Hey everyone, coming up later this year I'll be in the market for a luxury GT car. Max budget would be in the $30-33k range. Vehicle will be replacing my 07 Range Rover Sport, which I do love, but I want to replace it with something a bit more fun to drive as I have an SUV already. I've got many months left to research, so I'm not rushing into anything, but I thought I'd try to pick the brains of those here as there's a good chance some here have come from, or are still in, the Mercedes game too.

- The two cars I have my eyes on are the 05/06 Bentley GT, and the S63 AMG (or perhaps any other AMG sedan).
- I've found a couple nice looking S63 AMGs in the $20-25k range, but with mileage in the 65-80k range vs BCGT in the 40k mile range within my budget of $30-33k.
-- Right now I'm definitely leaning towards the Bentley, but my lack of experience with the brand is unsettling as someone that doesn't have a spare $10k to drop every year on maintenance for a "fun" car hobby.


What draws me to the Bentley is that it seems significantly more "special" than any AMG car I've seen. I love AMG cars, but you just see Mercedes everywhere. AMG also seems to have had a lot of suspect engine/transmission issues in the past decade, and obviously those aren't cheap. Meanwhile, the Bentley seems to have pricey repairs as well, but the huge ticket items like the engine and transmission seem damn near bullet-proof. I have a fantastic Indy shop that I've trusted with every BMW, the 911, and my Rovers, he does great work at great prices.

I suppose my question is, am I way off base even comparing the GT to an AMG car, or are the prices to play in different leagues? I would never bring it to a dealer, so buying parts from the VW/Audi parts bin that share part numbers would be an obvious choice.

 

From experience I can tell you you need to have a repair budget for the cars either way. A bad dealer diagnosis cost me 8K in two weeks and still didn't solve the problem. These cars are expensive once something goes wrong. Either way first find a reliable independent mechanic that has the diagnostic software for either vehicle as they are better than a dealer in terms of cost and honesty. A average maintenance from a dealer may be 1-2K/year normally and probably half at a independent but as vehicles age the parts need to be replaced based on age so check the vehicles maintenance schedule so you know ie year 14 requires XYZ done and it will cost 7K at the dealer etc. Then ask the independent shop for the same 14 year service that requires XYZ what is the estimated cost. At the 35K price point I'd say you may be more happy with a 2008+ S65 vs a early GT. They cars are very different in terms of noise isolation and status the GT may win but day to day the S65 may be a better choice at that price point in my opinion.

 

I agree with the first response. I would add that the likelihood that a mechanic can be fluent in an MB is greater than one for the Bentley.

There are other considerations as well. The MB is much more friendly to the day-to-day maintenance of simple items or upkeep. They were just designed to be - for example, to replace a bulb in a Mercedes (AMG or otherwise) its a fairly simple process; however, to replace a failed DRL in a GT could set you back $1000.00 (conservatively) in labor....you have to remove the bumper and fenders to complete the job..all for a $2 bulb. There are some on the forum that have done it without the tear down but i have yet to see one of those people claim they did it correctly (they all tend to say "I did it but had to leave the protective cover off once I finished").

It sounds trivial until you consider you are talking about a 15 year old car that's probably gone through several owners and miles. Things will happen and those things will be major work in the backyard, or hours you may not have considered in a shop during your original purchase. Ill close by saying that I have had several exotics like Ferrari, Porsche, Lambos etc. This is by far the least friendly vehicle to the "do it yourself" mindset. There is a reason that this $300,000 car is now fetching sub $50,000.

All that said, I still marvel in the ride and overall quality.

 

Easy - no one that owns a Bentley Continental wants an S65 Mercedes. But I'd bet that lots of S65 owners would like to own a Bentley Continental.

 

+1
I will add this as to the Merc.

