sub £80k Aston?

[jason61c]

I'm being seduced slightly.

v12s/vanquish/DBS.

DBS would be the cheapest, vanquish the most modern, v12s between the two.

what are the real differences?

Examples of ones I like

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202211141...

or

https://www.sparkscars.com/used/cars/aston-martin-...

I'd struggling to see how they all fit into the 'range' etc. its quite bloody confusing.

[RSbandit]

Nice decision to have to make ! I had a V12VS for a couple of years and it was pretty special, at that time I also test drove a DBS but it had the auto box which I really didn’t like …the SS3 on the Vantage S is a good gearbox once you get used to it but I always drove it on the paddles. Looks wise I think the Vanquish takes it but haven’t driven one, from what I’ve read the later 8 speed cars are better but I can’t recall if the early 6 speed is the same gearbox as the V12VS. If you want something that goes like stink sounds fantastic and looks great the Vantage is the call…but you could probably say that about all three ! That blue one with the bucket seats looks v nice.

[Calinours]

Just test drive an example of each and decide which you like the best. It’s the only way to know.

The budget buys you a decent auto DBS or if lucky a reasonable Manual. It buys automated manual (marmite) V12S or earlier manual V12V. All 2nd Gen Vanq are auto slusher. These are the significant differences. You need to drive to know what’s right for you.

Residual-wise, it’s looking more likely that the ‘proper’ manuals are the best bet. That’s, however just the uninformed, uneducated, unqualified opinion of a PH’er



Best of luck

[jason61c]

RSbandit said:

Nice decision to have to make ! I had a V12VS for a couple of years and it was pretty special, at that time I also test drove a DBS but it had the auto box which I really didn’t like …the SS3 on the Vantage S is a good gearbox once you get used to it but I always drove it on the paddles. Looks wise I think the Vanquish takes it but haven’t driven one, from what I’ve read the later 8 speed cars are better but I can’t recall if the early 6 speed is the same gearbox as the V12VS. If you want something that goes like stink sounds fantastic and looks great the Vantage is the call…but you could probably say that about all three ! That blue one with the bucket seats looks v nice.

I think the one linked is the 7 speed. The vantage looks like it'll feel like more of an 'event'? right seats also.

[RSbandit]

Yep Ss3 is the 7 speed box…it’s very like a manual just a slight lift when changing gear. It tends to lurch when in D ( full auto) so much better to drive on paddles all the time.

[4Q]

RSbandit said:

so much better to drive on paddles all the time.

Ditto DBS, unless I’m cruising on the motorway I tend to use the paddles most of the time. Not massively different from driving a manual other than no clutch pedal to press.

[jason61c]

RSbandit said:

Yep Ss3 is the 7 speed box…it’s very like a manual just a slight lift when changing gear. It tends to lurch when in D ( full auto) so much better to drive on paddles all the time.

so it needs interaction.

Its been at this dealer for 3 months(looking at car gurus), wonder what would be the price to drive it away?

All astons seem to be slow sellers, even when in this sort of perfect spec.

[AdamV12V]

RSbandit said:

Nice decision to have to make ! I had a V12VS for a couple of years and it was pretty special, at that time I also test drove a DBS but it had the auto box which I really didn’t like …the SS3 on the Vantage S is a good gearbox once you get used to it but I always drove it on the paddles. Looks wise I think the Vanquish takes it but haven’t driven one, from what I’ve read the later 8 speed cars are better but I can’t recall if the early 6 speed is the same gearbox as the V12VS. If you want something that goes like stink sounds fantastic and looks great the Vantage is the call…but you could probably say that about all three ! That blue one with the bucket seats looks v nice.

The DBS had two options, 6spd manual and a true 6spd auto.

The V12VS had two options a 7spd automated manual and from MY17 onwards a manual 7spd dogleg version of the same SSIII gearbox.

The Vanq 2 had two options, a 6spd true auto and a 8spd true auto.

