# Tailor Made Guide to Buying a BMW 1 Series

by Universal | Jun 10, 2019 | Tailor Made Blog | 0 comments

The popular BMW 1 Series is available as either a two-door coupe and convertible or three and five-door hatchback. The 1 Series has been designed to introduce buyers to the German brand. It looks, feels and drives like a premium product and has been designed to reward keen drivers.

It has excellent ride comfort, despite being equipped with run-flat tyres that are renowned for giving a harder ride. There is a wide range of petrol or diesel engines and all come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard although earlier models had only five gears.

Of the petrol’s, all are smooth and refined. The diesels are as impressive as anything rival firms have come up with, blending excellent economy with plenty of performance in the case of the 120d and later 123d.

### The BMW Brand

The BMW 1 Series was introduced in the UK from 2004 to 2013 to compete in the mid-size car range that had some stiff competition from VW, Ford, Vauxhall, Audi and Mercedes. The 1 Series immediately established itself as a credible contender and built a strong and loyal following with its combination of wide-ranging and efficient engines, a classy image and reputation for strong build, quality and safety.

### 5 star Euro NCAP rating

BMW has excellent safety credentials and the 1 Series continues that trend. Independent safety assessor Euro NCAP rated it with the top five stars. It claimed the 1 Series has a very strong and stable passenger compartment. And it praised BMW for putting substantial padding around the steering column to protect the driver’s knees. Seat Belts that tighten during emergency braking, a full complement of airbags and ESP stability control plus ABS anti-lock brakes are all standard.

### Best for fuel economy: 116d EfficientDynamics

BMW’s fuel-saving tech is called EfficientDynamics. This includes stop-start and brake regeneration where slowing down captures energy from braking to charge the battery. There’s also common rail injection for the diesel engines meaning the 116D model returns a claimed 64.2mpg with 118/km of CO2. At its launch it was class leading.

### Best value for money: 118d SE

The best blend between a driver focused car, equipment and economy is the 118d SE model. You will get all the equipment you’re going to need plus an engine that combines plenty of go with great economy.

### Budget Planner: What you get for your money

£13,000 – 2014 (14 reg) 120i, 5 door hatchback, 28,000 miles.
£11,800 – 2016 (16 reg) 120d SE, 5 door hatchback, 75,000 miles.
£10,000 – 2016 (16 reg) 118i SE, 5 door hatchback, 27,000 miles.

Whether you are looking for a 1 Series, 5 Series or any other brand, Tailor Made Car Finance are here to help. We hope this guide has given you a clear direction for the search in your perfect used car. Feel free to get in touch with us if you need any guidance or advice with finding car finance and sourcing your new car.

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