2020 Bentley Mulsanne

Nothing quite says old-school elegance like a Bentley. While competitors like Rolls-Royce have chosen to modernize designs, the Bentley brand still gives you the Mulsanne in a package that is instantly recognizable as an evolution of the original classic. The Mulsanne is one of the brand's core models and the ultimate expression of luxury as befits a flagship sedan like this. Under the regal hood is a 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 506 horsepower and 752 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic gearbox sits in the middle, while power is directed to the rear wheels. So, is the Mulsanne still a classic, or has it become a relic when compared alongside vehicles like the Rolls-Royce Phantom?

The 2020 Mulsanne starts at a base price of $310,800 before a destination charge of $2,725. This does not take into account gas guzzler tax or other charges. The Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase is considerably pricier, starting at around $365,000. With numerous options and bespoke individualization options available, it wouldn't take much to spend well over $400,000 on a fully loaded model.

The tires on the Mulsanne are grippy, sure, but the real talking point is how quiet they are. After all, there's no point in ensuring the engine is all but silent when road noise permeates the cabin. This sets the tone for everything else that has gone into developing the Mulsanne, a vehicle that offers impressive levels of agility and response yet still calms and soothes when all you want is a quiet cruise. Granted, while the Mulsanne is more athletic than its Rolls-Royce counterpart, it is still no boy-racer, and although the adaptive air suspension reigns body roll in with poise, you won't find a Mulsanne drifting through a bend with the rear tires ablaze. The focus is certainly more biased towards passenger comfort and calm, and the Mulsanne delivers, with small corrugations, large bumps, and uneven surfaces all being minor inconveniences that only those watching the tarmac ahead will be aware of. While you're in the back relaxing, your driver is questioning whether the bump you just went over was really as big as he thought it was. The brakes are similarly well-adjusted, offering smooth but strong stops, but something like a Rolls-Royce Phantom is arguably even more adept at being unnaturally calm and unflustered.

The Bentley Mulsanne is arguably the best way to have your cake and eat it - provided your pockets are deeper than the Mariana Trench. The Mulsanne offers impressive athleticism and agility, along with almost unbeatable luxury and lavish style. While most are likely to enjoy the Mulsanne from the back seat, the driver's seat is by no means a dull place to be either. The car is powerful, quiet, smooth, and just refined on the whole. That said, it's not a perfect vehicle, suffering from a slightly dated list of standard and available features, and a relatively small trunk. Also, despite its best efforts, the Mulsanne is not the ultimate luxury limo. It is admirable that the Mulsanne channels some of its racing pedigree into the Mulsanne, but that also means that the car is hindered compared to the Rolls-Royce offerings when it comes to outright luxury and opulence. If you want a car for the corners, a $300,000 luxury sedan is unlikely to be the vehicle of choice. Thus, we'd rather buy a Phantom and buy something meant for fast fun as a further addition to our Malibu garage.

If you're in the market for a car like this, your interest likely lies with the Mulsanne's ability as a comfortable and luxurious ferry from one lavish location to the next. Thus, we'd opt for the Extended Wheelbase model. Sure, you lose one seat, but nobody who buys a Bentley is short of other cars to bring their friends along with on trips. Furthermore, the increased rear legroom and rear curtain blinds add even more in the way of comfort for the discerning oligarch. With rear-seat comfort in mind, we'd also add the Entertainment package with its dual rear screens/tablets. We would also be sure not to miss out on adding ventilation and massaging functions to the seats.

Not that anyone is likely to care, but the Rolls-Royce Ghost is more expensive than the Mulsanne, albeit only just. The Ghost starts at $311,900, but the extended wheelbase variant is cheaper than the Mulsanne of the same type, with a starting price of $345,900. So which is better? Well, the Rolls uses a similarly large engine, with a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12 delivering 563 hp and 605 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. However, performance is not the reason that we'd opt for the Ghost. This vehicle boasts a preemptive adaptive suspension setup, a starlit headliner, and even the option of a bespoke addition as chosen by the buyer. The Rolls is simply more comfortable, more serene, and more opulent. At this level, excellence must be flawless, and the Ghost delivers the ultimate in terms of luxury. Hence, we'd rather have an RR badge on our limo.

The Flying Spur is another of the Bentley brand's luxury sedans, but it is fairly different in a number of ways. The Flying Spur is a little sportier, offering up to 626 hp from a twin-turbo W12. This model also weighs less and is dimensionally smaller than the Mulsanne and isn't available in the extended-wheelbase format, thus highlighting that this model aims to be defter in terms of performance. Another clue to this model's sporting ambitions is that it's largely based on the Continental GT coupe. As a smaller vehicle, it is also more affordable, starting at $214,600 - almost $100,000 cheaper than the Mulsanne. Essentially, the choice here is fairly simple: if you want supreme luxury with a Bentley badge, the Mulsanne is your chariot of choice. If you prefer spirited drives to be even more exciting, the Flying Spur is the one for you.