BMW 1 Series review

It appears that the design team behind the latest BMW 1 Series has adopted a Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) philosophy – and with good reason.

Because 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 quite appeal to the car’s primary target: families. With the third-generation 1 Series, BMW shifted to a more practical front-wheel-drive layout.

Now there's a face-lifted 1 Series for 2024 and BMW has decided to simplify the package even further. In the UK there are just two iterations: the 120 and the M135 hot hatch. The exterior design is sharper and cleaner than before too.

So have the updates done enough to keep the BMW 1 Series competitive against refreshed rivals including the Audi A3 Sportback and VW Golf? Let’s find out...

The BMW 1 Series in 120 form gets a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder mild-hybrid 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 (8.1 seconds) or VW Golf 1.5 TSI 150 (8.6 seconds). 

Unlike those rival family cars, you can’t have your 1 Series with a manual gearbox – but in the 120 version we don't think that's a great loss.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox delivers well-judged shifts in its default mode and impressively snappy shifts when knocked into sport mode. Combined with an engine that pulls well from low down in the rev range, it's an easy and relaxing companion both around town and out on the open road.

We’ve yet to sample the entry-level 1 Series Sport trim, which comes on 17in alloy wheels and the softest suspension.

On the pre-facelift car we found it didn’t absorb surface imperfections quite quite as smoothly as a comparable Mercedes A-Class but also felt less floaty (great news if your kids are prone to travel sickness). We suspect the 2024 car will exhibit similar characteristics.

We have, however, sampled the stiffer set-up fitted to the 1 Series M Sport versions. They deliver a ride that feels closer to a hot hatch than a family car so while it stops short of feeling crashy, it feels rather unsettled over most urban surfaces. The Audi A3 S line and VW Golf R-Line offer a more forgiving ride.

You can opt for adaptive suspension on M Sport cars but we don't think the improvements it delivers justify the extra cost.

The upside to a firm ride is impressive body control in the bends. If you enjoy a sporty drive, you’ll find that the 1 Series is 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 more softly sprung Mercedes A-Class. 

That said, it’s not perfect. To ensure the 1 Series isn’t too lively, BMW has dialled in what we would call a "safe" handling balance. That means when you’re really pushing on, the front end has a tendency to push wide. Keener drivers will be disappointed that you can’t rectify the sensation with a quick lift off the accelerator, as you can in the more balanced Audi A3.

The 1 Series is pretty civilised at higher speeds (as is the A3). Wind noise is low and the suspension is jolly quiet, even over lumpy surfaces. The A-Class is quieter on motorways though: the 1 Series suffers from a fair amount of road noise, especially with bigger wheels fitted.

In the pre-2024 1 Series, the 1.5-litre engine had a tendency to sneeze into life with a bit of a shudder before settling into a somewhat coarse idle, but that's no longer the case.

Thanks to what we suspect must be greater sound-deadening and, on the BMW 120, 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, it's noticeably smoother than before, with a stop-start system that works seamlessly. In refinement terms the 1 Series has moved ahead of the A-Class and is far closer to a four-cylinder A3.

Meanwhile, the BMW M135 hot hatch has a 302bhp 2.0-litre, four-cylinder unit with no mild-hybrid tech. Its official 0-62mph time of 4.8 seconds puts it on a par with the Audi S3 and Mercedes-AMG A35 but is a little way behind the big-hitters in the class, such as the Audi RS3 and Mercedes-AMG A45 S. 

The main issue is that the M135's engine is not particularly thrilling. Flat out it produces a bit of a monotonous drone (an S3 makes a far more invigorating noise, especially if you opt for the optional Akrapovic exhaust). Plus, it would be good to have the choice of a manual gearbox for added driver interaction.

It feels a bit like BMW’s engineers, in their quest to produce an engine that can match its closest rivals stat for stat, forgot to imbue it with any character. 

And the same goes for the handling. The steering is quick and precise, but it’s not especially talkative, and while the M135 is technically four-wheel drive, it feels predominately front-driven.

Not that that's a bad thing in theory – the Honda Civic Type R has front-wheel drive and we adore it. But unlike the Type R, the M135 is a little strait-laced. If you crave delicate movements that make you feel like it's not just a point-and-squirt machine, they’re absent.

The M135 is, however, mightily quick point to point. And if you tick the box for the optional M Sport braking system, you'll be treated to bigger discs and four-piston callipers borrowed from the BMW M4. You'll be astounded at how quickly it can haul you to a stop.

"Dynamically, I found that the 1 Series feels 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." – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

Updating the interior of the BMW 1 Series was always going to be a challenge because it was great to begin with, so let’s start with the areas that remain class-leading then we’ll delve into some of the changes we're less enamoured with. 

Build quality remains class-leading. The latest 1 Series lacks some of the dramatic visual wow factor of the Mercedes A-Class but everything is screwed together beautifully and feels plush. If you opt for the M Sport Pro Pack, it adds some branded stitching on the dashboard, M Sport seat belts and bespoke ambient lighting.

