Aston Martin versus Bentley

Besides someday hoping to own an Italian exotic like a Ferrari or Lamborghini, I would love to have a classic British exotic car like a Bentley GT coupe or Aston Martin DB9. Which car do you like best overall and why?

 

Interestingly, two weeks ago I traded my Continental GT in on a Vantage Roadster. No big reason, but my wife would not drive the Bentley ( she said she is too young ) but I cannot get her out of the Aston Martin. She drives the Vantage around town like it is a Miata.
I love the Bentley personally- started every time I got in it- had a few annoying electrical gremlins ( tire pressure system failure warning every drive, rear LED brake light failure and corresponding warning after washing the car, but besides that- no problems for 25K miles.
The AM is aranthacite white with a black soft top and black wheels so it is pretty sporty looking. It seems I get more thumbs up in the AM than I do the Bentley.
My only complaint is the seats on the AM are not as comfortable for my posterior anatomy as the Bentley's seats are. It has 6 way adjust and two lumbar supports, but nothing compares to the seats in the Continental.
Acceleration, speed... Pretty darn close. As heavy as the B is, when you punch it, the twin turbos will scare you.
In closing, I would say this. If you are under 50, get the AM. Over 50, Bentley.

 

"If you are under 50, get the AM. Over 50, Bentley."

@drjohngober, thanks! I am 40 so if in next few years, I get a new daily driver, a used Aston Martin Vantage sounds like the best choice for me. Especially a convertible! Right now, I have a BMW M3 as my daily driver. If I keep the M3 for long time, then I will get a Ferrari or Lamborghini for my weekend car. I do notice that Aston Martin cars lose their value a lot faster than Bentleys!

 

I used to own a 2002 Aston DB7 Vantage Volante and currently own a Bentley GT Continental. When I had the DB7, I was considering upgrading to a DB9. So I flew to the UK and took Aston's 2 day driving school at the Millbrook proving ground and toured their Gaydon and Newport Pagnell factories. It was great fun and I drove a Vanquish, DB9, and Vantage to the limit and put lots of miles on them. I then flew back and test drove a DB9 at a dealer and loved it.

Then the dealer talked me into driving a GT Continental. That was all she wrote. It was a clear winner over the DB9 in terms of driving feel, performance, control, and comfort, and that was a tall order because the DB9 is a great car. Lookswise, the GT was gorgeous to me, but no Aston in terms of looks. But the Bentley still won, so I ended up buying a Bentley GT instead. Over the years, that same dealer has loaned me (for a couple hours that is) Astons and I still love them. When I took the class, my favorite was the Vantage and that is also the model he has loaned me the most.

In fact, I am looking to buy a Vantage this year (I have posted threads on my "slow" search for one) I love them so much. But the Bentley aint going nowhere and when I am ready to get rid of it, it is going to get replaced by another Bentley. I want both brands in my garage as both are amazing vehicles.

Incidentally. I was still in my 30's when I bought that Aston and early 40's when I bought my GT (bought my first Ferrari in my early 30's). If you want to call a 552hp growling beast that can outrun a Porsche Carrerra 4S to 150 with sport mode on and the spoiler high whilst talking on your hands free phone and listining to JZ amidst rich leather and fresh wood an old man's car, call me an old geezer any time. Between 80-150, few exotic sports cars can match a GT. I can definately make it go faster than a DB9 or a Vantage. And in the wet with AWD and a hefty weight, fogetaboutit.

If you care about attention from the ladies (which I don't), young or old, the Bentley gets the most female attention by far of all the cars in my stable. The Ferrari gets the most attention from men over 30 and little kids, the R8 from men under 30 and little kids, and my BMW S54 M Roadster from real car nuts (heck, I even think Car Nut would like it). I actually think the Vantage will have the most broad appeal, but that remains to be seen.

 

+1 Went through the same debate myself and went with the Bentley GT. Just to add to what you said I like the Bentley interior 100x more than the Aston interior. Last but certainly not least, after several discussions with people in the business, people that rent them, etc. All agreed the Bentley was more reliable. I find talking to rental companies the best gauge. If a car can survive rental abuse that says a lot.

