The BMW 1 Series is a fantastic range of BMWs produced since 2004, with the most recent generation having been released in 2019.
The entry-level model of the new generation starts at £26,450, which is a price tag that puts many people off. However, if you choose to lease the car, you simply make monthly payments to your leasing provider and can then drive the vehicle for a select period of time before returning it and upgrading to a newer one.
Leasing is an increasingly popular method of temporarily owning cars and it is estimated that around 5 million cars on UK roads are currently on lease.
Here, we are going to take a look at the BMW 1 Series and some of the lease deals you can find on this range.
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BMW 1 Series lease
Getting a BMW 1 Series car on lease allows you to drive a solid and reliable BMW for a more affordable cost. LeaseLoco offers plenty of lease deals on BMW 1 Series cars, as do the BMW manufacturers themselves.
Leasing is an excellent option for anyone who wants to drive a top-level vehicle but doesn’t necessarily have the finances to buy one. The BMW 1 Series is a great, entry-level vehicle that comes in four different models to suit every type of driver.
What is a car lease?
Car leasing, also known as personal contract hire, is a long term hire deal on a car at a fixed rate. To lease a car, you first make an initial payment based on the price of the car and then make monthly payments at a fixed rate for a predetermined period of time.
The contract length is usually between one and five years, although it can fall outside of this bracket. The monthly price is fixed and does not change throughout the leasing period. Then, at the end of that period, you simply return the car to the dealer, and then you can get a newer, upgraded car on a new lease deal.
Leasing a car allows you to drive a luxurious car without paying the full cost of buying the car outright as the total sum of your monthly contributions shouldn’t exceed the value of the car.
Leasing, therefore, is far cheaper than buying a new car and also ensures that you do not have money tied up in a depreciating asset. Cars rapidly lose value once they are second hand and only a few years old, so leasing means you do not have to worry about losing money on the sale of an old car.
Many leasing companies also offer breakdown cover during the warranty period of the car. Plus, you don’t have to pay road tax under some leasing contracts.
BMW 1 Series models
The BMW 1 Series is a range of subcompact executive cars that have been produced by BMW since 2004.
The BMW 1 Series currently has three generations of cars. The third generation – known as the F40 – was released in 2019. This most recent generation has four models: the Sport model, the M Sport model, the SE model, and the 128ti model. There is also still the option to lease unique models from the previous generation – known as the F20/21 – such as the xDrive.
All BMW 1 Series models come equipped with front and rear parking sensors, an infotainment touch screen and control panel, automatic climate control, and full LED lights.
So let’s take a closer look at some of the different models, and we have included the retail price to give an idea of the value of the car.
SE model
The BMW 1 Series SE model is the entry-level car in the range. The SE comes with high-level equipment, such as keyless ignition, also known as Comfort Go. The SE also has 16-inch wheels, cruise control, and Apple CarPlay that allows you to use your phone safely and easily while you drive. It has an acceleration rate of 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds.
The SE model retails at around £26,450.
Sport model
The BMW Series 1 Sport model has 17-inch alloy wheels, sport design front, air inlets and a sport rear bumper. It has automatic two-zone air conditioning and sports seats.
The Sport model has an acceleration rate of 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds. It retails at around £27,490.
M Sport model
The M Sport model offers a sharpened appearance with aerodynamic body styling and upgraded M light-alloy wheels that can be either 18 or 19 inches depending on your preference. The M Sport also features excellent sport suspension and heated front seats.
Like the previous models, the M Sport has an acceleration rate of 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds. The M Sport model retails at around £29,290.
128ti model
The 128ti model has the highest performance of all the models. It comes with the M Sport brake and Active Guard Plus, which includes speed limit information, lane departure warning, and collision and pedestrian warning with a city braking function. The 128i model also has cruise control with a braking function. Cruise control with a braking function sets the car to drive at a constant speed for a particular distance before automatically applying the brakes at the end of that distance to bring the cruise control to a close.
The 128i goes from 0 to 60mph in 6.1 seconds and retails at around £34,550.
xDrive model (F20/F21)
The xDrive model comes from the previous generation and is popular for its all-wheel drive system. BMW has released xDrive versions of their cars since 2003, but the current 1 Series doesn’t yet have one. So, for drivers looking for the power of an all-wheel drive, the xDrive from the F20/F21 generation is for you.
The xDrive goes from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds and retails at around £27,000.
Where can you find great lease deals on BMW 1 Series models?
LeaseLoco has a fantastic range of deals on a number of different models in the BMW 1 Series.
However, it is also always a good idea to check the manufacturer itself. BMW also has great lease deals – though they call them “personal contract hire” – on various models in the 1 Series.
LeaseLoco
LeaseLoco is the UK’s biggest car lease comparison site and their BMW range is huge. Their deals for the BMW 1 series start at around £240 per month (including VAT) for a four-year deal on a Sport model. And their deals go up to around £1,000 per month for a two-year deal on a performance model.
BMW
BMW offer lease deals on the whole range of their own models. Their deals on the BMW 1 Series start at £369 (including VAT) per month for an M Sport, and go up to around £1,600 (including VAT) per month for a performance model.
How to find great bmw 1 series lease deals
CarGuide’s tools can help you find great lease deals on a range of BMW cars.
You can use the CarGuide Car Switcher to find better lease deals and alternative models to the BMW you are currently considering. The Switcher searches deals from Car Guide’s partners to ensure you get the best lease deal on the best car you can.
If you change your mind and decide to go with a used car instead, use MOT Checker to find out the ar’s history. Simply enter the car’s registration into the Checker and you will find:
- The car’s current MOT status and the MOT expiry date.
- The car’s history, including full MOT history with dates, advisories and any reasons for failure.
- A full list of components that are likely to fail or get an advisory on the next MOT.
Frequently Asked Questions
With so many clear benefits, you may be wondering why everybody doesn’t choose to lease their car over buying it. However, there are some reasons why people choose alternatives to leasing a car.
For example, when you lease a car, you cannot make any permanent amendments to the vehicle as it is technically not yours to alter.
You also must pay a fee every time you get a new vehicle, which can become expensive over time. And the choice of your next car depends upon the vehicle availability of your leasing provider.
Although leasing is an excellent option for people who want to always drive a new car, some people are perfectly happy driving the same vehicle for many years. For these people, leasing is not the best option as it will likely become more expensive than if you were to keep the same car for ten years or more. Find out more here.
