Is this normal for an Arnage!!!??
Discussion
Today I began my 'active research' in to the purchase of a Bentley Arnage T.
I have wanted one for some time now, largely on the basis that I've always loved the look, the heritage of the car and the fact that this is a hand built machine made from the finest quality materials.... Something very different to the mass produced cars that seem to litter our streets.
Today I went to formally view my first Arnage T which was a 2007 model held by my local dealer. To be honest it was priced at more than I wanted to pay, but thought it worth a look on the strength that it would give me some indication as to what to expect, and I have to say it did.... However, one particular aspect has left me feeling really quite disappointed and concerned.
Maybe I'm slightly naive..... but I've always expected the Arnage T to be made from the finest quality materials and to be powered by a smooth and highly refined engine, yet today when I started her up and sat in the driver's seat for a couple of minutes, as it ticked over at idol, I got an intermittent vibration that seemed to travel through my body...... Maybe that sounds a bit excessive, it didn't exactly rattle my spine, but it was definitely very noticeable to both my wife and I, and very obvious. I asked the salesman if this was normal for an Arnage T, and he tells me that it is!!
Can anyone please confirm.... Is this to be expected??
He went on to say that when the car is moving you don't notice it, but as I spend a lot of time in London, traffic, this is probably not going to work for me.
Please can you all give me the benefit of your knowledge / experience.... Is this perfectly normal for an Arnage T, or is it perhaps that I've seen a mis-treated example??
Any feedback from you all would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Allister
I have wanted one for some time now, largely on the basis that I've always loved the look, the heritage of the car and the fact that this is a hand built machine made from the finest quality materials.... Something very different to the mass produced cars that seem to litter our streets.
Today I went to formally view my first Arnage T which was a 2007 model held by my local dealer. To be honest it was priced at more than I wanted to pay, but thought it worth a look on the strength that it would give me some indication as to what to expect, and I have to say it did.... However, one particular aspect has left me feeling really quite disappointed and concerned.
Maybe I'm slightly naive..... but I've always expected the Arnage T to be made from the finest quality materials and to be powered by a smooth and highly refined engine, yet today when I started her up and sat in the driver's seat for a couple of minutes, as it ticked over at idol, I got an intermittent vibration that seemed to travel through my body...... Maybe that sounds a bit excessive, it didn't exactly rattle my spine, but it was definitely very noticeable to both my wife and I, and very obvious. I asked the salesman if this was normal for an Arnage T, and he tells me that it is!!
Can anyone please confirm.... Is this to be expected??
He went on to say that when the car is moving you don't notice it, but as I spend a lot of time in London, traffic, this is probably not going to work for me.
Please can you all give me the benefit of your knowledge / experience.... Is this perfectly normal for an Arnage T, or is it perhaps that I've seen a mis-treated example??
Any feedback from you all would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Allister
I think expectation with these cars is always more then they can deliver, I have had a number of Arnage's now right through from to 2001 to the last of line, not used everyday but for high days and holidays, these have normally been run alongside something like a S600 or BMW 760il. In terms of refinements the germans have the Arnage completely beaten, the thing with the Arnage is its sense of road presence and sense of occasion when using them, the other point is that they are all hand built and all drive different from one and other, some are very quite and refined on the road where others are not so good, I would also say that out of the 4 cars we have owned none have been particular reliable, and all of our cars have been less then 6 months old! The one thing I would say is that there customer service is a dam sight better the Rolls Royce, this comes from having spent the last 6 months with a new Phantom.
The thing with these cars is they do have a sense of magic around them and make you feel rather special, these are a car from a different era that were built with no regard to cost, by people who are passionate about there product, I would also say do not disregard the Arnage R which in all essence is more comfortable then the T, just as quick in the real world and for me a nicer overall balance of performance and comfort!
The thing with these cars is they do have a sense of magic around them and make you feel rather special, these are a car from a different era that were built with no regard to cost, by people who are passionate about there product, I would also say do not disregard the Arnage R which in all essence is more comfortable then the T, just as quick in the real world and for me a nicer overall balance of performance and comfort!
Morning Dazzalse
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question, your comments make perfect sense and your first hand experiences are very useful to know.
I was particularly interested in your thoughts on the Arnage R..... As I have no intentions of driving the car that hard, I suspect that the power from the 'R' will probably be adequate for me also, and with comfort being the most important factor in terms of what I want from a Bentley, maybe I need to take a closer look at the Arnage R.
Thank you once again for sharing your experience.
Allister
Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question, your comments make perfect sense and your first hand experiences are very useful to know.
I was particularly interested in your thoughts on the Arnage R..... As I have no intentions of driving the car that hard, I suspect that the power from the 'R' will probably be adequate for me also, and with comfort being the most important factor in terms of what I want from a Bentley, maybe I need to take a closer look at the Arnage R.
Thank you once again for sharing your experience.
Allister
Al
The Arnage T in my opinion is the least desirable in the range....it cosmetically is obviously more aggresive looking than the others, but the ride for me is too hard, and the diamond pattern seats are not to everyones taste.....drive a Arnage Red label see what you think, but for me the "R" is the pick of the range, the right balance between comfort and sportiness....they are somewhat thin on the ground though.
Thank you POOR CAR DEALER.... Another one favouring the R model. The 'R' do seem to be thinner on the ground, but I'd rather wait and get the right car.
I'm guessing that the obvious intermittent vibration I experienced in the car I viewed yesterday, is NOT a definite characteristic of ALL Arnage's then, as the salesman suggested?
I'm guessing that the obvious intermittent vibration I experienced in the car I viewed yesterday, is NOT a definite characteristic of ALL Arnage's then, as the salesman suggested?
