2021 Bentley Flying Spur

The 2021 Bentley Flying Spur comes in just one trim along with two engine options. There are however a few optional packages that take the luxury appointments one step further and equip the Flying Spur with all sorts of features like welcome lamps, interior mood lighting, and a lot more features. Disappointingly though with such a hefty price tag, Android Auto is missing from the infotainment system.

Trim	Flying Spur
MSRP (RWD)	N/A
MSRP (AWD)	$196,000
Key Features	24-way power-adjustable front seats
	14-way power-adjustable rear seats
	Four-zone climate control
	Moonroof
	Adaptive cruise control
	10-speaker premium sound system
	21-inch Twin-spoke painted alloy wheels

Which trim should you buy?

There are no options to choose from in terms of trim level, so you will have to make do with the only available mode. The only major choice you have is between the engines. For an extra 50 grand, you can get the First edition package which comes with special badging, an Illuminated sill and treadplate, a sunroof with twin blinds, Bentley rotating display, and deep pile overmats among other features. 

When you buy such an expensive car, you're surely not someone who would worry about the gas prices or fuel efficiency of a car, but then if you want to check how good the Flying Spur performs in terms of fuel efficiency, this is not as impressive as the other sectors. 

It takes up a lot of fuel for that, according to the EPA the W12 returns 12/19/15 MPG in city/highway/combined cycles. If you often do long trips, then V8 would be a better choice as it offers slightly better figures. It comes with a 23.8-gallon fuel tank, which would make you stop for fuel around the 350-mile mark. 

Models	2021 Bentley Flying Spur	2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost	2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580
MPG (City)	12	12	16
MPG (Highway)	19	18	25
MPG (Combined)	15	14	19
Fuel Tank Capacity (Gallons)	23.8	21.8	21.1
Range (City/Highway/Combined; Miles)	286/452/357	262/392/305	338/528/401

The V8 in the Mercedes offers better fuel economy, but then it is the smaller engine. When the V12 model comes out, a better comparison would be done, and we could see how well it fares. Bentley offers better economy than the Rolls Royce Ghost, and also has a bigger fuel tank which allows for fewer fuel stops. 

Luxury, comfort, and space are the three defining factors of a Bentley vehicle. The 2021 Flying Spur sits at top of that, it is the ultra-luxury sedan from the automaker, and only a few cars are available in the class all of which offer various sorts of features, luxury appointments, and interior materials to choose from and Bentley is no exception. It comes with a power-adjustable function for almost everything inside, but what makes the Flying Spur slightly different from the German rivals is the extremely silent cabin. 

It separates the cabin and the occupants from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. You are in your own world when you get in the car, the hand-stitched leather, wood inserts, and the silent cabin would just make you feel relaxed the moment you step inside the cabin.

Models	2021 Bentley Flying Spur	2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost	2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580
Seating Capacity	5	5	5
Front Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Legroom; inches)	38.1/61.6/41.6	40.6/59.4/41.7	42.3/59.7/41.4
Rear Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Legroom; inches)	38/60.4/42.4	39/55.8/45.3	37.9/58.7/40
Cargo Capacity (cubic feet)	14.8	17.3	12.3

There is no lack of space inside these cars, the Rolls Royce Ghost offers the best rear legroom, and headroom and also offers better space upfront than the Bentley with a bigger trunk which makes it a clear winner in this section. The Maybach is not far behind the competition with its extravagant cabin and supple ride quality along with a plethora of interior features.

Some interior features include:

• 14-way power-adjustable rear seat
• 24-way power-adjustable front seats
• The wooden veneer on the dashboard
• Leather-trimmed dashboard
• Heated Rear Seats 
• Tri-Zone Automatic Climate Control with Humidity Control and Air Filtration

What’s there to keep you entertained?

Bentley has carried forward the old school interior which comes with wood inserts giving a traditional feel, so you might wonder it would have a lack of modern tech, well that is not the case. The infotainment system comes with a 12.3-inch screen that you can hide by the press of a button to display three dials or a veneered panel instead. 

