V8 Vantage - what's it really like?
Discussion
gilbo said:
davek_964 how are you now finding Aston ownership a few months in? I'm looking at one Friday but must admit was originally looking for a 996/997 Turbo or an R8. My biggest concern is will I get bored of the 'lack of performance' compared to the porker. And also the residual value as the Audi and 911 appear to have crept up in price but I'm unsure if the Aston has bottomed or not. Don't get me wrong I'm not after free ownership, I'm just not into losing shed loads come resale time. 
Well, I guess I can comment on both since I had my 996 turbo for five and a half years / 40k miles. A summary of my 996 turbo ownership would be this :I very nearly sold it towards the end of the first year of ownership. Partly because I'd had constant niggling problems during that year (mostly coolant leaks, but also fake brake pad wear warnings and a few other issues) but also because it didn't feel like a "sports" car. It was very fast - especially once mapped - but felt far more GT than sports to me. I decided to give it a last chance, and got the alignment done at Center Gravity.
That transformed the car - the steering felt much quicker, and it felt much more like a sports car.
That feeling didn't really last though and although I kept the car for quite a long time, I don't think I ever really gel'd with it. There were times when I thought it was unbelievably good - a trip to Edinburgh stays in my memory, when we made very very good progress and yet averaged over 28mpg. Driving in the wet was great fun - the car had an immense amount of grip - in fact, I'd say it was probably more fun in the wet than the dry.
In general, I would say the car was pretty soul-less. Not everybody agrees - some people use them as weekend cars, but for me it would never have been that - it just wasn't that special to drive. It was supremely capable at most things (although to this day I think the brakes were horrible), but it was rarely "fun" to drive. It is the only car I've ever had where it felt too fast for the roads. It's rare that you can use that amount of power - too much traffic in the south east - and even if you do get a clear run, it's literally seconds before you hit 3 figure speeds.
If going fast is your thing, then there are probably few things better for the money - especially since they do seem to be appreciating now. But for me, that alone didn't make the car fun.
One comment I would make is that - although I generally found that mine didn't feel like a sports car - there was a couple of weeks overlap between buying the Vantage and selling the turbo. During that two weeks, I almost exclusively used the Vantage - but when I did use the turbo shortly before selling it - it did feel sporty. So I suppose everything is relative. Compared to the cars I owned at the same time as the turbo (964, 348, 360) it is very much not sporty, and it's not nearly as much fun. But compared to other cars - which seems to include the Vantage - it does have a sporty feel to it.
Having said all of that - I expected to regret selling the turbo. I don't - not even one little bit.
I must have had the Vantage about 2 months now. I am just back from a weekend in the Cotswolds which was a good opportunity to give it a decent run - I guess we covered between 300 and 400 miles in total.
I think the speed thing is a little misleading - to me, it does feel slow - but the numbers on the speedo suggest it's really not that bad. It is a pretty quick car, but it doesn't generally feel like it is. Power delivery is very linear and there is no real feel of being pushed back in the seat. And of course, a 996/997 turbo would eat it for breakfast without even trying - as would an R8 I expect.
I didn't buy the Vantage as a fast car. I was well aware it would be significantly slower than the turbo, and I have another car which is my fun weekend car. But I did still find it's performance disappointing initially - I still expected a bit more shove when accelerating out of bends. It's not a problem now though - as I said, I think the "feel" is misleading, and it is quick enough - I found it perfectly fine over the weekend and was surprised a couple of times by the reading on the speedo.
Two months in, I love it. The unfortunate problem of having an Emergency Brake Assist failure warning within the first week has made me a bit nervous about how reliable it will be - but I finally got that sorted on Friday so hopefully I have some trouble free motoring ahead.
There are nice touches that come with the car, and these add up to a package you really appreciate. The angled doors are something that I initially considered a gimmick - but you've only got to park on a cambered road a couple of times to realise how useful they are.
Fuel consumption isn't the greatest, but you learn to live with it.
Brakes are better than my 360 in my opinion - and about a million times better than the stock 996 turbo brakes.
If you care about such things, the Aston attracts a lot of attention. Porsche's these days are ten a penny - people barely noticed mine. The Aston gets very nearly the same amount of attention as my 360.
Overall - as people have said - owning and driving the Aston is an experience. Two months in, I still look forward to driving it and I love it. I have no regrets about buying one at all.
If I was looking for a sports / weekend fun car, then I don't think a Vantage would be on my list - for me, it serves a different purpose than that. But - a 996 turbo wouldn't be on my list either because I never felt it met those criteria.
From a price point of view - 996 turbos do seem to be going up, and I think decent examples will continue to do so. I wasn't sure if I'd get on with a Vantage, so bought an early one thinking that at least I was near the bottom of the curve. My feeling is that they probably won't drop much lower than they are now, but I have no evidence to base that on. If I was feeling like blowing a bit more cash, I'd be very tempted to buy newer - probably go for a 4.7 - and just accept it would probably depreciate. But I'm happy with the one I have, and don't feel any need to upgrade at the moment.
I am definitely still very happy with mine, but I am lucky that I have other cars to complement it.
ETA : To be honest, if I had to summarise the reason I did finally get rid of my 996 turbo I'd say it was because I found it boring to drive. If it wasn't sunny weekend weather it seemed simpler to use the Cayenne than the turbo (Cayenne's are more fun than people imagine!) because 99% of the time you couldn't use the acceleration of the turbo anyway. And if you take away the immense acceleration, I was never convinced there was much left that made it fun.
We all like different things, but considering you say you're worried you might find the lack of speed in the Vantage boring - I'd say be careful of assuming that the speed of the turbo stops it from being boring. The turbo is very good at everything, but that can make it feel quite ordinary to drive (in my opinion).
Edited by davek_964 on Wednesday 15th July 13:02
gilbo said:
I was really set on a black one but looked at one last week and .... it showed every chip and scratch.
