I'm considering purchasing a 2007 Bentley Continental GT Convertible (GTC). It's a one owner car (friend of my father's), has 45k miles on it with extensive maintenance and service history (receipts totaling well-over $50,000). From what I understand, he just had the large majority of the suspension re-done while the car was still under warranty. I have not had a chance to personally review the records yet.

What should I know about these cars as I consider this decision?
How much more do you think they'll depreciate over the next few years?
What are the maintenance and service costs like in the 45k - 60k mile range (and 7 - 10 year old)?
How much/what kind of attention does it typically command? For example, my bright orange Lotus Elise garners a ton of attention, but mostly from little kids and/or people commenting how small the car is.

Any input would be much appreciated.

 

This car will be noticed by a different crowd and they won't be comment on you small size. This is much more a luxury grand touring car and not a toy but it is no old geezer slow mobile. Good luck.

 

Obviously they are expensive to maintain, fix, etc.

They go for around $80k now for a good example, probably down to $60k or less in three or so years.


Figure on average $1800 a year. Some services are 'only' $1300, others will be $2500.

Everyone seems to like them, unlike, say, a Ferrari where it is grown men and young boys are your audience (great for pedophiles of course LOL). Some people might not know what it really is, which is good for being low key. Generally, it is a very positive audience. Not quite like the highly inquisitive folks you'll get with a Pagani or Rolls Royce. If you really want to stand out, the Pagani is the way to go about it imho.

 

In my experience, regular yearly service is $1300 if nothing goes wrong and the 40k and 80k service are about $2700. They are great cars and you will get plenty of attention just have some money in the bank otherwise you could be making payments on a vehicle your not able to drive. By the way, I have a 2007 GT and it has been pretty much bullet proof but I do have the dealer maintain it and spare no expense on maintenance. This is a great group and if you are mechanically inclined you may be able to do much of the maintenance yourself. Good luck with your decision.

 

50k$ in maintenance bills seems very high to me.

what's the car mileage and what has been wrong to justify such a big amount?

the car is 2007, thus the warranty ended in 2010... that's five years AGO. Then how comes that ''he just had the large majority of the suspension re-done while the car was still under warranty''. ?

 

Those are all excellent questions. I have yet to speak directly to the seller - all the information that I have to this point has been second hand. I will certainly get clarification when I see the car and speak directly with the owner.

 

2007, so we have at least 5 years owner SOL plus 3 more for service only. So let us say only 12,000 is service, that leaves 38k. Figure the typical known defect such as hose air leak adds 6k. Add in the usual suspensions arms, so 10k for all that at a minimum. We're left with 22k. A new convertible top is 10k though think it is higher yet am low balling here with ALL my estimates. The top is another known problem area. Now we have only 12k remaining. One small fender bender eats that up in no time (a 5mph hit cost 12k estimated in repair). So we're easily at 50,000 to keep a 2007 Bentley GTC alive.

Again, I lowballed the costs above.

Unless of course the owner paid 4k a year for that warranty plus cost to maintain. That would be 20 in warranty plus at least 12 to maintain. 32 grand goes fast guys. And I felt tracking the Ferrari was expensive, the Bentley has been nearly equally costly and it's never seen a track day.

PS: I forgot tires. At least 2 sets so 2400 for that. Oh, and let's us be kind and say one set of brakes and rotors so add 4k.

 

Steven,
Bloody hell! don't be such a killjoy buy yourself a Wraith AND a Tesla and let us believe that we are driving the best car in the world!!

seriously speaking, I didn't consider all of the above and I can't say you're wrong...but that would mean that the poor guy went through ALL the known problems and then some...

 

LOL! Well, love you guys and hate being the messenger about these things, truly I am. As a photojournalist / reporter, someone needs to have the b@lls to say it so others go into these cars with their eyes open. Yeah, a Bentley is not for the financially timid. Added up my costs plus deprecation and am into the 2007 GTC for over $30k in only two year's time. Holy crap I tracked a Ferrari for less than that and the Formula 2000 was a bit more, yet that is a very high-strung track car that 'needs' new tires for every event, shock rebuilds once or twice a season, engine rebuilds (top end at a minimum) if you want to be competitive.




Well, there's more actually and as you can see I lowballed the pricing. Look guys, it is all guys here right, if there is one thing I have learned the painfully hard way is that these cars are not the most reliable and definitely not cheap to maintain or fix. Of course depreciation is a killer too. But hey, took the GTC for a nice holiday to Vermont last week and added another 1000 miles on her. Only one time did she have an error check engine light thrown and we cleared it as it was a minor brief error that seems to have just been a hiccup. (Knocking wood) Good thing is was not the first O2 sensor problem that needs engine out to repair.


