Bentley Mulsanne saloon

Drive

Driving the Bentley Mulsanne is a very unique experience and offeres a fantastic sense of occasion. You sit high-up in total comfort, but the big saloon is surprisingly agile, with accurate steering and effortless acceleration. It's capable of 184mph flat-out, and the Mulsanne can also accelerate from 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds, which is on a par with some high-performance sports cars. The automatic gearbox provides seamless shifts, and is best left in full auto mode, as the steering wheel-mounted gear shifters provide little extra enjoyment to the experience.

Comfort

No matter what speed you drive at, there is almost no perceptible road noise inside the Mulsanne, such is the level of sound deadening - the doors are even fitted with acoustic glazing and electric privacy blinds in the rear. The air-suspension automatically adjusts to provide a comfortable ride on all types of road surface, while the front and rear electronically adjustable seats are trimmed in sumptuous leather. The rear armrest cleverly houses a control panel for the rear climate control settings, but although leg and head room is very generous, the high rear transmission tunnel does effect the Mulsanne's ability to carry five people in total comfort. Extra-thick wool carpets feel very luxurious under foot.

Reliability

Bentley is owned by Volkswagen, and the parent firm has ensured that all new Bentleys are highly reliable. In terms of build quality, the Mulsanne is exceptional, as every car is hand-built. In the event of an accident, side impact bars feature in the doors plus the sheer weight (2.5 tonnes) and size of the car help to make it a very safe option. Electronic tyre pressure monitors inform the driver of any sudden loss in pressure. Front and rear, head, and chest airbags are also fitted.

Practicality

Despite the acres of interior space and cavernous boot, living with the Mulsanne does have its drawbacks. Its sheer size makes driving in busy towns and on narrow roads quite daunting. We doubt many owners will have any need to reverse park their Mulsanne, but should the need arise, due care and attention is required. The automatic gear selector takes some getting used to, especially when going from forward to reverse. Finally, the Mulsanne is certianly not subtle, so expect onlookers to stop and stare wherever you go.

Value for money

At nearly a quarter of a million pounds, the Bentley Mulsanne is massively expensive, but is cheaper than some of its main rivals. It slots in above flagship versions of the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes S-Class and Rolls-Royce Ghost, but isn't as expensive as the Rolls-Royce Phantom or Maybach 57/62. The Mulsanne is a high-performance saloon with a truly hand-crafted feel. The huge list of standard equipment includes adaptive cruise control, Parking Distance Control, voice control, a 60GB multimedia hard drive, sat-nav and four-zone air conditioning.

Running costs

Bentley has added a cylinder deactivation system to the big V8 engine, so the Mulsanne runs on four cylinders on light throttle loads. The system cuts in and out so smoothly as to be unnoticable, but a fuel economy figure of 17mpg is still far from economical. The Mulsanne sits in the highest Road Tax bracket, while servicing costs will be astranomical, too. However if you can afford to buy a Mulsanne, you can easily afford to keep it on the road.