RE: Aston Martin V8 Vantage: PH Carpool
Discussion
Old cars now. 4.2 rather slow. Costs still high to run though. Don't age well. Wheels corrode. Quality I thought was mediocre. Depending dsg what your used to. Better off with a cheap f type in my view. Done both back in the day......back to 911 gt3 now...itch scratched as they say. Get rid of any old Aston before the corrosion sets in I say.
Lovely car, great write up and some very Aston like bills! Would absolutely love one of these one day, though I suspect you are correct and they are now going to go up in value, just like everything else 
Sad about your new found fanboyism of white goods from Stuttgart, I'd see a Dr about that! Maybe if your budget allows a new TVR Griffith would be fantastic, I imagine it will be less GT like and a fair bit sharper than the Aston.
Sad about your new found fanboyism of white goods from Stuttgart, I'd see a Dr about that! Maybe if your budget allows a new TVR Griffith would be fantastic, I imagine it will be less GT like and a fair bit sharper than the Aston.
I had one of these a few years ago, I really didn’t gel with it, I loved the looks, I loved the drama, I loved the noise - I just HATED the way it drove. Maybe it was after a few years of porkers and the feeling of connection with the road you get with one of those but I really found the handling unbelievably numb. The one I had came with a magnificent spec, was low miles and very well maintained but after 6 months - I moved it on.
I still look at them and on one level love them to look at.
I still look at them and on one level love them to look at.
DPSFleet said:
Old cars now. 4.2 rather slow. Costs still high to run though. Don't age well. Wheels corrode. Quality I thought was mediocre. Depending dsg what your used to. Better off with a cheap f type in my view. Done both back in the day......back to 911 gt3 now...itch scratched as they say. Get rid of any old Aston before the corrosion sets in I say.
Aston don’t make a 4.2. Get back under your bridge!DPSFleet said:
Old cars now. 4.2 rather slow. Costs still high to run though. Don't age well. Wheels corrode. Quality I thought was mediocre. Depending dsg what your used to. Better off with a cheap f type in my view. Done both back in the day......back to 911 gt3 now...itch scratched as they say. Get rid of any old Aston before the corrosion sets in I say.
Ugh. I've had my MY09 V8 Vantage from new. It has been wonderful. It has aged superbly -- it still looks nearly new -- both in terms of design and wear. The build and materials quality are superb. Nothing squeaks or rattles. The wheels haven't corroded, nor has anything else. It has been superbly reliable -- as reliable as any car I've ever owned (much more so than most of the Benzes). It won't be cheap to service -- it was an expensive car made in far smaller numbers than the various Germans -- but it shouldn't be massively expensive either, if you find a good dealer or specialist. Mine has cost me under $200 total in repairs (I did not extend the factory warranty because the car had been so reliable). It has been and remains a truly great drive -- involving (at low and high speeds), plenty fast (it's a 4.7), great manual 'box, beautifully balanced and exploitable handling, benchmark steering feel, and it sounds just fantastic. That it remains one of the best-looking cars made in the last 50 years, IMO, is a very nice bonus. The engine has proven extremely durable (there's always an exception), with no serious inherent problems. It's always interesting to hear the Porsche crowd (and I was a 911 guy for a long time) denigrate Aston quality and reliability -- shall we discuss the MUCH-too-common catastrophic engine problems that comprehensively detonate 986/987/996/997 engines??? The 987.2/997.2 engines are better, but still not as good as they should be, and they carried into the 981/991 cars. The Vantage isn't intended to be a better 911 -- there are 911s for that. The V8 Vantage is intended to be a great Aston Martin, and IMO it does that extremely well.
I got a little excited, expecting to see my car as I submitted to Carpool 5 months ago...
Just to provide some balance the ‘poor-quality’ sentiment here, mine has been essentially flawless in the near two years I’ve had it.
Just consumables of rear brake pads and rear tyres to speak of, along with a bonnet switch. It’s no garage queen, either.
It sounds glorious, looks amazing, strikes a very capable balance between a civilised car and a hooligan and carries a sense of theatre which has never diminished.
It makes me very happy indeed.
Just to provide some balance the ‘poor-quality’ sentiment here, mine has been essentially flawless in the near two years I’ve had it.
Just consumables of rear brake pads and rear tyres to speak of, along with a bonnet switch. It’s no garage queen, either.
It sounds glorious, looks amazing, strikes a very capable balance between a civilised car and a hooligan and carries a sense of theatre which has never diminished.
It makes me very happy indeed.
