Aston vs Porsche reliability
Discussion
With all the problems Porsche seem to have over on the porsche forum i was wondering how Aston compares. Porsche people seem to think the Astons are unreliable and badly put together. However Porsche seem to have engine problems even on there best models with late model cars having engine rebuilds or new engines fitted. On top of this they have no end of warranty problems(unhappy customers) especially now they monitor over revs. Even the new GT3 has been delayed with engine and gearbox problems so the internet says, this is just a few problems that porsche have.
In my opinion as i am here alot it would seeem to me that the Aston is the better car with far fewer problems , would i be wrong?
In my opinion as i am here alot it would seeem to me that the Aston is the better car with far fewer problems , would i be wrong?
People, owners and otherwise, talk a lot about how Astons fall apart if you look at them. I wonder if the data reflects what people actually perceive (if nothing else, you're more likely to notice faults in an AM, because you've been warned about them so often).
The reputation does make buying one, and owning one, a nerve-wracking process. Even if nothing goes wrong, you're wondering when it will. If a gear shift doesn't quite engage properly, you recall the many forum posts that warned you the AM clutch only lasts you to the end of the street. If the SatNav doesn't close flush-perfect, you recall the many times that the Mercedes ModelRandom was described as better built. And the argument that for £100k (a lot less if you buy used), you should expect more only goes so far - it's not like AM are rolling in money, so they're not fleecing customers.
AM ownership (or indeed ownership of many other character cars) is more than the sum of the parts. In the month that I've owned mine, the clutch has not broken once, all four wheels are still there, and the engine has not needed replacing at all. True, the ABS sensors are playing up, and I get flat tyre warnings that aren't true, but I don't really care (the warranty helps). OK, the SatNav isn't the best, but it gets me from A to B, and I'm grateful enough for the miracle of live satellite guidance. And yes, somehow it's easy to accidentally engage reverse gear at the lights and give the driver behind you a shock, but you've got to laugh, don't you.
There are many cars from the Focus to the Punto that seem to work flawlessly, and are not bad drives, but it's not quite the same.
There may be an analogy to new build houses vs old country houses. You learn to accept the creaking floors, the leaks, this, that, because of the character.
Personally, I'm delighted with my leather sofa that does 180mph with special sound effects.
The reputation does make buying one, and owning one, a nerve-wracking process. Even if nothing goes wrong, you're wondering when it will. If a gear shift doesn't quite engage properly, you recall the many forum posts that warned you the AM clutch only lasts you to the end of the street. If the SatNav doesn't close flush-perfect, you recall the many times that the Mercedes ModelRandom was described as better built. And the argument that for £100k (a lot less if you buy used), you should expect more only goes so far - it's not like AM are rolling in money, so they're not fleecing customers.
AM ownership (or indeed ownership of many other character cars) is more than the sum of the parts. In the month that I've owned mine, the clutch has not broken once, all four wheels are still there, and the engine has not needed replacing at all. True, the ABS sensors are playing up, and I get flat tyre warnings that aren't true, but I don't really care (the warranty helps). OK, the SatNav isn't the best, but it gets me from A to B, and I'm grateful enough for the miracle of live satellite guidance. And yes, somehow it's easy to accidentally engage reverse gear at the lights and give the driver behind you a shock, but you've got to laugh, don't you.
There are many cars from the Focus to the Punto that seem to work flawlessly, and are not bad drives, but it's not quite the same.
There may be an analogy to new build houses vs old country houses. You learn to accept the creaking floors, the leaks, this, that, because of the character.
Personally, I'm delighted with my leather sofa that does 180mph with special sound effects.
Just got out of my 997.1 GT3 about a month ago and replaced it with my first AM.
In 3 years of ownership, the Porsche consumed 3 sets of front discs, and an exhaust flap. The warranty wasn't interested in the brakes and I had to cough for those myself (Understandable), but I was hardly setting lap records anywhere I went. And consequently, it cost about £1500 for the discs to be changed each time. The exhaust flap was another £600 or so (out of warranty at that time). The warranty did cough for the condensers, heat exchanger, horn and some other bits and bobs that had failed. It certainly was not a solid billet of reliability.
It was a great car, but I feared there was always a bigger bill just around the corner. The metzger engine was a real gem.
In addition, it creaked and rattled everywhere it went, but I guess that's the nature of the GT models. Oh, and the satnav was worse than in my AM.
Now into my Vantage, and it's a far easier proposition to live with. As long as things continue as they've begun (touch wood) then I'm looking forward to the rest of my time as an owner.