Ah, rookie error. It only showed every chip and scratch because it had been cleaned before you viewed it. In real life, black gets dirty so quickly it immediately hides any paint imperfections. 
Another month has passed, and I'm now 3 months into ownership and have added just over 2k miles to the car.
It's cost me money, since I had to get the pedal travel sensor replaced to cure the emergency brake assist warning. But just over £200 for part and fitting with a full bleed of the brakes seemed fair and it does seem to have solved the problem.
I have an annoying squeak from the rear wheel (rhs I think) at low speed which seems to be a brake pad (happened before the bleed too). I've been told some hard braking might help so need to try that!
I discovered my cockpit charger socket didn't work - solved with a new fuse.
Apart from that, the car is pretty faultless now. When I first bought it - and tried to get petrol on the way home - the fuel flap didn't open properly, meaning I had to use the manual release cable. It got worse (although always worked when I tried it at home!) and even the cable didn't work once, so had to resort to the credit card trick. That was a step too far - I adjusted the flap (closed the hinge slightly) and the fuel flap now opens first press of the button every time.
I still absolutely love the car. I bought an early one because I didn't want to spend more and find I didn't like it. But I find myself wishing I'd bought newer. On the other hand, a newer one wouldn't really do much that mine doesn't so there is no real reason to change. A 4.7 would be nice but I've got used to the power now, and generally don't feel the need to drive it like I stole it. Brisk progress is still made with a slightly more relaxed approach.
I have seen people move from Porsche - often 996 turbo - to Vantage, hate it and move back quickly. I can honestly say I have zero regrets. The 996 turbo was very good at many things, but for me it was never the holy grail of cars many people seem to consider them now.
It is a gorgeous car - I used my 360 today, and when I got home and parked next to the Aston I thought the Aston was the better looking of the two cars.
Although they have a reputation for having a few idiosyncrasies, there is some mundane stuff it does better than those - supposedly - well built German sports cars. The windscreen wipers on my 996 turbo were adequate. The 360 wipers are adequate. The Cayenne wipers are not adequate even when brand new. The Vantage wipers actually clear the screen completely. It's quite amazing when you're not used to it!
Overall, there isn't really much to say this month - everything works as it should, it looks and sounds fabulous (when it's not squeaking), it's great to drive and I should have bought one years ago.
I've seen a few threads recently where people are considering buying a Vantage in the £30k ballpark. Here's a gratuitous photo showing what you get for your money.
It's cost me money, since I had to get the pedal travel sensor replaced to cure the emergency brake assist warning. But just over £200 for part and fitting with a full bleed of the brakes seemed fair and it does seem to have solved the problem.
I have an annoying squeak from the rear wheel (rhs I think) at low speed which seems to be a brake pad (happened before the bleed too). I've been told some hard braking might help so need to try that!
I discovered my cockpit charger socket didn't work - solved with a new fuse.
Apart from that, the car is pretty faultless now. When I first bought it - and tried to get petrol on the way home - the fuel flap didn't open properly, meaning I had to use the manual release cable. It got worse (although always worked when I tried it at home!) and even the cable didn't work once, so had to resort to the credit card trick. That was a step too far - I adjusted the flap (closed the hinge slightly) and the fuel flap now opens first press of the button every time.
I still absolutely love the car. I bought an early one because I didn't want to spend more and find I didn't like it. But I find myself wishing I'd bought newer. On the other hand, a newer one wouldn't really do much that mine doesn't so there is no real reason to change. A 4.7 would be nice but I've got used to the power now, and generally don't feel the need to drive it like I stole it. Brisk progress is still made with a slightly more relaxed approach.
I have seen people move from Porsche - often 996 turbo - to Vantage, hate it and move back quickly. I can honestly say I have zero regrets. The 996 turbo was very good at many things, but for me it was never the holy grail of cars many people seem to consider them now.
It is a gorgeous car - I used my 360 today, and when I got home and parked next to the Aston I thought the Aston was the better looking of the two cars.
Although they have a reputation for having a few idiosyncrasies, there is some mundane stuff it does better than those - supposedly - well built German sports cars. The windscreen wipers on my 996 turbo were adequate. The 360 wipers are adequate. The Cayenne wipers are not adequate even when brand new. The Vantage wipers actually clear the screen completely. It's quite amazing when you're not used to it!
Overall, there isn't really much to say this month - everything works as it should, it looks and sounds fabulous (when it's not squeaking), it's great to drive and I should have bought one years ago.
I've seen a few threads recently where people are considering buying a Vantage in the £30k ballpark. Here's a gratuitous photo showing what you get for your money.
As I mentioned in another thread, in the last month or so I've been tempted to upgrade - either to get my 4.3 tweaked at the next service or to upgrade to a 4.7. I even went to see a 2010 car and got an idea of trade in value but that was a day before I flew to a week of sunshine. I agreed I'd probably take it for a test drive when I got back but it looks like it sold when I was away. But I'm not actually disappointed.
The car felt great on the drive to view the other car, and having had a week away from it I think it feels even better and I'm wondering why I even thought I needed it to be quicker. I preferred the centre console on mine but the centre cubby in the newer cars is nice. Not £20k nice though which is about what it would cost me to upgrade.
So instead, I treated the car to a wash and a couple of coats of wax today and am pretty sure it's going nowhere. I know it's a good one and I want to keep it!
So, how has the car performed over the last couple of months?
It continues to be pretty faultless. I had a couple of days with a bit of a squeak that I assumed was the belt tensioner wheel, but that silenced itself within a couple of days - I'll see if it comes back.
I gave a friend a lift back from a pub a couple of weeks ago and although he knew I'd bought it, he'd not seen it before. Lesson 1 is that drunk people struggle to open Vantage doors from the outside.... But apart from that, he loved it. It is - apparently - the best car I have ever owned / own.
On the drive today, I did find it handled rather like a shopping trolley under power - topped the tyres up and all back to normal. They weren't that low but had dropped a good few psi.
