Rolls-Royce Phantom
Ratings
4 stars
Summary
Recommended. Rolls would like you to think this is the best saloon car in the world. It's certainly one of the most ostentatious.
Review
You certainly can't fault BMW's commitment to the Rolls-Royce brand that it managed to nab when Volkswagen Group bought Bentley a few years ago. The famous Crewe works had stayed with Bentley, meaning that BMW had to create an all-new factory in Goodwood and develop the spectacular Phantom from scratch.It's certainly possible to question the Englishness of the finished product. The Phantom's vast dimensions and Gothic design seem far closer to what Germans expect a luxury mega-saloon to look like. But there's no denying that the Phantom is a spectacular piece of engineering for those who can afford its suburban semi-rivalling pricetag.The brutish exterior styling is more caddish than the elegant Rolls-Royces of old, but it lends the Phantom the authority it needs to part the traffic around it. And the interior is truly spectacular, finished to an impeccable standard with the highest quality materials. It's clearly been designed from the rear seat forwards as Phantom owners aren't expected to pilot themselves, but every part of the cabin benefits from the same depth of thought and attention.The driving experience is pretty special, too. The Phantom is probably the best-insulated car in the world, offering almost uncanny levels of refinement to both front and rear seat occupants. Performance is supremely wafty, with the V12 engine only making its voice (discreetly) heard under hard acceleration. It corners impressively keenly for something so large, too.Purchase and running costs are terrifying. However, owners can look on the bright side - they would have lost even more money on the far less impressive Maybach.
Ratings Breakdown
Styling
4 star
Unlike anything else in the world - a Germanic re-imagining of Rolls-Royce's core visual DNA. Cliff-face front end is OTT, even for a Rolls-Royce.
Handling
3 star
Decent for something so large, although attempts at more rapid progress induce acute body roll. More about wafting, something it does very well.
Comfort
5 star
There probably isn't a more relaxing place in the world than the back seat of a Rolls-Royce Phantom. Refinement is, simply, astonishing.
Quality & Reliability
5 star
Very well constructed, and every part of the interior is trimmed with top-drawer materials. Puts old Rollers to shame.
Performance
4 star
V12 engine gives more than adequate performance, bearing in mind the Phantom is more about wafting than burning rubber.
Roominess
4 star
Rear seat occupants enjoy plenty of space and the boot is massive, too.
Running Costs
1 star
Won the lottery recently? If not then don't bother asking, you undoubtedly can't afford it. Insurance, servicing and depreciation are all so expensive that the 12 - 15 mpg average fuel economy is the least of a buyer's worries.
Value for money
3 star
Compared to the horror of the Maybach, the Phantom looks like almost good value, but the Bentley Arnage is considerably less expensive (if less trustworthy).
