BMW 1 Series vs Citroën C3
A side-by-side comparison of the used BMW 1 Series and Citroën C3 — 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.
BMW 1 Series or Citroën C3 — which should I buy?
The Citroën C3 starts cheaper (BMW 1 Series from £8,294, Citroën C3 from £5,393), with illustrative finance from £193/mo and £130/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 85% and 71% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- 1 Series from
- £8,294
- C3 from
- £5,393
- In stock
- 9 vs 9
| From live stock | BMW 1 Series 9 in stock · from £8,294 | ★ Best value overall Citroën C3 9 in stock · from £5,393 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £8,294 | £5,393★ lowest |
| Median price | £10,699 | £7,695★ lower |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £193/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) | £130/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR)★ lower |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 65,753 mi | 48,372 mi★ lower |
| Median year | 2019 | 2019 |
| Median CO₂ | 121 g/km | 103 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 134 bhp★ more | 81 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Manual | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 85%★ more reliable | 71% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 1 / 9 | 5 / 9★ more |
| View all 9 1 Series → | View all 9 C3 → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | BMW 1 Series | Citroën C3 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 63/100 | — |
| Reliability | 62 | — |
| Running costs | 71 | — |
| Safety | 49 | — |
| Family & practicality | 76 | — |
| Insurance | 56 | — |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the BMW 1 Series and Citroën C3 trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | BMW 1 Series | Citroën C3 |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 30–83 mpg | 39–83 mpg |
| CO₂ emissions | 89–226 g/km | 85–172 g/km |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 12–39 | Group 2–22 |
| Euro NCAP safety | 60% pillar avg | 4 stars (2017) |
| 0–60mph | 4.6s | 8.6s |
| Power | 93–321 bhp | 55–120 bhp |
| Seats | 5 | 5 |
| Doors | 5 | 5 |
| Length | 4324 mm | 3941 mm |
| Width | 1984 mm | 1994 mm |
| Height | 1421 mm | 1519 mm |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
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 BMW 1 Series or the Citroën C3 cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Citroën C3 starts lower: the BMW 1 Series is available from £8,294 (median £10,699) and the Citroën C3 from £5,393 (median £7,695).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 1 Series vs the Citroën C3?
- Illustrative finance starts from £193/mo (HP, 60 months, 14.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series and £130/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the Citroën C3. 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 BMW 1 Series or the Citroën C3?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 1 Series stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Citroën C3 — so the BMW 1 Series is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 1 Series or the Citroën C3?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 1 Series averages a 85% first-time pass rate and the Citroën C3 71% — the BMW 1 Series edges it on this measure.