Just test drove a Vanquish! ... hmmmm!
Discussion
Been toying with changing the 360 for a DB9 for a month or two now ... love everything about the 360 but can't fit three of us in it.
Searching on the iPhone this morning (as you do) and came across a Vanquish only 4 miles away at a local dealer, so thoguht I'd pop down and take a look.
Took my keys and then let me take the Vanq out for a good spin on my own ... so nipped home, checked that my daughter and mrs can fit in ok ... was a bit of a squash but they fit :-)
Surprised how much I liked the car to be honest.
It felt very solid and well put together.
The dash layout is a little dated but still perfectly nice enough ... although several of the switches are the same as in my Jag STR.
In very dark grey/black with black interior and simply looked BLO*DY GORGEOUS to look at and has a lot of presence ... I'd go so far as saying it has more presence than the fezza and more than a DB9.
Had a lot of power, but not the same sense of urgency/ferocity as the Fezza, but its a far more refined and relaxed drive. Its a different car admitedly, but can't help comparing the two.
Didn't think I'd like the paddles/gearbox after watching Clarkson and others slate it, but I didn't think it was bad at all ... in fact I actually really liked it.
Got back home with a smile on my face and little one was very dissapointed that I'd come home in the Ferrari .... "I want the Aston Martin Daddy ... it's got a seat in it for me"
So ... a few questions:
- Does anyone use a Vanquish as a daily drive?
- How reliable are they?
- Do they feel solid, but fall apart easily?
- It seemed to drink fuel, what is the av MPG? (... not that it makes any difference)
- Bills - Servicing? (Specialist)
- Service Intervals?
- Any points to watch out for?
Will start searching past threads on here now to try to find as many answers as I can, but any info will be appreciated. (What have they done to the search function on PH ... it's always through google and nowehere near as good as it used to be).
Cheers all.
Searching on the iPhone this morning (as you do) and came across a Vanquish only 4 miles away at a local dealer, so thoguht I'd pop down and take a look.
Took my keys and then let me take the Vanq out for a good spin on my own ... so nipped home, checked that my daughter and mrs can fit in ok ... was a bit of a squash but they fit :-)
Surprised how much I liked the car to be honest.
It felt very solid and well put together.
The dash layout is a little dated but still perfectly nice enough ... although several of the switches are the same as in my Jag STR.
In very dark grey/black with black interior and simply looked BLO*DY GORGEOUS to look at and has a lot of presence ... I'd go so far as saying it has more presence than the fezza and more than a DB9.
Had a lot of power, but not the same sense of urgency/ferocity as the Fezza, but its a far more refined and relaxed drive. Its a different car admitedly, but can't help comparing the two.
Didn't think I'd like the paddles/gearbox after watching Clarkson and others slate it, but I didn't think it was bad at all ... in fact I actually really liked it.
Got back home with a smile on my face and little one was very dissapointed that I'd come home in the Ferrari .... "I want the Aston Martin Daddy ... it's got a seat in it for me"
So ... a few questions:
- Does anyone use a Vanquish as a daily drive?
- How reliable are they?
- Do they feel solid, but fall apart easily?
- It seemed to drink fuel, what is the av MPG? (... not that it makes any difference)
- Bills - Servicing? (Specialist)
- Service Intervals?
- Any points to watch out for?
Will start searching past threads on here now to try to find as many answers as I can, but any info will be appreciated. (What have they done to the search function on PH ... it's always through google and nowehere near as good as it used to be).
Cheers all.
Well, I think the Vanquish is one of the most awesome beasts out there. With the exhaust de-corked, punting it down a fast A road and listening to the rifle bolt up shifts and blipped downshifts complete with bangs and pops is simply spine tingling. 
One of life's great experiences.
I went from a 360 to Vanquish S and have enjoyed every minute of it. Can't say I use it as an everyday car but I do use it around London quite a bit with no problems. The gear shift on mine is way better than my old 360 was and they can be set up to change extremely well by the likes of Works Service or Rick. I have no issues with the change at all even in town traffic, indeed the project manager for the gearbox at Aston Martin told me that it does not accelerate wear by leaving it in first with your foot on the brakes at traffic lights etc. Like the 360, just don't ride the clutch.
Mine has been solid, couple of small things dealt with under warranty like the bonnet lining dropping onto the engine and the wheel centres corroding. In fact it has been so reliable that I did not extend the warranty when it ran out earlier this year.
