Automotive

I saw the new Bentley Bentayga SUV last week at a local dealership. This is Bentley's first ever SUV. What you guys think of it? Personally, I think the exterior design already looks a bit dated. It's a shame the Bentayga in the showroom didn't have the b...  

besides, no dealership around here so I'm not repeating my Aston mistake. Best SUV I can have is Cayenne or Range Rover and I'm happy with both, will have to see the Maserati Levante. Local dealership already asking to sign up and secure orders. Rgds Raym... 

I ordered a Bentayga on 15th October but have not heard a word about the delivery even the deposit 4.5 months ago. If I do not hear anything during the coming three months, I will cancel the order. I have as my SUV Cayanne and when having something fast e... 

new models from any make, especially if there is new interior, electronics. Just look at recall numbers, it'll be interesting if someone takes the tally. Rgds Raymond

.. i bought the all-new 1997 Audi A3 (came from the first batch) ... had it for over 10 years and 220.000+ km and it never ever let me down. A lightswitch had to be replaced and one air-mass meter. That was it . The most reliable car i ever owned. Later i... 

millions of IC chips. The integration of all these electronics and mechanical parts is a challenge. Rgds Raymond

.. the nineties were notorious because of electronics issues . I remember the Mercedes and Audi TT guys that had to leave their cars at the dealership every once and a while (every week almost). Filip

High cost, high depreciation and expect and interesting set of expenses once warranty expires. Still have the GTC and as long as you're ok with the ~1k+ annuals plus $5k+ fixes every 2 or 3 years. From personal experience, once the warranty is expired the... 

Best, Kari

It was a daily driver that I put 42,000 miles on. The only service it ever needed was its annual service, a few set of tires and one set of brakes. It was a great car. I do agree it is time for a major update.

With only 29k miles on the GTC here it needed engine out to fix a $300 false air hose just above the transmission (known defect, factory gave zero assistance) so there went $3500. Other small problems here and there. Of course the car was an ok deal used ... 

This is the same all cars in this category...even if she doesn't drive much. I drove <3k miles on my Aston in 2 years and that's my experience ( Rgds Raymond

I think that cars belonging to this class must be "keepers" and if the design is already looking old fashioned when the car is introduced, it might age well. Best, Kari

Would be really cool. Every now and then I come across people with cars like this they drove for 15 years+. I don\'t know why but it\'s just pure class. True \'old money\' style as we would call it over here. I\'ve never succeeded in this but I do strive ... 

I bought the V10 M5 when it was introduced. It was a big mistake to sell that car. Now it would be nice to let it age and drive every now and then. My plan is to keep my 911 Targa GTS and if I'm around in 15 years, enjoy it occasionally. There are cars wh... 

...has hit 20 years of ownership. That car will stay in the family forever (well, that's the plan)

and why not if you take good care of it. Best, Kari

The interior is wonderful, opulent and a pleasure to live with. The exterior leaves me underwhelmed. I was thinking about ordering it, but then found out about the proposed cross between this and the Bentley Speed 10 concept. Maybe I will wait for that,

Not so tall for SUV category. And the ground clearance is very low.

... in my case. Best Moritz

But the specs suggest that it's a spacious and fast family car for all normal driving scenarios. Best, Kari

I would not drive with family fast. These SUV give one the feeling, false suggestion, that they are safe under any circumstance. But if you hit something too hard with a Bentley or a Fiat 500, as you when you were driving too fast, the result is in both s... 

The old Volvos - hard steel for the passenger cell and well designed crumple zones for the rest As for physics, you are of course right. That\'s why all the Millennium Falcon power will never suffice to keep up with a lighter, smaller car on a mountain ro... 

and during the last 40 years (knock the wood) I have not been involved with an accident. Still I have been driving over 1,000,000 km. Best, Kari

Colonel Stapp might disagree with that (though granted, he did have a 6pt harness). You are correct regarding the "tightness release" mechanism. Modern cars have Load Limiter safety belts which unspool at a given shoulder force. In combination with the ai... 

coming towards you on the other lane, without braking, than the impact is equal to around 10 g "already". Certainly a rare case of an accident but it is a good one to illustrate the forces that are ruling. And the forces are the only thing that are always... 

Life is so dangerous! Just need to be careful and hope for the best. Still, in the end, nobody survives. Best, Kari

sadly, there's an aesthetic convergeance among suvs. the new rolls looks like it took its inspiration from the new london cabs. the bentayga, from the side, calls for a double take to distinguish from a mazda. the maserati seems derived from the audi q7. ... 

Plus, price point is beyond my comfort zone for a utilitarian daily driver.

To my eye, based on the ride height and other factors, this does not look like it is built for either "Sport" or "Utility." Just my opinion.

...from other "luxury" SUVs?

Could that Bentley tow a boat trailer, or another car? Could it drive off road? Could it drive through 3 feet of standing water? Could you load the rear up with fire wood? (Would you want to?) Could you transport skis, or a bike on the roof? Here is an ex...  

and indeed, it's unbeatable in the deep snow of Lapland and last weekend I had to get to a remote plot via a muddy field road. Cayanne works bloody well in all these conditions. But it's a wonderful car if I decide to drive to our house in Lapland using t... 

Incredible performance in all conditions, from the mountains to the track.

And given the potential client base they decided to play it safe with the design, which is understandable. Just like thee was no precedent for the first BMW X5, there is nothing to base it on design wise (unlike Range Rover, for instance). And given the s... 

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destined to fail. But than again; the Cayenne is (one off) Porsche best selling car....and remember what people said about that model before launch.... All I can say is; I just drove 2.000 miles in my wife\'s car (VW Touareg Hybrid) and I have to admit th...  

Made out of a Chevrolet Trailblazer, Oldsmobile and some other GM parts. And Saab badges.

And also the SAAB 9-2. Subaru. (SAAB is still alive by the way...just...)

supposedly an electric Saab should (have) arise(d) at some point.... Build in China as it seems. Curious to see what they will come up with.

and wasn't impressed by the looks of it, to be honnest I found it rather dull, knowing what this beast costs I'd rather spend it on a full loaded Range Rover (you buy even 2 of them for that amount ) no, seriously I know this SUV is a bit of an expensive-...