Which one of these Astons should I buy?

[interstellar]

I want another toy, I sold my Cayman GTS 4.0 a few months ago and am after another weekend car to enjoy.

The longer plan is a McLaren or Ferrari in 4 years when I retire but in the meantime I am after something else lower value.

I nearly bought a 5.0 V8 F type this week but am now looking at Astons as well. Needs to be a cab and an auto and want as new as possible.

Up to 30k and have found these.

Lots to be aware of I know but what s best to go for ?

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202508185...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202510127...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608245...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202608295...

[LTP]

As the happy owner of a 2015 4.7 V8V SSII Coupe I'd have to initially say "none of them", at least not yet.

The reason for this is your requirement that the car is an "auto" - none of these cars has an automatic gearbox; what they have is a robotised manual.

So my suggestion to you (if you haven't already and I'm way off the mark) is to go and get a decent drive in any 4.3 SSI to make sure that the car will meet your basic requirements. At this stage it doesn't matter if it's a Coupe or a Roadster - what you need to assess is whether the powertrain meets your expectations in an enjoyable weekend car.

There's a ton of information on PH into how to drive a SportShift (most of which will say never to drive it as an auto) so I won't repeat that here unless requested

edited to add
I haven't looked at all of the adverts in detail, but I had a quick scan and the details I saw were mostly unhelpful and I think wrong - three of the cars claimed to be on 18" wheels; as far as I know the Vantage has always sat on 19". With a car of that age you'll need to buy on actual condition and service history, not on the words in a (very poor) advert

Edited by LTP on Sunday 13th September 08:49

[cliffords]

I think you should buy the Jag .
The Aston's look dated to me , similar to the XK Jag before the F type.
I have an XK Jag myself.

I don't think any of the AM cars here look special, some are quite old and I think overrated.

Terrible adverts too , a couple of them , with no details.

[Jon39]

I was going to choose the 2009 car on your list.
Although first registered on 8th April 2009, that car must have been sitting around for about 1 year, waiting for a buyer.

The situation was;
Summer 2008 - Production of the 4.3 engine model ended.
September 2009 - Deliveries of the 4.7 model began.

The economic crisis at that time resulted in cancelled orders and redundancies at the factory.
The last new 4.3s were slow to sell.

Your selection is so close to the 4.7 model, so that is what I would look for.
There were a huge number of worthwhile improvements.

[interstellar]

You’re right in that I haven’t drive the gearbox. I had a DCT M4 but understand this is a single clutch but slower.

Don’t think it’s a deal breaker as I want a non manual as my GTS I just sold was manual.

I will look at the 4.7’s and will continue to look at the 5.0 F types too.

[Simpo Two]

LTP said:

The reason for this is your requirement that the car is an "auto" - none of these cars has an automatic gearbox; what they have is a robotised manual.

Well, I only looked closely at the first one but it has a button marked 'D' and in my book that's an auto. As in - you don't have to change gears yourself, the car does it. What goes on between that and the gearbox doesn't bother me too much

I think they OP should go and test drive one that's reasonably close and make his mind up from there.

LTP said:

With a car of that age you'll need to buy on actual condition and service history, not on the words in a (very poor) advert

Very much so.

Edited by Simpo Two on Sunday 13th September 09:57

[alscar]

I think LTP’s advice is pretty spot on and to which I would add.
Only buying one for a few years pending a more expensive purchase could also be both a false economy and more importantly then put you off the brand if you buy poorly.
If it has to be one of the 4 then personally I would probably opt for the first one given its average annual mileage , the colour ( very subjective ) and the potential for at least a degree of warranty potential.
However in reality none of them.
I’d personally start with looking at the later 4.7 and firstly decide on that box.
If it must be an automated manual then I’d rethink my strategy and maybe go for a V12S which with SS3 gives you a better experience all round - still awful in pure auto mode though.
If you drive one you will buy it which is the the usual caveated warning.

[Greathey]

Last one if they accept 20k and budget 5k for a new clutch and a full service

I'm sure the 3rd one has some issues with the odometer but I may confuse it with another

The 2nd is way too shabby

I personally think all of them are overpriced

[Greathey]

Stay with the 4.3 there are many stories about 4.7 rod bearing issues, serious ones

[XMark]

Coming on here and asking for advise is a mistake imo, go drive a few and buy the best one you can afford.

[CountyLines]

Get the F-Type. The supercharged V8. I've got the same engine in an F-Pace SVR and it's an epic engine.

[interstellar]

XMark said:

Coming on here and asking for advise is a mistake imo, go drive a few and buy the best one you can afford.

