Used Bentley Continental GT (Mk2, 2010-2018) review - How much will it cost?

You can buy an early example for the price of a flagship Nissan Qashqai, but while the popular crossover will be relatively cheap to run, the Bentley Continental GT will be anything but.

Prices

With prices starting from around £40,000, you might be tempted to divert your attention away from the premium SUV you’ve been looking at. We wouldn’t blame you, because that’s essentially a £100,000 discount on the price when the car was new.

The thing to remember is that while the price might be lower, the high running costs remain the same. Parts, servicing, insurance, fuel and tyres need to be factored into the annual running costs, which won’t be cheap. That said, if you have the means to buy a Bentley Continental GT, there can’t be many better ways to spend £40k.

You can check out the latest used prices for the Bentley Continental GT on our sister site BuyaCar.

Economy and CO2 emissions

You don’t buy a Bentley if you’re worried about running costs. Even so, we’d still choose the V8 S version over the W12. Cylinder-deactivation tech and an eight-speed gearbox help it return 26.8mpg on the combined test cycle, and as much as 36.7mpg out of town if you take it easy. But it’s pretty much as quick as the bigger-engined models and it still has an incredible 192mph top speed, so in everyday driving you’re not missing out in the way of performance.

In 2015, cylinder-deactivation technology was brought in on the W12, meaning the car can run as a six-cylinder when power demands are relatively low. It improves fuel economy by 4-5 per cent on the combined cycle, lowering the total to 20.9mpg, but Bentley claims it can be as much as 20 per cent better in the real world. The GT Speed has a combined consumption figure of 19.3mpg – or 13mpg around town.

Emissions also improve with the later cars, but even so it's hardly going to please an eco-activist. The worst offender is the 338g/km of the W12 GT Speed, while the V8 emits 246g/km.

Running costs

All Continental GTs need to be serviced every 12 months or 10,000 miles, and the costs for routine check-ups are the same for both engines.

Fixed-price maintenance pegs a minor service at £799 and a major one at £1,199. These costs cover few replacement parts, so budget around £195 every two years for brake fluid renewal, £215 every five years for fresh coolant, and £535 (£595 for W12 models) for replacing the spark plugs every three years, or 30,000 miles.

If the auxiliary belt needs renewing, this will cost £415 on a W12 engine, and £1,095 on a V8 unit. Fixed costs can be paid for by owners on a monthly basis, plus the replacement parts.

Given the enormous performance available across the range, and the high purchase and repair costs, it should come as no surprise that all Bentley Continentals attract the highest group 50 insurance rating.

The Bentley Continental may be an expensive car to buy, but it’s expensive to sell, too. Expect the value of a later model to halve over the first five years, and you should be in the right ballpark. However, while losing £75k in five years will sound painful to most, the truth is that a £1,200 monthly depreciation charge doesn’t appear to put off owners. And thanks to the timeless styling, it also makes a good used Continental a fabulous choice for the second or third owner.