Considering buying Vantage (again)
Discussion
After selling my Vantage back in 2009 to fund a house renovation, said renovation is now complete and I'm seriously considering buying another as a keeper. Have around £35k to spend which looking around should get me a reasonable 40-50k mileage early 4.3 version, which is what I had before and would like again. The only slight issue holding me back are the potential running costs as I had quite a few problems last time that were all fixed under warranty, but this time would all fall on me. I know these cars are never going to be cheap to run, but I'm not looking to put massive mileage in - maybe 3k per year max. Have allowed around £2k per year for servicing and consumables and will keep an extra £2k on hand in case of bigger expenses such as clutch or brakes. Does this sound reasonable or should I be allowing for a bit more just to be safe?
From what I've read, the 4.3 Vantage is generally quite reliable and maybe I was just unlucky with my last one that needed new clutch at under 20k. I would expect that any car at around 40-50k would have had a replacement clutch by now and if not, then I guess that's an instant bargaining tool to get asking price down by £2k.
One thing I can't quite figure out is how dealer prices seem to vary wildly from around £33k to up to £39k for seemingly similar cars. I bought privately last time and would do so again, but very few seem to come up as private sales. Does make me wonder just what prices the dealers are paying for these cars for and what sort of discount off the asking price I should be looking at if I'm buying from a dealer.
Any advice appreciated as very much looking forward to getting back into Aston ownership again...
From what I've read, the 4.3 Vantage is generally quite reliable and maybe I was just unlucky with my last one that needed new clutch at under 20k. I would expect that any car at around 40-50k would have had a replacement clutch by now and if not, then I guess that's an instant bargaining tool to get asking price down by £2k.
One thing I can't quite figure out is how dealer prices seem to vary wildly from around £33k to up to £39k for seemingly similar cars. I bought privately last time and would do so again, but very few seem to come up as private sales. Does make me wonder just what prices the dealers are paying for these cars for and what sort of discount off the asking price I should be looking at if I'm buying from a dealer.
Any advice appreciated as very much looking forward to getting back into Aston ownership again...
martindesu said:
Interesting. Any reason you don't want to go for a 4.7 if it's to be a "keeper"?
I know I'm in the minority, but my previous 4.3 was plenty quick enough for my (limited) driving talent, so I've no particular desire for anything much faster. 4.7's are anyway out of my price range and I also prefer the old style seats. My last one was Meteorite Silver but I quite fancy Tungsten Silver this time. Must have black interior with white stitching and there do seem to be quite a few around with this spec, so happy to wait until the right one comes up.blade runner said:
After selling my Vantage back in 2009 to fund a house renovation, said renovation is now complete and I'm seriously considering buying another as a keeper. Have around £35k to spend which looking around should get me a reasonable 40-50k mileage early 4.3 version, which is what I had before and would like again. The only slight issue holding me back are the potential running costs as I had quite a few problems last time that were all fixed under warranty, but this time would all fall on me. I know these cars are never going to be cheap to run, but I'm not looking to put massive mileage in - maybe 3k per year max. Have allowed around £2k per year for servicing and consumables and will keep an extra £2k on hand in case of bigger expenses such as clutch or brakes. Does this sound reasonable or should I be allowing for a bit more just to be safe?
From what I've read, the 4.3 Vantage is generally quite reliable and maybe I was just unlucky with my last one that needed new clutch at under 20k. I would expect that any car at around 40-50k would have had a replacement clutch by now and if not, then I guess that's an instant bargaining tool to get asking price down by £2k.
One thing I can't quite figure out is how dealer prices seem to vary wildly from around £33k to up to £39k for seemingly similar cars. I bought privately last time and would do so again, but very few seem to come up as private sales. Does make me wonder just what prices the dealers are paying for these cars for and what sort of discount off the asking price I should be looking at if I'm buying from a dealer.
Any advice appreciated as very much looking forward to getting back into Aston ownership again...
I think you're way off the mark on costs.From what I've read, the 4.3 Vantage is generally quite reliable and maybe I was just unlucky with my last one that needed new clutch at under 20k. I would expect that any car at around 40-50k would have had a replacement clutch by now and if not, then I guess that's an instant bargaining tool to get asking price down by £2k.
One thing I can't quite figure out is how dealer prices seem to vary wildly from around £33k to up to £39k for seemingly similar cars. I bought privately last time and would do so again, but very few seem to come up as private sales. Does make me wonder just what prices the dealers are paying for these cars for and what sort of discount off the asking price I should be looking at if I'm buying from a dealer.
Any advice appreciated as very much looking forward to getting back into Aston ownership again...
Servicing a 4.3 is between £600 and 800 if you're savvy with your authorised dealer. There are ways to reduce the cost of those winged stamps in the book. With the mileage you're estimating, it's not like you need to budget in there for pads and discs etc.
With that, you might as well go for a warranty and never have any surprise bills and keep well inside your budgetary estimates.