5 months and 3k miles in, I really did expect to have a list of issues by now. But there really isn't - the car continues to be fabulous, and simply does what it should. I still love it.
The car felt great on the drive to view the other car, and having had a week away from it I think it feels even better and I'm wondering why I even thought I needed it to be quicker. I preferred the centre console on mine but the centre cubby in the newer cars is nice. Not £20k nice though which is about what it would cost me to upgrade.
So instead, I treated the car to a wash and a couple of coats of wax today and am pretty sure it's going nowhere. I know it's a good one and I want to keep it!
So, how has the car performed over the last couple of months?
It continues to be pretty faultless. I had a couple of days with a bit of a squeak that I assumed was the belt tensioner wheel, but that silenced itself within a couple of days - I'll see if it comes back.
I gave a friend a lift back from a pub a couple of weeks ago and although he knew I'd bought it, he'd not seen it before. Lesson 1 is that drunk people struggle to open Vantage doors from the outside.... But apart from that, he loved it. It is - apparently - the best car I have ever owned / own.
On the drive today, I did find it handled rather like a shopping trolley under power - topped the tyres up and all back to normal. They weren't that low but had dropped a good few psi.
5 months and 3k miles in, I really did expect to have a list of issues by now. But there really isn't - the car continues to be fabulous, and simply does what it should. I still love it.
Well, you know what they say - keep repeating that your car is faultless and Murphys law will step in....
In fact, there is nothing particularly serious. I've mentioned in another thread that only parts of my windscreen are demisting. I did remove the cover to the connectors, but then decided it wasn't worth the effort - the windscreen has two fairly sizeable chips so I need to get it replaced anyway - if that doesn't cure it, then I'll worry about whether it's electrical. I suspect it is simply the connectors to the screen so I expect a new screen to solve it.
I've also realised that I have the known issue of the front speakers being intermittent due to the bluetooth / relay in the passenger compartment fuse area. It explains why my radio sometimes gets louder as I slow down. Unfortunately, James (Trackaphone) doesn't currently have any replacements but I can wait.
Most annoying is that the noise I mentioned in earlier posts is back - I'm pretty sure it's a pulley, and it's beginning to be annoying enough that I will need to get it to a mechanic.
I also had a funny "problem" today - got into the car after work, started it and noticed that my passenger mirror was only half out (powerfold mirrors). Locked / unlocked and started the car again and it was fine - and was also fine a couple of times after that - so we'll see if it's a one off.
Having said all that, I'm still very happy with the car. I've completely gone off the idea of a newer / 4.7 car - it's just not worth the extra. With that in mind, I've finally got around to spending money on stuff my car needs. I had Dension fitted, and although it's not cheap I am glad I now have it. Having said that - in my Cayenne I would say that using it is clunky but functional. In the Vantage..... well, let's say the radio has to be VERY bad before I'm willing to search through my music collection!
I also had my wheels refurbed. I believe they were done very shortly before I bought the car, but they were not really to the standard I would want - and a (small) kerbing I managed in the summer was the final straw. I'm really glad I had it done - they look absolutely fabulous now.
It's likely the mileage will drop significantly over the winter, since the nice comfortable Cayenne just seems the obvious choice when it's dark, cold and raining (or worse). Having said that - so far, I still find I'm quite keen to take the Vantage!
In fact, there is nothing particularly serious. I've mentioned in another thread that only parts of my windscreen are demisting. I did remove the cover to the connectors, but then decided it wasn't worth the effort - the windscreen has two fairly sizeable chips so I need to get it replaced anyway - if that doesn't cure it, then I'll worry about whether it's electrical. I suspect it is simply the connectors to the screen so I expect a new screen to solve it.
I've also realised that I have the known issue of the front speakers being intermittent due to the bluetooth / relay in the passenger compartment fuse area. It explains why my radio sometimes gets louder as I slow down. Unfortunately, James (Trackaphone) doesn't currently have any replacements but I can wait.
Most annoying is that the noise I mentioned in earlier posts is back - I'm pretty sure it's a pulley, and it's beginning to be annoying enough that I will need to get it to a mechanic.
I also had a funny "problem" today - got into the car after work, started it and noticed that my passenger mirror was only half out (powerfold mirrors). Locked / unlocked and started the car again and it was fine - and was also fine a couple of times after that - so we'll see if it's a one off.
Having said all that, I'm still very happy with the car. I've completely gone off the idea of a newer / 4.7 car - it's just not worth the extra. With that in mind, I've finally got around to spending money on stuff my car needs. I had Dension fitted, and although it's not cheap I am glad I now have it. Having said that - in my Cayenne I would say that using it is clunky but functional. In the Vantage..... well, let's say the radio has to be VERY bad before I'm willing to search through my music collection!
I also had my wheels refurbed. I believe they were done very shortly before I bought the car, but they were not really to the standard I would want - and a (small) kerbing I managed in the summer was the final straw. I'm really glad I had it done - they look absolutely fabulous now.
It's likely the mileage will drop significantly over the winter, since the nice comfortable Cayenne just seems the obvious choice when it's dark, cold and raining (or worse). Having said that - so far, I still find I'm quite keen to take the Vantage!
JohnPM said:
My passenger mirror would intermittently not open fully. Motor was replaced under warranty, fine after that.
Thanks. I've just booked the car into the local independent to get the engine noise sorted - which I hope is simply the pulley and belt. I did mention the mirror when I booked it in (it's done it twice now), and they told me it could be as simple as dirt in the mechanism so they'll have a look at that while it's in. Apparently, although you can obviously swap the motor over - you can't just buy the motor - you have to buy the mirror with the motor fitted (although you can avoid having the glass) - so I dread to think what the cost is if I need one!Jon39 said:
I think the Vantage door mirrors come from a Volvo car. Don't know which model, but it might be cheaper to buy from Volvo if you do need one. Being produced in large numbers
Thanks - a quick search suggests they might be V70 mirrors. Aston Bits look like they list then at about £350 new, and half that used so that's not quite as bad as I thought. But considerably less for a Volvo one would be better!
