BMW 1 Series vs Vauxhall Corsa
A side-by-side comparison of the used BMW 1 Series and Vauxhall Corsa — 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 Vauxhall Corsa — which should I buy?
The Vauxhall Corsa starts cheaper (BMW 1 Series from £8,650, Vauxhall Corsa from £6,890), with illustrative finance from £209/mo and £147/mo respectively. On MOT reliability they score 95% and 83% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- 1 Series from
- £8,650
- Corsa from
- £6,890
- In stock
- 9 vs 14
| Metric | BMW 1 Series | Vauxhall Corsa |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £8,650 | £6,890 |
| Median price | £11,491 | £8,228 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) | £147/mo (HP, 60 months, 9.9% APR) |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 60,700 mi | 45,047 mi |
| Median year | 2019 | 2021 |
| Median CO₂ | 119 g/km | 116 g/km |
| Typical power | 138 bhp | 89 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Petrol | Petrol |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Manual |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 95% | 83% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring.Today price rating | 3 / 9 | 6 / 14 |
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 Vauxhall Corsa cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Vauxhall Corsa starts lower: the BMW 1 Series is available from £8,650 (median £11,491) and the Vauxhall Corsa from £6,890 (median £8,228).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the BMW 1 Series vs the Vauxhall Corsa?
- Illustrative finance starts from £209/mo (HP, 60 months, 16.9% APR) on the BMW 1 Series and £147/mo (HP, 60 months, 9.9% APR) on the Vauxhall Corsa. 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 Vauxhall Corsa?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across BMW 1 Series stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Vauxhall Corsa — so the BMW 1 Series is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the BMW 1 Series or the Vauxhall Corsa?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the BMW 1 Series averages a 95% first-time pass rate and the Vauxhall Corsa 83% — the BMW 1 Series edges it on this measure.