Aston Martin DB9 vs Bentley Continental GT vs Ferrari 599 GTB: which one has the lowest running cost

The Aston Martin DB9 made its debut in 2004 and was not only a star on the silver screen but also in many published motoring titles all over the world. It was celebrated for its elegant styling as well as its ability to combine performance and comfort in a harmonious fashion. It wasn't without rivals though as Ferrari unveiled the 599 GTB and Bentley were producing the popular Continental GT for a year already.

 

Related: New Aston Martin DB11 versus a used DB9: What are the top 3 differences?

 

During 2013, Aston Martin introduced an updated iteration of the DB9 and was met head-on by Ferrari's 599 GTB HGTE and the Bentley Continental GT V8. Since then the DB9 has been replaced by the DB11, the Ferrari by the F12 Berlinetta and more recently the 812 Superfast, and the Bentley by a new and improved Continental GT V8. Provided that the year models we will be comparing cannot be purchased new, we will be focussing on used examples, all with similar mileage and model-year.

 

Monthly instalments

Although the trend is for customers to purchase these vehicles cash, we will be calculating an estimated monthly repayment using a realistic formula on the AutoTrader Car Finance Calculator. However, our readers should note that each finance application will differ based on different banks, administration fees and of course individual credit profiles.

 

Aston Martin DB9

The combined average purchase price of a used Aston Martin DB9 that fits within our model-year and mileage criteria is R2 499 999. Financing this amount over a period of 72 months with a 10% deposit, 0% residual and the interest rate set at 12% will result in a monthly repayment amount of R43 987.93. The total repayment amount will be R3 167 131.19 with the total amount of interest accumulated being R917 131.19.

 

Ferrari 599 GTB

The combined average purchase price of a used Ferrari 599 GTB that fits within our model-year and mileage criteria is R2 812 104.38. Financing this amount over a period of 72 months with a 10% deposit, 0% residual and the interest rate set at 12% will result in a monthly repayment amount of R49 479.47. The total repayment amount will be R3 562 522.01 with the total amount of interest accumulated being R1 031 627.63.

 

Bentley Continental GT V8

The combined average purchase price of a used Bentley Continental GT V8 that fits within our model-year and mileage criteria is R2 099 900. Financing this amount over a period of 72 months with a 10% deposit, 0% residual and the interest rate set at 12% will result in a monthly repayment amount of R36 948.10. The total repayment amount will be R2 660 263.51 with the total amount of interest accumulated being R770 353.51.

 

Warranty and service plan

The Aston Martin was sold with a 3-year / unlimited-kilometre maintenance plan with the Bentley offering the same and the Ferrari offering a 2-year / unlimited-kilometre plan. The warranty terms were set at the same parameters for each brand. Although this provided the most value for the first owner, this benefits a customer of a used model as all recalls would have been executed in the first few years.

 

What is more important now is the maintenance schedules. A common theme emerges between the three vehicles in terms of its schedules where even if you didn't cover the set distance, you still need to have the vehicle sent in for maintenance annually. For those owners that are going to drive their GT car a lot, services for the Aston Martin is set at 15 000 km, the Ferrari is the same, however, the Bentley needs to only go in after every 16 000 km if you managed that in less than a year.

It should be noted that Ferrari, Bentley and Aston Martin has introduced extended warranty and maintenance plans for vehicles that qualify after a thorough inspection done by a qualified technician. The vehicle's eligibility, the prices and duration of each plan could differ based on the condition of the vehicle. Be sure to contact your local dealership to find out if your vehicle is eligible.

 

Frugality

Under the bonnet of the Aston Martin DB9 features a 6.0-litre, V12 petrol motor coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission. This results in 381 kW and 620 Nm of torque and a 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 4.6 seconds and a tops speed of 295 km/h. You do, however, have to burn quite a bit of fuel to achieve that but in normal driving conditions, the DB9 should return an average fuel consumption figure of 14.3 L / 100 km.

The Bentley which features the smallest engine out of the three still manages to keep up as the 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol motor mated to the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission will propel the Continental GT V8 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 303 km/h. The 373 kW and 660 Nm engine also proves more frugal returning an average fuel consumption figure of 10.5 L / 100 km.

 

The 6.0-litre, V12 petrol engine in the Ferrari 599 GTB burns quite a bit more fuel with an average fuel consumption figure of 21.3 L / 100 km. However, in return, the motor offers up 456 kW and 608 Nm of torque mated to the 6-speed F1 sequential gearbox. The GTB will also sprint to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and has the highest top speed continuing to 330 km/h.

 

Conclusion

With an estimated monthly repayment of R49 479.47 and service intervals set at every 15 000km or every year, whichever comes first. The Ferrari 599 GTB which uses 21.3 L / 100 km is certainly the most expensive in this comparison but it is also the most powerful and fastest grand tourer between the three. 

 

The Aston Martin DB9 is not far behind in terms of performance and uses less fuel while doing so, only sipping 14.3 L / 100 km, but it still quite a lot more expensive than the Bentley. The Bentley Continental GT V8 not only shines out in terms of its low average fuel consumption in this comparison but the repayment amount is also around R7 000 less than that of the Aston Martin, and just over R12 500 less than the Ferrari. 

 

Recommended next:

New vs used Ferrari 812 Superfast: what are the top 3 differences?

New vs used Bentley Continental GT V8: what are the top 3 differences?