V8 Vantage - First Time Buyer Advice

[c3m]

Hey guys,

I thought I'd take the chance to ask a few questions about buying a used V8 Vantage. I was looking to get an F430 or a 360 but postponed until spring time. But I'm now tempted to get a V8 Vantage instead of waiting 6 months. I'm only looking to buy private and paying cash. It usually takes me a long while to find the perfect car spec wise, so I'm not in a hurry (if you're thinking of selling your V8V and it's top spec / condition, please ping me). Here are the few questions I have:

1) How do these cars cope with living outside? I have no garage, would that be a problem?

2) I'd want to be driving the car, probably putting on 5k miles a year (I work from home, so it's mostly just Euro trips and weekend blasts). What are the service intervals? Maintenance costs don't seem to be bad - about 700 for a small one and 950 for a large one, from what I can gather. Are those prices roughly correctly? If you buy from a main dealer, do you get some warranty and do you think it's essential?

3) I love my cars to have lots of toys and that's one of the reasons why I'm considering a V8V instead of a 360 / 430. Are xenons standard? Any other must haves, apart from sat nav and premium audio?

4) Any rough guesses on what the depreciation would be like ? I'm looking at low-mid 30s (05/06) cars. How sensitive are those cars with regards to mileage - anything like Ferraris?

5) Any other particular advice that you can think of that might be useful?

Thanks!

[krisdelta]

Hi there,

First purchase you need to make is this guide - very comprehensive and will really help you.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

1) Mine is a daily drive and spent its first 18 months with me outside, no problems at all - although it now gets tucked into a garage every night.
2) Annual or 10k (so in your case, annual), costs are close enough and I personally don't think warranty is worth it, cars the age you're looking at, if maintained well will have had any erroneous issues remediated by now. Keep the money as a slush fund to fix anything that pops up.
3) Xenons are not standard before 2007 I think? But I have never seen a car for sale without them
4) Depreciation at this end of the market is low - I can't see high milers hitting £25k for some time yet, but you will have suck up the dealer to trade difference as a matter of course, the difference will be less if a private purchase.
5) Get one purchased, stat

[nw28840]

c3m said:

Hey guys,

I thought I'd take the chance to ask a few questions about buying a used V8 Vantage. I was looking to get an F430 or a 360 but postponed until spring time. But I'm now tempted to get a V8 Vantage instead of waiting 6 months. I'm only looking to buy private and paying cash. It usually takes me a long while to find the perfect car spec wise, so I'm not in a hurry (if you're thinking of selling your V8V and it's top spec / condition, please ping me). Here are the few questions I have:

1) How do these cars cope with living outside? I have no garage, would that be a problem?

I'm on my second Vantage , first was a 2005 plate coupe i owned for a year and currently have a 2008 roadster I have had for 18 months, both live/lived outside in an allocated parking space without any issues.

2) I'd want to be driving the car, probably putting on 5k miles a year (I work from home, so it's mostly just Euro trips and weekend blasts). What are the service intervals? Maintenance costs don't seem to be bad - about 700 for a small one and 950 for a large one, from what I can gather. Are those prices roughly correctly? If you buy from a main dealer, do you get some warranty and do you think it's essential?

Costs are about right for servicing, if you buy from a dealer you will get a one year extended warranty, or buy privately and then have the AM extended warranty put on the car at a cost of £1400. I bought the coupe privately with no warranty , never had any issues. When i bought the Roadster last year it was a private sale but car had extended AM Warranty on it , i just renewed this only 3 months ago.
It was touch and go whether i would renew or not, in the end i have done it for peace of mind and think if i choose to sell the car in the future , it will be easier as it has a warranty on it. The car has had very little issues at all during my ownership - except the roof module failed (fixed under last years warranty). The car has 58,000 miles on the clock , I work from home also a few days a week and still did 9000 miles last year in the car..it's just too nice not to drive

3) I love my cars to have lots of toys and that's one of the reasons why I'm considering a V8V instead of a 360 / 430. Are xenons standard? Any other must haves, apart from sat nav and premium audio?

