Is the BMW 1 Series or the Peugeot 208 cheaper to buy?

In current stock the BMW 1 Series starts lower: the BMW 1 Series is available from £5,995 (median £10,280) and the Peugeot 208 from £9,299 (median £9,953).

What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 1 Series vs the Peugeot 208?

Illustrative finance starts from £142/mo (HP, 60 months, 15.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series and £227/mo (HP, 60 months, 10.9% APR) on the Peugeot 208. 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 Peugeot 208?

The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 1 Series stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Peugeot 208 — so the BMW 1 Series is generally cheaper to tax.

Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 1 Series or the Peugeot 208?

Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 1 Series averages a 51% first-time pass rate and the Peugeot 208 82% — the Peugeot 208 edges it on this measure.

Side by side

BMW 1 Series vs Peugeot 208

A side-by-side comparison of the used BMW 1 Series and Peugeot 208 — 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 Peugeot 208 — which should I buy?

The BMW 1 Series starts cheaper (BMW 1 Series from £5,995, Peugeot 208 from £9,299), with illustrative finance from £142/mo and £227/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 51% and 82% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.

1 Series from: £5,995
208 from: £9,299
In stock: 11 vs 2

BMW 1 Series versus Peugeot 208 on price, running costs and MOT reliability, from live UK stock. The best value in each row is highlighted.
From live stock	BMW 1 Series 11 in stock · from £5,995	★ Best value overall Peugeot 208 2 in stock · from £9,299
Cheapest in stock	£5,995★ lowest	£9,299
Median price	£10,280	£9,953★ lower
From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock	£142/mo (HP, 60 months, 15.9% APR)★ lower	£227/mo (HP, 60 months, 10.9% APR)
Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock	£200/yr	£200/yr
Median mileage	70,912 mi	38,956 mi★ lower
Median year	2019	2020★ newer
Median CO₂	121 g/km	101 g/km★ cleaner
Typical power	134 bhp★ more	105 bhp
Most common fuel	Petrol	Petrol
Most common gearbox	Manual	Automatic
MOT first-time passDVSA history	51%	82%★ more reliable
Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating	4 / 11★ more	0 / 2
	View all 11 1 Series →	View all 2 208 →

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	Peugeot 208
Overall	63/100	75/100
Reliability	62	75
Running costs	71	76
Safety	49	—
Family & practicality	76	80
Insurance	56	67

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 Peugeot 208 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	Peugeot 208
MPG (combined)	30–83 mpg	0–83 mpg
CO₂ emissions	89–226 g/km	79–149 g/km
Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50	Group 12–39	Group 5–34
Euro NCAP safety	60% pillar avg	4 stars (2019)
0–60mph	4.6s	6.3s
Power	93–321 bhp	67–205 bhp
Seats	5	5
Doors	5	5
Length	4324 mm	3973 mm
Width	1984 mm	2004 mm
Height	1421 mm	1460 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 Peugeot 208 cheaper to buy?: In current stock the BMW 1 Series starts lower: the BMW 1 Series is available from £5,995 (median £10,280) and the Peugeot 208 from £9,299 (median £9,953).
What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 1 Series vs the Peugeot 208?: Illustrative finance starts from £142/mo (HP, 60 months, 15.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series and £227/mo (HP, 60 months, 10.9% APR) on the Peugeot 208. 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 Peugeot 208?: The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 1 Series stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Peugeot 208 — so the BMW 1 Series is generally cheaper to tax.
Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 1 Series or the Peugeot 208?: Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 1 Series averages a 51% first-time pass rate and the Peugeot 208 82% — the Peugeot 208 edges it on this measure.

Motoring Today score

Specs, side by side

Frequently asked questions

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