Much easier to live with, with a dealer that seems to be a bit more personable. The Porsche business seems much more about volume these days, and I only ever felt like I was another number in the book.
In 3 years of ownership, the Porsche consumed 3 sets of front discs, and an exhaust flap. The warranty wasn't interested in the brakes and I had to cough for those myself (Understandable), but I was hardly setting lap records anywhere I went. And consequently, it cost about £1500 for the discs to be changed each time. The exhaust flap was another £600 or so (out of warranty at that time). The warranty did cough for the condensers, heat exchanger, horn and some other bits and bobs that had failed. It certainly was not a solid billet of reliability.
It was a great car, but I feared there was always a bigger bill just around the corner. The metzger engine was a real gem.
In addition, it creaked and rattled everywhere it went, but I guess that's the nature of the GT models. Oh, and the satnav was worse than in my AM.
Now into my Vantage, and it's a far easier proposition to live with. As long as things continue as they've begun (touch wood) then I'm looking forward to the rest of my time as an owner.
Much easier to live with, with a dealer that seems to be a bit more personable. The Porsche business seems much more about volume these days, and I only ever felt like I was another number in the book.
I think there's a lot of confirmation bias among Porsche owners and their cars and Aston Martins in terms of reliability. When I was researching a Boxster for Mrs Steve I was quite alarmed to find on the Porsche PH forum and Boxa.net stickies about serious problems with engines. Expensive stuff and enough to put me off getting the affected models, whilst AM issues seem to be minor in nature and the engine appears reliable.
I went for the new 981 Boxster 2.7 PDK because it was not affected by these issues and up to now I've had one warranty issue but it was at the dealers 11 days and the car was treat appallingly by the dealer - delivered back to me with the light grey leather interior covered in oil and grime - and I mean covered. Unforgivable for a main dealer.
A couple years ago a good friend bought a new 911 and a Boxster for his Mrs. Within a month her Boxster had a rust patch on the rear of the car.. He sold his 911 after 18 months of pure faults and unreliability. He travels around the country and it got to the point where he could simply not rely on the car so it went for a BMW, as did his wife's.
IIRC last year Aston Martin Vantage was the best out of all cars for the number of faults at 3 years MOT although another marque is there this year. And yet Porsche owners on the forum continuously lambast AM cars for falling apart, which as we all know is simply not true.
I believe all cars makes have faults, AM's are probably noticed more than some others because in the main we are discerning owners who don't buy the cars as part of a pissing contest on numbers, but because of how they make us feel driving them.
I went for the new 981 Boxster 2.7 PDK because it was not affected by these issues and up to now I've had one warranty issue but it was at the dealers 11 days and the car was treat appallingly by the dealer - delivered back to me with the light grey leather interior covered in oil and grime - and I mean covered. Unforgivable for a main dealer.
A couple years ago a good friend bought a new 911 and a Boxster for his Mrs. Within a month her Boxster had a rust patch on the rear of the car.. He sold his 911 after 18 months of pure faults and unreliability. He travels around the country and it got to the point where he could simply not rely on the car so it went for a BMW, as did his wife's.
IIRC last year Aston Martin Vantage was the best out of all cars for the number of faults at 3 years MOT although another marque is there this year. And yet Porsche owners on the forum continuously lambast AM cars for falling apart, which as we all know is simply not true.
I believe all cars makes have faults, AM's are probably noticed more than some others because in the main we are discerning owners who don't buy the cars as part of a pissing contest on numbers, but because of how they make us feel driving them.
Edited by steveatesh on Sunday 20th October 14:28
Yesterday I drove over to Chesterfield.... On my return, I opened the boot to chuck my coat in, to have roughly half a pint of water also enter the boot......I then got in the drivers seat, and dropped the window so I could see to reverse down the driveway, to be almost drowned as a gallon of rain water dropped into the open window and down my leg...
Oh how I laughed
Oh how I laughed
I've owned 3 Porsche's from new and enjoyed the ownership of 3 Aston's from new............
All great cars but with different characters,all have faults and all need fixing.............
From my experience the Porsche tended to have less niggles and mechanical grumblings than that of the Aston.
From my experience the Porsche tended to get fixed easier and with much less fuss.
Overall Porsche seem to hold the upper hand on build quality and from my personal experiences over 3 cars reliability too.
The Aston bosses it though for charm,character and frustration......
All great cars but with different characters,all have faults and all need fixing.............
From my experience the Porsche tended to have less niggles and mechanical grumblings than that of the Aston.
