Owning a Bentley: the real cost of maintenance, insurance, and daily driving

The British manufacturers have an impressive portfolio of luxury cars to its name, such as the Bentayga and Continental, but how much does it really cost to own a Bentley, including fuel, insurance, and maintenance?

Bentley is soaked in prestige and class. Much like its other UK companions like Aston Martin and Land Rover, Bentley oozes that rich quality associated with the London high street.

But the company is now a global empire with a ton of luxury cars right across the world.

So with a reputation for high-end products, here’s all you need to know about the real costs of owning a Bentley as a daily driver.

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How much it costs to own a Bentley

The costs that come with owning a Bentley vary from model to model.

Nowadays, the prices fluctuate as a lot of its cars are hand-crafted for a specific owner’s spec preferences.

But for the sake of this analysis, let’s break down the costs post-sale, focusing on the day-to-day running of Bentley luxury cars.

Insurance

The first thing for all drivers to take into consideration is how much it costs to insure a Bentley.

Of course, the price of your insurance fluctuates with each model, and the more expensive the car is, the more you’ll be facing to keep it on the road.

But typically, prices for comprehensive insurance covers start at around $1,200 a year.

A rough approximation via Compare the Market configured that a brand-new Continental GT would cost £1,000.76 ($1,290.31) to insure for a year.

Considering a very basic spec Bentayga can cost 20 percent less than a Continental GT, this may bring your insurance down slightly.

But if you’re looking at a Mulsanne (over $240,000 and 70 percent more expensive than the GT), you could wager insurance prices would edge towards $2k a year.

Bentley Maintenance

Of course, getting your hands on a Bentley is one thing, but keeping them ticking is another.

Whether it be the zippy Continental GT, the premium Bentayga SUVs, or even older classics like the Mulsanne models, they all require delicate care.

Given the elegance and bespoke nature of each part in a Bentley, this often leads to quite high costs for repairs.

For regular upkeep, you’re looking at $500 for an oil change and $2,000 for servicing.

As for individual parts, Bentley keeps its price list tightly wrapped.

However, its cars often run on a 4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine (Continental GT and Bentayga Petrol) or a 6-liter V8, which means any faults are going to set you back several thousand dollars.

The same goes for most of Bentley’s bespoke bodywork.

Replacements would have to be hand-crafted to your car’s personalized spec, which means custom-ordering parts and premium costs.

Some people have tried loopholes in replacement parts under the same ownership group, but this can often end in disaster.

Daily driving and fuel

Thankfully, daily driving and fuel costs are rather standard.

The manufacturer has yet to produce a fully electric car, with predictions of an SUV EV coming in 2026 and a high-tech sci-fi prototype aiming for a 2035 rollout.

Still, the latest Continentals can take the pressure off fuel prices slightly with its hybrid technology.

One Flying Spur ($220,000) owner previously revealed that it cost him $116 for 19 gallons (72 liters) of fuel to fill up his car completely.

But the question remains as to whether the luxury cars are fuel efficient or not.

The British brand claims that the Flying Spur’s V8 engine holds 515 miles in range with an extra 50 miles with hybrid technology. This makes the car rather affordable to run as a daily driver, depending on habits.

Other new models run similar figures, although the heavier Bentayga drops to 444 miles on petrol and 28 in its E-range.

Bentley luxury cars do have some rather steep costs, but considering the esteemed quality that you get with each car, the premiums are warranted and not enough to sway drivers off buying the models.

They are also much less expensive than some other supercars, including Koenigsegg models.

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