BMW 1 Series - Reliability and safety
It’s a bit early to assess the latest BMW 1 Series for reliability, although we expect it to continue on from the previous model’s fine performance in this area
The current, F70-generation 1 Series that arrived in 2024 was so heavily revised over the F40-generation which launched in 2019 that despite sharing the same basic body and underpinnings, a new Euro NCAP test is required. The organisation hasn’t yet tested the latest version, but judging from previous results, it should perform well.
Safety technology on the 1 Series is pretty comprehensive as standard. There’s BMW’s ‘Active Guard’, which incorporates forward collision avoidance and lane keep assist, plus ‘Driving Assistant’, a radar-based driver assistance system consisting of rear crossing traffic warning and speed limit information.
A ‘Park Assistant’ can provide automatic parking in parallel and bay parking spaces, plus helps with rear parking thanks to a reversing camera, and can automatically leave parallel parking spots.
As part of the £2,750 Technology Plus Pack, the 1 Series can have ‘Parking Assistant Plus’. This adds a panoramic view for the rear camera, a 360-degree exterior view, an anti-theft recorder and monitoring during parking manoeuvres.
BMW managed to secure three places in the top 25 of our Driver Power car ownership survey in 2024. The new 1 Series wasn’t among them, as it’s too new, but the previous 1 Series came in at number 25.
| Key standard safety features | Euro NCAP safety ratings |
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Warranty
The BMW 1 Series receives a fairly standard three-year, unlimited warranty across the range.
Servicing
For £1,002, BMW will provide your 1 Series with its own service plan, which comprises a vehicle health check, servicing engine oil, air filter, microfilter, spark plugs (for petrol engines) and brake fluid. The plan sits over the first four years of the 1 Series’ life.
What do owners think?
Here’s what owners thought of the BMW 1 Series in the 2024 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey.
| What they like | What they don't like |
| “The infotainment and shortcuts work really well, and the Harman Kardon upgrade sounds fantastic.” | “My biggest bugbear is the instrumentation. It doesn’t dim properly at night, so it’s very distracting.” |
| “I love the driving experience, but what gets me every time I climb aboard is the build quality. It’s so well made.” | “The front seats are really uncomfortable and should come with lumbar adjustment as standard.” |
| “The dashboard is every bit as user-friendly as you’d expect a BMW to be, and the same goes for the nav.” | “The wide tyres lead to tramlining over white lines, and the suspension is too firm for our potholed roads.” |
| “The physical climate controls are very handy, and crucially, nothing important is buried in the touchscreen.” | “Official dealers are far too costly for routine servicing. And my car hasn’t been very reliable at all so far.” |
| “You have to remember to use the drive modes. Driving smoothly and accurately gets the best out of the car.” | “It should be more refined, the engine doesn’t sound sporty enough, and the stop-start isn’t smooth enough.” |
| “On a decent twisty road it really is an enjoyable car to drive. The brakes are very strong, with excellent feel.” | |
| “I used to own a rear-wheel-drive 1 Series, but I find the handling better after BMW’s switch to front-wheel drive. With 17-inch wheels, the ride quality is very good on scarred roads.” | |
| “The front seats are very supportive and they’re comfortable on really long journeys too, with plenty of adjustability. The use of high-quality cabin materials is also very reassuring.” | |
| “There are plenty of cubbyholes in the cabin, and boot space is pretty good. It’s a practical shape that’s nice and wide, usefully boosted by folding the back seats flat. There’s reasonable rear-seat legroom, with just about enough space to fit four adults.” |
Which Is Best
