Bentley Flying Spur vs BMW 7 Series vs Maserati Quattroporte: Which has the lowest running costs?
Those faced with the enviable but difficult decision as to which uber-luxurious saloon car to choose certainly have many options within the market. For today’s comparison, we have a German contender that shares items with a British brand, a British contender with German roots and an Italian performance saloon. We are going to determine which one has the lowest running costs.
Determining a vehicle’s running costs is a multi-faceted process with many considerations including maintenance, fuel consumption, depreciation, insurance and monthly instalments. Since all three of these products cost about the same as an upmarket home, we are certain that the running costs of such a vehicle, particularly when new will be of little importance to millionaires out there. Where this becomes pertinent is when the second or third owner purchases the car and these key running costs become more apparent.
Let’s meet the contenders
Bentley Flying Spur V8 (R3 785 000)
The latest Flying Spur from the famed British marque is lighter, faster, more luxurious, and more efficient than ever. The addition of the V8 derivative within the line-up, which offers a more affordable alternative to the monstrous W12, is a commendable move by Bentley. With the V8 powertrain, the Flying Spur now competes with the flagship performance version of the Maserati Quattroporte as well as the very last production BMW to feature a V12 engine, the M760Li.
The V8 in the Flying Spur displaces 4.0-litres and produces 404 kW and 770 Nm of torque paired with an 8-speed torque converter automatic which sends power to all four wheels. Performance is impressive, with 0-100km/h coming up in 4.1 seconds while the top speed is 318 km/h, meaning that the Flying Spur has what it takes in the performance stakes, despite weighing in at a plump 2 330kg.
Related: Top 3 Bentley Flying spur articles on AutoTrader.
BMW M760Li xDrive V12 Individual (R3 490 976)
BMW’s flagship luxury product is impressive, sporting just about every conceivable luxurious item one might expect this side of a Roll Royce while also providing one of the final V12 powertrains currently sold by an automotive manufacturer. Despite the impressive specification, the 7 Series is the most affordable product in the comparison, which may be attributable to the fact that the Bentley and Maserati badges command a premium
The engine itself displaces 6.6-litres, features two turbochargers and produces a healthy 430 kW and 850 Nm of torque. The motor is paired with an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox and power is sent to all four wheels. The BMW is the fastest accelerating product in this comparison, and is the second lightest at 2 295kg. Its 0-100 km/h time is claimed at 3.8 seconds while the top speed is limited to 250km/h, with an option of raising this to 305 km/h.
Related: 5 extras you should fit on a new Bentley Flying Spur.
Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo (R4 076 000)
The Trofeo is the flagship within Maserati’s current line-up, meaning that it combines the brand’s best in terms of blending both performance and luxury. As the only rear-wheel drive vehicle in this comparison, the Trofeo is the slowest in terms of acceleration, achieving a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds, despite the fact that its turbocharged V8 engine produces 433 kW and 730 Nm. Its top speed is the highest in this test though at 326 km./h while it is also the lightest vehicle by some margin at 2 000kg.
Related: Top 10 Bentley Bentayga articles on AutoTrader.
Which one has the lowest running costs?
Purchase price and depreciation
The three vehicles in this comparison are all sure to fall victim to depreciation since they are all luxury items that are often subjected to intensive personalisation by owner when new. The very nature of luxury items means that those with the means to afford them often want to purchase them new, leaving used example in less demand, driving down their respective prices which are also affected by new version of the product with enhance features. Since the individual specification of each vehicle is likely to be unique we cannot determine depreciation on these products as it will be dealt with on a car-by-car basis.
Looking at the initial purchase price, the BMW is the most affordable vehicle, coming in at R294 024 less than the Bentley and a whopping R585 024 less than the Maserati. Since most of the vehicle sold in this segment will be cash sales, the initial purchase price is important when determining the overall running costs of the vehicle during the ownership period.
Instalment calculator
We have calculated what the monthly repayments on each of these vehicles for those that choose to finance, however, as previously mentioned, at this price point the vehicles are usually paid for up front.
*Calculated according to the AutoTrader Car Finance Calculator, with a 72-month finance agreement, 10% interest rate, 10% deposit, and no residual value. All prices listed in this article were accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice. Prices include carbon tax and VAT, but exclude optional extras and dealer charges.
Bentley flying Spur V8
List price: R3 785 000
Instalment: R 63 108.27/month
BMW M760Li xDrive V12 Individual
List price: R3 490 976
Instalment: R 58 205.94/month
Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo
List Price: R4 076 000
Instalment: R 67 960.18/month
Related: The best Bentley Continental offers AutoTrader found advertised in 2021
Fuel efficiency
While none of these products appear to be particularly efficient at the pumps, there is certainly a case to be made that both the Maserati and the Bentley with their V8 engines will be significantly lighter on fuel than the BMW with its enormous V12 engine. On paper, the fuel consumption figures are similar, with the Bentley registering the claimed best consumption of 11.6 L/100km followed by the Maserati at 12.2 L/100km and then the BMW at 12.5 L/100km.
Related: Aston Martin DB9 vs Bentley Continental GT vs Ferrari 599 GTB: which one has the lowest running cost
Warranties and maintenance plans
The warranties of each of these vehicles are quite redundant as each comes with a maintenance plan that deals with any defects on the vehicle. The Flying Spur comes with a 3-year/100 000km maintenance plan while both the M760Li and the Quattroporte comes standard with a 5-year/100 000km maintenance plan as standard. Once out of the maintenance plan, the Bentley and the BMW will require servicing every 15 000km or once a year, whichever comes first while the Maserati’s intervals are pegged at 20 000km or annually.
Related: Top 4 safety features on a Bentley Continental GT
Insurance
All three cars are considered premium, high-performance machines, so their respective insurance premiums will most certainly be steep. All these products are full imports, making parts pricing exorbitant while each will be considered high risk by insurers from a theft and hijacking perspective. Since these products are not likely to be driven daily, the insurance premium may be positively affected from a mileage perspective. As with all insurance quote, the monthly instalment is entirely dependent on the individual’s risk profile. Looking at the pricing of each product as well as the bespoke nature of both the Bentley and the Maserati, we’d estimate that the BMW will be the least expensive to insure, followed by the Maserati and the Bentley, which features many hand-crafted elements.
Related: Top tips to save on your car insurance.
Tyre replacement
Tyres, particularly in the premium segment will have a significant impact on the running costs of a vehicle. Both the Maserati and BMW feature staggered front and rear tyre sizes, with the Quattroporte coming with 245/35 R21-inch tyres at the front and 285/30 R21-inch items at the rear. The BMW comes with 245/40 R20-inch rubber at the front and 275/35 R20-inch tyres at the rear.
The Bentley has the same 275/40 R20-inch tyres all-around which after looking at pricing online appear to be around R20 000 per set while the BMWs tyres appear to be similar from a pricing perspective. The Maserati is likely to wear its rear tyres out faster than the front, however, both sizes listed for the Maserati are considerably more expensive than the sizes used in both the BMW and the Bentley.
Related: How long is a tyre supposed to last?
Verdict
Having looked over the figures and considered all the categories that make up the running costs of a vehicle throughout the first few years of its life cycle, it becomes clear that even though the BMW is the heaviest on fuel, it is by far the cheapest to purchase, may prove the least to insure, is tied for having the most reasonably priced tyres and features an impressive maintenance plan, therefore handing it the victory in this comparison. Out of maintenance plan maintenance costs will be incredibly expensive for all of these cars, which if this comparison were done on used examples that were a few years old, may see a different result.
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