Vantage Coupe.

[JW1]

Hi All,
I currently drive a Boxster 3.4S as a daily mode of transport covering around 12K miles per annum. I am seriously thinking about purchasing a Vantage to use daily. Are they easy cars to live with if used day in day out, how reliable, (to date coming up for a year of ownership the Boxster has not let me down)? Can anyone recommend an indy garage for servicing in the Surrey/West Sussex area?
A few years ago I owned an yr 2000 XKR which was a great car but used to go through tyres, brakes and suspension components on a very regular basis (owned for 4 years) will the Vantage be similar?

Any advice or particular things to look for or avoid would be welcomed.

Thanks,

James.

[V8 Animal]

Modern day Astons are very reliable and are even better when used regularly. Can't see a problem used as a daily there are a few on here do that, expect 20 mpg though.

[bogie]

yeah, no probs, I used mine daily for the first couple of years

actually cheaper to run on consumables than the Audi RS6 I had prior as a daily car

tyres last 20-30K miles, pads and discs longer than that

a yearly service for £500-600 at a specialist and average 18-20mpg so long as you drive outside urban areas e.g. not commuting at sub 20mph stop start traffic

the only thing that doesn't lend itself to commuting is the heavy manual clutch on earlier cars, but you get used it

[897sma]

I used my DB9 as a daily for a year and a half with no problems, it lived outside and I drove it on more days than my A4 or ML. It was (much) cheaper to run than the C63 which replaced it.

[hornbaek]

Had my V12V for 4 years without a single problem.

[Jalfonse]

Will be using my V8V as a daily soon because of a change in circumstances, use it regularly anyway and other than high fuel consumption and having to clean it more can't see an issue.

[Jon39]

You did not mention price, but the 4·7 litre model had quite a number of good improvements (Model year 2009). Deliveries of those began in September 2008. By then the financial crisis had begun, so there were some unsold 4·3s first registered during 2009.

The automated manual gearbox (Sportshift 1) is a Marmite decision. Needs to be driven including stop / start, and parking manoeuvres, to see what you think.

Filling with petrol might sometimes take a little longer than you are used to. Strangers tend to ask about the car.

Good luck with your search and don't forget the must have option, Premium Audio.

Edited by Jon39 on Saturday 23 November 13:04

[steveatesh]

Hi my mrs has a 2.7 PDK Boxster 981 variant and I use the vantage (MY2010) for daily use. It goes to the supermarket, friends, outings and even business if the area I am going to has been suitably vetted by Google Steet view

I have to say it's no where near as easy as the Boxster to drive, but that is to be expected. The right hand hand brake lever takes some getting used to, my manual box is superb though. The plus side is the mrs rarely wants to drive it as she prefers the Boxsters size and PDK box.

General opinion on here is that mechanically the vantage is very reliable! There are several well known fix and fit issues from new but if they've been sorted the car should be fine. The sense of occasion driving it is fantastic and as other have said the cars attract a lot of positive attention. Warranty is comprehensive.

If getting a used one, make sure the condition is spot on, avoid a garage queen, and service history must be up to date.

Enjoy the search and I hope you get what you are looking for.

[jazzyjeff]

V8 Animal said:

Modern day Astons are very reliable and are even better when used regularly. Can't see a problem used as a daily there are a few on here do that, expect 20 mpg though.

What he said

I went from a Cayman S to a Vantage and there is not one day I regret it

[BigOne]

Also in the hunt for the same 'most days' drive-prob buying in the spring. Ive looked at a couple and have to say the clutch is quite hard work.And Im 6ft4 and 18 stone. Should keep the wife away from it though....

I looked at an N400 vs a 2009 420 with a new clutch just fitted. I know its been much discussed and have read (all) the BR postings (I like to do my research). Both similar prices and mileage in the 40's....Is the N400 likely to need a new clutch soon? Interested to hear views on how these compare-priced similarly

[JW1]

jazzyjeff said:

What he said

I went from a Cayman S to a Vantage and there is not one day I regret it

Did you adjust easily to the heavier clutch? I wonder if the clutch is so heavy that it will be difficult to live with in slow moving traffic on the magic roundabout (M25)?

Thanks for all replies.

[Impasse]

JW1 said:

I wonder if the clutch is so heavy that it will be difficult to live with in slow moving traffic on the magic roundabout (M25)?

No, it's fine. It's not exactly a Nissan Micra pedal, but it's fine.

[V8V Pete]

These are my two means of daily transport and it's often a difficult decision which I'll take as they're both so marvellous.

[url]

|http://thumbsnap.com/SlOIiU1R[/url]

The clutch on my 4.7 V8V is actually lighter than my old 3.2 V6 Alfa GT.

There is no doubt that Porsches are excellent cars but they are simply not special in the way that an Aston is.

[JW1]

It would be good to know how easy these cars are to get serviced and repaired, any garages in the south that can be recommended?

[ADvantageV8]

Ok I admit its not a boxter but I changed from a 911 C2S gen 2 manual to a Vantage V8 2010 with sportshift about 5 months ago and has to be the very best change I've ever made - I really liked the Porsche but the AM I absolutely love and every time I drive the car its an experience unlike any other car to be honest. Good luck with your search and look forward to the pictures of the purchase soon

[Neil1300R]

JW1 said:

It would be good to know how easy these cars are to get serviced and repaired, any garages in the south that can be recommended?

Its in the Frequently. Asked Questions Wiki

[brakedwell]

JW1 said:

It would be good to know how easy these cars are to get serviced and repaired, any garages in the south that can be recommended?

I don't know what you mean by in the south, but I can recommend Harwoods Aston Martin, Chichester.

[steveatesh]

brakedwell said:

I don't know what you mean by in the south, ............

This thread illustrates it nicely

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

[bogie]

JW1 said:

jazzyjeff said:

What he said

I went from a Cayman S to a Vantage and there is not one day I regret it

Did you adjust easily to the heavier clutch? I wonder if the clutch is so heavy that it will be difficult to live with in slow moving traffic on the magic roundabout (M25)?

Thanks for all replies.

4.7 is revised and lighter...original 4.3 clutch is quite heavy depends on what you are used to I guess

when I eventually replace my 2006 4.3 clutch I will go with the later (lighter) model from Bamford Rose.....

[Jon39]

BigOne said:

Also in the hunt for the same 'most days' drive-prob buying in the spring. Ive looked at a couple and have to say the clutch is quite hard work.And Im 6ft4 and 18 stone. Should keep the wife away from it though....

I looked at an N400 vs a 2009 420 with a new clutch just fitted. I know its been much discussed and have read (all) the BR postings (I like to do my research). Both similar prices and mileage in the 40's....Is the N400 likely to need a new clutch soon? Interested to hear views on how these compare-priced similarly

There is a very wide variation in clutch mileage. I recall mention by one person of 65,000 miles.

Re. N400 vs 4·7 - there is a long list of changes, that were applied when the 4·7 was introduced. One aspect which adds to driving enjoyment is the torque increase.