No idea on mpg, never look at it but it does require filling up pretty often!! I have mine serviced every 6 months by AMWS per the schedule but many owners have it done annually instead, rather depends on your mileage. If you are using it every day it may be prudent to service it per schedule. Can't really give a good indication of costs because I always seem to end up having something else done as well as the service. For instance front and rear cameras are very useful, after you've hit the front splitter against the kerb again and again, it probably pays for itself!
I don't think there is anything particular to look out for, if you have found one that changes gear well then that saves you having any work done there. They are not cheap to run though and I think you have to be prepared for a more expensive experience than say a DB9.
They can put a very big smile on your face though.
I'll be at the concours at Chatsworth on Sunday as a spectator so pop along if you want to see more. My reg is similar to my user name so easy to spot.
One of life's great experiences.I went from a 360 to Vanquish S and have enjoyed every minute of it. Can't say I use it as an everyday car but I do use it around London quite a bit with no problems. The gear shift on mine is way better than my old 360 was and they can be set up to change extremely well by the likes of Works Service or Rick. I have no issues with the change at all even in town traffic, indeed the project manager for the gearbox at Aston Martin told me that it does not accelerate wear by leaving it in first with your foot on the brakes at traffic lights etc. Like the 360, just don't ride the clutch.
Mine has been solid, couple of small things dealt with under warranty like the bonnet lining dropping onto the engine and the wheel centres corroding. In fact it has been so reliable that I did not extend the warranty when it ran out earlier this year.
No idea on mpg, never look at it but it does require filling up pretty often!! I have mine serviced every 6 months by AMWS per the schedule but many owners have it done annually instead, rather depends on your mileage. If you are using it every day it may be prudent to service it per schedule. Can't really give a good indication of costs because I always seem to end up having something else done as well as the service. For instance front and rear cameras are very useful, after you've hit the front splitter against the kerb again and again, it probably pays for itself!
I don't think there is anything particular to look out for, if you have found one that changes gear well then that saves you having any work done there. They are not cheap to run though and I think you have to be prepared for a more expensive experience than say a DB9.
They can put a very big smile on your face though.
I'll be at the concours at Chatsworth on Sunday as a spectator so pop along if you want to see more. My reg is similar to my user name so easy to spot.
I've driven a couple, and th gearbox is fine if you remember its atatched to a manual, and therefore needs to be treated as a manual. The press gave it a hard time which I've always thought of because they are a little ham-fisted with their driving, and then it breaks. One good example:
5th gear tried to get a Vanquish S to do 200mph, which is on youtube. Vicki butler-henderson said (on camera: "...using the gears to slow the car down, dont want to ruin the brakes")
Guess what? The gearbox cried enough. This would happen in any manual car where you decided that brakes werent for breaking, but the gearbox was...
Its a great car, very underrated by those who cant understand the gearbox/ treat it like an auto. Take the time to learn the car, and they are fabulous things.
5th gear tried to get a Vanquish S to do 200mph, which is on youtube. Vicki butler-henderson said (on camera: "...using the gears to slow the car down, dont want to ruin the brakes")
Guess what? The gearbox cried enough. This would happen in any manual car where you decided that brakes werent for breaking, but the gearbox was...
Its a great car, very underrated by those who cant understand the gearbox/ treat it like an auto. Take the time to learn the car, and they are fabulous things.
I love the look of the vanquish and have detailed quite a few, with black being my fave colour.
I asked one of my clients about the gearbox in his vanquish s and he said he took it to desmond smail and i think it cost him about a grand or 2 to have the gearbox and set up sorted, but he said the differnce was amazing.
I asked one of my clients about the gearbox in his vanquish s and he said he took it to desmond smail and i think it cost him about a grand or 2 to have the gearbox and set up sorted, but he said the differnce was amazing.
Thanks for replies so far gents.
I haven't stopped thinking about the Vanquish and have already joined the AMOC Forum asking the same questions.
Dealer called today offering a fair price for my car in px, which makes it even more tempting. Need to get out and see several different examples though and drive a few to make sure I get a good one, but haven't ruled out the DB9 ... just as my limited understanding is that the Vanq is meaner and harder, where the DB9 is more of a GT, more modern and less to maintain. (but it's only what I have picked up from forum searches in last 24hrs).
Thanks
I haven't stopped thinking about the Vanquish and have already joined the AMOC Forum asking the same questions.