I picked up a 2005 S600 V12 Bi-Turbo with the Brabus package last February just for the fun of it, at 124K miles and plenty of service records, everything looked great and drove ok for the first 200 or so miles of the 900+ mile drive home, then the check engine light, the seller most definitely cleared the codes before my arrival, so I ended up with a SAI fault even though the service records showed it being replaced just months prior, I can clear the code and get a month or two without recurrence, or I sometimes only get a day, also on the trip home the transmission started to act up, and being there is no dipstick I could not check the level, when I arrived home I purchased a dipstick tool off ebay and found the level to be low, with no leaks on the ground as far as tranny fluid where did it go, it went into the trans control module located under the hood because of the faulty seals in the transmissions electrical plug, the oil wicks up the wiring harness into the control module, then leaks out of said module and accumulates in the compartment it is stored in, see video, also the coolant was low, the seller said "I topped it off for you prior to pick up" use your imagination as to what I told him, next I started getting mis-fires on a drive one day that then shut down one side of the engine so it ran as a 6 cylinder, I sent the ignition control module out for testing as it is either said module or a coil rack, well the module tested fine, so now it needed a coil rack, 12 coils and 12 plugs per side, so 24 spark plugs $240.00, and 2 coil racks $2200.00 later with my labor the engine is beautiful.

So out on a nice ride to pick up a pizza and the pulsation dampener hose for the ABC suspension blows, spraying CHF19 all over the road and vehicle as the car slams to the ground, the system operates at 2850 PSI, Mercedes wanted $485.00 just for the hose, so I removed it and had one made at The Hose Shop for $72.00 using Parker hose rated at 5200 PSI, mind you this hose was just replaced at the dealer just 7 month before for the previous owner, The Hose Shop inspected said Mercedes hose that had all the Merc markings and logo only to find the hose to be rated between 1500 - 1700 PSI, the hose maker kept saying this system cant operate at 2800 PSI, I showed him proof, he was shocked that the dealer installed hose lasted the months it did, so I asked him to put a fitting at the end of the hose for a gauge as this is a dead end hose as a dampener, it reads 2850+/- PSI, so the $3000.00 pump suffered no damage...

Now the trans is back to acting up, maybe the solenoids at valve body, or the TC as it locks up violently when pulling away at slow speeds, if I floor it all is good.

Also there is a vibration now in the drive line that is horrendous in fifth gear at 45-50 MPH, we did the trans mount, next will be the engine mounts $$$.

Oh, and there is a coolant leak up in the engine compartment that I have not found yet, it has use just over a gallon in the 11 months / 10K miles.

She is a looker, maybe I should just park it and look at her...


...

 

Im a proud owner of a Supersports that hasn't acted up whatsoever and I have also owned an S63 (and an SL63 too). I of course expect bias towards Bentley; afterall, this is a thread on the Bentley section of 6speed. That said, I stand by my words. In fact, I had a burned out DLR on my car....it was an eye opener to consider replacing the burned bulb.

Here is a picture...before anyone jumps all over being able to avoid this work I would only ask if they were replacing the DLR and/or turn signal AND they were able to get to the passenger side AND re-secure the enclosures for the light assembly to protect the housing from road debris and the weather. it *might* be possible, but Im pretty confident that its a 1 in 100 shot at getting it all down without a problem.

To do it right its either what you see here, or start tearing down the engine/air intake (which i am not confident would produce enough space to get to them either).

 

Wow, didn't expect this many responses already! I work 3rd shift (by choice) and just woke up.

Thanks for all of the responses and great insight! I'll touch on some comments here w/o quoting because that will take very long I suspect.