The 4.3 is very reliable but anyone can fall victim to the dreaded clutch replacement. Buying carefully can mitigate this by knowing how many and what type of miles its done since its last clutch. As you say, the bargaining for a clutch if there is doubt is a good plan. And with the plethora of aftermarket twin plate units available, you can remove that problem from your term of ownership and beyond.
Dealer cars vary wildly at this level due largely to spec and mileage. The good news is the price of these cars has pretty much bottomed out or even totally static. It's highly unlikely you will lose much on resale when you ultimately move on.
It appears you were pretty unlucky with your last one by the sound of it. I had mine for 3 and a half years, 2006 4.3 and it cost me significantly less than £2k a year in servicing and consumables (ignoring of course my BR exhaust upgrade). I think you could get a very nice used example in budget and keep the extra annual cash to put toward something else for the wife! Good luck with the search.
Bincenzo said:
It appears you were pretty unlucky with your last one by the sound of it. I had mine for 3 and a half years, 2006 4.3 and it cost me significantly less than £2k a year in servicing and consumables (ignoring of course my BR exhaust upgrade). I think you could get a very nice used example in budget and keep the extra annual cash to put toward something else for the wife! Good luck with the search.
Already sweetened the wife with some diamonds a few weeks ago 
Thanks for all the comments. Nice to hear that I'm unlikely to be crippled with annual costs, so no reason not to take the plunge. Looking for Tungsten Silver with black leather and white stitching, so if anyone here has one this spec they are thinking of selling in the next few months, drop me a PM.
Its just luck. In 9 years and 85K miles, most years I have a £600-700 service. Every few years tyres or discs n pads are due. If you get both together you can have a £2500 service year
The most expensive year was last year, as the clutch finally went, a wheel bearing, a service, discs n pads on 1 axle, not much change from £4k
The OE clutch lasted 83K miles and the "new" OE part (Actually I think came in with the 4.7) are much lighter; if the OE part lasts another 80K miles I will be very happy
As for warranty, again its just luck. Ive saved £1500 a year warranty cost since 2009, thats over £10k in non scheduled work I would have needed to have to break even. In reality I've had a thermostat, 3 wheel bearing packs, coolant sensor x 2 ...everything else is consumables and well documented on here.
As for dealer margins in a £35k car...put it this way, how much profit would you want to have, in order to tie up £30k of capital for a few months. You have to prep the car, provide 3 month min warranty, make enough to cover your costs and pay a wage. You only need a fussy buyer to come back with some niggles and you can soon be out of pocket.
If you are good at negotiating and know what you are looking at, then buy private or take a risk at auction like the traders do. Otherwise compare whats out there in your price range, view a few, buy the best you can for your budget ....and start to enjoy life with a Vantage
The most expensive year was last year, as the clutch finally went, a wheel bearing, a service, discs n pads on 1 axle, not much change from £4k
The OE clutch lasted 83K miles and the "new" OE part (Actually I think came in with the 4.7) are much lighter; if the OE part lasts another 80K miles I will be very happy
As for warranty, again its just luck. Ive saved £1500 a year warranty cost since 2009, thats over £10k in non scheduled work I would have needed to have to break even. In reality I've had a thermostat, 3 wheel bearing packs, coolant sensor x 2 ...everything else is consumables and well documented on here.
As for dealer margins in a £35k car...put it this way, how much profit would you want to have, in order to tie up £30k of capital for a few months. You have to prep the car, provide 3 month min warranty, make enough to cover your costs and pay a wage. You only need a fussy buyer to come back with some niggles and you can soon be out of pocket.
If you are good at negotiating and know what you are looking at, then buy private or take a risk at auction like the traders do. Otherwise compare whats out there in your price range, view a few, buy the best you can for your budget ....and start to enjoy life with a Vantage
Sorry to hijack slightly but there is a suggestion of new oe clutch being different than original. Is that correct or is the difference just because it is new? I'm interested as I am on 43k miles on original and find it heavy and not easy to get off the mark with almost a bogging down effect.
Gmw76 said:
Sorry to hijack slightly but there is a suggestion of new oe clutch being different than original. Is that correct or is the difference just because it is new? I'm interested as I am on 43k miles on original and find it heavy and not easy to get off the mark with almost a bogging down effect.
My car had the original late 2005 clutch in it. The latest OE clutch is much lighter, its like a "regular" commuter car clutch now. I found it heavy too, particularly after a hip replacement in 2009.
blade runner said:
Already sweetened the wife with some diamonds a few weeks ago
Thanks for all the comments. Nice to hear that I'm unlikely to be crippled with annual costs, so no reason not to take the plunge. Looking for Tungsten Silver with black leather and white stitching, so if anyone here has one this spec they are thinking of selling in the next few months, drop me a PM.