Dealer called today offering a fair price for my car in px, which makes it even more tempting. Need to get out and see several different examples though and drive a few to make sure I get a good one, but haven't ruled out the DB9 ... just as my limited understanding is that the Vanq is meaner and harder, where the DB9 is more of a GT, more modern and less to maintain. (but it's only what I have picked up from forum searches in last 24hrs).
Thanks
S1M VP said:
Thanks for replies so far gents.
I haven't stopped thinking about the Vanquish and have already joined the AMOC Forum asking the same questions.
Dealer called today offering a fair price for my car in px, which makes it even more tempting. Need to get out and see several different examples though and drive a few to make sure I get a good one, but haven't ruled out the DB9 ... just as my limited understanding is that the Vanq is meaner and harder, where the DB9 is more of a GT, more modern and less to maintain. (but it's only what I have picked up from forum searches in last 24hrs).
Thanks
There were about 3 down at Bramleys near Guildford, 2 Vanquish, 1 Vanquish S when i was there recently. They have had them for a while so you might get a good deal from them. My latest purchase was from them and was very happy with the service. I haven't stopped thinking about the Vanquish and have already joined the AMOC Forum asking the same questions.
Dealer called today offering a fair price for my car in px, which makes it even more tempting. Need to get out and see several different examples though and drive a few to make sure I get a good one, but haven't ruled out the DB9 ... just as my limited understanding is that the Vanq is meaner and harder, where the DB9 is more of a GT, more modern and less to maintain. (but it's only what I have picked up from forum searches in last 24hrs).
Thanks
williamp said:
I've driven a couple, and th gearbox is fine if you remember its atatched to a manual, and therefore needs to be treated as a manual. The press gave it a hard time which I've always thought of because they are a little ham-fisted with their driving, and then it breaks. One good example:
5th gear tried to get a Vanquish S to do 200mph, which is on youtube. Vicki butler-henderson said (on camera: "...using the gears to slow the car down, dont want to ruin the brakes")
Guess what? The gearbox cried enough. This would happen in any manual car where you decided that brakes werent for breaking, but the gearbox was...
Its a great car, very underrated by those who cant understand the gearbox/ treat it like an auto. Take the time to learn the car, and they are fabulous things.
Just watched the said clip and she said that she was using the gearbox to help slow down as well as braking. 5th gear tried to get a Vanquish S to do 200mph, which is on youtube. Vicki butler-henderson said (on camera: "...using the gears to slow the car down, dont want to ruin the brakes")
Guess what? The gearbox cried enough. This would happen in any manual car where you decided that brakes werent for breaking, but the gearbox was...
Its a great car, very underrated by those who cant understand the gearbox/ treat it like an auto. Take the time to learn the car, and they are fabulous things.
I think you will be struggling using the Vanq as a daily drive - especially if you are sitting in stationary traffic. You cannot slot the car into gear when moving which means that you have to stop completely in order to slot it into gear and in queuing traffic this is very cumbersome. On the open road the Vanq is a completely different story so it really depends what you want to do with it. The DB9 is an altogether different experience. Much more modern and the touchtronic gearbox is a doodle in traffic. Drive them back to back and be honest to yourself regarding its primary use. I drove a DB9 for 5 years commuting in and out of London and it was faultless.
bananarob said:
S1M VP said:
Thanks for replies so far gents.
I haven't stopped thinking about the Vanquish and have already joined the AMOC Forum asking the same questions.
Dealer called today offering a fair price for my car in px, which makes it even more tempting. Need to get out and see several different examples though and drive a few to make sure I get a good one, but haven't ruled out the DB9 ... just as my limited understanding is that the Vanq is meaner and harder, where the DB9 is more of a GT, more modern and less to maintain. (but it's only what I have picked up from forum searches in last 24hrs).
Thanks
There were about 3 down at Bramleys near Guildford, 2 Vanquish, 1 Vanquish S when i was there recently. They have had them for a while so you might get a good deal from them. My latest purchase was from them and was very happy with the service. I haven't stopped thinking about the Vanquish and have already joined the AMOC Forum asking the same questions.
Dealer called today offering a fair price for my car in px, which makes it even more tempting. Need to get out and see several different examples though and drive a few to make sure I get a good one, but haven't ruled out the DB9 ... just as my limited understanding is that the Vanq is meaner and harder, where the DB9 is more of a GT, more modern and less to maintain. (but it's only what I have picked up from forum searches in last 24hrs).
