[Ohlgren]

Thinking about getting a Bentley Continental GT for a daily driver. Has anyone here had experience with them? I put about 10,000 miles on my car every year. I want to make sure I don't end up spending a fortune on maintenance, or getting something that does not live up to my expectations.

 

[Russk]

I got to drive one but that’s about all. It was incredibly nice and quick, a lot faster than I expected.

 

[Ohlgren]

I love everything about them, and the performance seems amazing on paper. I just want to make sure I do not get a daily driver that costs a fortune to maintain. So far I hear good things. I just wonder why a $200,000 car lists for as low as $38,000 12 to 15 years later.... They seem like an incredible deal, which is why I am asking.

Glad to hear you liked driving one Russk. I have yet to even sit in one.

 

[Russk]

I love everything about them, and the performance seems amazing on paper. I just want to make sure I do not get a daily driver that costs a fortune to maintain. So far I hear good things. I just wonder why a $200,000 car sells for as low as $38,000 12 to 15 years later.... They seem like an incredible deal, which is why I am asking.

Yes, that is curious but they are luxury at its best not really known for holding their price or appreciation over time. I have never heard anything negative about them. I would have to think they are well built as they have been around quite awhile. Are you buying new or pre-owned?

 

[surfah]

I drove the V8 TT GT Conti. The craftsmanship is impressive from the grained wood on the dashboard, the hand stitched leather seats to the double paned glass. It drove like a barge, heavy and large. I chose not to buy one because it was not exciting to drive despite exuding luxury and prestige. The ventilated seats and NAIM stereo make the experience a very pleasant one but the tech is dated. Test drive a S63 coupe which is more athletic to drive with modern tech and an equally powerful engine and luxurious interior. It’s not as special as a Bentley. M8 is another large sporty coupe you should test drive. If you want name and prestige go Bentley but at least you will have some comparison to make a decision.

 

[Guyardo]

Just built one
http://instagr.am/p/CHQ1A2xBKpt/

 

[gb1974]

i have had a 2016 GT for the past 2 years--and put about 8,000 miles each year on it. obviously a completely different experience vs my huracan. the backseats are not really useful, so consider it a 2-seater unless you have small kids. extremely smooth and great acceleration in a straight line--just not anything like a lamborghini experience. quality of interior is fantastic and exudes class--although the tech on mine feels pretty dated (not a big deal to me). i think these depreciate because a lot more miles get put on them than other makes--because they are definitely daily drivable. happy to answer any specific questions you may have...

 

[Russk]

The Bentley GT is a beautiful car, and compared to a Rolls Royce Wrath it’s a bargain. if I were looking for luxury I wouldn’t look any further in the GT. Metallic blue with a cream leather!

 

[Craig FW]

I think the Wraith makes sense if you wanted to specify everything in a bespoke way through the design center, visit the craftspeople, etc. But if you just want a luxurious GT with a prestigious brand that you can drive daily, everything surfah mentioned is spot on. The technology in the AMG is probably better, but the interior is more austere than the Bentley. MB won’t be updating the S coupe or cab to the W223 platform though, so getting a 2018 S coupe is probably the bargain of what surfah mentioned.

 

[Ohlgren]

Yes, that is curious but they are luxury at its best not really known for holding their price or appreciation over time. I have never heard anything negative about them. I would have to think they are well built as they have been around quite awhile. Are you buying new or pre-owned?

I would be buying used. I am thinking about a car at the bottom of the price range. I am not wealthy enough to even consider a new one. I was thinking about spending 40 to 50 on an older model. There are a lot of them out there in that price range and many have less than 50,000 miles. I understand they can be costly to fix when needed, so I am prepared for a bit of that. So far I hear they are really solid and most people think the older ones are way undervalued. My thought is to find one with less than 50,000 miles, drive it for a few years, and move on when the miles start to stack up.

For discussion sake, Here is a listing of one for sale that is pretty much in line with what I am contemplating.

Used Bentley Continental GT for Sale (with Photos) - CarGurus

Save $23,873 on a used Bentley Continental GT near you. Search over 500 listings to find the best local deals. We analyze millions of used cars daily.

www.cargurus.com

 

[Russk]

I found one on CarFax.

