Bentley continental gen2 or s63 saloon
Discussion
Currently running a Jaguar XJ for long distance family stuff (my wife and 2 dogs) and love it but couldnt find the colour i wanted when i bought and it was missing adaptive cruise, got a fair bit more dosh now so looking to go XJR, Bentley 2012> or S63 2015>
I know the bentley is only 2 doors but i think i can make it work (dont like the flying spur) and i have always wanted one, not driven yet but sat in a gen 1 with walnut which was horrid and put me off for a while..
been out in the s63 coupe which i absolutely loved, not so much the drive but the interior was to die for, magic ride suspension was incredible and the saloon isnt much different in that respect i would assume, so thinking this could be a good solution plus you can get a later 2017> s63 saloon for the same money as a 2014 bentley so that goes in its favour, exterior looks goes to the bentley for me but still like the s63 looks mind
Then the XJR, new or nearly new for 60-70k, love the look, i know i love the drive, interior, very comfortable but not s63 comfort, rides well but still has a sporty feel to it which can be fun at times, it probably fits in with our area easier (but this isnt a massive deal) and you get allot more car for your money, i do love value as expectations are lower.
i might be expecting too much from the bentley? Is it that much better than the XJ or S63 comfort wise, do you feel a bit too conspicuous? (don't give an arse about the footballer image etc) but i dont want too much attention when in this.
Will go for a drive in both asap and see what difference this makes..
Thoughts? What would you go for?
(Doesnt need to be ‘fun’ as i will have an R8 shortly for this)
I know the bentley is only 2 doors but i think i can make it work (dont like the flying spur) and i have always wanted one, not driven yet but sat in a gen 1 with walnut which was horrid and put me off for a while..
been out in the s63 coupe which i absolutely loved, not so much the drive but the interior was to die for, magic ride suspension was incredible and the saloon isnt much different in that respect i would assume, so thinking this could be a good solution plus you can get a later 2017> s63 saloon for the same money as a 2014 bentley so that goes in its favour, exterior looks goes to the bentley for me but still like the s63 looks mind
Then the XJR, new or nearly new for 60-70k, love the look, i know i love the drive, interior, very comfortable but not s63 comfort, rides well but still has a sporty feel to it which can be fun at times, it probably fits in with our area easier (but this isnt a massive deal) and you get allot more car for your money, i do love value as expectations are lower.
i might be expecting too much from the bentley? Is it that much better than the XJ or S63 comfort wise, do you feel a bit too conspicuous? (don't give an arse about the footballer image etc) but i dont want too much attention when in this.
Will go for a drive in both asap and see what difference this makes..
Thoughts? What would you go for?
(Doesnt need to be ‘fun’ as i will have an R8 shortly for this)
LordGrover said:
Are you still en France?
If so Bentley all the way.
Yeh, would look lovely outside If so Bentley all the way.
But the XJ breaking down today made me reflect on how hard it would be getting the Bentley fixed if it broke down, neatest dealer is 1 1/2 hours away..
The events have also left me leaning away from the XJR now, i know, its only a break down.. but still.
Rick-fgpe0 said:
My unqualified reply - I saw a few pictures of the three way test on here between the Continental GT, S class and McLaren. When I saw the interior of the s class I thought “my 2015 C class had that touch pad, some of those buttons and the speedo/rev counter/user interface look identical”. I could be wrong but that was my initial perception.
Furthermore, when spending significant sums rightfully earned through hard work and commitment, you presumably want to get into a car and think “this is special; this is what I worked so hard for” and I would take a stab that the S class will feel like a nicer version of a c class, and the Bentley will feel like a Bentley.
When I see an s class I think “that’s a nice car”. When I see a Bentley I think “wow, that’s a different league”.
No comment on drive, performance, quality etc as I’m not equipped to comment, but purely from a bystanders perspective I’d say the Bentley is a car which people like me aspire to own one day, and an s class is something which I feel I could justify when the kids grow up in a few years. Price aside, the s class (to me at least) is a step up in the premium mass produced market and the Bentley is a different league. I could have an s class now if I wanted, but don’t feel I’ve earned a Bentley.