Thanks
clorenzen said:
I think you will be struggling using the Vanq as a daily drive - especially if you are sitting in stationary traffic. You cannot slot the car into gear when moving which means that you have to stop completely in order to slot it into gear and in queuing traffic this is very cumbersome. On the open road the Vanq is a completely different story so it really depends what you want to do with it. The DB9 is an altogether different experience. Much more modern and the touchtronic gearbox is a doodle in traffic. Drive them back to back and be honest to yourself regarding its primary use. I drove a DB9 for 5 years commuting in and out of London and it was faultless.
Wot he said.S1M VP on AMOC said:
It's a 52'
Be careful. Whole host of issues with early Vanquish.Edited by V8LM on Sunday 10th October 21:52
clorenzen said:
I think you will be struggling using the Vanq as a daily drive - especially if you are sitting in stationary traffic. You cannot slot the car into gear when moving which means that you have to stop completely in order to slot it into gear and in queuing traffic this is very cumbersome. On the open road the Vanq is a completely different story so it really depends what you want to do with it. The DB9 is an altogether different experience. Much more modern and the touchtronic gearbox is a doodle in traffic. Drive them back to back and be honest to yourself regarding its primary use. I drove a DB9 for 5 years commuting in and out of London and it was faultless.
Thanks for note. Re daily use .... My current office is around 11 miles away, which is mostly motorway & A Road, but we are looking at moving to offices which are only 2-3 miles away from home, so unlikely to be sat in traffic too much.The car needs to be able to do short journeys, with the occassional longer run, but be able to fit a small weekend bag and the three of us in, for when we go to visit friends or have a short weekend away. Thinking of going to the British F1 and Le Mans this coming year, so would be useful to be able to jump in the car with a mate and head off without having to worry too much.
The Vanqusih (on my hour long test drive at least) felt far more solid, easy to use and up to the job, than my 360 which feels more like a go cart in comparrison.
S1M VP said:
clorenzen said:
I think you will be struggling using the Vanq as a daily drive - especially if you are sitting in stationary traffic. You cannot slot the car into gear when moving which means that you have to stop completely in order to slot it into gear and in queuing traffic this is very cumbersome. On the open road the Vanq is a completely different story so it really depends what you want to do with it. The DB9 is an altogether different experience. Much more modern and the touchtronic gearbox is a doodle in traffic. Drive them back to back and be honest to yourself regarding its primary use. I drove a DB9 for 5 years commuting in and out of London and it was faultless.
Thanks for note. Re daily use .... My current office is around 11 miles away, which is mostly motorway & A Road, but we are looking at moving to offices which are only 2-3 miles away from home, so unlikely to be sat in traffic too much.The car needs to be able to do short journeys, with the occassional longer run, but be able to fit a small weekend bag and the three of us in, for when we go to visit friends or have a short weekend away. Thinking of going to the British F1 and Le Mans this coming year, so would be useful to be able to jump in the car with a mate and head off without having to worry too much.
The Vanqusih (on my hour long test drive at least) felt far more solid, easy to use and up to the job, than my 360 which feels more like a go cart in comparrison.
V8LM said:
S1M VP said:
clorenzen said:
I think you will be struggling using the Vanq as a daily drive - especially if you are sitting in stationary traffic. You cannot slot the car into gear when moving which means that you have to stop completely in order to slot it into gear and in queuing traffic this is very cumbersome. On the open road the Vanq is a completely different story so it really depends what you want to do with it. The DB9 is an altogether different experience. Much more modern and the touchtronic gearbox is a doodle in traffic. Drive them back to back and be honest to yourself regarding its primary use. I drove a DB9 for 5 years commuting in and out of London and it was faultless.
Thanks for note. Re daily use .... My current office is around 11 miles away, which is mostly motorway & A Road, but we are looking at moving to offices which are only 2-3 miles away from home, so unlikely to be sat in traffic too much.The car needs to be able to do short journeys, with the occassional longer run, but be able to fit a small weekend bag and the three of us in, for when we go to visit friends or have a short weekend away. Thinking of going to the British F1 and Le Mans this coming year, so would be useful to be able to jump in the car with a mate and head off without having to worry too much.
The Vanqusih (on my hour long test drive at least) felt far more solid, easy to use and up to the job, than my 360 which feels more like a go cart in comparrison.
What are the early car issues that you refer to?
S1M VP said:
I'd like to know .. which is why I am trying to find out as much info as I can.