Used Cars for Sale – CARFAX

Start your search with CARFAX Used Car Listings. Every car comes with a FREE CARFAX Report!

www.carfax.com

 

[Ohlgren]

Exactly what I am thinking about RussK! That one is spot on in every way! Lots out there in this price range. The prices seem a little too good to be true. Wondering what the catch is. Will it fall apart, or are the older ones just out of fashion?

Watching videos and reading reviews, they sound like exactly what I want. Crazy comfy and stupid fast. So far, I have only seen a couple bad reviews, but they were really abused examples with tons of miles.

I think what appeals to me most about these cars are the interiors. That is what you see when you are driving, and I think the Bentley's is my favorite. (Second to the Spyker, but we are not considering one of those...) I am not that interested in info-tainment systems and was actually pleased to see a CD player

 

[johnny2012]

I have a 04 and it is a great car:
1)fast
2)comfortable
3)awd plough through biggest snow storm
4)hold four people/dog
5)huge trunk
6)getting compliments
7)interchangeable parts with many VW parts

minus
1)avoid early cars (due to vacuum leak problem which requires engine out . Cost me $7000. New version seems to be ok.
2)require rebuild air suspension $2-3k. Control arms might also fail. You can buy parts online from sites like Flyingspares which could be cheaper than dealer
3)depreciation king. I wouldn’t get a new one unless you don’t care about massive depreciation.

No other major issues.

must sure you get a Mulliner edition with diamond stiches leather and nicer shift knob.

I’m looking to get a different car since I have mine for five years now but my search just lead me back to Since I have a Gallardo so I don’t want another garage queen in winter. I Couldn’t find another car that’s as good as this car for a all season GT car.

go to 6speedonline. It has a fairly large Bentley Continental Gt community.

I bought my 2004 with 30k miles for $56000 in 2013. Now I have 50k miles. Repair could be costly but overall, you get to drive an awesome car for the same cost/miles as the latest mode E class. It is no brainer.

what to lookout for :

1)whether has air suspension rebuilt /replaced . Saves you money if it is done because it will fail at this mileage
2)make sure either it is a MY has no plastic vacuum hose leak problem or buy one that already got it fixed
3)check if control arms are all replaced
4)check brake health especially front

normal maintenance is reasonable. Oil change $200-300 labor and parts.

You can’t find a better car at this price.

 

[Russk]

They are great cars. Drove a GT a few years ago and was very impressed, looks, power and crazy comfort.

 

[Ohlgren]

2007 seems to be a sweet spot. Lots of upgrades from the first couple years. Brake lines switched to hard lines. Lots of little improvements. Still depreciated to a great price. That one Russk linked to pretty much hit the nail on the head. Going to wait until spring. Starting a new job at a new company in January. Want to see the lay of the land before I make a big purchase. Probably be looking to pull the trigger in March. Everything I see and read makes me feel better about getting one.

 

[Ohlgren]

Purchase of a 2007 Bentley Continental GT in the works. All black with the Mulliner interior. Less than 30K miles. Offer just accepted. Going to take a couple weeks to get it home since it is a long distance transaction. I will post more when it arrives.

 

[Jetstream]

Congratulations on your new GT. Fabulous cars that fly under the radar.

As mentioned above, the Bentley section of 6speenonline is fabulous with many helpful forum members. Thankfully that forum has 'Johnny Hotspur GT' who is an absolute genius and very willing to share his immense knowledge on all things Bentley.

Bentley - 6SpeedOnline - Porsche Forum and Luxury Car Resource

Bentley - Bentley Motors forum discussion, vintage models, Continental, Flying Spur, Mulsanne, and Bentayga tips, guides and help.

www.6speedonline.com

 

[Ohlgren]

I had forgotten what a pain it is to do these distance transactions. Going insane. I could write a book listing all of the hassles. The worst part is that every single person and institution involved keeps telling me something different every time I talk to them. I don't like buying a Bentley long distance to be an ever evolving organic process.....

Probably a piece of cake if I paid cash, but I added financing and created a 3 ring circus.

 

[Jetstream]

I think you are correct that cash would have made your transaction smoother, but hang in there and you will soon be wafting around in a fabulous new Chariot that will give you much pleasure.

 

[Ohlgren]

Bentley purchase closed yesterday and it is getting picked up today! Scheduled to arrive Tuesday.