Dropped the car at the local Indy (Spellbound) after work on Monday.
Engine noise was the pulley - although apparently I already had a later one fitted - so that's now sorted.
They managed to get one of the relay things from James to fix my intermittent front speakers, so that is also sorted.
For the passenger mirror, they commented that the arms have been powder coated (previous owner did this to solve the common corrosion problem) but that it was a bit thick and the mirror was catching. They sorted this, and cleaned up the mechanism and the mirror now works fine (had started failing to fold out properly every morning before it went in unless the engine was running). Not expected to be a permanent fix - the motor clearly is getting tired - but it's delayed the need for buying a new mirror.
Asked them to check the fact that parts of the heated screen don't clear - power was present to all 4 bars so there must be a problem from the bars to the screen. Since it's got some major chips anyway, it will be replaced next Friday by my insurers.
The only minor irritation - I'm pretty sure my thermostat sticks, since it takes far too long to warm up and I completely forgot to get this sorted. But the service is due around march so I'll get it done then.
This is the second time I've used Spellbound and really impressed - when I bought the car, I was unsure whether to continue the full AMSH or go independent. To me, it's more important that the car is looked after than the stamp says 'Aston Martin', and my car will definitely be serviced by Spellbound. They know their stuff, are very professional and very reasonably priced.
Engine noise was the pulley - although apparently I already had a later one fitted - so that's now sorted.
They managed to get one of the relay things from James to fix my intermittent front speakers, so that is also sorted.
For the passenger mirror, they commented that the arms have been powder coated (previous owner did this to solve the common corrosion problem) but that it was a bit thick and the mirror was catching. They sorted this, and cleaned up the mechanism and the mirror now works fine (had started failing to fold out properly every morning before it went in unless the engine was running). Not expected to be a permanent fix - the motor clearly is getting tired - but it's delayed the need for buying a new mirror.
Asked them to check the fact that parts of the heated screen don't clear - power was present to all 4 bars so there must be a problem from the bars to the screen. Since it's got some major chips anyway, it will be replaced next Friday by my insurers.
The only minor irritation - I'm pretty sure my thermostat sticks, since it takes far too long to warm up and I completely forgot to get this sorted. But the service is due around march so I'll get it done then.
This is the second time I've used Spellbound and really impressed - when I bought the car, I was unsure whether to continue the full AMSH or go independent. To me, it's more important that the car is looked after than the stamp says 'Aston Martin', and my car will definitely be serviced by Spellbound. They know their stuff, are very professional and very reasonably priced.
Edited by davek_964 on Saturday 14th November 13:37
tonyhall38 said:
No one is more pleased than me.....don't get me wrong it's a great car....if you like that sort of thing.....but the vanquish is a different league...esp where comfort is concerned....
So a car that costs at least twice, if not three times plus more than my V8V is a nicer car? Thanks for the insight.Another month on, so time for an update.
As mentioned on another thread, I had a new windscreen fitted 2 weeks ago which was so badly distorted I couldn't use the car. That was finally replaced again yesterday and - apart from some creaking that I hope will disappear in a few days - is a vast improvement. However, it was quickly obvious that it was the third screen with no heating on drivers side. But - I re-checked the fuses and the drivers side had blown as a result of one of the screen changes. Replaced the fuse and I now have a fully heated screen again.
It was interesting to see how much I missed being able to use the car. At this time of year, the Cayenne starts to become my car of choice each day, and the 996 turbo that the Vantage replaced would hardly get used - and I didn't really miss it. But I've really missed being able to use the Vantage and have got quite tired of having to use Cayenne most days (I may have sneaked the 360 out a couple of days as compensation!). So I guess that's proof that I still love the car.
The fix to the mirror that Spellbound carried out has remained successful and the problem has not reoccurred.
The service is due around February time I think, and I will need to decide if I want a new clutch - and if so from where. Head says get a BR one but Spellbound assure me that the official replacement is much better than the original part and will last much longer. I would like them to service the car which means they are the ones who are likely to be doing the clutch - and at an inclusive price of £2k (plus a flywheel if i needed one)it's reasonable (if you can ever call £2k reasonable for a clutch!). I have a few months to decide yet, and the existing clutch isn't slipping so if necessary I can even put it off to a later date.
All in all - apart from the windscreen debacle - it's been an uneventful month. I have discovered that all 4 of my tyre pressure lights flash under the passenger dash but I don't get any dash warnings - I suspect it's been disconnected.
Had to fill up washed fluid today and discovered what a ridiculous design than is. Massive pipe to a reservoir you can't see and the pipe kinks so that you get an immediate air lock. Really needed 3 hands - one to hold the funnel, one to hold the pipe straight and one to pour the fluid.
But as I've said - so far I still love it and I guess I've owned it over 6 months now. When I toy with the idea of selling the Aston and the 360 and buying an even more expensive toy - it's the fact that I wouldn't have the Aston as a (mostly) daily car that stops me thinking about it seriously.
As mentioned on another thread, I had a new windscreen fitted 2 weeks ago which was so badly distorted I couldn't use the car. That was finally replaced again yesterday and - apart from some creaking that I hope will disappear in a few days - is a vast improvement. However, it was quickly obvious that it was the third screen with no heating on drivers side. But - I re-checked the fuses and the drivers side had blown as a result of one of the screen changes. Replaced the fuse and I now have a fully heated screen again.
It was interesting to see how much I missed being able to use the car. At this time of year, the Cayenne starts to become my car of choice each day, and the 996 turbo that the Vantage replaced would hardly get used - and I didn't really miss it. But I've really missed being able to use the Vantage and have got quite tired of having to use Cayenne most days (I may have sneaked the 360 out a couple of days as compensation!). So I guess that's proof that I still love the car.
The fix to the mirror that Spellbound carried out has remained successful and the problem has not reoccurred.