Nope that's it, sat nav isn't great (i have had it in both the old and the new car - i updated to the latest maps to get the 7-digit postcode function , I had the normal stereo in the coupe and have Premium audio in the Roadster, it's a much better sound system - although the
exhaust note is a much nicer sound just remove fuse 22 for the noise !

4) Any rough guesses on what the depreciation would be like ? I'm looking at low-mid 30s (05/06) cars. How sensitive are those cars with regards to mileage - anything like Ferraris?

Budget £5k for the year including servicing and i think you'll have change.

5) Any other particular advice that you can think of that might be useful?

Go drive one...then buy one

Thanks!

[jeremydb9]

Dont bother to buy privately.

Private sellers have an illusion as to what their car is worth.

From an Aston dealer you get a 1 or 2 year warranty, they prep it and sort anything that happens - warranty or not.

I bought mine from Stratstone - they have a fixed price - bid as you like they will let you walk out of the showroom, but they will add in 2 year warranty when pushed.

[c3m]

Thank you guys for the advice, greatly appreciated. Do you mind telling me if you think this car is good value (I have not followed the V8V market, so I have no idea)? Thanks! http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2013...

[outofstepuk]

jeremydb9 said:

Dont bother to buy privately.

Private sellers have an illusion as to what their car is worth.

From an Aston dealer you get a 1 or 2 year warranty, they prep it and sort anything that happens - warranty or not.

I bought mine from Stratstone - they have a fixed price - bid as you like they will let you walk out of the showroom, but they will add in 2 year warranty when pushed.

I bought my V8V privately, though I'm about to purchase my next car through a dealer. I think a lot of people have fair views on what their cars are worth. I'd buy the right car for you spec and pricewise regardless if it's private or dealer. Can always allow £1600 or whatever it is for a warranty.

Would a dealer put a 2 year warranty on a mid £30k's car? Doubt it.

[c3m]

jeremydb9 said:

Dont bother to buy privately.

Private sellers have an illusion as to what their car is worth.

From an Aston dealer you get a 1 or 2 year warranty, they prep it and sort anything that happens - warranty or not.

I bought mine from Stratstone - they have a fixed price - bid as you like they will let you walk out of the showroom, but they will add in 2 year warranty when pushed.

There's a Aston Martin dealer down the road from where I live but it has nothing in my target bracket - I could always bump up by budget but this never ends well ("just another £2k, it's not that much, and yet another £2k" ends up £10-20k over budget).

The other reason why I prefer buying private is that, if the deal is right, it's better for both the seller and the buyer, so it's a win-win. The only problem is finding a good car - hence why I have a preference for buying known cars off other PHers. Having said that, I do see the value in the services that dealers provide.

[Bravo73]

jeremydb9 said:

Dont bother to buy privately.

Private sellers have an illusion as to what their car is worth.

From an Aston dealer you get a 1 or 2 year warranty, they prep it and sort anything that happens - warranty or not.

I bought mine from Stratstone - they have a fixed price - bid as you like they will let you walk out of the showroom, but they will add in 2 year warranty when pushed.

I absolutely disagree. I would prefer to buy a car that has been looked after from an enthusiastic owner rather than some trade-in that a dealer is going to be making £5-10k on.

Here is a nice car which is being sold by a member on here: www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/aston-ma...

[PiloteAM]

Servicing is fairly cheap, but a lot of little things can go wrong, and the little things are all pretty expensive.

I bought from a dealer, the prices weren't that much higher, and you get a decent warranty.

Definitely buy the guide, it has loads of useful info in it.

[mikey k]

Buy grants book and memorise it
Drive a few
Buy in the winter for the best price

[Lunablack]

jeremydb9 said:

Dont bother to buy privately.

Private sellers have an illusion as to what their car is worth.

From an Aston dealer you get a 1 or 2 year warranty, they prep it and sort anything that happens - warranty or not.

I bought mine from Stratstone - they have a fixed price - bid as you like they will let you walk out of the showroom, but they will add in 2 year warranty when pushed.

