Audi A1 vs BMW 1 Series
A side-by-side comparison of the used Audi A1 and BMW 1 Series — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Audi A1 or BMW 1 Series — which should I buy?
The Audi A1 starts cheaper (Audi A1 from £4,100, BMW 1 Series from £8,650), with illustrative finance from £100/mo and £209/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 86% and 95% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- A1 from
- £4,100
- 1 Series from
- £8,650
- In stock
- 6 vs 9
| Metric | Audi A1 | BMW 1 Series |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £4,100 | £8,650 |
| Median price | £9,297 | £11,491 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £100/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) | £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £20/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 62,542 mi | 60,700 mi |
| Median year | 2017 | 2019 |
| Median CO₂ | 107 g/km | 119 g/km |
| Typical power | 113 bhp | 138 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 86% | 95% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 2 / 6 | 3 / 9 |
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring.Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring.Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Audi A1 or the BMW 1 Series cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Audi A1 starts lower: the Audi A1 is available from £4,100 (median £9,297) and the BMW 1 Series from £8,650 (median £11,491).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Audi A1 vs the BMW 1 Series?
- Illustrative finance starts from £100/mo (HP, 60 months, 17.4% APR) on the Audi A1 and £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Audi A1 or the BMW 1 Series?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Audi A1 stock is £20/yr, versus £200/yr for the BMW 1 Series — so the Audi A1 is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Audi A1 or the BMW 1 Series?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Audi A1 averages a 86% first-time pass rate and the BMW 1 Series 95% — the BMW 1 Series edges it on this measure.