The service is due around February time I think, and I will need to decide if I want a new clutch - and if so from where. Head says get a BR one but Spellbound assure me that the official replacement is much better than the original part and will last much longer. I would like them to service the car which means they are the ones who are likely to be doing the clutch - and at an inclusive price of £2k (plus a flywheel if i needed one)it's reasonable (if you can ever call £2k reasonable for a clutch!). I have a few months to decide yet, and the existing clutch isn't slipping so if necessary I can even put it off to a later date.
All in all - apart from the windscreen debacle - it's been an uneventful month. I have discovered that all 4 of my tyre pressure lights flash under the passenger dash but I don't get any dash warnings - I suspect it's been disconnected.
Had to fill up washed fluid today and discovered what a ridiculous design than is. Massive pipe to a reservoir you can't see and the pipe kinks so that you get an immediate air lock. Really needed 3 hands - one to hold the funnel, one to hold the pipe straight and one to pour the fluid.
But as I've said - so far I still love it and I guess I've owned it over 6 months now. When I toy with the idea of selling the Aston and the 360 and buying an even more expensive toy - it's the fact that I wouldn't have the Aston as a (mostly) daily car that stops me thinking about it seriously.
Edited by davek_964 on Saturday 12th December 12:09
Another month and another update. However, this one is going to be a bit less positive than previous posts! Today, I am not really feeling the love for my Vantage.
My MOT is due 20th March, which means service and MOT will need to be done by then - I'll probably aim for early March (which is not very good timing since the 360 MOT / service is due by 12 April!). So yesterday, I called up Bamford Rose to see what their opinion on clutches was. I explained that my local indy had said a stock clutch would be perfectly fine (at £2k all in, plus ~£350 flywheel if I needed it), but that the forum belief is generally that the twin plate is the way to go. The conversation after that was very interesting.
Firstly, they said that the £2k inclusive cost of a stock clutch did not seem realistic. AM have had several parts price increases recently - and for the clutch, flywheel (they said they've never done a clutch which didn't need a flywheel) and slave the parts prices alone are ~£1800 inclusive. For a 10 hour labour job, that made £2k unrealistic. For a stock clutch, BM were quoting £2.8k.
And when I checked the notes I'd made when I discussed this with the local indy a few months ago, it turns out they were right. The price I was given was £1912 + VAT for the clutch - plus another £300 + vat for the flywheel. I wasn't told whether this price included the slave so will need to check - but it means the local indy is ~£2650, plus maybe the cost of the slave. So if I decide to change the clutch I'd be looking at somewhere between £2.5k and £3k for the clutch - then the service and any incidentals over that.
The discussion about whether I needed a twin plate was very interesting. The summary is that if I track the car (I don't), take part in plenty of traffic light GPs (I don't) or am a heavy clutch user - then the twin plate makes sense. But if not - then they also think the stock clutch is the sensible choice.
The twin plate will last longer - but not to the degree I had assumed. Their estimate is that it's probably about a 30% increase in clutch life under the same conditions.
There is an appeal of having LWF and a slightly quicker revving motor - but I'm not sure it's worth it just for that.
So, strike 1 against the Vantage - if I decide to replace the clutch (which I have a month to think about) it will cost me a shed load of money, and the "shed load" is a bit more than I'd thought. It is a little unfair to hold it against the car really - I knew I'd probably want to replace the clutch this year when I bought it, and I knew the rough cost (I at least knew it would be a minimum of £2k) and that was negotiated into the price I paid. But it's funny how your perception changes when it's time to come up with the cold hard cash!
By an unhappy coincidence - after having this conversation with BM yesterday, and realising I was remembering the clutch costs through rose tinted lenses - when I started the car this morning, the passenger mirror failed to fully fold out. This is the first time it's happened since it was fixed by the indy a couple of months ago - and to be fair, that was never expected to be a permanent fix - but it may mean I need to consider getting the mirror replaced at the service too.
To top it off, I've thought that my boot struts seemed a bit weak in the last couple of weeks - and they proved that this morning when the boot didn't want to stay open. I'll order a couple of boot struts - haven't decided yet whether to go AM or aftermarket. Aston Bits seems to be about £60 for the pair with postage - aftermarket still seems to be £40 so I might just buy the real ones.
So, I must admit - today, my Vantage is definitely not flavour of the month. I don't really need a clutch - but it is a bit heavy, and sometimes that makes it a bit of a pain in traffic. But I'm sure that if I lived with that I probably have many miles left in it (car has done 38k). And as I said, it's not really a surprise since I knew it when I bought it - I just don't actually feel like paying for it!
It does make me start thinking again about having a single "sensible" daily car and swapping the 360 and the Vantage for a McLaren MP4-12C. But "swap" wouldn't really be the right word, since I could only swap if there was about £30-40k in used £10 notes in the boot of one of the cars. Still, does no harm to browse the classifieds occasionally does it....?
My MOT is due 20th March, which means service and MOT will need to be done by then - I'll probably aim for early March (which is not very good timing since the 360 MOT / service is due by 12 April!). So yesterday, I called up Bamford Rose to see what their opinion on clutches was. I explained that my local indy had said a stock clutch would be perfectly fine (at £2k all in, plus ~£350 flywheel if I needed it), but that the forum belief is generally that the twin plate is the way to go. The conversation after that was very interesting.
Firstly, they said that the £2k inclusive cost of a stock clutch did not seem realistic. AM have had several parts price increases recently - and for the clutch, flywheel (they said they've never done a clutch which didn't need a flywheel) and slave the parts prices alone are ~£1800 inclusive. For a 10 hour labour job, that made £2k unrealistic. For a stock clutch, BM were quoting £2.8k.
And when I checked the notes I'd made when I discussed this with the local indy a few months ago, it turns out they were right. The price I was given was £1912 + VAT for the clutch - plus another £300 + vat for the flywheel. I wasn't told whether this price included the slave so will need to check - but it means the local indy is ~£2650, plus maybe the cost of the slave. So if I decide to change the clutch I'd be looking at somewhere between £2.5k and £3k for the clutch - then the service and any incidentals over that.