From my experience the Porsche tended to get fixed easier and with much less fuss.
Overall Porsche seem to hold the upper hand on build quality and from my personal experiences over 3 cars reliability too.
The Aston bosses it though for charm,character and frustration......
After 14 years with TVRs and after nearly 2 years with an Aston, I've learnt that a lot of comments are from people who've never driven a particular make of car , never mind actually owning one. I never had a TVR let me down by the side of the road and my 4.3 Vantage has been bomb proof reliability wise, despite soothsayers telling me regularly both makes dismantle themselves as you drive along.
Frankly anything hand built will have niggles. I like driving a British car and I love going into the garage before I go to bed just to look at the Aston. It's a thing of beauty and like a beautiful woman it will be expensive to run and occasionally have a tantrum !!!!
If I wanted complete reliability and cheap parts I'd buy a Civic !!!
Frankly anything hand built will have niggles. I like driving a British car and I love going into the garage before I go to bed just to look at the Aston. It's a thing of beauty and like a beautiful woman it will be expensive to run and occasionally have a tantrum !!!!
If I wanted complete reliability and cheap parts I'd buy a Civic !!!
Well after 4 tvr's ( none of which broke down) and three Porsches (all of which needed dealer assistance I'm onto Aston's and so far apart from some odd tyre pressure warnings the signs are good ( mind you saying that is the proverbial kiss of death).
Was never impressed by Porsche dealers (especially their detainers who were clearly taught by Stevie Wonder). Tvr dealers were always a bit "well its a £40k car so what did you expect"?
Was never impressed by Porsche dealers (especially their detainers who were clearly taught by Stevie Wonder). Tvr dealers were always a bit "well its a £40k car so what did you expect"?
Internet forums a lot to blame for all the self perpetuating misinformation and rumours out there...everyone can be an armchair expert because a mates mate had a bad experience with a product 
Ive never owned a Porsche, had a few hot Audis though and TVRs. The Vantage has been the most reliable car ive ever owned, except for a Honda I had for a few years
in 6 years and 65K miles ive had a handful of small issues that could happen to any car, the most expensive being a wheel bearing
Porsche are the most profitable successful sportscar company out there, they should have perfect products built to a low fault rate. Aston should be compared with other low volume hand assembled manufacturers, I don't even consider Porsche an alternative to an Aston
when comparing apples with apples I think Aston are easily the best of the bunch
Ive never owned a Porsche, had a few hot Audis though and TVRs. The Vantage has been the most reliable car ive ever owned, except for a Honda I had for a few years
in 6 years and 65K miles ive had a handful of small issues that could happen to any car, the most expensive being a wheel bearing
Porsche are the most profitable successful sportscar company out there, they should have perfect products built to a low fault rate. Aston should be compared with other low volume hand assembled manufacturers, I don't even consider Porsche an alternative to an Aston
when comparing apples with apples I think Aston are easily the best of the bunch
My last Vantage did 9K miles in a year without anything going wrong at all. My present one had a manufacturing problem quickly resolved. 2K miles and everything's fine.
My Boxster corroded its discs regularly, lost all it's air con fluid twice, rusted the manifold bolts resulting in a 2K service bill and blew out blue smoke on startup (they all do that sir). Was about to get rid of it when a cretin in a people carrier wrote it off. By then I was really worried about intermediate shaft bearing failure as 2 friends had this problem. Porsche fit a sealed for life(!) bearing whereas an open race bearing would be lubricated with crankcase oil and last forever! German engineering eh?
I'll stick with the Aston thanks.
My Boxster corroded its discs regularly, lost all it's air con fluid twice, rusted the manifold bolts resulting in a 2K service bill and blew out blue smoke on startup (they all do that sir). Was about to get rid of it when a cretin in a people carrier wrote it off. By then I was really worried about intermediate shaft bearing failure as 2 friends had this problem. Porsche fit a sealed for life(!) bearing whereas an open race bearing would be lubricated with crankcase oil and last forever! German engineering eh?
I'll stick with the Aston thanks.
Lunablack said:
Yesterday I drove over to Chesterfield.... On my return, I opened the boot to chuck my coat in, to have roughly half a pint of water also enter the boot......I then got in the drivers seat, and dropped the window so I could see to reverse down the driveway, to be almost drowned as a gallon of rain water dropped into the open window and down my leg...
Oh how I laughed
Exact same happened to me today and like you I am still giggling.Oh how I laughed
Is this normal in all DB9's or are we the lucky ones ?
