Does the law of diminishing returns apply to cars? I think it does. Is a $50,000 car twice as good as a $25,000 car? Or is a $150,000 car three times as good as a $50,000 car? I guess it depends on your viewpoint. Those people who can afford a $150,000 car usually just write a check for it (either on their personal or business account). Since I can't afford a $150,000 car now and not likely in the future, perhaps I shouldn't be commenting on a car's "worth".
All of this came up today when I drove two very different cars, aimed at very different customers. But since these cars come from the opposite ends of the price spectrum, the "worth" of the cars came to mind. At the lower end, at $21,000 or so was the Dodge Neon SRT-4. Yes, I know that there are cars at the $10,000 end and that's half the cost of the Neon, but the Neon is further away from the refrigerator end of the scale than those low-end cars. At the other end of the scale, at about $190,000 was the Bentley Continental GT. Yes, I also know that there are cars priced much higher than that, even twice as much.
By intent, the Neon is a rather raw, powerful front-drive budget car aimed at kids who want something fast to begin with and can rather easily be made faster. And it is fast, particularly for the price. And it is rather unrefined.
Chrysler has really made significant strides in improving the interiors of the Neons if this one is an example. They don't scream "rental car" anymore. Instead it is only whispered. But put this one into gear, only a manual is available, and ease off the clutch. You forget that "rental car" image immediately. Rental cars don't go this fast.
My image of the budget rocket has been the Subaru WRX for a few years. Nobody made a really quick car with power like that at a rather low price. I never thought of the Neon as being a competitor. But it is. The difference is that the Neon is about $5000 less expensive and doesn't have all-wheel-drive. Both have about the same amount of power.
Which one is nicer? I'll take the Neon both inside and out. The Subaru is kind of funky whereas the Neon is conservative.
There are lots more WRXes on the road here in Los Angeles, indicating that they are "in" here. You see few Neon SRT-4s, probably because they haven't been around that long, but also because of that awful rental car image. Image means a lot.
At the other end of this drive is the Bentley Continental GT. All the really expensive cars I've driven, I've come away thinking that I'd never spend that much for that particular car. There is always something that is cheap and shouldn't be on a car that expensive.
Not this car! Look at the outside. Flawless construction. Styling is quite conservative, but nonetheless imposing. It isn't as imposing as the Rolls Royce, but still screams "class" in a very loud voice. The one I drove was in a quite bright blue, which looked great on that car. It also attracted a lot of attention -- in Newport Beach!
The interior? Think VW/Audi (the owner of Bentley) who makes the best interiors of anything on the road -- period -- then take that an order of magnitude higher. You may not think it's possible as nice as the Audis are, but feast your eyes on really expensive materials. It really would give the Maybach a run for its money.
Driving it out of the lot was surprising. What came to mind was a Bentley Turbo R I drove years ago. When I drove that, I was very impressed with how much velvet smooth performance could be had in a really heavy car. The Continental GT feels the same. It gives you the impression of weight and it still very agile and fast. With 552 horsepower, I guess it should be fast, but that's powering 5200 pounds of car, which sure isn't light. I guess the British would call it "substantial".
I didn't get to try the rear seats, but it didn't look like there was a lot of space back there. But if you need rear seat space for longer trips, get the 4-door Bentley.
I guess I'm getting old when I find a car like this really attractive. Wouldn't a Ferrari be higher on the "not" scale than the Bentley. Probably, but the Bentley sure isn't a refrigerator!
So there you have it: A car at each end of the price scale. Is the Bentley worth the money? In today's market, I would have pegged it at $100,000 more. But then I don't really have a great standard for comparison. That consists of only what I read in the magazines and an occasional drive. The Neon sure was fun, but nobody would confuse it inside or out for the Bentley. Both, I'm sure, will be successes in Los Angeles. The problem for Bentley will be meeting the demand.