1. Budget - I absolutely expect to spend $1000-3000 per year on maintenance, it's the recurring $5-8k years that would kill me. I'm on the BenzWorld forums, and the number of extremely high cost big repairs on the big S cars seems outrageous.
2. Indy - Thankfully, my Indy loves his British/Euro cars, and he legitimately gets excited to see oddball electrical issues for him to chase down. He's an oddball, but I'm extremely thankful to have him nearby!
3. DIY - I'd read these were unfriendly DIY cars, now I'm seeing why. The headlight is reminiscent of my friend's old Caddy CTS, same thing where the bumper had to come off... I can do basic work, but honestly I prefer to let pros do the work now if I can afford it.
---- @ Johnny -- Goodness! Those are the kinds of stories I keep thinking about whenever I consider an AMG.. I come from the BMW world and have always loved Mercs, but that just seems like a lot of unacceptable issues for such a nice car and reputable brand.
4. Daily - Day to day friendliness, while important, would be rated as less important to me than having a "special" car to take out to dinner, go for a sprint around the back roads, or just take to work a couple times a week. History has shown that I'm willing to put up with emotional and financial abuse from my cars as long as they're interesting. I feel, at this time, that the Bentley would tick those boxes for me.


Again, I appreciate all of the feedback, this forum is a fantastic source of info and it's extremely helpful to hear from owners directly!

 

I'll offer that I changed horses a few years ago... dismounted a 2005(?) SL55AMG and plopped my butt in an '04 GT Bentley. I did it rather for "practical reasons": Adequate trunk room for grocery getting, AWD, and the Bentley fits me better ergonomically. I'll admit I much preferred changing the serpentine belt on the SL55 than the GT, but I much preferred changing a window regulator on the GT as opposed to the SL55. They both have their pluses and minuses, but I do like the Bentley considerably better. I don't drive a passenger vehicle all that much... about 5K/year, but I drive my Bentley as a "daily driver"... except when the roads are really nasty with ice, snow, sanding gravel and such, then I drive our GLK350.

 

I had a 2012 CLS63 AMG that was an absolute nightmare.
My indy shop could barely work on it in certain aspects, mainly the Distronic system.

Thousands of $s was not enough for that car. If you plan to buy one, buy a very good CPO warranty. High pressure fuel pumps, injector harnesses, $1000 brake rotors, and 1 quart of oil per 500 miles was just the beginning of it.

Never mind the dealer wanted $1800 to repair my distronic system after I installed a new distronic unit. They wanted to install a new mounting bracket, sensor, and then program. I just wanted them to program. The indy shop could not do this.

My 2007 FS is a Toyota Camry and the AMG is..was a very poor decision.

My P38 and Classic Range Rovers have had less issues in their entire lives than the AMG would have in a year. Hell, my 2012 Maserati was more reliable.

When I sold it at 40,000 miles it needed repairs to the air conditioning harness, a variable timing solenoid, a cam sensor, and tires. The tires weren't a big deal though, with how soft PS Cups are and it being RWD lasting 2000 or so miles a set was plenty good for me.

Would I do it again? 10/10 absolutely. But with a warranty.

 

It feels like comparing Apples and pears here .

Irrespective of the reliability , on the Cote d Azur ( and probably some other high end places ) the taxi drivers run around in S63,s .


A Bentley GT,s specialness is incomparable to Mercs most expensive sedan used by taxi drivers .

 

Get a flying spur, I love mine. That’s more comparable to a s65. I have a w221 s550 and a spur. While the s550 tech is newer, night vision etc it is typical mercedes feel. I went from an arnage to an s550 and then on a whim got a good deal on a spur and its awesome. I am looking to unload the Merc I never drive it anymore.

Driving a bentley is an occasion, not sure where I heard that but it certainly feels like it or maybe it was about a rolls but same rules apply.

 

The Bentley is a far more satisfying car than the Mercedes, I test-drove a S550, fully-loaded and I'd take the Bentley over that any day. The Mercedes was fine, there was nothing interesting about it though. I love the oversized Bentley engine, the gorgeous interior, the shape of the car as you walk up to it...it's an experience.