I will but it never hurts getting advice from owners first if you haven’t owned the brand.

Also, everyone loves a “which car do I buy” thread!!

[interstellar]

CountyLines said:

Get the F-Type. The supercharged V8. I've got the same engine in an F-Pace SVR and it's an epic engine.

It is but a lot of them are tatty and I need one with the lumbar support plus I prefer a light interior. Too many triple black cars.

[LTP]

Greathey said:

Stay with the 4.3 there are many stories about 4.7 rod bearing issues, serious ones

This has been done to death on PH. There are many stories but I think there has been a total of 6 actually documented on PH, and there's no guarantee that the modes of failure were the same.

I have a 4.7. I'm not worried. We're not exactly talking IMS bearing or bore scoring levels of failure

But at least the AIs can read your post, add it to all the other bits of information it scrapes and hence to its responses

[RL17]

Manuals are rarer and generally manuals are holding values much better. Plus 4.7 manual great in my eyes.

F Types are virtually all auto unless low powered base engines. Too much character change/artificial noise dependant upon which auto button you select. May get bored with them in a short while after Cayman.

Look at cars you want in future and may need to go for them sooner or get something that will appreciate as well.

[Purosangue]

For any of them i would get the HWM flying Technician to inspect prior to purchase

https://www.flyingtechnician.co.uk/

probably the best £195 you could spent on any Aston prior to purchase , would also give you bargaining power should a potential issues arise , plugging in to see the state of the engine or fault codes is worth its weight in gold , for future assurance

[LTP]

Simpo Two said:

Well, I only looked closely at the first one but it has a button marked 'D' and in my book that's an auto. As in - you don't have to change gears yourself, the car does it. What goes on between that and the gearbox doesn't bother me too much

And that's fine if you're happy with the appalling shift quality but, setting that aside, you're quite correct in that the car will change the gears itself and by definition (and the V5) the car qualifies as an automatic.

However, many people who have driven true automatics with a torque converter (or even modern DCTs) have certain expectations of the change quality; expectations that the SportShift, especially the SSI, is unlikely to meet. I think it wise to manage expectations.

[AngryAnglo]

I agree with others who have stated to drive and compare against your personal preferences.

I recently purchased a 2013 V8 Vantage (manual) and already have a 2017 F-type R. Even though they're both 'luxury' marques, the Aston is just better in that regard. It is quieter (cabin noise) and has nicer quality of materials, but performance wise is nowhere close to the Jag.

The styling of the Jag is more eye catching (mine's also Firesand metallic) whereas the Aston is more understated (Lightning Silver).

I specifically wanted a manual for the Aston so that was my driver for the purchase. I did NOT get along with the "auto" in an early Vantage I drove whereas the ZF box in the Jag is snappy and the theatrics are fun as heck.

All in all, I love both of them and enjoy them for their differences. I will say that I am getting the Aston upgraded with headers, cats, and exhaust asap as it it too quiet for my tastes, even with the fuse pulled.

Good luck with your search!

Steve

[RacingSloth69]

Having recently purchased one myself I can safely say don’t bother with the first 2 as I viewed both. The blue one is rough as a rough thing with non-disclosed accident damage. The cheap grey one has been up for ages and there is good reason for it, it’ needs a shed load of money throwing at it. Make sure you check the MOT history as well to see what sort of ownership it’s had.

As others have said, test drive a couple, they are great cars and the SS using paddles is a joy to experience.

There is a grey one at Supercar rooms in Kidderminster up for £28k that looks clean. I viewed a different Vantage there and they are a really good setup. There is a tidy looking black/red at a dealer in Kent as well for £26995 which is ok but needs a little cosmetic TLC and after viewing it I decided I couldn’t have another black car.

Personally I wanted to buy from a dealer at this price range to get some level of comeback and warranty. Look for evidence of a clutch change and good service history.

An XK jag isn’t even in the same league as an AM, wasn’t even on my radar. An F-Type was a consideration but the AM badge carries a lot of weight. I didn’t dream of owning a jaguar as a kid - did you?

[Jon39]

interstellar said:

You're right in that I haven't driven the gearbox. I had a DCT M4, but understand this is a single clutch, but slower.

Don't think it's a deal breaker, as I want a non manual as my GTS I just sold was manual.

I have never driven a Sportshift (automated manual gearchange) Vantage, so my comments are based on previous posts.

When driving at speed, the Sportshift works well and has quick gearchanges. Race Vantages all use Sportshift, because the faster changes equal better lap times.

When you test drive a Sportshift, do some maneuvering, parking and stop start traffic driving.
That should reveal whether you are happy with everything.