I have to say though that my Aston experience ( 3 Astons ) has been good with no serious problems albeit I do about 50 miles a year in dry weather.
I've owned one 911 and one Vantage, both from new. The 911 was pretty much faultless until someone ran into the back of it and wrote it off.
The Vantage had a series of niggles and a new engine at the first service. But of the two I'd pick the Vantage partly because it had much more character and partly because, although there were problems, they were very well handled.
The Vantage had a series of niggles and a new engine at the first service. But of the two I'd pick the Vantage partly because it had much more character and partly because, although there were problems, they were very well handled.
Aston's are not mass produced cars, and tend to have all the kinds of annoying little faults you get from that...
That said, major mechanical failures seem to be pretty rare here, but it's hard to tell for sure. Aston's with around 100k miles are rare, which is where water cooled Porsches seemed to most often go bang IIRC.
That said, major mechanical failures seem to be pretty rare here, but it's hard to tell for sure. Aston's with around 100k miles are rare, which is where water cooled Porsches seemed to most often go bang IIRC.
The sample size of every Aston ever made is not really enough to deduce any long term meaningful conclusion from, particularly with all the different variants and changes
..lets not forget Porsche sell more cars in a year than Aston have done in 100 years
..lets not forget Porsche sell more cars in a year than Aston have done in 100 years
- but we know for sure theres a few people on here with the bubbling paint issue from 2006/2007 because it gets discussed most weeks
Seems to me that Aston never made a 'good' car until the Gaydon factory (that's not to desirable, fast, exclusive etc). From a quality perspective, my DB7 and DB9 can't even be compared.
And Porsche stopped making 'good' cars after the 993 series. My 964 was hewn from granite, incredible car. My 996 was plastic fantastic. Still a great drive of course, but the feeling of quality had gone.
My sample size is small with 2 of each, but those were the perceptions.
And Porsche stopped making 'good' cars after the 993 series. My 964 was hewn from granite, incredible car. My 996 was plastic fantastic. Still a great drive of course, but the feeling of quality had gone.
My sample size is small with 2 of each, but those were the perceptions.
I have had 2 Porsche's a 911 3.2 for 20 years and a 2.7 Boxter for 5 years.
Neither had any problems. The 911 in 20 years went through a fan belt and alternator and 2 anti roll bar mounts - that was it in 20 years - everything else was service items.
I now have a DB9. Aside from a series of odds and sods ( quite a long list to be honest) sorted by the dealer when i bought it nothing has gone wrong with it.
Mine is a 2007 car which was designed and built under Fords ownership. This is good news - Ford know how to build a car.
I know nothing of the more recent cars other than what i read on the forum which is that there are significant quality issues. This to be quite honest would put me off buying a newer one as I can do without the grief. My 2007 car however just turn the key and it goes. I use it most days and if left for weeks whilst we go on holiday it still starts with no trickle charger.
The thought of getting into a car and it not working would drive me nuts.
Neither had any problems. The 911 in 20 years went through a fan belt and alternator and 2 anti roll bar mounts - that was it in 20 years - everything else was service items.
I now have a DB9. Aside from a series of odds and sods ( quite a long list to be honest) sorted by the dealer when i bought it nothing has gone wrong with it.
Mine is a 2007 car which was designed and built under Fords ownership. This is good news - Ford know how to build a car.
I know nothing of the more recent cars other than what i read on the forum which is that there are significant quality issues. This to be quite honest would put me off buying a newer one as I can do without the grief. My 2007 car however just turn the key and it goes. I use it most days and if left for weeks whilst we go on holiday it still starts with no trickle charger.
The thought of getting into a car and it not working would drive me nuts.
On my return, I opened the boot to chuck my coat in, to have roughly half a pint of water also enter the boot......
Hi Had the same problem with boot, followed suggestion on Questions Asked thread (below). Not 100% perfect but 90% Two rubber seals with sticky back, 2 mins to fit.
Factory fix to stop rainwater going into boot when opening Vantage tailgate
The kit is called the Boot Ingress Mod Kit and the tailgate flipseal (you need two at 6.79 each) part number is:
6G33-25902-AA
Total cost was 33.58 fitted
Hi Had the same problem with boot, followed suggestion on Questions Asked thread (below). Not 100% perfect but 90% Two rubber seals with sticky back, 2 mins to fit.
Factory fix to stop rainwater going into boot when opening Vantage tailgate
The kit is called the Boot Ingress Mod Kit and the tailgate flipseal (you need two at 6.79 each) part number is:
6G33-25902-AA
Total cost was 33.58 fitted
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