Bizarre if they’re the same price, but that’s my perception of the differences in the brand. There are loads of Mercs around but not so many bentleys. They’re special.
Not sure that makes sense but sounded sensible as I typed...
THAT is such a great post, i appreciate theres no actual personal experience of driving them but thats a fantastic view point well put, such a contrast to the other idiots post! thanks Furthermore, when spending significant sums rightfully earned through hard work and commitment, you presumably want to get into a car and think “this is special; this is what I worked so hard for” and I would take a stab that the S class will feel like a nicer version of a c class, and the Bentley will feel like a Bentley.
When I see an s class I think “that’s a nice car”. When I see a Bentley I think “wow, that’s a different league”.
No comment on drive, performance, quality etc as I’m not equipped to comment, but purely from a bystanders perspective I’d say the Bentley is a car which people like me aspire to own one day, and an s class is something which I feel I could justify when the kids grow up in a few years. Price aside, the s class (to me at least) is a step up in the premium mass produced market and the Bentley is a different league. I could have an s class now if I wanted, but don’t feel I’ve earned a Bentley.
Bizarre if they’re the same price, but that’s my perception of the differences in the brand. There are loads of Mercs around but not so many bentleys. They’re special.
Not sure that makes sense but sounded sensible as I typed...
you can get your head in the clouds a bit when buying at this level for the first time and you post has helped ground my thinking a bit.. weirdly it turns me away from the bentley a tad because id like to fly a little under the radar when on long haul with the family and i think the bentley might overshadow things and detract from us enjoying ourselves together, i dont want it to be about the car but i do want the best comfort for us all.. plus i think id feel that id chosen the car over them seeing as it doesnt have 4 doorsEven so, I still WANT a Bentley because it represents the ultimate luxury petrol heads car imo, head v heart are always the most fun i guess
Its very hard not to when you can but im still so value driven i know i’ll probably be expecting too much from it, i sort of expect less from the merc & xjr
Andyspro said:
I would definitely go for the Bentley. Will stand out a lot more trust me.
Im sure it would but thats the problem, for this cars intended use i think its better it doesn't, when i feel & want to be more leery / do track days etc then i’ll have other cars for this..Rick-fgpe0 said:
Pvapour said:
THAT is such a great post, i appreciate theres no actual personal experience of driving them but thats a fantastic view point well put, such a contrast to the other idiots post! thanks
I thought about this a bit more and also found myself on autotrader checking out some bentleys (work from home day and not enjoying the task at hand). I’m 32 and do pretty well; my girlfriend earns almost what I do so between us we’re doing nicely. The relevance is that as much as I love cars and want to have a super car whilst I’m still young enough to have the reflexes to enjoy it, life has a way of making you prioritise depreciating assets pretty low in the pecking order. We’ve got 3 kids under 11. I saw Brexit as an investment opportunity so took a monstrous mortgage out and bought a house in the country whilst prices were depressed (10% house price gain where the price is a lot gives better roi than a smaller house so I took a gamble). My current car goes back in April/May so I’ve been looking around but again, head vs heart, I’ve reduced my monthly cost and taken a diesel estate.
So what? I think an investment in a depreciating asset (a typical car) will always sit on the back burner whilst loading up pensions, building equity, capitalising wherever you can. If you’re in the fortunate position to be cash rich or have significant disposable income then it becomes less of an issue (Warren buffet says put 1/3rd if your disposable income into investments so if you can pay the bills, have enough in the pension/investments, and still have cash in your other 2/3rds then spend it freely - and if that’s enough for a Bentley then crack on! For me, right now, it’s not).
Until I’ve cleared a chunk of the mortgage and can retire with a £1m annuity I can justify a fancy car. It may never happen so I may never get a fancy car but there’s a plan and I’ve got to stick to it.