Oh darn, forgot to add in the O2 sensor problem within my previous post. And then there is the known....


So $50k in service/repair costs for a Bentley 2007 GTC not including depreciation sounds about right to me. The car was probably $200k new and now sells for $75k. So over $15k/year in depreciation.


Reality is a b*tch for those in touch with it. Sorry guys, truly I am


Maybe Bentley owners are into vehicular S&M?

 

Now with my morning cappuccino in hand.... The GTC is a wonderful car to drive when it is at full health and of this we can probably all agree. Sun, rain, snow... she really is visually beautiful, handles snow incredibly well (with the proper tires) and is fast in the dry. Handling is surprisingly good for her hefty weight too. Build quality is good and the craftspeople who build and service these cars (rightly) take great pride in their accomplishments. So I applaud the people who build and fix Bentley cars, and in my case, also the local dealer as they have been exceptional. Bravo!


Yet when it comes to the VW Group (Porsche, Audi, Bentley, etc), it seems reliability and keeping costs reasonable to repair / maintain are not their priorities. One of my friends recently felt the need to file documents about the Audi chain-driven engine with widely known problems that the VW Group refuses to make right. So if there was one wish, it is that the VW Group as a whole restructures to give more attention to reliability and designs their products to keep costs reasonable for their customers when problems do occur. If a product line has a defect, the VW Group should recognize this and do right by their customers. Word of mouth spreads fast in automotive circles, and whilst members of the press are good, many people weigh the opinions of word of mouth far higher.


The Internet has indeed lowered the importance of a magazine review or award by members of the press, unless said press member has a great reputation for always being honest with his readership. We all know there are plenty of fluff pieces by certain journalists / magazines who may be easily swayed by 'freebies' a manufacturer may offer (and future promises of benefits from a company). This is where boards like 6SpeedOnline is very important, as perspective owners can learn from day-in and day-out users about the reality of a product, and not just a one or three day events for members of the press where such problems may never rear their ugly head.


Yes the GTC (and GT before that) is a fun car and enjoy driving it. Handles relaxed driving and some sporty driving plus snow too! This is an impressive accomplishment. As a driver, my love of cars is not just going from point A to point B. With cars such as a Bentley, we expect more than we would with, say, a Jaguar, BMW, or Mercedes. Yet at the same time, we also want a company that provides at least the same warranty of 5yr/50k (or 100k) and stands behind their products when widespread problems do exist. Until owners speak up and demand more from a manufacturer, said manufacturer might not improve their products and keep service costs in check. We can all agree that product quality and company reputation are paramount when we choose to purchase a product. Price means little if you feel you receive nothing in return/support for your investment.

 

And thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. It's really helpful!

 

I have owned a 2007 GTC for five years now and have had few majors costs. I spent about $4k in maintenance and $4.5 in tires. The top is is great shape and i have not had to do the vacuum hose treatment yet.

 

''.... This is where boards like 6SpeedOnline is very important, as perspective owners can learn from day-in and day-out users about the reality of a product, and not just a one or three day events for members of the press where such problems may never rear their ugly head......''
''stands behind their products when widespread problems do exist....''

Yes, of course it is important to help the perspective owners taking, or not, the decision to buy a Bentley.
Obviously, now that the car is becoming more and more affordable to buy, someone can easily find himself into serious trouble if he is not financially prepared to assume the maintenance/repair costs.

 

100% agree ULSTRUP and over the years it deeply saddens me to say that I've seen others fall into the 'inexpensive exotic' trap. They saw the 'low' price of certain brands yet never factor in the high cost to maintain, let alone if something electrical / mechanical goes wrong. IMHO it is always good to have a $10k 'slush fund' with cars like these just in case. Sure $10k may sound high, yet better to reserve 'too much' than too little.

This is one of my big fears as am seeing more inquiries about these cars as their sales price starts falling into a more obtainable zone. Have seen people fall into this trap more than I want to remember

Since everyone knows they'll eventually need new brake pads and possibly rotors, maybe letting them know that new brake pads and rotors for all corners on a Bentley is around $3500 could help clue them in?

 

I agree with STEVENRMUSIC. I have seen the cars purchase cost fall into a much more attainable realm, only to see the service/maintenance costs stay the same. There is very little aftermarket support for these cars and therefore few pricing options. The buyer is smart for asking at least. There is no excuse for not asking.