Used Bentley Flying Spur 2013-present review

The old adage runs that the difference between a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley is that the former is a car in which to be driven, whereas the latter is a car you drive yourself. Well, the Bentley Flying Spur is intended to straddle those two worlds. This luxurious saloon aims to take the driving experience of the closely related Continental GT coupé and convertible, and combine it with a four-door body that offers enough space in the rear should you wish your chauffeur to chauff on occasion.

You get a choice of two engine options, each in two states of tune. There’s a 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo with either 500bhp as standard or 521bhp in the hotter V8 S model, or a 6.0-litre W12, either in 616bhp form as standard or with 626bhp in – you guessed it – the W12 S.

All Flying Spurs get xenon headlights, dual-zone climate control, sat-nav and a lavish interior with more walnut, leather and burnished chrome than you can shake a stick at. But it’s worth shopping around to find your ideal specification, as the list of personalisation options was extensive and many owners will have made their cars their own.

As you’d expect, though, that interior is an incredibly comfortable and opulent place to be, with top-quality materials as far as the eye can see. The rear seats can be had either as a bench of three with a small middle seat, or as two more commodious bucket seats with electric adjustment. Either way, there’s loads of room for four adults, though five is a bit of a push in the former configuration, and the boot isn’t as sizeable as you’d expect.

But while it might be luxurious inside, the Bentley also feels terribly old-fashioned. The infotainment and dashboard screens are low-resolution, and the former is extremely sluggish to respond and looks archaic. You can forget the idea of a TFT screen in lieu of the dials too – the Flying Spur is simply too old.

It’s a big car, too, and you feel it as soon as you take the wheel. You sit at an imposing height, which gives you a decent view out, but guiding the Flying Spur through width restrictions and tight gaps can be a heart-stopping experience until you get used to its size.

Its weight also compromises the ride and handling; even in the standard car, the Flying Spur isn’t as smooth as a car like this should be – you’ll find the Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8 both better it in terms of ride comfort by some margin. The S versions, meanwhile, have an even tauter ride, which allows thumps and tremors through to the cabin more often than it should. And while the Flying Spur remains composed and neat through corners, its numb steering, weight and sheer size mean it isn’t all that involving.

Happily, the ride smooths out on the motorway, making the Flying Spur a splendid cruiser. Indeed, the well-damped wind and road noise only add to this effect – as does the hushed engine, although if you’re in the mood, you can provoke any Flying Spur into a glorious bit of aural virtuosity with no more than a stiff prod of the accelerator.

Flying Spurs aren’t quite as pricey as you might think. True, nearly new examples at a couple of years old are still north of the £100,000 mark; however, if you’re willing to settle for a 2013 W12 with average mileage, you can buy such a thing for as little as £60,000 these days. A V8 will cost you a little more, of course, on account of the fact it was introduced later in the Flying Spur’s life – expect to pay at least £70,000 for one of these.

Well, if you have to ask, and so forth. Even the most efficient V8 model’s official average fuel consumption figure of 25.9mpg is enough to make you wince; you’ll have to drive pretty carefully to come close to matching that out on the open road too. W12 versions’ figures are even more eye-watering at just 19.8mpg.

As you might expect, then, you’ll pay the top rate of tax on the Flying Spur W12. That means £555 a year on cars registered before 1 April 2017, when the tax system changed, and £450 a year thereafter. V8 versions incur the same rate of tax under the new system, although those registered before the change squeak into a lower tax band, meaning they’ll cost £540 a year instead.

Servicing costs, likewise, will not be cheap – though you can reduce the cost by taking your Flying Spur to an independent Bentley specialist, of which there are quite a few dotted around the place.

We reckon the good bits about the Flying Spur – its beautifully crafted dashboard, space and luxurious trimmings – all come as standard with the entry-level V8 version. Besides, it’s more efficient than the W12, and more comfortable than either of the S models.

Our favourite Bentley Flying Spur: V8

The Rolls-Royce Ghost is smoother and even more refined than the Flying Spur, but it’s also considerably more expensive to buy, so you’ll have to up some budget by quite some margin to be able to afford it.

The Mercedes S-Class, by contrast, is considerably cheaper, so you can buy a much newer example for your money than you can with the Bentley. What’s more, it’s more comfortable and more economical – though it doesn’t quite have the same sense of occasion.

Or if you want a British luxury saloon with power to spare, why not try the Jaguar XJR? While it feels rather dated now, it’s no less so than the Bentley, and it’s also faster and sportier.

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