3 very different gearboxes, a true manual, an automated manual and a true automatic. All 3 offer very different driving experiences.

The V12 engine had various different outputs. DBS being the earlier 510bhp version. Vanq and V12VS both had 565bhp or 595bhp versions (Vanq S and AMR Vantage).

The DBS and Vanq are GT-cruisers, the V12VS is a sports car.

The Carbon Fibre bucket seats can be found in all 3 versions, but are very very rare in DBS and Vanqish. Less rare, but still uncommon in the V12VS.

Cross reference what you want from the above and choose the appropriate one for you

[jason61c]

The big question is why do they take so long to sell!?

[RSbandit]

jason61c said:

so it needs interaction.

Its been at this dealer for 3 months(looking at car gurus), wonder what would be the price to drive it away?

All astons seem to be slow sellers, even when in this sort of perfect spec.

£79k for a 10 yr old 38k mile car is probably on the steep side, you won’t find out until you call them up but I’d prob want to be getting that for less than £75k. I bought mine in 2018 at 3 yrs old for £82k with 16k miles for some perspective, admittedly inflation and used car prices since then have jumped but still. There’s a massive gap in price between SS3 and manual, you’d really want to have the manual to justify the £40-50k premium.

[nickv12]

jason61c said:

The big question is why do they take so long to sell!?

Price, condition, spec, season, etc. Some cars go before even being advertised. Others linger.

Ultimately, the right price will shift any car.

As for the choice, I would only give a biased view. Test drives are required. You may be surprised and end up ignoring all advice you get. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s all so personal.

Good luck!

[anonymous-user]

jason61c said:

I'd struggling to see how they all fit into the 'range' etc. its quite bloody confusing.

How I see it (which may be wrong):

DBS: halo model. 2+2 grand tourer made high profile by Casino Royale. Huge road presence but can look like a DB9 with a body kit.

Vanquish: succeeded DBS as halo model. 2+2 grand tourer. Also huge presence on road but beautiful to look at in a way no other modern Aston is. Looks like a DB9 that’s been reworked by a concept car studio.

V12 Vantage S: two seater sports car which is at least as much a grand tourer as a sports car. Available in a palate of bright colours as well as the spectrum of greys and silvers.

DBS and Vanquish are conventional automatic gearboxes. DBS and Vanquish (to end 2014) were 6s. Vanquish then moved to 8 speed. Vanquish has the more modern centre console with haptic buttons.

V12VS started as automated manual 7s gearbox - a manual with electronics operating the single clutch. Shifting is not quite as quick or smooth as a PDK box but requires interaction/concentration to get the most out of it. Centre console switched to the Vanquish style for MY16 cars.

Why do they hang around? Limited pool of buyers. Expensive price tag. Perception of high running costs (servicing is ok; parts have an Aston tax; fuel and road tax are what you’d expect of a 6.0l V12); perhaps buyers are slightly wary of cars that are outside the main dealer network. Used values are mileage sensitive more so that age IMO.

[Jon39]

BlackWidow13 said:

V12VS started as automated manual 7s gearbox - a manual with electronics operating the single clutch.

Perhaps a typo, but I thought all the V12 Vantages have twin plate clutches.
One less thing for buyers to be concerned about.

The configuration of a V12 engine makes it a well balanced unit. Don't think we have ever heard any talk about low speed gear chatter.
A V8 is not so well balanced, so if AML had fitted a twin plate clutch, many buyers might have complained about gear chatter.
Possibly the reason why that came about.

[anonymous-user]

Jon39 said:

Perhaps a typo, but I thought all the V12 Vantages have twin plate clutches.
One less thing for buyers to be concerned about.

The configuration of a V12 engine makes it a well balanced unit. Don't think we have ever heard any talk about low speed gear chatter.
A V8 is not so well balanced, so if AML had fitted a twin plate clutch, many buyers might have complained about gear chatter.
Possibly the reason why that came about.