The discussion about whether I needed a twin plate was very interesting. The summary is that if I track the car (I don't), take part in plenty of traffic light GPs (I don't) or am a heavy clutch user - then the twin plate makes sense. But if not - then they also think the stock clutch is the sensible choice.
The twin plate will last longer - but not to the degree I had assumed. Their estimate is that it's probably about a 30% increase in clutch life under the same conditions.
There is an appeal of having LWF and a slightly quicker revving motor - but I'm not sure it's worth it just for that.
So, strike 1 against the Vantage - if I decide to replace the clutch (which I have a month to think about) it will cost me a shed load of money, and the "shed load" is a bit more than I'd thought. It is a little unfair to hold it against the car really - I knew I'd probably want to replace the clutch this year when I bought it, and I knew the rough cost (I at least knew it would be a minimum of £2k) and that was negotiated into the price I paid. But it's funny how your perception changes when it's time to come up with the cold hard cash!
By an unhappy coincidence - after having this conversation with BM yesterday, and realising I was remembering the clutch costs through rose tinted lenses - when I started the car this morning, the passenger mirror failed to fully fold out. This is the first time it's happened since it was fixed by the indy a couple of months ago - and to be fair, that was never expected to be a permanent fix - but it may mean I need to consider getting the mirror replaced at the service too.
To top it off, I've thought that my boot struts seemed a bit weak in the last couple of weeks - and they proved that this morning when the boot didn't want to stay open. I'll order a couple of boot struts - haven't decided yet whether to go AM or aftermarket. Aston Bits seems to be about £60 for the pair with postage - aftermarket still seems to be £40 so I might just buy the real ones.
So, I must admit - today, my Vantage is definitely not flavour of the month. I don't really need a clutch - but it is a bit heavy, and sometimes that makes it a bit of a pain in traffic. But I'm sure that if I lived with that I probably have many miles left in it (car has done 38k). And as I said, it's not really a surprise since I knew it when I bought it - I just don't actually feel like paying for it!
It does make me start thinking again about having a single "sensible" daily car and swapping the 360 and the Vantage for a McLaren MP4-12C. But "swap" wouldn't really be the right word, since I could only swap if there was about £30-40k in used £10 notes in the boot of one of the cars. Still, does no harm to browse the classifieds occasionally does it....?
I must admit, on the drive home just now I wondered why I was considering it. It is definitely a tad firm but that isn't an issue most of the time. While I was sitting at some traffic lights I imagined my reaction if somebody had knocked on the window and said : hey mate, give me £2.5k and I can make that clutch pedal feel a bit lighter. Er - no - but it's not that different from what I've been considering!
Will make a final decision in February but at the moment I think I'll probably stick with the existing clutch.
Will make a final decision in February but at the moment I think I'll probably stick with the existing clutch.
Minor update on the boot struts.
I learned the hard way with another car that it's not always good to assume the independent part suppliers are cheaper than dealers (in that case, I'd paid £100+ more than I would have at main dealer for something).
So called Aston / Reading today and discovered that their price for the boot struts is about £2 less per strut than AstonBits (about £22 vs £24) - and of course, no delivery cost. Assuming they arrive at the dealer by the end of the week, I'll collect them from Reading on Saturday morning. Current forecast is for clear sunny weather - if that turns out to be true, will be a pleasant drive and I can browse some shiny cars at the same time.
I learned the hard way with another car that it's not always good to assume the independent part suppliers are cheaper than dealers (in that case, I'd paid £100+ more than I would have at main dealer for something).
So called Aston / Reading today and discovered that their price for the boot struts is about £2 less per strut than AstonBits (about £22 vs £24) - and of course, no delivery cost. Assuming they arrive at the dealer by the end of the week, I'll collect them from Reading on Saturday morning. Current forecast is for clear sunny weather - if that turns out to be true, will be a pleasant drive and I can browse some shiny cars at the same time.
In the past month, the ownership experience has been almost boring! But not in a bad way - driving it is still a sense of occasion, but it just "works".
The last update I gave was on a day where the Vantage clearly wasn't in the mood to play. But since then it's been fine. Boot struts were literally a 10 min fix (would have been 5 mins but one of the C clips really didn't want to let go!). The passenger mirror has worked fine ever since, so the failure seemed to be a one off for now.
I decided the clutch really does not need changing - and once you stop thinking about it, you don't really even notice it.
It's booked in for its first service (in my ownership) on 8th March. The history shows that the servicing has been regular, but not always the service I'd expect (although it has an AM history). So although it's coming up to 10 years old at the end of this year, it looks like it needs the 4 year / 40k mile service because the last one was in 2012. Since it's only about 1500 miles short of 40k miles anyway, that works out fairly neatly.
I have had some doubts my thermostat works since it does warm up fairly slowly - however, I've been watching it and it clearly does - I can see the temperature drop as the thermostat opens. So I think it is warming up normally, even if it's not as quick as some of the estimates I've seen.
The main problem I have with the car is that I want to drive it much more than the 996 turbo it replaced. Usually at this time of year, my Cayenne would be the car of choice and the other cars don't get much use. But this year it seems a conscious effort to force myself to take the Cayenne. I've kind of settled on : wet roads / raining = Cayenne, Dry roads = Vantage. Although if the Vantage is already dirty then it still gets taken if it's raining!
Let's see if I still love the car when I'm presented with the service bill! The only extra I'm aware of is that the drivers outer door handle is very slightly stiff as it reaches the fully open position - more noticeable when it's very cold - so a little lube in the mechanism might be a good idea.
The last update I gave was on a day where the Vantage clearly wasn't in the mood to play. But since then it's been fine. Boot struts were literally a 10 min fix (would have been 5 mins but one of the C clips really didn't want to let go!). The passenger mirror has worked fine ever since, so the failure seemed to be a one off for now.
