Bentley

Bentley’s vehicles are undeniably premium, which means that list prices here can amount to as much as $600,000 for the range-topping Continental GT. 

Other members of the Bentley family, like the Flying Spur, are priced from $445,00, while prices for the Bentayga SUV kick off from $378,000 and stretch out to as much as $500,000.

The cheapest member of Bentley’s lineup is the Bentayga SUV, which is priced from $378,00 for the entry-level Bentayga V8, while the Bentayga S and the Bentayga Speed are priced at $450,200 and $514,000 respectively. 

Keep in mind that Bentley has an extensive list of optional extras and personalisation options that can raise the list price of its cheapest vehicle, the Bentayga V8 north of its $378,000 asking price quite quickly.

Bentley is a standalone company within the Volkswagen Automotive Group umbrella, however, Bentley and Rolls-Royce have had an extremely close relationship in the past.

In fact, for no less than four-decades, Bentley was owned entirely by Rolls-Royce until the latter was forced into receivership and ultimately split by the UK government in 1971, where Rolls-Royce automotive was sold to Volkswagen in 1997, and again to BMW. 

By 2003, BMW had established the legal rights to the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars banner while Bentley remained a member of the Volkswagen Automotive Group, so while the two were inextricably linked for nearly seven decades.

As one of the world’s oldest coachbuilders, the quality of Bentley’s exterior designs and lavish interior appointments make them one of the most special cars on the road today. 

They’re typically large, spacious and receive an extremely opulent interior design right out of the box, while the company is more than happy to customise each and every vehicle to the requirements of the buyer, making its vehicles completely bespoke, unique and undeniably special. 

Another special thing about Bentley is the company’s use of the W12 engine layout, which effectively pairs three four-cylinder engines together - that make the rough outline of a ‘W’. These engines create a heap of power and far more torque than a typical twelve-cylinder arrangement, which makes them perfect for a Bentley flagship vehicle. 

Bentley is one of the few manufacturers in the world to offer a production car powered by a W12 engine, thanks to the development of its parent company, Volkswagen.

Waiting lists for some of Bentley’s most popular vehicles like the Bentagya SUV and Continental GT aren’t as long as you might expect, with the average wait list measuring around three-to-six months, so long as you’re happy with a stock vehicle with no major time consuming modifications.

In the majority of cases, however, buyers have the option to personalise everything from the materials lining the seats and dashboards, to the colour of the stitching and even the woodgrain effect throughout the cabin. 

As a result, the waiting list for a new Bentley vehicle here in Australia can often exceed 12-months, particularly for some of its limited edition models.

Jack mode on a Bentley is a feature that prevents important suspension hardware from being damaged while the vehicle is being worked on in a dealership, or at the side of the road if you’re simply changing a flat tyre. 

Jack mode is fitted to all vehicles that have an adaptive or air suspension system, which will try to compensate for any major inclines while you’re lifting the car, and can potentially damage important suspension components. 

To get your Bentley out of jack mode, simply press the suspension and shock absorber buttons - located on the central console - together for a few seconds, and you should hear a notification and see the jack mode warning light dissapear from the instrument panel.