My 4.7 Roadster in the office car park this morning. I have had the car since October 2008. In that time, apart from servicing, the car has had a roof module (£700) and a clutch (£2500). I think that's not bad for a 10 year old year vehicle. Car lives outside and there is 1 tiny corrosion bubble under the d/s door handle. The wing mirror arms suffer from a bit of flaking. Wheels have been fine. Tyres are around £220 a pop.
My first vantage was a friday car and replaced by Aston. As Harry said brake discs and pads can be expensive from dealers.ECP do original Brembo parts at good prices, especially with the discounts. Servicing cost are between £650 and £1000 (Chichester and they collect) Latest service was with Chiltern, which was around the £700 mark.
My 4.7 Roadster in the office car park this morning. I have had the car since October 2008. In that time, apart from servicing, the car has had a roof module (£700) and a clutch (£2500). I think that's not bad for a 10 year old year vehicle. Car lives outside and there is 1 tiny corrosion bubble under the d/s door handle. The wing mirror arms suffer from a bit of flaking. Wheels have been fine. Tyres are around £220 a pop.
My first vantage was a friday car and replaced by Aston. As Harry said brake discs and pads can be expensive from dealers.ECP do original Brembo parts at good prices, especially with the discounts. Servicing cost are between £650 and £1000 (Chichester and they collect) Latest service was with Chiltern, which was around the £700 mark.
I've had my 2007 V8V for almost 2 years now, bought from AM Cambridge. My uncle had several 1970 Aston's and I'd always wanted one. As others have said above, the V8V is a thing of beauty both inside and out, more than enough performance to suit me and excellent ride and handling. I love the way it can be pottered about in a very Aston like old school style and also has the Mr Hyde alternative personality when you push the very long travel throttle into the carpet and the rev's climb towards 7000rpm. The noise is just something else and I never tire of it. The transmission is slow and sticky when cold but once warmed up I love the slick precision shift. Everything works the way it should, so it doesn't steam up, the wipers are effective, the lights are good and it's super comfortable on long runs. The only real weak link is the sat/nav which is less than adequate, but technology has moved a long way since 2007. The boot is a good size and we've done several long weekends away to Devon, Dorset, Derbyshire Peak District and in the summer months I use it for work a couple of days a week on a 45 mile round trip. Fuel is OK for the type of car and I average 19mpg most of the time with 25mpg on a run. Mine has the 700 watt Premium Stereo upgrade and the sound is superb though most of the time I leave it turned down so I can hear the engine/exhaust. Last service cost me £750 and I have the extended warranty to cover anything else. So far, nothing has required fixing/replacing over approx 9,000 miles use. I've thought about selling it but I simply can't think of anything that will give me the performance, sense of occasion, looks and strong residuals that the V8V does without spending a shed load more cash. I also like that I rarely see another one and people generally seem to really like them and are happy to let you out of side roads etc.
Edited by j4r4lly on Tuesday 20th March 13:23
Can't quite believe I've had mine 9 months now, and still very happily in the honeymoon period, it's not been without it's faults, but what isn't, and the way it looks I can forgive it quite a lot. 
It's not thrown me any nasty bills....yet, and the issues I have had wouldn't convince me to renew the Approved used warranty when the times comes.
It's not the last word in outright speed, was out with a few like minded 'car enthusiasts' the other weekend and could have down with an extra 100bhp but I find I've settled into a much more relaxed driving style in the Vantage, I just waft along and take in the loveliness of the interior.
My biggest problem is what do I lust after next? Unless I have another Aston I can't think of anything in a similar price bracket that gives so much of everything.....and saying 'shall we take the Aston' just never gets old.
It's not thrown me any nasty bills....yet, and the issues I have had wouldn't convince me to renew the Approved used warranty when the times comes.
It's not the last word in outright speed, was out with a few like minded 'car enthusiasts' the other weekend and could have down with an extra 100bhp but I find I've settled into a much more relaxed driving style in the Vantage, I just waft along and take in the loveliness of the interior.
My biggest problem is what do I lust after next? Unless I have another Aston I can't think of anything in a similar price bracket that gives so much of everything.....and saying 'shall we take the Aston' just never gets old.
RobDown said:
DPSFleet said:
Old cars now. 4.2 rather slow. Costs still high to run though. Don't age well. Wheels corrode. Quality I thought was mediocre. Depending dsg what your used to. Better off with a cheap f type in my view. Done both back in the day......back to 911 gt3 now...itch scratched as they say. Get rid of any old Aston before the corrosion sets in I say.
Aston don’t make a 4.2. Get back under your bridge!
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