 

@raptorduck-

Well you are one lucky and smart rich guy to have exotics in your 30's- congrats!

Aston Martin does have the 007 James Bond cool factor and Bentley has the movie star image of among wealthy pro athletes as well. Good to know that Bentley is more reliable than Aston Martin. I need to drive both cars to find which appeals more to me. One thing is that as I get older, my body appreciates luxury more than just pure sport hence why a Ferrari or Lambo would not work out well as a daily driver even if I could afford it daily.

 

Just curious why does the GT seem like a 50's plus car? Most guys/ladies I see around here look very young. I'm 39 and highly considered the GT last year but ended up with the Phantom. And yes...I get the "oh look he is driving his daddies car" all the time.

 

I don't think they are real competitors to each other. I bought my Bentley at 36, still like it. But I guess I blow the curve in that I bought my V12 Ferrari at 23. Would like a DB7 at some point.

 

The GT is very tall and chunky. There's a stereotype that younger guys want something low and 'athletic' like a Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, etc.

To the OP: I think a DB9 would be very attainable, and to my eyes looks a bit more youthful. Also it's probably the best looking car being made today.

 

The Bentley is definitely the more reliable and comfortable car. I would chose the GT in an heartbeat.

 

Am under 50.... and am VERY happily driving a Bentley CGT. The young college aged men and women truly do love them as do many upcoming/established musicians/singers who own them. Debated getting an AM or the CL65 AMG and definitely would not get the AM due to the usual stories of reliability and TCO (total cost of ownership) issues. Add to that, the AM is really not built anywhere near as well as the Bentley. As for why not the CL65 AMG, the TCO will murder your bank account as badly as a Ferrari (perhaps worse). If you want a fast noise maker a Ferrari or Lamborghini are good choices as is the Lotus with a modified exhaust, if you want a fast, reliable, true grand touring car that works rain, snow, day, night, etc and yes those under 50 will respect and admire too then imho get the Bentley.

BTW, drjohngober the third (top center) LED tail light is a known issue (2007 or earlier models as best i recall) due to water and Bentley replaced mine under warranty last year and never had a problem since. They changed the electrical seal design on the current production, and when i say fixed... they happily replaced the entire assembly (read: it was not just a hack job seal 'replacement or modification' like some other manufacturers do to save money). Bentley really treats their customers right.

PS: Have driven the CGT in a spirited fashion in the dry there is A LOT to really admire. Sure it is a heavy pig near that of the AM, yet the feedback and feel of the Bentley is most impressive and the 4WD system will leave many other cars parked in the garage during the winter months. In the snow, the CGT with Blizzak tires was truly outstanding. i can not stress OUTSTANDING highly enough. My only main complaint in the snow is that the ABS was a bit too nanny-like, yet you can 'drive around' that sitiuation... while quickly passing 4x4 and SUVs stuck in the snow

 

Hi Steven,
I agree with you completely ( except I did not know about the brake light/window replacement). I took it into the local Bentley dealership last year and they were not as forthcoming with warranty information.
I do miss the Bentley. I really did not think of it as a heavy pig. Heavy yes, but in a good way. Off the line, I actually think the Bentley would hang with the Vantage in acceleration.
My wife loves the Vantage and would never drive the Bentley, but if it were up to me, I would rather have the Bentley ( and truthfully I am still a few years away from 50).

 

You are right... yet, well.... i have raced a 1200 lbs wet with driver Formula 2000 car (full aero package) so really anything over a ton and a half gets to feel 'like a fat heavy pig' to me. Of course that additional weight is of great benefit in the winter snow.

Amen, the CGT can launch off the line and pulls like a freight train all the way to 150mph or so. The usual 45mph 'rolling start' to then pass the slow pokes, as you know just give her throttle and the CGT is doing near triple digital before your hindquarters are past their front bumper(!). The CGT pulls like a madman. Now this is in stock mode, because if you switch to GICA 'tuned' performance mode she gets 650HP and 625TQ (just imagine even more craziness of acceleration out of the apex and on the straights... mwaaaaaa-hahahahahahahaha ).