The infotainment system is easy to get used to and comes with all sorts of connectivity options, although the Android Auto has an absence standard sound system on offer is a 10-speaker Bentley sound system which can be upgraded to more premium options for an additional cost. A separate rear seat infotainment system can also be opted for which consists of two 10.2-inch tablets with Bluetooth connectivity.

Some of the highlights of the infotainment system include the following:

• Apple CarPlay smartphone integration
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot
• 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen optional audio system
• 21-speaker Niam for Bentley audio system with illuminated speaker grilles.
• Bluetooth HandsFreeLink 
• HD Radio
• Navigation

Bentley has designed the Flying Spur to exude plushness and a rich feeling which also justifies its price tag. The big gaping front grille is the first thing that anyone would notice, the W12 model gets bright vertical vanes with a black matrix-style grille and similar ‘B’ badging all around. 

The 2021 Bentley Flying Spur rides on big 21-inch wheels, which can be upgraded to 22-inch wheels with the Mulliner optional packages. The round LED headlights are also a signature feature of the Bentley Flying Spur. The rear reminds one of the Continental but it is wider and the W12 comes with twin exhaust outlets which will not go unnoticed as they are massive in size. 

Models	2021 Bentley Flying Spur	2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost	2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580
Curb Weight (lbs)	5,372	5,445	5,181
Length (inches)	209.3	212.6	215
Width (inches)	79.3	76.7	74.8
Height (inches)	58.4	61	59
Ground Clearance (inches)	N/A	N/A	N/A
Wheelbase (inches)	125.7	129.7	132.5

The V8 inside the Mercedes makes it light, while the W12 and the V12 in the Bentley and the Rolls-Royce make them heavier. Mercedes is the longest yet offers less space and a smaller trunk so it might not be the best use of the extra length. Mercedes also has the widest wheelbase.

Some exterior features include:

• 21" twin ten-spoke alloy wheel
• Bright vertical vanes with black matrix-style grille
• Full LED headlamps with High Beam Assist
• Full LED taillamps
• Twin oval stainless steel tailpipes
• Front bumper with chrome rub strip
• Chrome rear bumper insert
• Auto-dimming door mirrors

For the price you pay, there is no doubt about the safety of the occupants in the Flying Spur, although the cars in this price range are not tested by either the NHTSA or IIHS. If they would have tested the Bentley for the crash test it would have fared quite well. 

There is no absence of safety features, and driver assistance techniques but for such a big sum of money, features like night vision, adaptive cruise control, and traffic assist are not available as standard and come bundled in the First Edition optional package. The standard features include up to 6 airbags, traction control, stability control.

Some of the advanced safety features include the following:

• Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection
• Blind-spot warning
• Front and rear park distance control
• Park assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Road sign detection

2021 Bentley Flying Spur vs 2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost

Both the Bentley and the Rolls-Royce are the pinnacle of luxury cars. Where the Flying Spur excels in terms of power, fuel efficiency and is also slightly better looking than the Royce, the Ghost has an upper hand in terms of luxury appointments, more space inside the cabin, a bigger trunk and but all of that takes the cost of the Royce up to 300 grand. 

2021 Bentley Flying Spur vs 2021 Mercedes-Maybach S 580

Mercedes has gone through a generation change for the 2021 model, and the 580 is a V8 model, with the S680 all set to join in for the 2022 model. The V8 makes it more fuel-efficient and less expensive than the Bentley but this is due to the smaller engine. When the V12 version comes out a better comparison could be done to see which car performs better when compared equally. 

When you hear the name Bentley you know the car is going to be luxurious, and the 2021 Bentley Flying Spur is the best example of what Bentley has on offer. With a price tag of 200 grand, you get a lot of luxury, comfort, the most advanced and modern technology inside.

There are a few drawbacks however, even at such a high price you do not get Android Auto, there is a lack of advanced safety features and the W12 is not the most fuel-efficient engine, so there is still some work to be done in the Flying Spur although it is in no way a bad car.