Incredibly good combination. Thanks for all the comments. Nice to hear that I'm unlikely to be crippled with annual costs, so no reason not to take the plunge. Looking for Tungsten Silver with black leather and white stitching, so if anyone here has one this spec they are thinking of selling in the next few months, drop me a PM.
Gmw76 said:
Sorry to hijack slightly but there is a suggestion of new oe clutch being different than original. Is that correct or is the difference just because it is new? I'm interested as I am on 43k miles on original and find it heavy and not easy to get off the mark with almost a bogging down effect.
Lots of threads on here over the years relating to clutches and lots of options these days. Do a search and enjoy.http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Edited by divetheworld on Sunday 24th April 11:53
Don't mind a specialist getting a decent margin but most give you 3 months and then you're on your own! I tend to buy on the scenario that if I buy and then trade it in the next day how much would I lose and am I ok with that. Use we buy any car or warranty wise for a good trade in valuation (put in a number plate from the sales site) and you'll be amazed at the book value! Add back for extras and hey presto.
That said anyone got a green 2006? ...........
That said anyone got a green 2006? ...........
Veg said:
Don't mind a specialist getting a decent margin but most give you 3 months and then you're on your own! I tend to buy on the scenario that if I buy and then trade it in the next day how much would I lose and am I ok with that. Use we buy any car or warranty wise for a good trade in valuation (put in a number plate from the sales site) and you'll be amazed at the book value! Add back for extras and hey presto.
That said anyone got a green 2006? ...........
There seems to be little difference in selling price between private and trade sales so not a difficult choice for some comeback. I'm not sure doing a WBAC on an Aston is representative - low volume cars out of their target market = very low valuation, I had someone trying to convince me my 2007 car was only worth £25k, 2 years ago! Your biggest financial risk is buying in summer and selling in winter. In the last 3 years, values of v8's over 5 years old has been flat or down max 5% based on my observations, I'm going to need another global financial meltdown to get a 4.7 at this rate! That said anyone got a green 2006? ...........
Any thoughts on below car I found on Autotrader?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Spec is exactly what I'm looking for and it looks in pretty good order from the photos. Price seems quite low though and more in-line with a private seller which does make me slightly suspicious? For comparison, McGurks have same year, spec and mileage car up for £36,850 which is close to £4k more. Too good to be true? Anybody dealt with this dealer before?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Spec is exactly what I'm looking for and it looks in pretty good order from the photos. Price seems quite low though and more in-line with a private seller which does make me slightly suspicious? For comparison, McGurks have same year, spec and mileage car up for £36,850 which is close to £4k more. Too good to be true? Anybody dealt with this dealer before?
I found this:
https://www.yell.com/biz/sports-and-prestige-centr...
For reference I sold my well specced 2007MY with 51k on it for £32k, 18 months ago. Price seems about right for an older car at a dealer, but spec on dealer site mentions stuff not fitted to that car.
It's only 15 miles from me, so if you want a second pair of eyes, let me know.
https://www.yell.com/biz/sports-and-prestige-centr...
For reference I sold my well specced 2007MY with 51k on it for £32k, 18 months ago. Price seems about right for an older car at a dealer, but spec on dealer site mentions stuff not fitted to that car.
It's only 15 miles from me, so if you want a second pair of eyes, let me know.
krisdelta said:
I found this:
https://www.yell.com/biz/sports-and-prestige-centr...
For reference I sold my well specced 2007MY with 51k on it for £32k, 18 months ago. Price seems about right for an older car at a dealer, but spec on dealer site mentions stuff not fitted to that car.
It's only 15 miles from me, so if you want a second pair of eyes, let me know.
Hmmmmm... hardly glowing reviews for their customer service - although that doesn't necessarily mean the car is a nail. Not sure I can be bothered dealing with a pushy dealer though and it doesn't inspire confidence when the listed spec doesn't match the actual car, so will keep an eye on this one and see if anything else turns up over coming weeks/months. Many thanks for kind offer of taking a second look though!https://www.yell.com/biz/sports-and-prestige-centr...
For reference I sold my well specced 2007MY with 51k on it for £32k, 18 months ago. Price seems about right for an older car at a dealer, but spec on dealer site mentions stuff not fitted to that car.
It's only 15 miles from me, so if you want a second pair of eyes, let me know.
Have noticed this one also on Autotrader, but it's got a piano black ski slope (which I don't want) and what looks like a poorly fitting boot lid on RH side although I guess both could be rectified fairly easily?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Not getting good vibes about this one. Fairly high mileage (52k) and apart from the piano black ski-slope (which I don't like) and sat-nav (which I've never seen a car without anyway) it's devoid of any other options. Full Aston history but no clutch replacement yet, so that's got to be on the cards fairly soon.
McGurk also have one which looks nice, but too expensive for my budget at £37k. Do they move at all on price or are they like Stratstones in this respect?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
McGurk also have one which looks nice, but too expensive for my budget at £37k. Do they move at all on price or are they like Stratstones in this respect?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
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