Of course it is fun leaving other 'sports performance' cars for dead in the winter as you are out there in the CGT having the time of your life. All that weight and 4WD of the CGT really shine and as you know the CGT holds the world's speed record over iced lake for many years now.

Ok, performance and TCO aside, go for a drive listening to your fave tunes in the AM or CL65, then do the same in a CGT and the CGT wins hands down. The very low noise floor of the CGT combined with perhaps the best stock sound system i have heard... Remember, we have to 'live' in these cars and a 2+ hour ride in the nearly unmuffled Ferrari nearly killed my aural senses whereas in the CGT even after a 4+ hour drive i arrrive refreshed and ready to take on the world.

 

Good comparison for someone considering these cars.
BTW, what are your "fave" tunes to motor to?

 

It really depends on my mood and perhaps the destination. Music can be anything from 'alternative' rock, older country, classical, opera, popular, dance, rock, rap, hip-hop, trip-hop, trance, techno, electronica and jazz to 'fearless' music for musicians (Crafty Hands/Happy The Man, The Flower Kings, King Crimson, etc). Let us just say a 64GB of music storage is by a long shot not enough, and would like to see a usable 128GB or better still 256GB storage unit with touch screen. Am currently using the Dice Electronics unit and 64GB iTouch.

Before racing, while on or just before false grid, i'd listen to DMX "What's My Name" quite a bit

 

Thanks, very nice. I will download some DMX to listen to myself!

 

If you like techno/electronica, another album that has been getting a lot of play recently is the band Pendulum and their album Immersion. Especially the songs "Set Me On Fire" and "The Island, Pt 2: Dusk". On the first song mentioned it starts out a bit 'mellow', and then at the 40 second mark get ready for... In the Bentley it... try it and see for yourself

 

Finally had a chance to drive a used Bentley GT and loved it! Outside of a Rolls, nicest most plush interior ever and smooth power too. As I get older and sit in California traffic, I'm leaning more towards style and comfort versus pure speed. I still need to drive the AM DB9 to see which I like better but get the feeling it's more sporty of the two and closer to the feel of the M3 that I drive right now. I do still want a Ferrari or Lamborghini someday for a weekend fun car but for a Daily cruiser the Bentley is tough to beat.

 

Have driven a DB9 convertible at 140mph. My Turbo R is still more special to me...
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Love the classy looks of the Bentley Turbo R. How is maintenance cost on these older Bentleys? They look a lot like Rolls.

 

to me...that is a Bentley!!!!!

 

I had my choice of both, and chose the Aston Martin DB9 Volante basically for reasons of sportiness and style.

I already had a Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn and the Bentley was just too much like it to fill out my overall wants & needs in a second car.

 

Rolls took over Bentley in 1931...so it is a Rolls, but with a Garrett Turbocharger slapped on. Bentleys are now VWs (which isn't a bad thing). Volkswagen Group sells passenger cars under the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen marques; motorcycles under the Ducati brand. Volkswagen sold Rolls Royce to BMW in 2002. Rolls Royces & Bentleys are becoming different beasts again.

So far the Turbo R has been alot of painle$$ fun. 487 ft lbs of torque goes a long way when you blow by cars at 90. They see that big grill coming & generally just step aside. The "R" stands for roadholding. A 50% increase in roll stiffness was achieved by upping the anti-roll bar rates by 100% in front and 60% in the rear, and by increasing the damping. A Panhard rod to anchor the rear sub-frame was also introduced, reducing side-to-side movement in corners. 0-60 comes in about 6 seconds. It's big...about one inch longer than a Ford pick-up truck and wider than my Yukon XL. Lots of thumbs up on the road. A real magic carpet ride...
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Ok I drive a nice Aston Martin DB9 this weekend and to me it felt way more sporty and fun than the Bentley CGT that I drove. The Bentley has a more luxurious nicer interior but it's a much bigger heavier car and does not handle as well as the AM DB9. Of course the fast Bentley Supersports would be different.

 

I had the same decision and ended going with the Bentley.

It is a great blend of sporting Vs luxury.

BTW - How old is your wife? I am 38 and I know of heads of guys my age that Love the Bentley GT's.