Rolls-Royce Ghost Review and Prices

The Rolls-Royce Ghost may be the entry-level Rolls-Royce saloon, but you’ll still need a minimum of £250k to get into one. If you can though, you’ll be in for a treat.

That quarter of a million pounds gets you a twin-turbo 6.75-litre V12 engine, a vast body with acres of space, and some of the most opulent furnishings this side of Kensington Palace. If the Ghost isn’t quite the last word in luxury, it’s certainly in the last sentence.

From the illuminated grille to the (thankfully real) tailpipes, the Ghost exudes class. Inside, the quality of materials is beyond those in most luxury mansions. Your feet sink into soft, deep-pile carpets, while your backside is enveloped in soft, supple leather. Vast expanses of unbroken soft leather (the cows clearly were never anywhere near a barbed-wire fence) cover most of the surfaces you touch, and the beautiful trims that look like chromed metal are in fact chromed metal. Everything feels solid, weighty, smooth.

Everything, from the organ-stop controls that open and close vents to the central rear armrest, operate with a smooth, damped action, while the buttons, switches, and even the rotary controller for the infotainment system, have a consistently luxurious action. Even the doors open and close on their own with only the press of a button or pull of a lever – no effort required.

The Ghost is supremely refined. It's like being in an isolation tank with windows.

In the back, which is where most owners are likely to spend the bulk of their time, there’s huge space to stretch out in, even in the standard-wheelbase model.

Should you specify it, pressing a button on the back of the front seat opens up the optional rear-seat entertainment system, allowing the dignitary back there to operate the infotainment set-up, and when they get wearied of that they can ease their head back on to the optional embossed pillow and drop off.

And dropping off will be easy, given the sheer refinement of the Ghost. There’s no less than 100kg of sound-deadening trim throughout the car, and when you open the window you’ll see that the double-glazing is thick. Your driver could drive you onto the stage at a Metallica gig and you’d still be dozing.

The ride comfort is superb, with the air suspension managing the apparent witchcraft of ensuring you’re isolated from the road while keeping the body totally under control at all times. Witness, too, the steering, which has just the right gearing and weight to ensure that it’s easy for your driver to put in smooth, consistent turns without feeling like they’re turning the wheel of the Titanic.

That twin-turbo V12 is not only almost vibration and noise-free, but it has a kick like a racehorse. The Ghost will cover the 0-60mph sprint in 4.6 seconds, although it’s far better to sit back and let the engine get on with feeling utterly relaxed.

However, you won’t feel quite so relaxed if you actually have to park the Ghost anywhere except on your driveway, because it takes up a whole load of postcode. Just as well there are sensor and cameras to let you know exactly how much you have between your car and the (doubtless much cheaper) you’re parking behind, because even a tiny ding would be horribly costly.

So if you’ve got the budget, the Rolls-Royce Ghost is one of the finest luxury saloon on sale. The trouble is, Rolls’ Phantom isn’t much more expensive, and somehow manages to feel even more luxurious.