Wish I'd read this before I saved in the region of £6k by buying privately

[divetheworld]

c3m said:

Hey guys,

I thought I'd take the chance to ask a few questions about buying a used V8 Vantage. I was looking to get an F430 or a 360 but postponed until spring time. But I'm now tempted to get a V8 Vantage instead of waiting 6 months. I'm only looking to buy private and paying cash. It usually takes me a long while to find the perfect car spec wise, so I'm not in a hurry (if you're thinking of selling your V8V and it's top spec / condition, please ping me). Here are the few questions I have:

1) How do these cars cope with living outside? I have no garage, would that be a problem?

Watch for corrosion and paint problems like bubbling round door handles and boot release button. It doesn't matter if its been kept outside or a garage queen, these things appear randomly and there is no factory paint warranty help. Not a problem if it has it, just factor in the repair. You might end up finding you get one of these anyway.

c3m said:

2) I'd want to be driving the car, probably putting on 5k miles a year (I work from home, so it's mostly just Euro trips and weekend blasts). What are the service intervals? Maintenance costs don't seem to be bad - about 700 for a small one and 950 for a large one, from what I can gather. Are those prices roughly correctly? If you buy from a main dealer, do you get some warranty and do you think it's essential?

Yup, quite correct. You can make some savings like £100 for supplying your own oil. Servicing with AM helps maintain value. Lots of discussions on this, if your an enthusiast then seeing a Bamford or Bridgmill service will be just as good. Noob AM buyers will not be so easily convinced.

c3m said:

3) I love my cars to have lots of toys and that's one of the reasons why I'm considering a V8V instead of a 360 / 430. Are xenons standard? Any other must haves, apart from sat nav and premium audio?

Its a matter of creating a list of options and eciding which ones you "need" and which ones are a nice to have. Put them in order of priority and look for the one that has them all. Its not black and white, and as others have stated, hold out for the P&J your want. Nothing worse than thinking "wish I'd......".
1 Paint Colour
2 Interior colour
3 700w Audio system with Sat Nav
4 Cruise control
5 Xenon HID headlamps with wash
6 19" 7 spoke wheels
7 Heated seats
8 Electrically heated front screen
9 Memory seats
10 Park Distance Control
11 Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
12 Bluetooth phone interface

c3m said:

4) Any rough guesses on what the depreciation would be like ? I'm looking at low-mid 30s (05/06) cars. How sensitive are those cars with regards to mileage - anything like Ferraris?

Funny enough, I bought my 2007MY V8V a year ago and not lost a penny on prices today. They seem to hold really well. Considering how much I've spent on my VAG car over the last year in repairs and the sale price when I got rid last week, the AM has cost less than the VAG car.

c3m said:

5) Any other particular advice that you can think of that might be useful?

Thanks!

Don't drive one unless your prepared to empty your bank account.
First advice is take your time. Don't let the money burn a hole in your pocket. Nothing worse than seeing the perfect car pop up in a months time.
Choose colours carefully and look at the car in sunlight to decide.
For the first year, a warranty is a safe bet. Nothing will ruin your experience quicker than an expensive bill. Get to know eachother with the reassurance first.
Pick your spec carefully, some things can't be retrofitted but don't add much to the purchase price.

• Get the book.***

Check all the classifieds regularly

<edit>
I've just noticed you asked exactly the same questions about a Ferrari.
Make your mind up which one is for you. They are apples and oranges, you will get a completely different experience from each. Driving one for a few hours will sort that out.
This type of car, Aston or Ferrari is an emotional choice. If it was just about the numbers, youd be looking at Jag/Mazza/Merc too. I think you know this so I'm risking preaching to the choir.

Edited by divetheworld on Tuesday 1st October 21:30

[Murph7355]

c3m said:

1) How do these cars cope with living outside? I have no garage, would that be a problem?