What are the early car issues that you refer to?
Front and rear sub-frames, gear selector sensors, clutch, wheel nuts, hydraulic pump and fluid. Any sort of chassis damage is irreparable too. As one dealer put it to me the other day" Remember the Vanquish has 21st century bonded aluminium and CF chassis to which they bolted 20th century bits and bobs.What are the early car issues that you refer to?
YHM.
Edited by V8LM on Monday 11th October 08:14
The Vanquish is definitely a car that you buy with your heart not your head. It will cost more to run and there may well be the odd frustration but the rewards far outweigh that.
I'm still tingling from the drive back from Chatsworth yesterday, it was just epic, some excellent A-roads and then on the M40 there was was one guy on a superbike who came up alongside and gesticulated wildly that he loved the car ( at least I think it was that
) The sort of thing that just happens when you are out driving a Vanquish.
V8LM mentions a few problems on the earlier cars, I can't really comment on those as I don't have any experience of them, but can say that the old wire gearbox sensor can be updated to the "S" magnetic sensor if necessary, although from your test drive the gear change seems good already. Also, with regard to the chassis not being repairable, that would really be an insurance issue if it ever arose I suspect and you would end up with a payout rather than a repaired car.
Also, clorenzen mentions that you can't slot the car into gear on the move and that you have to stop completely. On mine you can no problem, just pull the up shift and the software will select the most appropriate gear. This maybe a software update issue but I believe the earlier cars can be updated to a certain extent, maybe not to the latest "S" version though.
I think in this thread, I am the little devil sitting on one shoulder saying buy the Vanquish, you will just have to balance that against the sensible advice from the other shoulder!!
It will cost more to run and there may well be the odd frustration but the rewards far outweigh that.I'm still tingling from the drive back from Chatsworth yesterday, it was just epic, some excellent A-roads and then on the M40 there was was one guy on a superbike who came up alongside and gesticulated wildly that he loved the car ( at least I think it was that
) The sort of thing that just happens when you are out driving a Vanquish.V8LM mentions a few problems on the earlier cars, I can't really comment on those as I don't have any experience of them, but can say that the old wire gearbox sensor can be updated to the "S" magnetic sensor if necessary, although from your test drive the gear change seems good already. Also, with regard to the chassis not being repairable, that would really be an insurance issue if it ever arose I suspect and you would end up with a payout rather than a repaired car.
Also, clorenzen mentions that you can't slot the car into gear on the move and that you have to stop completely. On mine you can no problem, just pull the up shift and the software will select the most appropriate gear. This maybe a software update issue but I believe the earlier cars can be updated to a certain extent, maybe not to the latest "S" version though.
I think in this thread, I am the little devil sitting on one shoulder saying buy the Vanquish, you will just have to balance that against the sensible advice from the other shoulder!!
As promised, put your questions for a friend of mine who has had an 02 plate for 5 or so years.
In answer to the questions here are my experiences:
1. I think some people definitely use the car daily. In a way it is a good thing as the car needs regular driving to keep the sparks from 'carbonating' (see below). However, costs per mile will be really expensive in terms of service intervals and tyre wear, The aston martin owners club forum has got quite a bit of stuff on this.
2. Reliability is generally good - BUT you can get the odd niggle. Mine has broken down twice in 6 years, fistly the servo pump (£100) on the gear box failed and the car would not change gear - this is very rare apparently. Secondly the engine management system developed a fault and the car was only firing on 6 cylinders so went into hibernation mode - this was fixed with a new unit for £2k under warranty. Other than that I have had the odd issues with spark plugs and coils. About 3 or 4 times the car has developed a misfire on one of the cylinders - it still drives OK but a warning light comes up on the dash. Every time this has been coil related or spark plug related. The issue is related to i) crappy fuel causing a one off misfire which causes no problem but sets off the warning light, and ii) fuel 'washing' the plugs over a prolonged period of slow driving and 'carbonating' which teh sensors pick up as a fault. The crappy fuel issue is just cleared when the car is reset with the diagnostic software. WRT 'carbonisation' initially I had individual coils and plugs replaced under warranty but the last time it happened the warranty done the whole engine. Since then I have had no probs. In general an orange warning light means drive to garage for diagnostics and a red light means pull over and get recovered - I drove for 400 miles on an orange with no problems while in Cornwall. I have not had any red warning lights.
