Is the Bentley Continental GT reliable?

The Bentley Continental GT scores 91/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 96% of the cars we track. That is computed from 23,769 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Bentley Continental GT cost?

A 2023 Bentley Continental GT with around 13,617 miles is worth roughly £141,200 today (typical range £123,250–£159,100). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Bentley Continental GT depreciate?

A new Bentley Continental GT typically loses about 23% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Bentley Continental GT?

The Bentley Continental GT sits in insurance group 44 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Bentley Continental GT?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Bentley Continental GT are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Bentley Continental GT cost to run?

Expect around 40 mpg combined on the Continental GT V8 PHEV 782, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Is the Bentley Continental GT ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Bentley Continental GTs from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

How many Bentley Continental GTs are on UK roads?

About 13,410 Bentley Continental GTs are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Ranked #222 car in the UK · Coupe · 501 units sold last year

Bentley Continental GT

The Bentley Continental GT is the definitive luxury grand tourer - a hand-built, immensely powerful coupe (and convertible) that blends effortless cross-continent pace with a cabin of peerless craftsmanship. Petrol W12/V8 and now a plug-in hybrid. It's vast, opulent and surprisingly capable, the car that defined the modern luxury GT. As a used buy it offers extraordinary engineering and presence for a fraction of its new price - bought on impeccable history.

How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.

Body: Coupe
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Plug-in Hybrid
Economy: 40 mpg
Insurance: Group 44

The short version

78/100

Forecourt score

Value 98 · Reliability 93 · Insurance 7 · catalogue percentiles

The Bentley Continental GT holds its value well and is dearer to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is excellent — an MOT score of 91/100, ahead of 96% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 98% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20) — the from-new ownership picture. Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Plug-in Hybrid · 3996cc

Power

782 ps

Drivetrain

AWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

40 mpg

The Continental GT post-2024 facelift. 4.0L V8 PHEV (PHEV replaces previous V8 and W12), 782 PS combined, 8-speed dual-clutch, AWD. 3.2s 0-62. £200k+ OTR. Bentley Crewe-built. 23.8 kWh battery — substantial EV range.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock13,617 mi

0Expected: 13,617180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£141,200

Range £118,750 – £164,950

medium confidence

When new (2023)circa £215,000Age-based value£166,238Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£19Market calibration-£19,869Forecourt price£146,350Private sale£136,000Part-exchange£119,700

Buythis 3-year-old

Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.

At 13,617 miles it’s about the ~12,643 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Bentley Continental GT loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 13,617 miles you entered above — worth about £141,200 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 4,539 miles a year.

5-year total

£17,084

Per year

£3,417

All-in per mile

£0.75

Fuel per mile

23.4p

Depreciation£1,973

Fuel / energy£5,321

Servicing£2,570

Road tax£1,000

Insurance£6,220

Best age to buy — around 3 years

A 3-year-old example loses roughly £15,250 a year — 54% less than the £32,950 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 98%

Reliabilitybetter than 93%

Fuel economybetter than 10%

Cheap to insurebetter than 7%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

Continental GT (V8 PHEV / W12 used)

Bentley's flagship GT. Cross-shop Aston Martin DB12, Mercedes-AMG GT 63, Maserati GranTurismo, Ferrari Roma. UK-built at Crewe — Bentley craftsmanship pride. Post-2024 facelift moved entirely to PHEV — W12 is gone, V8 only with electric assistance.

New price: circa £230,000
Annual fuel / energy: £2,500
3-yr depreciation: 47%

Watch for

·Minimal — Bentley craftsmanship
·Air suspension faults at high mileage
·W12 discontinued 2023 (last W12 final edition collectible)
·UK-built at Crewe

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 03/08/2026) · Petrol 159.9p/L, Diesel 179.2p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 44 of 50 (high — premium bracket) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£1,244/ year

Roughly £104 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£2,835	£3,544	£4,607
Age 26-32	£1,480	£1,741	£2,124
Age 33-39Selected	£1,094	£1,244	£1,467
Age 40-49	£929	£1,032	£1,197
Age 50+	£828	£920	£1,086

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage4,539 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 4,53930,000

Routine service

£290

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£280

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£200

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£825

40 mpg, £1.60/L

Insurance

£1,244

Age 33-39, group 44

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Plug-in Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.
All petrol variants meet Euro 4 standards and are ULEZ compliant.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,839 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£120

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£360

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£780

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£1,350

per year · high risk

Tyres

235/40 R18 · 245/35 R19

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 15,000 miles.