Now, if the asset didn’t depreciate and instead appreciated, you’d have a much easier time splurging on the capital cost. So with that in mind, is there an appropriate car which is likely to increase in value over the ownership, or at least depreciate less than others? Was there a limited edition run of any of them? Even if the up front goes up 10%, it would seem worth it? But that’s likely to put you back in exclusivity territory so then consider the trade of between 70k depreciating to 40 over 5 years but subtle appearance vs 70k appreciating to 100 but being gregarious. Aston martins are apparently going up, as are many other rarer classics.
1st world problems...
We’re older but still under 50, no kids so nothing to pass on, house all paid for with cottages on site for future rental income etc etc and we just had a massive (to us) wind fall so the depreciating asset side doesnt even come into it (pretty damn lucky i know) but i’m soooo value driven! tight ffs! call it what you like but i know i’ll want maximum out of whatever i put in and i think i’ll get more from the merc if im honest as its the less selfish move which is strange for me
i guess because my selfish cars sit elsewhere that a bentley would just be a bit too much excess.A ridiculously 1st world problem that quite honestly has me cringing a bit, i honestly never thought id ever be in this position, only ever dreamt it, so its weird to be here.
Appreciating low miles classics are a trap i think, you’ll never use them for fear of devaluing it, buy a high mileage f40 at the right money and have some fun, buy right and it’ll be worth the same as you paid but youve had free fun, thats value!
Rick-fgpe0 said:
Great point ref low mileage means fear of use. I’ll say sod it soon enough and build a Caterham or something to ease my speed needs and justify the cost with personal amusement in building it. Likely not for another 10 years though until the kids are 16/18/20. Midlife crisis feels about right then too.
Sounds like you’re talking yourself more and more into the merc and out of the Bentley. Maybe have a (another) drive in both to settle it and start focusing on whichever is the winner? Feels to me like you’ve made up your mind and now are looking for validation - which you don’t need. Either would be a fantastic addition to the “fleet” and if there’s an R8 in the pipeline, who needs additional excess. Both will get you from A to B in incredible style and comfort, and the rest of us will be oooh-ing and aaaah-ing at your gorgeous S Class all day long.
An S class is not a step backwards from a Bentley, it’s just different. An none of us are in your shoes, you know what suits you best. We all lust for your position and want the Bentley to feel special. You don’t need a car to do that, you’ve already made it.
An s class for the week and an R8 for the weekend sounds pretty damn great to me. Almost time to bit the bullet and go merc shopping I reckon...
But not unless you’re sure you don’t want a Ford S max. Great cars from what I hear on the grapevine
I think you’re right, some of the Bentley ownership is about ‘look, I made it’ and I’m a little uncomfortable with that, though Bentley is to rolls Royce as maserati is to Ferrari in this regard which is why I went maserati in my current garage, a little less ostentatious.. Sounds like you’re talking yourself more and more into the merc and out of the Bentley. Maybe have a (another) drive in both to settle it and start focusing on whichever is the winner? Feels to me like you’ve made up your mind and now are looking for validation - which you don’t need. Either would be a fantastic addition to the “fleet” and if there’s an R8 in the pipeline, who needs additional excess. Both will get you from A to B in incredible style and comfort, and the rest of us will be oooh-ing and aaaah-ing at your gorgeous S Class all day long.
An S class is not a step backwards from a Bentley, it’s just different. An none of us are in your shoes, you know what suits you best. We all lust for your position and want the Bentley to feel special. You don’t need a car to do that, you’ve already made it.
An s class for the week and an R8 for the weekend sounds pretty damn great to me. Almost time to bit the bullet and go merc shopping I reckon...
But not unless you’re sure you don’t want a Ford S max. Great cars from what I hear on the grapevine
I’m working class through n through and don’t want anything to unroot that which is my struggle but I’ve fallen in love with luxury motoring as I’ve aged..
The answer might be not deciding between them at all and just have both, instead of buying the r8 cabriolet (i miss a convertible for winter sun) I have the GTC, I’m not sure I’d do many track days in the r8 (which was its other intended function) but romantic trips out just for the two of us? We’ll be doing that allot..