3. I dont think they fall apart. I have some minor oxidation of the aluminium on the corner of the bonnet which is just wear and tear from stone chips. It is v important to make sure the undertray is fully bolted and secure as this is part of the main structural support for the car.
4. 20mpg motorway, 15mpg town. You cant get up to 24mpg if you are really light on the throttle and stick to 70mph. I generally use hi octane but have used 95 with no problems. Steer clear of supermarket fuel for reasons outlined above.
5. recommeded servicing is 6months/6000miles. You need to do this to maintain a warranty although I am told the car does not really need it, particularly if it is low mileage. Main dealers will charge £1k for a minor interval and £1.5k+ for a major. Derby Motor Services charge £400-£600 and are OK to use to maintain a warranty. They are also very informative guys and pretty big advisors on all the forums.
6. Early models had a lot of gear shift 'issues' - Clarkson made a big fuss about clunky/flappy paddles. There have been a lot of software updates since those days which according to the forums has done the job. My experience is that the gear shift is fine - in fact it is one of the things I love about the car. However if you shift from 1st to 2nd to third at 15mph and 1500revs the car wont like it, it won't be that smooth etc but then what car would? If you do the same at 3000revs+ no problem at all. Finally you can drive in ASM (auto shift mode) - that is less smooth than a standard automatic but who in their right mind would want to do that?
The warranty is £1.5k to £2k/year depending on age and mileage. I have stuck with it as a major failure on gearbbox/engine will cost 3 or 4 times that.
Rob
In answer to the questions here are my experiences:
1. I think some people definitely use the car daily. In a way it is a good thing as the car needs regular driving to keep the sparks from 'carbonating' (see below). However, costs per mile will be really expensive in terms of service intervals and tyre wear, The aston martin owners club forum has got quite a bit of stuff on this.
2. Reliability is generally good - BUT you can get the odd niggle. Mine has broken down twice in 6 years, fistly the servo pump (£100) on the gear box failed and the car would not change gear - this is very rare apparently. Secondly the engine management system developed a fault and the car was only firing on 6 cylinders so went into hibernation mode - this was fixed with a new unit for £2k under warranty. Other than that I have had the odd issues with spark plugs and coils. About 3 or 4 times the car has developed a misfire on one of the cylinders - it still drives OK but a warning light comes up on the dash. Every time this has been coil related or spark plug related. The issue is related to i) crappy fuel causing a one off misfire which causes no problem but sets off the warning light, and ii) fuel 'washing' the plugs over a prolonged period of slow driving and 'carbonating' which teh sensors pick up as a fault. The crappy fuel issue is just cleared when the car is reset with the diagnostic software. WRT 'carbonisation' initially I had individual coils and plugs replaced under warranty but the last time it happened the warranty done the whole engine. Since then I have had no probs. In general an orange warning light means drive to garage for diagnostics and a red light means pull over and get recovered - I drove for 400 miles on an orange with no problems while in Cornwall. I have not had any red warning lights.
3. I dont think they fall apart. I have some minor oxidation of the aluminium on the corner of the bonnet which is just wear and tear from stone chips. It is v important to make sure the undertray is fully bolted and secure as this is part of the main structural support for the car.
4. 20mpg motorway, 15mpg town. You cant get up to 24mpg if you are really light on the throttle and stick to 70mph. I generally use hi octane but have used 95 with no problems. Steer clear of supermarket fuel for reasons outlined above.
5. recommeded servicing is 6months/6000miles. You need to do this to maintain a warranty although I am told the car does not really need it, particularly if it is low mileage. Main dealers will charge £1k for a minor interval and £1.5k+ for a major. Derby Motor Services charge £400-£600 and are OK to use to maintain a warranty. They are also very informative guys and pretty big advisors on all the forums.
6. Early models had a lot of gear shift 'issues' - Clarkson made a big fuss about clunky/flappy paddles. There have been a lot of software updates since those days which according to the forums has done the job. My experience is that the gear shift is fine - in fact it is one of the things I love about the car. However if you shift from 1st to 2nd to third at 15mph and 1500revs the car wont like it, it won't be that smooth etc but then what car would? If you do the same at 3000revs+ no problem at all. Finally you can drive in ASM (auto shift mode) - that is less smooth than a standard automatic but who in their right mind would want to do that?
The warranty is £1.5k to £2k/year depending on age and mileage. I have stuck with it as a major failure on gearbbox/engine will cost 3 or 4 times that.
Rob
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