2021 Rolls-Royce Ghost vs. Bentley Flying Spur and Mercedes-Maybach S650: Battle Of The Opulent
There are luxury sedans and then there are luxury sedans. The latter, of course, refers to tall four doors like the new Rolls-Royce Ghost that made its debut Tuesday. It's not the only game in town, of course, and as good as the new Ghost may sound, it has some pretty impressive competition.
So, let's see how the second generation of Rolls-Royce's best-selling car compares to its other mega-luxurious 12-cylinder rivals, the Bentley Flying Spur and the Mercedes-Maybach S650. We'll compare the usual specs, but also take a closer look at the lovely details that make each one more special.
The new Ghost is the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce to date.
- stylish, yes, but only the Phantom has rear doors.
Sleek, yes, but only the Ghost has rear doors.
These are three four full figure doors. Big kids. Big boys. Rolls-Royce will soon offer an even longer, extended-wheelbase version of the Ghost, in case you somehow find the standard version too small for your needs.
The base Ghost is similar in size to both the Bentley and Maybach, though it's the heaviest of the three by far. The Rolls-Royce is the longest car overall, although the Maybach has the longest wheelbase and the Flying Spur seems to find a good middle ground between the two.
Interior dimensions
The cabins of the sedans are also quite similar in size. Interestingly, the Maybach is the only car that offers more legroom at the front than at the rear and the Bentley beats the Rolls-Royce here too. But the Flying Spur suffers when it comes to total cargo capacity - it's down about three cubic feet compared to the Ghost and S650.
a close-up of a car: say hello to the new Rolls-Royce Ghost.
Say hello to the new Rolls-Royce Ghost.
All three cars have 12-cylinder biturbo engines and there is no problem between them. Of course, big power comes big consumption, and as you can see from the chart below, neither of these cars are what we would call efficient.
The most interesting conclusion here is that the Flying Spur is almost a second faster in the 0-60mph sprint, despite having comparable power. In fact, the Maybach S650 is the lightest car in the bunch and packs a whopping 738 pound-feet of torque, yet it matches the Ghost's 4.6-second acceleration time. It is also the only car that offers rear-wheel drive instead of all-wheel drive.
On the other hand, power and acceleration are relatively relative in cars like these, where the goal is to offer flexible manners on the road. We can't talk to the Ghost at the moment, but its new suspension technologies should make it buttery smooth on all pavement surfaces, which will definitely give the Flying Spur and Maybach a run for their money.
A green car parked on the side of a road - this is the 2020 Bentley Flying Spur.
This is the 2020 Bentley Flying Spur.
All three cars offer extremely luxurious accommodation, with executive seating for two available in the rear. Heated, cooled and massaged seats are available across the board, as are rear seat entertainment systems, coolers (you have to keep the Veuve cool, sure), sun shades and more. Bentley and Rolls-Royce have the upper hand in absolute luxury, with their hand-assembled cabs and beautiful décor. But the Maybach is not a failure in this department - it would be hard to complain about the premium accessories on offer here.
The Bentley and Maybach are almost even when it comes to infotainment technology. The former uses a Bentley leather version of the excellent Porsche Communication Management system, while the latter runs Mercedes' older COMAND software. Still, both are better than the older BMW iDrive 6-based technology found in the Ghost, which doesn't even offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Driver assistance features are not in short supply, and all three cars offer a full set of good things. But the Ghost scores extra points for its Starlight Headliner pièce de resistance, which is one of the best cockpit lighting fixtures available anywhere. Bring the night sky inside the car and the owners can specify your own custom view of the sky. The Ghost's new illuminated dash is another glossy specialized piece that also sets it apart from the rest.
a car parked in a parking lot - Mercedes-Benz offers a redesigned grille on the Maybach S-Class.
Mercedes-Benz offers a redesigned grille on the Maybach S-Class.
If you have to ask ...
These are not cheap cars, nor should they be given the luxury and power on offer. The Mercedes-Maybach S650 is the cheapest, or perhaps we should say the least expensive, at just over $ 200,000. The Bentley starts at around $ 10,000 more than that and the Ghost comes in at a whopping $ 332,000
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