Real-world fuel economy

BMW 1 Series Real MPG: what owners actually get

The official figure is what a BMW 1 Series managed in a laboratory. These are the figures owners report from the road, engine by engine, for every generation we hold. Add your own at the bottom and the averages get better for the next buyer.

42.2mpg
Real-world average, all engines
78%
of the official combined figure
2071
Range reported by owners (mpg)
4,453
Owner submissions

BMW 1 Series

2004–2011 · real average 42.1 mpg · owners report 23.0–60.0 mpg · 991 submissions

EngineOfficial (NEDC)Official (WLTP)Real MPG% of officialOwners report
116d62.8–64.249.077%
116i37.7–46.331.675%
116i Automatic42.832.275%
118d50.4–62.848.786%
118d Automatic53.342.079%
118i38.7–47.932.876%
118i Automatic42.828.667%
120d49.6–60.146.785%
120d Automatic53.341.578%
120i37.7–44.133.482%
123d54.3–55.444.481%
123d Automatic51.442.482%
130i30.7–34.028.287%

BMW 1 Series Convertible

2008–2014 · real average 41.0 mpg · owners report 20.0–58.0 mpg · 237 submissions

EngineOfficial (NEDC)Official (WLTP)Real MPG% of officialOwners report
118d53.3–62.848.483%
118d Automatic51.444.386%
118i42.8–43.532.074%
118i Automatic40.4–40.925.062%
120d55.4–56.546.283%
120d Automatic51.441.981%
120i41.5–42.836.186%
120i Automatic40.429.573%
123d53.3–60.143.877%
123d Automatic49.636.774%
125i33.6–34.032.897%
125i Automatic32.8–34.028.786%
135i30.1–32.825.982%
135i Automatic32.826.480%

BMW 1 Series Coupe

2008–2013 · real average 42.5 mpg · owners report 20.0–59.0 mpg · 367 submissions

EngineOfficial (NEDC)Official (WLTP)Real MPG% of officialOwners report
118d62.847.375%
118d Automatic53.345.185%
120d60.148.681%
120d Automatic53.345.786%
120i42.8–43.536.184%
120i Automatic42.830.571%
123d54.3–55.443.780%
123d Automatic51.441.781%
125i34.4–34.931.390%
125i Automatic34.4–34.926.677%
135i33.226.580%
135i Automatic33.224.473%

BMW 1 Series

2011–2019 · real average 42.4 mpg · owners report 22.0–71.0 mpg · 2,739 submissions

EngineOfficial (NEDC)Official (WLTP)Real MPG% of officialOwners report
114d 1.665.7–68.950.375%37.7–58.7
114i 1.649.6–51.437.975%29.0–45.6
116d 1.5 Automatic62.8–78.547.868%36.9–58.0
116d 1.5 EfficientDynamics83.157.569%42.9–71.0
116d 2.065.7–68.950.976%41.0–59.0
116d 2.0 Automatic64.2–68.945.669%39.0–55.3
116d 2.0 EfficientDynamics74.356.276%47.0–63.0
116i 1.650.4–52.336.771%27.8–45.5
116i 1.6 Automatic48.7–50.437.676%28.0–44.0
118d 2.061.4–70.651.878%39.0–64.0
118d 2.0 Automatic62.8–74.349.072%38.0–61.0
118i 1.547.1–56.535.569%27.0–44.7
118i 1.5 Automatic48.7–58.935.366%27.0–44.0
118i 1.647.1–52.336.473%28.3–44.4
118i 1.6 Automatic47.9–50.435.973%30.0–43.0
120d 2.057.6–65.750.782%40.0–62.0
120d 2.0 Automatic54.3–68.949.480%37.0–59.0
120d 2.0 xDrive58.9–60.146.678%35.0–57.5
120d 2.0 xDrive Automatic54.3–62.846.179%34.5–55.0
120i 1.647.1–48.737.979%32.1–43.1
120i 1.6 Automatic47.9–49.632.066%29.0–35.0
120i 2.046.3–48.737.178%33.4–43.1
120i 2.0 Automatic47.1–48.735.173%27.0–42.0
125d 2.057.646.180%35.0–56.0
125d 2.0 Automatic58.9–61.446.477%36.0–56.0
125i 2.042.2–42.834.080%28.0–44.0
125i 2.0 Automatic43.5–47.930.467%28.8–32.0
125i Automatic47.931.466%24.0–38.0
135i35.3–37.729.781%22.6–36.8
140i36.2–38.229.980%22.6–36.0
140i Automatic38.2–39.830.277%22.9–37.8
M135i35.329.283%22.0–35.4
M135i Automatic37.728.375%22.5–36.0

BMW 1 Series

2019–2024 · real average 39.7 mpg · owners report 25.0–65.0 mpg · 119 submissions

EngineOfficial (NEDC)Official (WLTP)Real MPG% of officialOwners report
116d60.1–62.854.589%*47.0–65.0
116d Automatic57.6–61.451.586%*45.0–50.6
118d Automatic56.5–58.952.090%*47.0–56.0
118i47.9–58.936.168%*33.0–47.2
118i Automatic47.9–56.543.183%*33.3–50.4
120d Automatic53.3–57.648.487%*
128Ti40.935.286%*29.0–42.0
M135i38.729.275%*24.6–38.0

All figures in miles per gallon (UK). “Owners report” is the spread of individual submissions for that engine. * Measured against the WLTP figure rather than NEDC.

Add your BMW 1 Series Real MPG

What does yours actually do? Read it off the trip computer over a full tank or work it out from litres and miles. No postcode, no sign-up. The more people add, the better the averages get, and this page stays free.

BMW 1 Series fuel economy questions

What is the real-world MPG of a BMW 1 Series?

Owners report an average of 42.2 mpg across all BMW 1 Series engines with data, about 78% of the official combined figure. The engine tables on this page give the figure for each engine and generation.

Why is the BMW 1 Series real MPG lower than the official figure?

Official figures come from a laboratory test cycle, not the road. Cold starts, short trips, hills, load, tyres and driving style all cost fuel the test does not see. A gap of 10 to 30 per cent is normal; a much bigger gap on one engine usually points at a fault, a heavy right foot, or a diesel that never gets warm.

Where did the Honest John BMW 1 Series Real MPG page go?

Honest John closed in August 2026 and its Real MPG section went with it. This page is where the BMW 1 Series figures now live: rebuilt from the archived Honest John dataset, with the official figures kept alongside, and reopened for new submissions. CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services.

Where the BMW 1 Series figures come from

If you used the Honest John Real MPG section before the site closed in 2026, this is where the BMW 1 Series figures now live. The owner-reported averages above were rebuilt from the archived Honest John dataset (archived page, 2026-08) alongside the official NEDC and WLTP figures and new submissions from CarAdCheck readers, and the section is open so they keep improving. Real-world figures also feed the running-cost estimate in our free advert check.

CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. How we rebuilt Real MPG.

Other BMW models

Before you go and see it

Fuel economy is one line on the BMW 1 Series running-cost sheet. These guides cover the checks that stop you buying the wrong one.

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