Fine and no. Though there are odds and ends that rust/get a bit dog eared when the car is used in all weathers.

c3m said:

2) I'd want to be driving the car, probably putting on 5k miles a year (I work from home, so it's mostly just Euro trips and weekend blasts). What are the service intervals? Maintenance costs don't seem to be bad - about 700 for a small one and 950 for a large one, from what I can gather. Are those prices roughly correctly? If you buy from a main dealer, do you get some warranty and do you think it's essential?

i) 10k miles or annual which ever comes sooner.

ii) Broadly about right but there are three tiers of service cost. You can negotiate costs down quite a lot even from main dealers, but budget 600-1100 IME for servicing. Perhaps a third less from indies.

iii) You should get 12mths warranty I believe on an approved used. May not be a totally cast iron, cover everything warranty though. Worth having but not essential IF the car has been well maintained, all the common faults/bulletins have been covered and checks out. They're pretty reliable.

c3m said:

3) I love my cars to have lots of toys and that's one of the reasons why I'm considering a V8V instead of a 360 / 430. Are xenons standard? Any other must haves, apart from sat nav and premium audio?

Xenons were not standard on the age of car you're looking at, but many spec'd them. Don't think I've ever seen a car without.

c3m said:

4) Any rough guesses on what the depreciation would be like ? I'm looking at low-mid 30s (05/06) cars. How sensitive are those cars with regards to mileage - anything like Ferraris?

Your guess is as good as anyone's. I can't see these dropping below 20k any time soon, but bid/offer spread is large from dealers like most cars in this bracket.

They're less sensitive than Ferraris to mileage IMO, but probably more so than a Porsche.

I reckon a car bought well (30-35k) will probably lose 3-5k a year with average miles put on it as long as you don't sell back to a dealer. Slowing as you dip under 30k.

c3m said:

5) Any other particular advice that you can think of that might be useful?

Do a thorough search on here as I suspect 80% of V8s bought and sold have people asking the same thing on here If you still can't find what you need, or can't be arsed searching, buy Grant's book

[c3m]

divetheworld said:

Servicing with AM helps maintain value. Lots of discussions on this, if your an enthusiast then seeing a Bamford or Bridgmill service will be just as good. Noob AM buyers will not be so easily convinced.

That's the only reason why I'm looking for full AM dealer history - simply because it makes it easier to sell later on to non-enthusiast buyers.

divetheworld said:

Funny enough, I bought my 2007MY V8V a year ago and not lost a penny on prices today. They seem to hold really well. Considering how much I've spent on my VAG car over the last year in repairs and the sale price when I got rid last week, the AM has cost less than the VAG car.

Same reason why I'm looking at more exotic cars which are 8-12 years old because I think they offer better value - if I spend £35k on a new BMW, I'd lose quite a lot in the first year or two.

divetheworld said:

Don't drive one unless your prepared to empty your bank account. First advice is take your time.

I completely understand what you're saying - I don't want to waste anyone's time or drive a car which I'm not prepared to buy. But on the other hand, how can I know if a car feels right unless I have test driven a few so that I have something to compare against?

divetheworld said:

Don't let the money burn a hole in your pocket. Nothing worse than seeing the perfect car pop up in a months time.
Choose colours carefully and look at the car in sunlight to decide.

I always have a hard time trying to decide whether to wait or buy something I like. The reality is that I can be waiting for 6-12 months to find the "perfect car" (or even more) and there's always the possibility of another "better" car popping up immediately after I have made a purchase. I guess I'll just make sure it has all the essential options and be prepared to make a compromise on the auxiliary options.

divetheworld said:

For the first year, a warranty is a safe bet. Nothing will ruin your experience quicker than an expensive bill. Get to know eachother with the reassurance first.

Can the warranty be put on any car, even if hasn't got full AM service history, providing it passes their check? I read that the warranty costs about £1400 per year, is that correct?

divetheworld said:

Make your mind up which one is for you. They are apples and oranges, you will get a completely different experience from each. Driving one for a few hours will sort that out.
This type of car, Aston or Ferrari is an emotional choice. If it was just about the numbers, youd be looking at Jag/Mazza/Merc too. I think you know this so I'm risking preaching to the choir.

I'm pretty much set on getting a Vantage for the time being, it's what my heart tells me.

[divetheworld]

c3m said:

I'm pretty much set on getting a Vantage for the time being, it's what my heart tells me.

The warranty can be put on one that passes the 140 point check, £1400 is about right for the "Plus" which is as good as any.

Sounds to me like you are an "Aston man". You'll love every minute of it.