I decided the clutch really does not need changing - and once you stop thinking about it, you don't really even notice it.
It's booked in for its first service (in my ownership) on 8th March. The history shows that the servicing has been regular, but not always the service I'd expect (although it has an AM history). So although it's coming up to 10 years old at the end of this year, it looks like it needs the 4 year / 40k mile service because the last one was in 2012. Since it's only about 1500 miles short of 40k miles anyway, that works out fairly neatly.
I have had some doubts my thermostat works since it does warm up fairly slowly - however, I've been watching it and it clearly does - I can see the temperature drop as the thermostat opens. So I think it is warming up normally, even if it's not as quick as some of the estimates I've seen.
The main problem I have with the car is that I want to drive it much more than the 996 turbo it replaced. Usually at this time of year, my Cayenne would be the car of choice and the other cars don't get much use. But this year it seems a conscious effort to force myself to take the Cayenne. I've kind of settled on : wet roads / raining = Cayenne, Dry roads = Vantage. Although if the Vantage is already dirty then it still gets taken if it's raining!
Let's see if I still love the car when I'm presented with the service bill! The only extra I'm aware of is that the drivers outer door handle is very slightly stiff as it reaches the fully open position - more noticeable when it's very cold - so a little lube in the mechanism might be a good idea.
The car is currently in for its 40k mile service and MOT. Had a call yesterday, and I'm not particularly happy. List of issues they've noted :
1) Replace driver’s door handle mechanism (This is because the drivers door handle has become stiff - I assumed it just needed some lube, but they say it needs replacement parts)
2) Replace front brake pads & wear sensors
3) Replace rear brake pads & wear sensors
4) Fit modified steering wheel airbag fixings (apparently it's rattling)
5) Supply tyre sealant (old one has expired)
6) Replace LH repeater lamp
7) Replace both front shock absorbers
8) Seal rear screen drain holes
9) Re-align RH headlamp to body (They say it's not quite flush)
I'm genuinely surprised it needs pads - I checked it when I bought the car in May and noted that the discs and pads were almost new, and from memory they were replaced in 2012 I think (previous owner only did a couple of thousand miles a year). But in any case, I'm not paying £600+vat to have brake pads fitted, I'll do them myself.
I will never use tyre sealant, so 5) can be ignored
6) I've never noticed it was damaged, even when cleaning the car - I'll check it when I get the car back and replace if necessary.
7) Apparently, one of them has started leaking slightly. At £1250 + vat for a pair this is not good news.
8) Is apparently the mod to stop water leaking into the boot when you open it, but I'm sure I can do that myself.
So, they will do 1), 4), 7) and 9) - even with me doing the rest, combined with the cost of the service (~£1k with vat) I think I'm looking at about a £3k bill - and if it really does need the other stuff, then another few hundred for pads etc. even though I save on labour.
Not really very happy - was not expecting such a big bill since I wasn't aware there was much wrong with the car!
And next week, I'll get to do it all over again with the 360.
1) Replace driver’s door handle mechanism (This is because the drivers door handle has become stiff - I assumed it just needed some lube, but they say it needs replacement parts)
2) Replace front brake pads & wear sensors
3) Replace rear brake pads & wear sensors
4) Fit modified steering wheel airbag fixings (apparently it's rattling)
5) Supply tyre sealant (old one has expired)
6) Replace LH repeater lamp
7) Replace both front shock absorbers
8) Seal rear screen drain holes
9) Re-align RH headlamp to body (They say it's not quite flush)
I'm genuinely surprised it needs pads - I checked it when I bought the car in May and noted that the discs and pads were almost new, and from memory they were replaced in 2012 I think (previous owner only did a couple of thousand miles a year). But in any case, I'm not paying £600+vat to have brake pads fitted, I'll do them myself.
I will never use tyre sealant, so 5) can be ignored
6) I've never noticed it was damaged, even when cleaning the car - I'll check it when I get the car back and replace if necessary.
7) Apparently, one of them has started leaking slightly. At £1250 + vat for a pair this is not good news.
8) Is apparently the mod to stop water leaking into the boot when you open it, but I'm sure I can do that myself.
So, they will do 1), 4), 7) and 9) - even with me doing the rest, combined with the cost of the service (~£1k with vat) I think I'm looking at about a £3k bill - and if it really does need the other stuff, then another few hundred for pads etc. even though I save on labour.
Not really very happy - was not expecting such a big bill since I wasn't aware there was much wrong with the car!
And next week, I'll get to do it all over again with the 360.
This is actually from an indy - who have done a couple of things in the past 6 months for me, so I'm generally happy with them.
I don't think they're drumming up business - although they clearly have gone through it with a fine tooth comb. But I think that's a good thing - I can then decide what really needs to be done, and either ignore the rest or do it myself. It's just unfortunate it's going to be more than twice what I expected - but I've had expensive cars long enough to know that it does happen sometimes. Just better not be regular!
ETA : I should also mention, they did say that the shock leaking was very slight and had probably started recently - and that it <might> get through the MOT with it, so I could potentially delay getting it fixed if I wanted to - they could try getting an MOT and see if it passed. But I declined - if it needs doing, it needs doing - but at least they are giving me the options, so still happy with them as a place to get the car worked on.
I don't think they're drumming up business - although they clearly have gone through it with a fine tooth comb. But I think that's a good thing - I can then decide what really needs to be done, and either ignore the rest or do it myself. It's just unfortunate it's going to be more than twice what I expected - but I've had expensive cars long enough to know that it does happen sometimes. Just better not be regular!
ETA : I should also mention, they did say that the shock leaking was very slight and had probably started recently - and that it <might> get through the MOT with it, so I could potentially delay getting it fixed if I wanted to - they could try getting an MOT and see if it passed. But I declined - if it needs doing, it needs doing - but at least they are giving me the options, so still happy with them as a place to get the car worked on.
