Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur’s Quality:
Bentley is owned by Volkswagen, a company that has long been known for its use of class-leading, quality materials in cars like the Jetta and Passat. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Continental Flying Spur, costing considerably more than either of those affordable vehicles, is home to top-notch goods. Durable leather is on nearly every surface – seats, doors, dash, center console, lower seat frames, upper and lower pillars, headliner, glove box, steering wheel, lower kick panels, and rocker panels. Strong stitching keeps most of it tightly together, though I did notice some excess glue holding a strip inside of the rear passenger door pocket. Alloy is used throughout the cabin, from the Bentley-embossed door sill plates to the swivel air vents, and deep-pile floor mats (a $490 option) provide a soft cushion for tired feet. The same material is used to line the power trunk lid. Lower grade plastics were used for the steering wheel controls and the lower grille inserts.

Aside from the glue on the rear door, a visual inspection unveiled only a few minor build issues. Gaps around the wood appliqué on the instrument panel were off by a hair, as were the gaps around the dash-top speaker, and there was a slight variance of panel fit at the joint between the A-pillar and hood from side to side.

Brian Chee’s Opinion of the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur’s Quality:
You can actually hear the sunroof sealing when you close it. That’s quality, as is the rest of the interior, with its careful craftsmanship. Truly, the interior is a testament to attention to detail, save for one potential issue: the lack of side rear sunscreens. It should be assumed that the Flying Spur comes equipped with rear side sunscreens, especially when you consider how many Flying Spur owners sit in the back seat Monday – Friday. Where the Flying Spur also comes up short in terms of quality is when it comes to exterior materials. The grille, for example, while a signature element, is, uh…plastic, as are other parts of the body. True, the front and rear extrusions of any car must be plastic in order to meet safety standards, but still, one wonders if Bentley could have put a little more metal on the outside of this marvelous machine.

Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur’s Quality:
Surprisingly, the quality of the Bentley didn’t live up to my expectations. Granted this is a low-volume car, but when paying $185,000 for a set of wheels, everything should be perfect. Overall the interior quality was excellent with the exception of the fitment of the glove box cover. The aluminum accents, from the air vent bezels and jeweled shifter knob to the plates behind the assist handles, are exquisite. Even the window switches feel sturdy and solid, and work with a smoothness one expects of a car in this class.

Outside, I was shocked as I opened the bonnet to find not only release button that looked and felt like plastic but also plastic grille and vent inserts. With cars like Jaguar and even Cadillac offering real metal grilles, Bentley needs to step it up and replace the cheap GM plastic with materials befitting the Bentley marque.

Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur’s Quality:
Almost every single surface inside the 2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur is coated with gorgeous leather or glossy wood accented with a mix of polished aluminum and bright chrome. Some of the switchgear looks and feels low rent in comparison…like Jaguar-quality bits. Some of the plastic buttons are a bit glossy, a bit unsure in their moorings, a bit cheap in their action. Also, the lined rear storage bin sounded hollow and cheap when rapped, and the cupholder inserts are strictly GM-grade hardware. But seriously, this is the nicest damn car I’ve ever spent time in.

As for assembly quality, when you’re spending this kind of coin, attention to detail is a demand rather than a mere expectation. Inside our particular test sample, I uncovered flushness of fit issues with the navigation screen bezel and the surrounding wood trim as well as the leading joint for the veneers on the rear center console; inconsistent gap tolerances around the top center dash speaker grille and the glove box door; and frayed edges on the trim around the driver’s window. Despite these nits, all of which were minor and barely worth mentioning on a car costing less, everything inside our Bentley was solidly affixed, and given the numerous opportunities for sloppy assembly, this car is extremely well assembled by the crew at Crewe.

Likewise the exterior, where I found inconsistent fits between the hood and front fascia around the thick plastic grille. Minor fascia fit issues also existed at the front wheel wells, and I found barely perceptible variances in the door gaps at the B-pillars and with the rubber seals for the doors. Finally, our Bentley Continental Flying Spur’s deck lid was tweaked a bit off center. Otherwise, the exterior exhibited tight and uniform build, but thanks to a minimum of shut lines, the BCFS has few spots where error can occur.