You have a BMW Series 1 for 160 euros/month, but what's behind this offer?

The compact segment has grown rapidly in recent years, to the point of being classed as premium under the umbrella of several brands. BMW revolutionised the market with the Series 1, a car capable of skilfully combining the charms of a compact with the sportiness typical of the house that shelters it. The third generation has just hit the market, not without stirring up considerable controversy for dropping the combustion-only powertrain, but this hasn’t stopped it being the object of desire for many. To encourage its purchase even further, the German firm offers financing at 160 euros/month, but is it really such a good option?

Undoubtedly, the latest generation of the German compact comes loaded with technology and new features, which implies a high price despite it belonging to this segment. However, BMW has wanted to make it easier to acquire the Series 1 through this offer, which will allow us to resort to financing to face a monthly payment of 160 euros or, failing that, a lump sum of 29,250 euros.

What does this BMW Series 1 offer include?

Well, before analysing the fine print of the offer proposed by the Bavarian firm, let’s find out what is included with it. The first thing we must know is that this promotion is only available with the Series 1 118i, although this does not prevent other variants from enjoying a discount.

This designation conceals a three-cylinder engine turbocharged capable of producing 140 CV of power and 220 Nm of torque. Thanks to these figures, the Series 1 118i accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 213 km/h, but let’s focus on other incentives that BMW has included in its offer.

One of the most appealing aspects of this promotion is the M Sport package, capable of giving our Series 1 a much more sporty and aggressive look. 18-inch wheels, sport-cut seats, M adaptive suspension, a sport steering wheel and exterior package are some of the elements included alongside the standard equipment.

But what does the fine print of the BMW Series 1 offer say?

Let’s get down to business and explain in detail all the clauses of this offer so that it is easier to study whether it is really worth it or not. We must bear in mind that the base price of the BMW Series 1 associated with this engine and without any extras is set at 28,800 euros. Knowing this figure, let’s analyse what BMW offers us.

The German firm requests an initial deposit of 8,574.77 euros, 35 instalments of 160 euros and a final payment of 18,447.38 euros. The APR is 6.31% which implies a total payment of 32,826 euros taking interest into account. However, BMW shows considerable flexibility when managing the financing, so it will allow us a minimum term of 24 months and a minimum amount to finance of 16,000 euros.

At the end of the contracted term we can choose between paying a final instalment and keeping the car, exchanging it for another model from the firm, or returning it. BMW also includes, for 5 years or 100,000 kilometres -whichever comes first- maintenance, a point we must take into careful consideration.

What other options do we have on the market?

Although this offer from BMW may or may not fit our plans very well, we must also consider other options before going ahead with the purchase. Without leaving German territory, we can get a Mercedes-Benz A-Class 180 with a 136 CV engine for 29,225 euros.

Audi is about to renew the current generation of the A3, but if we don’t mind getting a vehicle that is visually and technologically somewhat more outdated than these two, we can take advantage of significant savings. In fact, the firm of the four rings offers the variant of its compact 35 TFSI with 116 CV for 27,650 euros.

Undeniably these figures may seem somewhat high for the segment they belong to, but we must keep in mind that they are configurator prices, so the dealership’s own discounts or the trade-in of a used vehicle are not considered, two aspects that can considerably adjust the total price to be paid.

Technical specifications of this car

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