like with the Focus RS, can be overlooked when you consider how much fun the rest of it is.

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Interested in buying a used BMW M140i? Visit our Used Cars For Sale pages to find lots of cars listed at great prices.