Bentley Arnage (98-09) - Review

Review by Simon Harris on
Last Updated: 16 October 2008
If you need a four-door, luxury supercar, the Bentley Arnage sits at the top of a very exclusive pile. It may not be quite as lithe on twisting roads as some of its competition, but the Arnage has an indefinable class and sense of occasion that none of its rivals can touch. The Arnage arrived in 1998 as the spritzier, quicker sister model to the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph. After the division of the two companies, Bentley headed off with VW and the BMW-sourced turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 was soon replaced by the superlative 6.75-litre V8 with ever more gobsmacking power outputs. That’s not to say the Arnage has lost sight of its role as a luxury car - the interior is covered from head to toe in leather and hand-finished wood trim regardless of which model you choose. The Arnage started as the 4.4-litre Green Label, then the faster Red Label was added in 1999 with the 6.75 V8. These then gave way to the R, T and long wheelbase RL models from 2002 onwards.
4 out of 5

Other Bentley reviews

1.5 out of 5

Running costs

The Arnage has depreciated slightly more than its less commonplace Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph cousin (discontinued in 2003), but prices have not plummeted in the way its predecessor’s did. Whether you choose the BMW-sourced engine or the 6.75-litre V8, the Arnage gobbles fuel, with a combined economy of 16mpg for the 4.4 and just 14mpg for the larger engine. On top of this, insurance is steep thanks to the cost of repairs and servicing is costly but necessary at either an official Bentley dealer or recognised specialist. Scheduled service stops come every 6000 miles.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

10,000 miles.

Warranty

Three years unlimited mileage.

Road tax (12 months)

£220.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

0.5 out of 5

Green credentials

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CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

The Arnage performs miserably on the eco front. With an average of 474g/km CO2 across the range, its emissions are extremely high. The line-up does not feature any diesel models and is very thirsty, averaging 15mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2