In town the Bentley is cooperative. However, since the rear view window is small and the side view mirrors have limited size, and you sit fairly low in the GT, it takes a while to feel comfortable in such an expensive vehicle. It draws a lot of attention so you have to be acutely award of other drivers drifting into your lane as they stare at this moveable feast of power in
motion. I found myself accelerating a bit to make sure there wasn't another vehicle in the blind spot created by the large B pillars.
Your first real treat of what separates a man from his money is when you pull onto a highway entry ramp. You glance at the traffic, see an open spot, press on the petrol pedal, and grab cowhide. The shifts are impeccable. There is nothing to alert you to what you have done except a well-mannered growl as the twin turbochargers go to work. You are instantly over the speed limit. Fortunately, the Bentley is equipped with huge (15.9-inch-diameter front rotors and 13.2-inch rear discs) brakes that can take the edge off your exuberance pronto. If you want you can get to 60 mph in less than five seconds without any effort at all. That places the Bentley is sports car territory and those lesser vehicles aren't toting around 5000 pounds. Once on the highway it is just a matter of living with gas mileage that seldom goes about 15 mpg and avoiding selecting the highest sport setting which puts your kidneys in jeopardy on any but the smoothest of roads or racetracks.
Is it worth 12 times the price of a new Kia Sportage? It depends where you live and how you want to use it. As much fun as it to drive this Bentley, to use its perfectly placed paddle shifters to move through traffic effortless, and to absorb the attention others are drooling on you, the bottom line is that it potential is largely unharvested on heavily congested roads. If you want it for sex appeal or to ensure a premiere-parking place at every restaurant and hotel in the world, it is certainly worth it. But, let's face it, as my uncle always said, if you have to ask how much it costs you can't afford one and so for most of us it is just fun knowing that this Bentley is something we can aspire too. I certainly will.
Mom's view: Nothing new around The Car Family house as the keys to the Bentley were hidden for most of the testing period. When they were located-- men sleep so soundly after a good meal-- this is what I found. There are sonar sensors that seemingly surround the car and alert you when things are too close. It can be turned off, but I wouldn't. You can't see the front end and it looks to me like that handsome grill is just sitting out there waiting to be clipped.
The 12-cylinder engine, with its DOHC 48-valve, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection, has the ability to push your back firmly into the seats. I could not get enough of the way it sounded as the exhaust straddled the line between reedy and brutish. Someone should be knighted for that. And, I never got tired of knowing that there were only a
handful of cars in the entire world that could accelerate with the Bentley and few, if any of them, could have a trunk full of groceries and dry cleaning during the process.
Safetywise, there are twin front, side and curtain airbags, and active front head restraints to reduce whiplash, four-wheel drive, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, and exceptional maneuverability. When I called our insurance person to ask what class of rates the Bentley was in there was a lengthy pause before he responded with, "Would the be used for business or pleasure?" You know, I couldn't answer him.
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Your first real treat of what separates a man from his money is when you pull onto a highway entry ramp. You glance at the traffic, see an open spot, press on the petrol pedal, and grab cowhide. The shifts are impeccable. There is nothing to alert you to what you have done except a well-mannered growl as the twin turbochargers go to work. You are instantly over the speed limit. Fortunately, the Bentley is equipped with huge (15.9-inch-diameter front rotors and 13.2-inch rear discs) brakes that can take the edge off your exuberance pronto. If you want you can get to 60 mph in less than five seconds without any effort at all. That places the Bentley is sports car territory and those lesser vehicles aren't toting around 5000 pounds. Once on the highway it is just a matter of living with gas mileage that seldom goes about 15 mpg and avoiding selecting the highest sport setting which puts your kidneys in jeopardy on any but the smoothest of roads or racetracks.
Is it worth 12 times the price of a new Kia Sportage? It depends where you live and how you want to use it. As much fun as it to drive this Bentley, to use its perfectly placed paddle shifters to move through traffic effortless, and to absorb the attention others are drooling on you, the bottom line is that it potential is largely unharvested on heavily congested roads. If you want it for sex appeal or to ensure a premiere-parking place at every restaurant and hotel in the world, it is certainly worth it. But, let's face it, as my uncle always said, if you have to ask how much it costs you can't afford one and so for most of us it is just fun knowing that this Bentley is something we can aspire too. I certainly will.
Mom's view: Nothing new around The Car Family house as the keys to the Bentley were hidden for most of the testing period. When they were located-- men sleep so soundly after a good meal-- this is what I found. There are sonar sensors that seemingly surround the car and alert you when things are too close. It can be turned off, but I wouldn't. You can't see the front end and it looks to me like that handsome grill is just sitting out there waiting to be clipped.
The 12-cylinder engine, with its DOHC 48-valve, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection, has the ability to push your back firmly into the seats. I could not get enough of the way it sounded as the exhaust straddled the line between reedy and brutish. Someone should be knighted for that. And, I never got tired of knowing that there were only a
 |
Safetywise, there are twin front, side and curtain airbags, and active front head restraints to reduce whiplash, four-wheel drive, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, and exceptional maneuverability. When I called our insurance person to ask what class of rates the Bentley was in there was a lengthy pause before he responded with, "Would the be used for business or pleasure?" You know, I couldn't answer him.