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

Speaking of the seats, there's masses of height and reach adjustment to the steering wheel and plenty of movement to the driver's seat as well. The fly in the ointment comes from having to pay extra for lumbar adjustment, but it's not too pricey (nor is full electric adjustment). 

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

Visibility is decent. The forward view in the 1 Series is as good as in the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class thanks to its slim windscreen pillars. You get LED headlights as standard, so night visibility is good too.

You can upgrade the headlights to Icon adaptive LEDs as part of the Technology Pack, allowing you to leave them on high beam more of the time (they shape the light to avoid dazzling other drivers).

The 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 (it can recognise a big enough space and help steer you into it) come as standard. A Parking Assistant Professional package is available as an option and allows you to remotely park your car using your smartphone. 

So far so good. But we do have some reservations about the changes that have been made to the infotainment system. All 1 Series now feature a curved display that comprises a 10.7in digital driver's display and a 10.25in infotainment touchscreen that's angled towards the driver. It’s a good set up and places the screen within easy reach – but there is a problem. 

You see, the pre-facelift 1 Series had a rotary controller to help you navigate the infotainment menus, but the 2024 model doesn't. You can only control the system through touchscreen prods or voice commands.

That makes it much more distracting to use when you're driving, and unfortunately the user interface, which is inspired by smartphone displays, seems as though it was designed to work with a rotary controller.

A DAB radio, Bluetooth, sat-nav, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring come as standard. The six-speaker, 100-watt stereo is adequate, but music fans might want to try out the optional 12-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

"If the BMW design team had chosen to keep the iDrive system’s brilliant rotary controller, I think the mid-life facelift of the 1 Series would have been a complete slam dunk. Unfortunately, they didn’t, and the new touchscreen-based system is quite distracting to use." – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

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 an Audi A3 or Mercedes A-Class.

The door bins are a decent size, and you get a big glovebox and a generous cubby hole under the central armrest. Combined with the tray at the front of the centre console, you'll have plenty of places for your bits and pieces.

The space on offer in the rear isn’t quite as impressive. Six-footers will feel their heads just brushing the 1 Series' roof lining, but anyone shorter should be comfortable, even on longer journeys. There’s slightly 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, which creates 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 particularly amazing about the seating flexibility here. You have to pay extra for front passenger adjustable lumbar support on all trims (although it does introduce a massage function) and the seats don't slide or recline.

The 1 Series (and the entry-level A3) get 60/40 split folding back seats as standard, while every A-Class gets a more useful 40/20/40 arrangement. Mid-spec A3’s and upwards also get 40/20/40 split seats, but in the 1 Series, they're reserved for the BMW options list.

Boot space depends on which engine you go for. The BMW 120 loses some boot capacity to the mild-hybrid 48-volt battery and gets 300 litres of storage. Meanwhile, the M135 gets 380 litres.

For comparison, the Audi A3 has 380 litres, the Mercedes A-Class has 380 and the VW Golf has 381 litres, so only the hot hatch 1 Series is competitive here. (Note that those figures exclude plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions, which in some cases lose boot volume).

On the plus side, the 1 Series' boot has a false floor that can be clipped out of the way when you're loading small items and there's only a small load lip. You can also add an electric tailgate as part of the Technology Pack.

“I find it surprising that the M135 hot hatch has more boot space than the more family-focused 120. That’s because the 120’s mild-hybrid battery takes up 80 litres of boot capacity.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

The BMW 1 Series looks a touch more expensive than the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class but that's not quite the case. You see, the line-up has been slimmed to just two engines and the entry-level SE trim has been dropped so you need to compare a base 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) that broadly matches what the A3 and A-Class will achieve. However, it's a shame a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) 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, cruise control, heated cloth seats, illuminated aluminium interior trim, touchscreen infotainment and parking aids.

We’d recommend M Sport trim, mainly for the firmer M Sport suspension. It also gets more distinctive styling and a few other luxuries thrown in such as 18in alloy wheels and Alcantara and vegan leather seats.

The BMW M135 hot hatch 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 system.

You get lots of safety equipment with the 1 Series, including 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 upgraded AEB 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 by the safety experts at Euro NCAP. The A-Class scored higher for adult occupant and pedestrian protection.

The 1 Series is covered by a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which matches the cover offered by Mercedes for the A-Class and beats Audi’s three-year warranty, which is limited to 60,000 miles. BMW as a brand came 12th out of 32 car makers in the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey, beating Mercedes and Audi (in 24th and 26th respectively). 

“The 1 Series looks like it's more expensive than its German rivals, but I think it's important to note that that’s because the mid-life facelift saw BMW remove entry-level SE trim and the base 118i engine.” – Neil Winn, Deputy Reviews Editor

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