New BMW 1 Series vs used alternatives – what can you get for £40,000?

The latest BMW 1 Series is rather good.. It’s great to drive, feels posh inside and looks great – especially in purple.

But there’s no denying that over the years it’s become rather pricey. A base-spec 120 petrol costs close to £32,000 – and if you add on a few choice options, the price can rocket to more than £40,000. That’s a lot to spend on a car that’s smaller than a Volkswagen Golf, no matter how posh the badge on the bonnet is.

And buying new means you get all the problems that come with new car buying. A pricey finance agreement, tons of depreciation, and all those annoying bongs and beeps which new cars have to have by law. Buy used, and you can avoid all of that – and bag yourself a bigger, more comfortable car in the process.

Mat and the team have come up with a whole load of amazing used BMW models you can get in the video below – ranging from a sensible family estate car all the way up to a standout hybrid supercar. All of them are comparable in price to the 1 Series we had on test.

But what can you get with a budget of around £42,000 if you’re looking outside of the BMW brand? Here’s ten fantastic used cars for the same money…

Audi RS3 Saloon

Okay, let’s say you want a used car that’s roughly the same size as a BMW 1 Series. Why not visit that other manufacturer of premium German cars – Audi – and look for an RS3? We found an RS3 Saloon – just a little more practical than the 1 Series – from 2019 with 20,000 miles on for less than £39,000.

For that not only do you get a properly posh small car with a great interior and handsome looks, but under the bonnet you get one of the best engines around – a 2.5-litre five-cylinder making a beefy 400hp. Paired to four-wheel drive you get whopping performance stats and a noise unlike any other.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

The Stelvio is, on the face of it, quite a sensible family SUV – but under the bonnet of this one beats a Ferrari-inspired heart. The 510hp 2.9-litre V6 engine under the Stelvio’s bonnet produces a staggering 510hp, giving this tall, heavy car the ability to accelerate from 0-62mph in just 3.8 seconds and go on to a top speed of 176mph.

It also looks fabulous, especially when equipped with Alfa’s iconic ‘teledial’ wheels. Nobody will ever remember you dropping your kids off at school in a 1 Series – but they’ll remember a Stelvio Quadrifoglio. We found a 2019 example with just 24,000 miles for less than £37,000.

BMW M340i

Mat’s conclusion when he looked at a whole suite of used BMWs in the video above was that the M340i represented amazing value for money, being more powerful, nicer to drive, more premium and more practical than the 1 Series but for a similar price.

We found a 2022 M340i on Carwow, with just under 20,000 miles, for around £39,000 – or, for a similar price, you can get hold of the powerful M340d, which has the same styling and chassis enhancements but with a beefy and efficient 3.0-litre diesel engine.

Range Rover

You can travel like royalty with a used Range Rover for the same price as a new BMW 1 Series. Of course, maintenance will be a little pricier for a car this big and posh, but you can expect surprising fuel economy from this car’s 3.0-litre diesel engine – and there’s even a plug-in hybrid available for the same money.

We’d go for the diesel every time, though. We found a 2019 model with around 40,000 miles for less than a fully-optioned 1 Series – allowing you to enjoy one of the finest luxury SUVs ever built for less than half of its original price.

Mercedes-AMG C63 S

Some people would buy a BMW 1 Series because they wanted to make an impression – especially those who go for an eye-catching colour and all the M Performance visual enhancements. Well, why not make a proper impression with a real supercar in sheep’s clothing?

The Mercedes-AMG C63 S is unmissable even before it comes into view thanks to the ballistic noise from its twin-turbocharged V8 engine. With 476hp on tap it’s incredibly rapid, too, but its practical saloon body means you can still take the kids to school. We found a 2019 model with 44,000 miles for less than £35,000.

Alpine A110

Many people who go for a posh hatchback like a BMW 1 Series don’t ever use the back seats – so why bother having them at all? You could have one of the best-driving cars on sale instead by going for an Alpine A110 for the same price as your sensible hatchback.

The A110 isn’t the fastest sports car out there, but instead focuses on being lightweight – which makes it an utter joy to drive whether you’re nipping around town or carving up a twisting B-road. We found a 2023 model with less than 7,000 miles on the clock – barely run in – for just a little over our budget at around £45,000.

Hyundai i30 N

If you still want a hatchback – then why not go for something properly hot The Hyundai i30 N is hot hatchback royalty, honed by the engineer previously responsible for some of the best BMW M cars of all time.

Best of all, the i30 N is a true performance bargain. We found a 2023 model with just 7,600 miles on the clock for less than a basic BMW 120.

Audi A8

You could have a small hatchback with space in the back for adults – just about – or you could have an Audi A8 and go around in true limousine comfort. The A8 is Audi’s flagship and is incredibly sophisticated – it’s got all the comfort and glamour of a Mercedes S-Class but with a slightly less chintzy air.

We found a 2021 model with less than 20,000 miles on the clock for just under £42,000. Better yet, while lots of A8s were diesel, this one is a plug-in hybrid, giving it an unbeatable blend of impressive performance and amazing running costs – provided you regularly plug it into the wall. Or get your chauffeur to.

Porsche Macan S

It seems crazy to consider a Porsche a ‘sensible’ option, but while the Macan shares plenty of its DNA with the 911 sports car it’s a thoroughly practical family SUV at heart. There’s room for the family and their clobber in a practical, well-built interior – but under the bonnet of the S model you’ll find a fantastic 3.0-litre V6 engine producing a beefy 354hp.

We found a 2020 model with less than 30,000 miles on the clock, in a good-looking black on silver wheels, for just a bit over our budget at £44,000.

Jeep Wrangler

And finally for something completely different. If you want something stylish, standout and interesting, then forget looking at BMW – you’ll want a Jeep Wrangler. The latest model makes a surprisingly good daily driver, albeit with quite high running costs, and is pretty practical too with plenty of space in the back and a good boot.

Better yet, it’ll go absolutely anywhere and you can take the roof off. What’s not to like? The price is right, too – we found a Rubicon model (the one you want) from 2023 with just 17,000 miles on it for just over £44,000.

Looking for an easy way to change your car? Then Carwow is the place to go. You can sell your old car for a great price, and get the best deals on a new one. All through our network of trusted dealers and all from the comfort of your home. Tap the button below to get started today.