Edited by davek_964 on Wednesday 9th March 08:57
I had the shocks replaced, although from some of the answers maybe it was unnecessary. But I assume they were leaking and if that's the case I want them sorted, even if it was minor.
Having said that, I didn't get the brake pads done and am glad I didn't - plenty of wear left, I'd be surprised if they are down to 50%. As one of 3 cars, I think I have at least another year out of them if not more.
The bill was a shade under £3k which is about what I expected but I'm not happy the car cost that much when it went in feeling like it was 100% OK. It now needs to behave itself over the summer!
Having said that, I didn't get the brake pads done and am glad I didn't - plenty of wear left, I'd be surprised if they are down to 50%. As one of 3 cars, I think I have at least another year out of them if not more.
The bill was a shade under £3k which is about what I expected but I'm not happy the car cost that much when it went in feeling like it was 100% OK. It now needs to behave itself over the summer!
A couple of months since my unfortunate service bill, and nothing too significant to report. I must admit though, the service was quite a bit more than I expected it to be and it does seem to have taken the sheen off the car for me. I don't really understand why - I've driven expensive cars for a good few years now, and I've had bigger bills than I had on the Vantage - in fact, just last year the 360 was a big chunk more. But for some reason, it has made me start questioning the costs a bit - I know it will need a clutch one day and that will be a similar chunk of money. My perception seems to have changed slightly from : £3k for a clutch is bad news, but at least it will last a long time - to : That's insane, I don't want to spend £3k on a clutch!
Having said that, I'm still happy with the car and don't have any plans to sell it any time soon. It's been pretty faultless in the last couple of months and with a bit of dry weather has really looked great. I still love the premium audio - to the point where I'm even beginning to question why I haven't spent some money putting something decent in my other cars! Then I remember that the Cayenne is an old bus and probably only worth about £1.50, and you can never hear the stereo over the engine in the 360 anyway.
Had a lovely incident on Saturday when I joined the back of a queue at some traffic lights on a dual carriageway. An old guy - at least in his 70s - slowed down next to me, pointed at the car and gave me a big thumbs up. That's in contrast to the driver of some clapped out Fiesta yesterday who - for no reason that I could tell - chose to visually demonstrate how he relieves his sexual tension as I was driving past a junction in the 360.
In fact, somebody asked me yesterday what the difference is in driving the 360 and the Vantage since he'd heard the stories that everybody lets you out in an Aston and nobody does in a Porsche / Ferrari / BMW. I said I hadn't really noticed much difference, however it seems to be the case that kids get more excited about the Ferrari and I'd say the majority of adults (including most of my neighbours and friends) would always choose the Aston.
I've actually been using it a bit less in the last month or so, because the Cayenne began to make it quite clear that I wasn't using it enough - one of the times I used it, it was definitely a case of : I'll turn the engine over this time, but next time you're on your own.... So the Cayenne will need to be the commuter car for at least half the week even through summer to keep a bit of charge in the battery - and it keeps the mileage on the Vantage down a bit anyway.
I still really do want clear lights, but I just can't justify them at the moment. On the other hand, if I could choose what the next thing to need fixing on the car should be - I'd choose the rear lights!
My driving tends to be fairly leisurely in the Aston - a couple of weeks ago, I did try to press on down a twisty road and for me this is still somewhere the car lacks something. It just doesn't feel like it has any "go" out of the bends, even with the revs up which left me feeling a tad disappointed. Seems to work better just using it to maintain a quick-ish speed, rather than point and squirt type driving. I guess this is where the 4.7 (or at least the V12) would make the difference.
It will be interesting to see how the next few months go. I've actually had the car almost exactly a year now - I bought it in May last year, but it still feels like I only just bought it. Think there is at least another year in this relationship.
Having said that, I'm still happy with the car and don't have any plans to sell it any time soon. It's been pretty faultless in the last couple of months and with a bit of dry weather has really looked great. I still love the premium audio - to the point where I'm even beginning to question why I haven't spent some money putting something decent in my other cars! Then I remember that the Cayenne is an old bus and probably only worth about £1.50, and you can never hear the stereo over the engine in the 360 anyway.
Had a lovely incident on Saturday when I joined the back of a queue at some traffic lights on a dual carriageway. An old guy - at least in his 70s - slowed down next to me, pointed at the car and gave me a big thumbs up. That's in contrast to the driver of some clapped out Fiesta yesterday who - for no reason that I could tell - chose to visually demonstrate how he relieves his sexual tension as I was driving past a junction in the 360.
In fact, somebody asked me yesterday what the difference is in driving the 360 and the Vantage since he'd heard the stories that everybody lets you out in an Aston and nobody does in a Porsche / Ferrari / BMW. I said I hadn't really noticed much difference, however it seems to be the case that kids get more excited about the Ferrari and I'd say the majority of adults (including most of my neighbours and friends) would always choose the Aston.
I've actually been using it a bit less in the last month or so, because the Cayenne began to make it quite clear that I wasn't using it enough - one of the times I used it, it was definitely a case of : I'll turn the engine over this time, but next time you're on your own.... So the Cayenne will need to be the commuter car for at least half the week even through summer to keep a bit of charge in the battery - and it keeps the mileage on the Vantage down a bit anyway.
I still really do want clear lights, but I just can't justify them at the moment. On the other hand, if I could choose what the next thing to need fixing on the car should be - I'd choose the rear lights!
My driving tends to be fairly leisurely in the Aston - a couple of weeks ago, I did try to press on down a twisty road and for me this is still somewhere the car lacks something. It just doesn't feel like it has any "go" out of the bends, even with the revs up which left me feeling a tad disappointed. Seems to work better just using it to maintain a quick-ish speed, rather than point and squirt type driving. I guess this is where the 4.7 (or at least the V12) would make the difference.
It will be interesting to see how the next few months go. I've actually had the car almost exactly a year now - I bought it in May last year, but it still feels like I only just bought it. Think there is at least another year in this relationship.
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff