Overview & Reviews

The Bentley brand is to luxury cars what Everest is to mountains. Those with wallets deep enough to meet the six-figure price tags of the company's vehicles are treated to towering levels of refinement and prestige. Bentley coupes and sedans are mostly hand-assembled in Great Britain at the manufacturer's state-of-the-art Crewe factory. This fusion of old-world craftsmanship with new-world technology is what the Bentley marque is all about.

Founded by Walter Owen Bentley, Bentley Motors was born in England in 1919. Two years later, the first model debuted, the rapid "3-litre" Bentley. Larger cars followed, and racing success at Le Mans earned the Bentley motorcars status among British sports car enthusiasts. Financial woes (brought on in part by the Wall Street Crash of 1929) triggered the brand's sale to Rolls-Royce in 1931. The first new Bentley after this event was the "3 1/2-litre," introduced in 1933 and based on a Rolls chassis that never saw production.

In subsequent decades, Bentley slowly slid into anonymity with vehicles that, at times, were little more than rebadged Rolls-Royces. The company's fortunes finally took an upturn in the 1980s. A new company policy dictated a more distinctive brand image, and it yielded the Mulsanne Turbo sedan, named after the famous corner on the Le Mans circuit. Most other Bentley models of this time, however, such as the Continental coupe and convertible, were still Rolls-Royces with different grilles.

The '90s brought more distinctive models into the fold, such as the redesigned Continental coupe, new Azure convertible and the new Arnage sedan, the latter replacing the dated Mulsanne. In 1998 BMW began supplying engines to both the Bentley and Rolls-Royce brands. Later that year this relationship created a conflict when Volkswagen acquired both marques, but the two German automakers reached an agreement that saw VW handing over control of Rolls to BMW in 2003, while keeping Bentley and the Crewe factory.

During the 2000s, that VW ownership allowed Bentley to further expand its model range and improve overall quality. The Continental coupe was again redesigned and quickly became a sales success, spawning a convertible version. Soon a four-door version of the Continental, the Flying Spur, debuted, followed in 2011 by the Mulsanne flagship sedan.

As one would expect, modern Bentley coupes and sedans are powered by a series of surprisingly muscular engines. The most potent models are motivated by a turbocharged 12-cylinder engine that generates more than 600 horsepower, though a new V8 promises similar acceleration but with much better fuel economy. No matter the engine, Bentley's traditional qualities remain, with all models benefiting from a cabin exquisitely finished in a variety of leather and wood trim.

There are high-dollar ultraluxury cruisers, and then there are Bentleys. Whether it's the Arnage sedan or the Brooklands coupe, these cars make an impressive statement and are sumptuous enough to make even the most jaded tycoon purr with delight.

User Reviews:

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  My Bentley - 2004 Bentley Continental GT
  By Rick Collins - March 16 - 10:00 am

  My Bentley is great. I just purchased three new cars, two for me and one for my wife. My wife has a Mercedes SL600, I havea BMW 760Li and my Bentley. My Bentley is by far my favorite car. I have it in the colors featured on the Edmunds site. I am 50 years old, and I remember lots of the old Bentleys, and this one is a blast from the past.

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  its great when it is not in the shop - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By Bent - December 30 - 10:53 pm

  The car handles great and has plenty of power. The interior could be a little better thought out, but only a minor issue. Reliability is a huge problem. There is an electrical bug somewhere in this car and the Bentley service has been poor at best. The car has been in the shop at least 5 times in the last year, and it is still not right. Dealing with the problems has taken all the fun out of this car.

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  The Perfect Car - 2004 Bentley Continental GT
  By EMB - December 29 - 8:33 pm

  I have always been a Porsche owner, but ever since I purchased the Bentley GT, I dont even remeber what a Porsche looks like! I love everything about this car; great looks, tons of room and monster engine.

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  Fabulous, except... - 2010 Bentley Continental GT
  By Steve D - August 5 - 7:56 am

  If you are in this class, you have some expectations. The car is wonderful to drive, stunning curb appeal, and incredibly powerful. Meeting those expectations. However, the 7 year old BMW 745 Li I traded in had much more advanced electronics. It gets a 5 in reliability because the battery drains from starting W-12 engine after about 10 days of around town driving and must be plugged into an external charger. The car starts, but no stereo, SatNav or other accessories. Overall, it is a thrill every time I start the car and all my friends always want me to drive them to dinner.

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  GT Rocks but blows fuel quick!! - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By BocaBentley - February 7 - 7:30 am

  Nothing bad to say except for the amount of gas it takes to go down the block. The car is a true masterpiece.

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  Great Car - 2003 Bentley Arnage
  By the_real dude503 - May 4 - 2:00 am

  This Car is so great. The only setback to it is the horrible fuel economy. It is way worse than my Ford Explorer was.

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  Muscular torso in a Savile Row suit - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By Overlord - March 31 - 1:10 am

  I bought this car for the interior and it doesnt disappoint - except perhaps the plastic display surround. The leather and wood is heavenly and reminds you of the English craftsmanship clothing the largely German dynamics. The latter is reassuring, since I have had an unpleasant ownership experience with an old school Brit supercar, the Aston Virage. The car is undeniably heavy, but the 4wd deals well with the power, and good drivers can push it further than you might suppose. However, dynamically it would be outpaced through the bends by some of my other cars - Ferrari 550, 911 Turbo, Noble (small volume English rocket!) Still, for elegant trundling, it beats any Merc, BMW or Audi.

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  2005 Bentley GT - 2005 Bentley Continental GT
  By R. B. Tonkin - January 22 - 4:26 pm

  I have only driven my Bentley Continental GT some 500 miles so far, but it has been flawless perfection thus far. It has exceeded my expectations in every way. Even fuel the mileage, which is low, is adequate as this car weighs over two and a half tons with over 550 horsepower. It is quiet, smell of leather is so pleasant, and tactile swithchgear is perfect.

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  Bently Continental Flying Spur - 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur
  By Texas driver - July 16 - 11:16 am

  I had less than 1,000 miles on this car and it had to be taken in for service twice. The wheels were not balanced properly for the first visit. The air conditioner went out in 100 degree temps on a road trip. It is a lovely car other than those problems, but it makes one wonder what is next. There is a fabulous sound system on the car. But the interior storage space is not large enough. If I put in an XM radio, I would lose my one ashtray. There is nowhere for change if that is gone. It drives beautifully. I cant wait to get out on the open road with this car.

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  snakes in paradise - 2007 Bentley Continental Flying Spur
  By lovecars11 - June 11 - 4:15 pm

  Fast, smooth, comfy,and commodious, we loved this car until Bentley US refused to correct a speedo off by 7%, failed to correct peeling paint (on a $200,000+ car???!!!), and failed to ethically address additional issues with this vehicle. After 4 years with this car, we wish wed never purchased it. It often throws codes on startup, which will get expensive when the extended warranty expires. Poor warranty service/aftercare is a nightmare on any item. On a vehicle at this price point, it is an outrage. It can be great fun to drive for such a huge sedan, but, without proper, kind, and ethical factory support, its nothing more than atarted up piece of garbage we wish wed never purchased