The REAL Cost of Owning A Bargain Bentley Arnage | 24 Years of Invoices Explained | Still A Bargain?

The Bentley Arnage Red Label is a firm favourite on the channel and undoubtedly has been my best performing video to date. Looking through the comments on my previous video, and quite frankly, any time someone stops to talk to me about the Bentley - they want to know, how much does it REALLY cost to own one?

If you've seen them in the classifieds, a Bentley Arnage is temptingly cheap, but what money has actually gone into owning one. Join me in this video as I take you through a comprehensive history of invoicing, including some rather big, scary numbers. Perhaps, all things considered, the true cost of Bentley Arnage ownership isn't quite as bad as some may lead you to believe.

[GrahamA]

My next door neighbour runs a Lexus LS400 that he’s had for donkey’s - 90% of the feeling of a Bentley in the real world ? It never goes wrong and is utterly fantastic. Most people don’t have a clue what it is so if you want normal people to look at you then the Bentley is a better choice but as a car to drive and enjoy the Lexus is pretty amazing.

[rjdavies]

I think you’re right regarding specialists - as these cars get older often they’re encountered less regularly by the main dealership team. A great specialist who trained and worked on these cars when new and now has gone out on their own is a great option.

[richardstamper]

We have a beautiful Continental R. In the main it's been very reliable and last year we ventured through Spain & Portugal on a 3k mile trip. I was really surprised because the locals just loved it and even the underground car park attendants kept their eye on it. All those people knew we were enthusiasts but it was great for us to share the car with them. We are not rich well to do people, just people who wanted something a little out of the ordinary. This year it's doing my sons wedding so it comes with a great deal of happy memories, what more could you want.

[manofthehour]

Fantastic presentation! I haven't seen your channel yet, but the immediate selling point is "the Internet is full of egos". I want to hear an objective presentation just as screened here. Thank you so much! Too bad the Internet is full of egos, and not of quality information. Well done, Sir!

[BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne]

I have owned 2 Arnage. A 6.75 and one of the original 4.4
If I was looking at buying a third one of these beautiful cars then I would not look beyond the 4.4 'Green Label'. I used 'Starmans' (Nottingham) independent for servicing (the guys are passionate about their Bentley and Rolls) and never felt either ripped off or as though they did work that didn't need doing.
The 4.4 is incredibly reliable, and does not suffer the head gasket issues the 6.75 suffers from.
I would personally go for a car that has higher mileage but a good service history rather than a low mileage garage queen....

[hoost]

£40425.00 over 24 years breaks down to about £1684.38 per year or £33.00 per week, rain or shine.
Not bad for a car that is not used commercially. I can speculate that if it was used a lot more the cost would go down, although it may seem counterintuitive.

[gerrymcdonald]

I had a HONDA WAGOVAN in the 1980's that I purchased new. I drove it 315, 000 miles over 8 yea and this is what I spent on repairs (parts AND labour);

Clutch (used from salvage yard): $240
Radiator (new): $160
Gas Tank (used from wrecker yard): $200

TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS: $600 (8 years)

The Honda was fun to drive, handled Canadian winter temperatures, snow and icy roads very well, and got excellent fuel mileage. 

The engine and transmission were never opened up, and when I got rid of it the engine still ran so quietly and so smoothly you could not hear it unless you strained to. AND it still burned very, very little oil. 

NOT a status car, rather a reliable, economical, fun car. FOR SURE! Loved that car and because of that experience I still drive Hondas 40 years on.

[highlandmalt]

I've owned a Bentley Continental R for 10 years. Ive owned a lot of luxury and performance cars. But the Bentley has cost WAY more to maintain than I was expecting. It's more like running an aircraft than a car. But they are like nothing else on the road.
BUT some of the specialists are VERY expensive, that head gaskets bill being a prime example.

[alansorbie]

Great review. I’ve always fancied owning a Rolls Royce or a Bentley. That doesn’t seem too bad at £1600 per year. Almost a bargain I’d say! I have a 2004 Porsche 911, all the receipts for that average out at about £2000 a year over 120k miles, including, tyres and so on, as well as a lot of suspension and infotainment upgrades which weren’t strictly necessary but add massively to the driving experience.

[oggie]

Oh my lord! Firstly id like to congratulate you on a simply gorgeous car! I'd like to maybe own one some day!
As the owner of a 2005 Aston Martin DB9 i can sympathise with the running costs. Ive had it only 6 months and have only driven it on odd occasions but its fantastic. However the history file that came with it makes ahem interesting reading! Servicing is on a par with your Bentley but some of the invoices are staggering.thankfully had a pre purchase inspection done which showed up a few things which were rectified at the dealers expense so fingers crossed im good for a while.
MPG on the Aston is marginally better than yours at an average of 19.7 mpg!
But, like your Bentley the smiles per mile are immeasurable. Thanks for sharing.👍👏👏👏♥️

[MarkGelderland]

Not too bad considering the class of car this Bentley is. A timeless beauty

[AndrewMarritt]

Thanks for this. Those maintenance costs are pretty similar to those of my recent Alpina B5, but that car depreciated every 4-5 months about the same amount as the Bentley's head gasket repair cost.

[alancrisp]

As owner of the sister version of the Bentley Arnage. The Rolls_Royce Silver Seraph. I find the biggest and most annoying issue, is the modern electronics. !⚠. Especially the airbag warning light 🚦, among

[VickersDoorter]

I had the Arnage Green label around 2000-2002. Wonderful vehicle. Being the sprightly BMW 4.4 Twin Turbo V8, it was surprisingly cheap to run (approx 22mpg), given the size and weight of the car. It's one car I would happily buy back. The car in this video is the Red label 6.75 litre even heavier engine. I'd say the Green Label is the one to own.

[onlinebizjp]

The red color of the Bentley is very elegant. It's very helpful to understand. Thank you for always sharing such good video🙏

[colino]

I own a Jag - 1998 XJ8 4.0. You kind of know that a major thing can happen anytime. Chains for me right now, which is a bit painful, but apart from that it's a once per year service with my km (few 000 per year) and nothing much seems to need doing so far. The rest is what you choose with a classic (or emerging classic) - bits of improvement on the interior etc. I've done home repair on a ripped leather bolster (minor cost), and I've replaced my wood veneer with a second hand set, repaired cup holder and got a nicer gear knob. All home done relatively low cost stuff.
I used to own a VW Golf 1.4TSi (mark 6). That cost me AU$8K in one year to keep it running and enable me to sell it.... for $8K. And some of those things should never have failed in the life of the car. So, any car can cause a major haemorrhage when something goes awry!

[MrGman]

I fancy one of these. The closest I have come is a 2002 Jag XJ8 4.0 which I bought 3 years old and was a pretty nice car. It drove beautifully. Here we are 20 years later. I would like an Arnage. The Jags do go I am considering my options.

[Slim]

I thought my old Honda civic head gasket was expensive. I feel better now thanks.

[jamesgraham]

A truly beautiful work of Automotive Art.. A very lucky car that it didn't fall into the hands of the wrong people. The £40+k would also need to be adjusted for inflation.. £1000 in 2001 was considerably more than today. Well done.. On behalf of the car, we thank you :>)

[willardr]

The paint looks epic. I wonder what detailing costs have added to the total cost of ownership because I consider it vital to keeping a car of any age looking fresh and pampered.