It’s a twin plate single clutch, and opposed to a PDK or DSG etc which is however many plates (don’t know) dual clutch.

Which means there isn’t a second clutch lining itself up for the next gear it thinks you’re going to use. Hence slower.

AIUI.

[Jon39]

BlackWidow13 said:

It’s a twin plate single clutch, and opposed to a PDK or DSG etc which is however many plates (don’t know) dual clutch.

Which means there isn’t a second clutch lining itself up for the next gear it thinks you’re going to use. Hence slower.

AIUI.

Thank you BlackWidow13.

I had not thought about PDK or DSG. I hardly know anything about them.
On here ref AM, the talk is usually about the V8 Vantage, ie. a single plate, or after market twin plate clutch.
The single plate can sometimes wear out surprisingly quickly, even though some have lasted a long time.

[LTP]

Jon39 said:

The configuration of a V12 engine makes it a well balanced unit. Don't think we have ever heard any talk about low speed gear chatter.
A V8 is not so well balanced, so if AML had fitted a twin plate clutch, many buyers might have complained about gear chatter.
Possibly the reason why that came about.

If we believe Mike Beake then the single-plate clutch for the V8 was added just before launch as a cost-saving exercise; the same Graziano 'box with the twin-plate clutch had already been fitted to the early DB9.

I also believe that gear chatter only becomes more noticeable if a lightweight flywheel is fitted to a V8 as part of a twin-plate conversion, as it reduces the polar moment of inertia of the clutch/flywheel, and then only on a car prone to chatter. To fix a chatter problem I don't think engineers would change the clutch to a weaker one with more inertia, they'd just look at adding mass dampers.

[jason61c]

BlackWidow13 said:

How I see it (which may be wrong):

DBS: halo model. 2+2 grand tourer made high profile by Casino Royale. Huge road presence but can look like a DB9 with a body kit.

Vanquish: succeeded DBS as halo model. 2+2 grand tourer. Also huge presence on road but beautiful to look at in a way no other modern Aston is. Looks like a DB9 that’s been reworked by a concept car studio.

V12 Vantage S: two seater sports car which is at least as much a grand tourer as a sports car. Available in a palate of bright colours as well as the spectrum of greys and silvers.

DBS and Vanquish are conventional automatic gearboxes. DBS and Vanquish (to end 2014) were 6s. Vanquish then moved to 8 speed. Vanquish has the more modern centre console with haptic buttons.

V12VS started as automated manual 7s gearbox - a manual with electronics operating the single clutch. Shifting is not quite as quick or smooth as a PDK box but requires interaction/concentration to get the most out of it. Centre console switched to the Vanquish style for MY16 cars.

Why do they hang around? Limited pool of buyers. Expensive price tag. Perception of high running costs (servicing is ok; parts have an Aston tax; fuel and road tax are what you’d expect of a 6.0l V12); perhaps buyers are slightly wary of cars that are outside the main dealer network. Used values are mileage sensitive more so that age IMO.

Thats sort of how I break them down(now). I actually prefer the older 2013 style centre console to the newer ones.

Its not easy finding one the sports seats and spec. Every car now seems to be covered in leather, so its nice having the alcantara in there.

[Cold]

You're in the ballpark of a DB11 at £80k.

[jason61c]

Cold said:

You're in the ballpark of a DB11 at £80k.

They just look a bit of a mess in comparison.

[AdamV12V]

jason61c said:

Its not easy finding one the sports seats and spec. Every car now seems to be covered in leather, so its nice having the alcantara in there.

To be clear the sports seats are the standard comfort seats. You probably mean the lightweight cf seats (buckets), which are the rarer, and to many, more desirable option. See my post above though, they are very very rare indeed on DBS and Vanquish, realistically you will only find them on the V12VS.

Alcantara is more common on lightweights seat cars than full leather in Coupes, but very much the reverse on Roadsters. AM used to strongly caution customers against speccing alcantara on Roadsters