Rolls-Royce Phantom review - MPG, CO2 and Running Costs

When the average UK house price is £225,000, an ability to spend the £360k required to buy even the most simply-specified Rolls-Royce Phantom is something most of us will only ever dream of. But Rolls-Royce Motor Cars operates in such a rarefied atmosphere that it’s only the starting point, Phantom customers will very often order bespoke options, trims and upholstery finishes that push the price of their cars towards the £1million mark. 

While rock stars and lottery winners may still deal in hard cash, a few Phantoms will be leased on monthly payments. This means owners effectively only pay for depreciation, so their capital can be invested in projects that won’t haemorrhage value the way a luxury car loses money when driven off the forecourt. 

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In that sort of environment, it’s clear that fuel economy is never going to be an issue, but even so, the 20mpg this car is capable of (even under the tougher WLTP test method), isn’t too disgraceful for a machine weighing two and a half tonnes.

Use anything of the available performance though, and that figure will plummet. Naturally, the officially quoted CO2 figure of 318g/km is going to be a lot worse when you’re guzzling unleaded, too. Interestingly, going for the Extended Wheelbase Phantom only sees emissions rise to 319g/km.

On the plus side, at least road tax is no longer emissions based after the first year, and the Phantom will be no more expensive than its lower priced rivals in that regard. Of course, in the first year, the Phantom is liable for the maximum surcharge in excess of £2,000. 

Insurance groups

Insurance costs will be in the top Group 50, but most Phantom owners are likely to have ‘fleet’ policies covering multiple vehicles in their garages. 

Depreciation

Depreciation on a Rolls-Royce Phantom is a vague affair, especially as there are so many variables in how cars are used and how they are specified when new. However, the previous generation Phantom should be a useful guide, and we reported a while back on depreciation levels of around 25 per cent in the first year. On a lavishly specified car that could be a very big number.