Budget

£400

set of 4, fitted · £85 per tyre

Mid-range

£580

set of 4, fitted · £130 per tyre

Premium

£840

set of 4, fitted · £195 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Adaptive / matrix LED headlights	£900	£400	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Advanced driver-assistance pack	£1,500	£450	30%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%
Premium sound system	£800	£200	25%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 13,617 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 223,206 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 4.0% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 223,206 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120low severityParts high

Recorded in 3.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 223,206 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450low severityParts high

Recorded in 3.5% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 223,206 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

EmissionsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£800medium severityParts high

Recorded in 2.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 223,206 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 1.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 223,206 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 23,769 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

94.9% at 3yr → 76.5% at 22yr

A 3-year-old Continental GT passes its MOT 94.9% of the time; by 22 years that has slipped to 76.5%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

83%of 8-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 675 vehicles registered in 2018.

Survival by registration year

83% of 2018 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Continental GT with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 7,265 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.

Petrol 90.1%
Hybrid 8.3%
Other 1.6%

What fails at the first MOT

The defect categories a Continental GT registered 2020–2023 fails on at its first MOT, from 1,609 first tests. Every car here is the same age and the same generation, so these are the faults that show up first - not the wear a high-mileage older example collects.

Tyres & wheels3.4%
Identification & other0.4%
Brakes0.2%
Seat belts & restraints0.2%
Lighting & signalling0.1%
Electrical0.1%

Share of first MOT tests recording at least one defect in that category. DVSA test-item categories, not parts: “Driver’s view” covers mirrors, wipers and glass.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Continental GT at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

3 yr12,643
4 yr15,961
5 yr19,400
6 yr22,596
7 yr26,305
8 yr29,724
9 yr32,881
10 yr36,303
11 yr40,518
12 yr48,818
13 yr49,275
14 yr56,417

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.

Reliability

91/ 100

Excellent

First-MOT pass rate and defect rate for cars registered 2020 onward (1,609 first tests), with cohort survival — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

92%first-time pass rate

96th percentile — Among the best in the catalogue

Based on 17,666 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01The W12 is the ultimate; the V8 is lighter-nosed and nearly as fast; the new PHEV adds silent EV miles.
02Peerless hand-built cabin and effortless pace - the luxury GT benchmark.
03Complex, heavy and costly to maintain; full Bentley history and a specialist inspection are essential.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Bentley Continental GT, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Higher

Higher-value cars like this are relay-theft targets — keyless entry can be exploited from the driveway in under a minute.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.
A visible steering lock is a cheap, strong deterrent on a frequently-targeted car.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Bentley Continental GT into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Bentley is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~20

Very few outlets

Luxury

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Bentley is 0.4% of all franchised outlets)

Very few franchised outlets — main-dealer servicing means travelling to one of a handful of locations, so budget for that.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.

Length

4,400 mm

Width

1,850 mm

Height

1,300 mm

Kerb weight

1,500 kg

Boot

280–320 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

How the UK Bentley Continental GT fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.

Currently registered

17,023

Currently taxed & on road

13,410

79% of all registered

SORN (off road)

3,613

21% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

n/a

not in this DfT extract

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

+1.5% vs 2024

11,02313,410

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

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Same underpinnings

Built on the VW MSB platform

Longitudinal-engine sports-car / luxury platform shared between Porsche and Bentley. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

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Common questions

Bentley Continental GT, answered from the data

Is the Bentley Continental GT reliable?: The Bentley Continental GT scores 91/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 96% of the cars we track. That is computed from 23,769 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Bentley Continental GT cost?: A 2023 Bentley Continental GT with around 13,617 miles is worth roughly £141,200 today (typical range £123,250–£159,100). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Bentley Continental GT depreciate?: A new Bentley Continental GT typically loses about 23% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Bentley Continental GT?: The Bentley Continental GT sits in insurance group 44 of 50 — the more expensive end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Bentley Continental GT?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Bentley Continental GT are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Bentley Continental GT cost to run?: Expect around 40 mpg combined on the Continental GT V8 PHEV 782, £200 a year in road tax, about £290 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
Is the Bentley Continental GT ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Bentley Continental GTs from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
How many Bentley Continental GTs are on UK roads?: About 13,410 Bentley Continental GTs are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.