BMW 1 Series - Practicality, comfort and boot space
The BMW 1 Series falls short on boot space, but overall comfort is excellent on the move
Only offered in five-seat configuration, the BMW 1 Series is positioned as a family hatchback. The 1 Series isn’t the most practical five-seater hatchback on sale, with average boot capacity and a rather tight rear passenger space. It’s bright and airy enough inside, although there’s a distinct lack of colour in the standard car. For £215, you can choose ‘Mocha’, ‘Oyster’ and ‘Coral Red’ upholstery leatherette to bring some brightness to the cabin.
Cabin storage is pretty average for the class, with a small opening in the centre console and door bins designed for small bottles.
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4,361mm |
| Width | 1,800mm (2,072mm inc mirrors) |
| Height | 1,459mm |
| Number of seats | 5 |
| Boot space | 300-1,135 litres (380-1,200 litres M135) |
Dimensions and size
At 4,361mm, the latest BMW 1 Series is 42mm longer than before. It’s still shorter in length than a Mercedes A-Class, yet longer than an Audi A3. It also sits between its two German competitors in terms of height and wheelbase.
How practical is the BMW 1 Series?
Seats & space in the front
The current generation moved from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive in 2019, with the hope this would help to improve space inside. Room in the front hasn’t really been an issue in previous generations of 1 Series, and the same is true of the latest model. There’s plenty of space up front for a pair of adults, with enough adjustment in the driver’s seat and steering wheel to find a comfortable position. The seating position is higher when compared with its rear-wheel drive predecessors, but that’s not a bad thing for visibility – although you might have to look around the large door mirrors at junctions.
Used - available now
2019 BMW
1 Series
46,304 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £13,649
2024 BMW
1 Series
21,134 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £23,376
2021 BMW
1 Series
20,095 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £19,683
2020 BMW
1 Series
22,435 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £16,848Electric adjustment for the driver’s seat with memory settings is available for £730 and we think that might be worthwhile if multiple people are likely to drive the car. However, you’ll still have to add a further £415 for the active front seat option to get lumbar adjustment, which we think is a bit mean.
Seats & space in the back
While most 1 Series are front-wheel drive, that hasn’t translated into lots of rear headroom due to the fact that there is still a four-wheel drive model, so the floor still has to be high enough to accommodate all the mechanical bits that go with a four-wheel drive system. An adult of 5’11” will struggle a little for headroom and find their legs touching the back of the seat in front of them. When we tried the sportier BMW M135, we found that its chunkier front sports seats reduced the available legroom in the back compared to the regular car. There’s a sizeable central hump that the middle rear passenger will have to straddle.
And while on some cars specifying a panoramic glass sunroof adds a bit of headroom, in the 1 Series, rear passengers won’t enjoy this option, given that a crossbar limits headroom further.
A pair of ISOFIX child seat mounting points is provided for the back seats, and the mounts are found on the outer positions. An additional child seat mounting point is provided on the front passenger seat.
Boot space
Boot space in the non-mild-hybrid M135 1 Series is pretty good. At 380 litres, it’s 25 litres up on the Mercedes A-Class, the same as the Audi A3 and one litre less than a Volkswagen Golf. Lower the rear seats, and you’ll get 1,200 litres.
The 120 and 123 xDrive models have a mild-hybrid system that’s powered by a battery located under the boot floor, and you’ll find its capacity is limited to a meagre 300 litres or 1,135 litres with the seats folded flat.
The boot area is a decent shape, with a fairly low loading lip, although the boot is deep, so taking heavy items out might be a struggle. A luggage net and a split-folding 40/20/40 rear bench are both £175 options.
Towing
It might be a hatchback, but BMW will fit a towbar to the 1 Series for £730. Maximum towing capacity stands at 750kg for the 120 and M135 (with an unbraked trailer).