Then some Caterham or bike for odd track days.. tow it with the s class
popeyewhite said:
Personally I'd rather have an S500 coupe than S63, the whole AMG thing has become a bit common baseball cap in recent years. Bentley is a nice option though... .
Agree, as said, happy to have the s500, trouble is the designo seats (ventilated, massage) in the uk are rarely optioned where as the 63 nearly always has this, along with adaptive cruise plus the 63s seem to have the lighter exterior interior combos that im after.
Phil Dicky said:
Pvapour said:
The answer might be not deciding between them at all and just have both, instead of buying the r8 cabriolet (i miss a convertible for winter sun) I have the GTC, I’m not sure I’d do many track days in the r8 (which was its other intended function) but romantic trips out just for the two of us? We’ll be doing that allot..
Then some Caterham or bike for odd track days.. tow it with the s class
Think you've answered your own question OP. Then some Caterham or bike for odd track days.. tow it with the s class
popeyewhite said:
S63 looks lovely.
Tiz eh, Hoping its more involving than the diesel variant i tried this week, trouble is the XJ is such a good steer for a big car, 200kg less in weight.. ive put a returnable deposit down on this till i get to drive it, testing an xjr just before though to get a direct comparison..Thats that one sorted then..
It was so much better than the XJR for what we’re looking to do with it.
2hr drive to hotel in horrible conditions and i wasnt even aware, the distronic plus has really moved on from the 2005 sl55 we had, as have the massage seats etc..
Loving it so far, was a bit shunty in the traffic a couple of times when in stop start distronic, normal?
It was so much better than the XJR for what we’re looking to do with it.
2hr drive to hotel in horrible conditions and i wasnt even aware, the distronic plus has really moved on from the 2005 sl55 we had, as have the massage seats etc..
Loving it so far, was a bit shunty in the traffic a couple of times when in stop start distronic, normal?
Yep, it was fairly easy tbh as it’s that good and made easier when you’re very specific about a colour combo and there’s only one in the country
Not been able to open it up due to weather but I’m not even that concerned about that, was more about toys and colour, those seats!! God those seats are comfy.
Not been able to open it up due to weather but I’m not even that concerned about that, was more about toys and colour, those seats!! God those seats are comfy.
popeyewhite said:
Pvapour said:
Loving it so far, was a bit shunty in the traffic a couple of times when in stop start distronic, normal?
Switched my stop/start off, hated it!popeyewhite said:
Pvapour said:
popeyewhite said:
Pvapour said:
Loving it so far, was a bit shunty in the traffic a couple of times when in stop start distronic, normal?
Switched my stop/start off, hated it!Eta: looks like they call it ‘active distance assist’ distronic
Edited by Pvapour on Friday 28th February 18:46
Loving this S63, it just gets better, did some late night driving for 200 miles last night and the night vision alert is bloody brilliant, it sees animals before i can and the headlights are way better than the led matrix ones on our ipace which i thought were brilliant.
Onto the Next purchase..
I took an AMG GT out yesterday (first the gtc but never even got out the car park due to ride comfort) with selectable air suspension which made ride just about tolerable, after that i fell in love with it on the twisties with that noise and gearbox, and with looks which i adore as it harks back to the 50s, i think this has become a player up against the Bentely gtc and R8 spyder (not tested yet)
Anyone lived with the AMG over time and got some long term ownership developments / annoyances once the honey moon is over?
Onto the Next purchase..
I took an AMG GT out yesterday (first the gtc but never even got out the car park due to ride comfort) with selectable air suspension which made ride just about tolerable, after that i fell in love with it on the twisties with that noise and gearbox, and with looks which i adore as it harks back to the 50s, i think this has become a player up against the Bentely gtc and R8 spyder (not tested yet)
Anyone lived with the AMG over time and got some long term ownership developments / annoyances once the honey moon is over?
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