Yes they all drive and behave different, and remember a very low mileage car is not always the best thing these cars thrive on being driven and and car with a decent mileage and good history will always be better then the super low mileage car locked in the garage all year it will also have had all of its minor issues and problems sorted and believe me there are many, as i always tell friends when you are buy into this club its not because of the comfort, silence and reliability, think of it as like owning a Range Rover (a great car when its working and as the Land Rover service department keep telling me that is what they have a warranty for even though a Range Rover now runs at 90k) If you think along this line then you'll be OK - If you speak to anyone on here who says that they have had no problems with there Arnage they are either to embarrassed to say or one of the very few lucky ones!
Our last car a beautiful Arnage last of line in Windsor Blue with Naim, factory rear entertainment, Brooklands wheels and many other options List price new 230k spent over 3 months off the road and left us stranded 3 times! and I would go onto say this would not be the first Arnage to leave us standed, it is expected and as my wife says its not the fact its broken down its the embarrassment at sitting on the side of the road, but then I would go as far as to say most things hand built have problems and our current Phantom left us stranded down in Portugal last year only 5 weeks old - and to be told by the dealer could we action temporary repairs to get us back to the ferry port as RR have no dealerships down there and RR assistance backed up by mondial were not keen on attending as they were nervous about touching the car! So these cars no matter how much you spend can be problematic!
But for sense of occasion there is nothing else and having driven the new Mulsanne I can say the Arnage is truely one of the last British cars, the Mulsanne in a way feels quite germanic
Our last car a beautiful Arnage last of line in Windsor Blue with Naim, factory rear entertainment, Brooklands wheels and many other options List price new 230k spent over 3 months off the road and left us stranded 3 times! and I would go onto say this would not be the first Arnage to leave us standed, it is expected and as my wife says its not the fact its broken down its the embarrassment at sitting on the side of the road, but then I would go as far as to say most things hand built have problems and our current Phantom left us stranded down in Portugal last year only 5 weeks old - and to be told by the dealer could we action temporary repairs to get us back to the ferry port as RR have no dealerships down there and RR assistance backed up by mondial were not keen on attending as they were nervous about touching the car! So these cars no matter how much you spend can be problematic!
But for sense of occasion there is nothing else and having driven the new Mulsanne I can say the Arnage is truely one of the last British cars, the Mulsanne in a way feels quite germanic
allister said:
Thank you POOR CAR DEALER.... Another one favouring the R model. The 'R' do seem to be thinner on the ground, but I'd rather wait and get the right car.
I'm guessing that the obvious intermittent vibration I experienced in the car I viewed yesterday, is NOT a definite characteristic of ALL Arnage's then, as the salesman suggested?
You shouldnt get a vibration no....as stated above, the cars all drive quite differently, best thing is try a few, the better cars I have owned have been the ones used regualary, it is vital you buy from a knowledgable seller, it is not uncommon to spend seven or eight thousand pounds bringing a on the facew of it decent car up to scratch.I'm guessing that the obvious intermittent vibration I experienced in the car I viewed yesterday, is NOT a definite characteristic of ALL Arnage's then, as the salesman suggested?
Buy a nice one and you will love it, they are full of character and now great value for money.
It shouldn't vibrate. Presumably it was in Park and not drive?
I haven't driven a 'T', but would echo the comments that quite a few people have, in the past, commented on the slightly harsher ride. However, the only way to know if it suits is to drive a few and compare. Some will prefer a 'T', some won't.
I haven't driven a 'T', but would echo the comments that quite a few people have, in the past, commented on the slightly harsher ride. However, the only way to know if it suits is to drive a few and compare. Some will prefer a 'T', some won't.
Hi Allister,
I'm wondering if the vibration that you have mentioned is an uneven tickover, which I'm afraid is a trait of Arnage T's and to a lesser extent R's. If it is then the salesman is knowledgable and telling the truth, that is obviously assuming that it is lumpy rather than an actual vibration. As has been said you need to try other cars to compare. I would also recommend you talk to a the service dept at a main dealer for guidence, but make sure you get someone who knows these cars and doesn't just service GT's or has just moved from the local Audi dealer.
I'm wondering if the vibration that you have mentioned is an uneven tickover, which I'm afraid is a trait of Arnage T's and to a lesser extent R's. If it is then the salesman is knowledgable and telling the truth, that is obviously assuming that it is lumpy rather than an actual vibration. As has been said you need to try other cars to compare. I would also recommend you talk to a the service dept at a main dealer for guidence, but make sure you get someone who knows these cars and doesn't just service GT's or has just moved from the local Audi dealer.
I have found if these cars regardless of model variant are started and stopped without a couple of mile run they will tend to be a little lumpy on tick over when cold. If after a run it is still uneven then you may want to explore the possibility of another vehicle.
They can be fuel sensitive to so only use Super Unleaded as they can be rough on standard or throw the engine management lamp on.
I tend to agree the best of the bunch is the R yet they all have a wonderful sense of charm and presence.
They can be fuel sensitive to so only use Super Unleaded as they can be rough on standard or throw the engine management lamp on.
I tend to agree the best of the bunch is the R yet they all have a wonderful sense of charm and presence.
I have had a Red Label for seven years and 30000 miles and its never had even the slightest problem. The idle can be lumpy from cold, you need to get moving and it warms up very quickly. Similarly if its not been given a blast for a while it will puff out a cloud of black smoke when you do put your foot down. It's a real car.
I also have a GT Speed, which is not at all of the same character, and has a perfect idle, and no puffs of smoke. Boring by comparison.
I also have a GT Speed, which is not at all of the same character, and has a perfect idle, and no puffs of smoke. Boring by comparison.
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