Now for the downside:

-as a coupe, people slam the passenger door way, way too hard. It's well-balanced, but long and it's not a Mercedes, I just know someone's going to knock the window off it's channels one of these days and cost me $500.
-the gas mileage is hard to deal with, long-term. I feel like Mad Max, always on the search for fuel. You can actually watch the gas gauge drop, and I stress out when it's less than 1/2 tank, since that one time when I didn't have time to stop, then I had to drop some folks off...then suddenly the orange low fuel light was on. It happens fast in this car
-the stereo sucks. If you need a thumpin' bass sound, you're not going to get it, the Bentley's original radio is only good for talk radio. It's terrible. I spent $7k to replace the whole thing, right away
-If $6k in repairs will put you under, beware: these things are pretty solid and well-behaved, but the damn engine is physically big. So big that simple parts need the engine pulled or partially disassembled. I spent $9k on repairs within six months of buying it. Nothing really big, just changed out some parts, not rebuilding the engine or anything.
-premium only for gas. I don't know if you're U.S. but a full fill-up is $70 or more. I pay the same for a half-tank in this car as I do for a full tank in my wife's Cadillac SUV.
-they're all black. Seriously, 90% are black. I don't like black cars, it took me forever to find a blue one and I only got it after another dork paid a downpayment then ghosted the dealership. I tried for a Ferrari red one, but it was gone within a day. You better like black.

If you're not comfortable with spending like I'm describing, this might not be the car for you. I insist on top quality and everything working and am willing to pay for it, but these cars are "affordable" for a reason...like the big boats or an airplane, the cost isn't in the purchase price.

But it's not boring. Nobody wants to borrow it, I bought it as a goof, thinking I'd be lending it out left and right, everyone is scared of it.

 

Death by a thousand expensive cuts seems to be the AMG way :/

I'm really not a big fan of the Flying Spur exterior, not sure what about it gives me that feeling, but the GT in my opinion looks significantly better. I will likely never have anyone other than a very small child in the back seat, so the interior space back there doesn't really matter much to me.

I appreciate the insight, love to hear this stuff from owners! I can live with a $7k bill every now and then, Lord knows my 996 911 gave me some of those from time to time...

I'd mentioned just above this, but I'll likely never have anyone in the back seat, unless I decide to give my nieces or nephew a ride somewhere. My last 4-5 vehicles have all been somewhere south of 16 mpg, so at this point MPG almost doesn't even matter to me, it's just the way it is

I'm going to stop in and talk with my Indy, get his perspective on engine out repairs, air suspension stuff, etc...

 

This feels misinformed.

I understand the passion in one brand over another....but I think you would be hard pressed to find a single example of an AMG S63s being converted to a taxi. Perhaps a Black Car Uber (North America) but it feels like you might be confusing a run of the mill s500/s550 with a beast AMG version with a hand built motor. It's an honest mistake - akin to mistaking a Supersports for a regular GT; depending on the build they can look similar.

 

My mistake for not qualifying the post .
Its no “ honest mistake “ std taxis in the Cote d Azur are plain Jane S500 s or others .
Many are AMG S6.3,s not just badged up 500s or 320 D s ...the real deal .
We once docked our yacht in Beausoleil ( approx 10 miles W of Monaco) and asked the marina office for taxi .
It was a AMG S6.3 , quad pipes n all .Judging by the sound , acceleration , wheels , calipers etc it was genuine.I took his card and used him a few times . His prices were ball park .
So it’s an arms race car wise .Why request a E class or S 500 to arrive in ? When for a few € more ( a insignificant amount in the global scheme) you can arrive and be picked up in AMG 63 S class .

Separately we travelled from Cannes to the Monaco Grand Prix in a S63 , and were picked up after the race .
I ve yet to see the taxi guys cross the mental barrier to running a Bentley FS .
Theres a guy where I live in Switzerland - Villars who runs a std S500 in black 4 matic .
So a black S class wether AMG 63 or std 500 are as common as muck here in the EU used as taxis in the posher places .
Theres lot of posh places too .

Nice airport taxi rank is the place .