I want a DB9 talk me out of it and tell me why an XKR...
Discussion
...is better.
Want to buy toy/present to self, budget 50-65k EUR, needs to be LHD (prices here are that high).
2004/05 DB9....OR...a much newer XKR.
Looks the same, cheaper to buy/run/insure, much more cars on the market. Right?
I am asking this here, in the Jag section of PH to hear some opinions I might NOT want to hear, but which might bring a new perspective.
Go ahead:-)
Want to buy toy/present to self, budget 50-65k EUR, needs to be LHD (prices here are that high).
2004/05 DB9....OR...a much newer XKR.
Looks the same, cheaper to buy/run/insure, much more cars on the market. Right?
I am asking this here, in the Jag section of PH to hear some opinions I might NOT want to hear, but which might bring a new perspective.
Go ahead:-)
Had the same dilemma (but the decided to wait for personal reason as I had no time to use it)
Few points
DB9: IMHO still remains one of the nicest cars of all time (definitively the one I like more today), handmade and definitively more special. great GT. V12 is also more special and if you like manual you can have it. More special. There are a few on the market but more exclusive
XKR: very nice even if for me not as nice as the DB9, great sport GT, probably better in everything for performance and dynamics. Cheaper to maintain (ordinary and not ordinary) Rationally better in almost everything. Consider that production will finish soon so probably you can find very good deals
It is all down to you and how special is it for you. If you buy with the mind then of course it has to be Jaguar
Few points
DB9: IMHO still remains one of the nicest cars of all time (definitively the one I like more today), handmade and definitively more special. great GT. V12 is also more special and if you like manual you can have it. More special. There are a few on the market but more exclusive
XKR: very nice even if for me not as nice as the DB9, great sport GT, probably better in everything for performance and dynamics. Cheaper to maintain (ordinary and not ordinary) Rationally better in almost everything. Consider that production will finish soon so probably you can find very good deals
It is all down to you and how special is it for you. If you buy with the mind then of course it has to be Jaguar
It was the same for me as I tend to let the heart decide for cars but I knew the XKR 5.0 was and is a better car for any possible reason other then heart 
As I also have a young daughter I went to try the rear sit with her and even then looked at the Rapide
You should really try to drive one as heard that steering of the DB9 can be heavy and the driving experience (again from a technical point of view) not that satisfying and you cannot just spend your time looking at her in your garage
It would be different if I would be on the market now for a sport car as an F-Type Coupe would win also with the heart vs the V8 Vantage
As I also have a young daughter I went to try the rear sit with her and even then looked at the Rapide
You should really try to drive one as heard that steering of the DB9 can be heavy and the driving experience (again from a technical point of view) not that satisfying and you cannot just spend your time looking at her in your garage
It would be different if I would be on the market now for a sport car as an F-Type Coupe would win also with the heart vs the V8 Vantage
If you can get a 5.0 XKR then I'd definitely have that over a 2004 DB9. The DB9 is slightly better looking but the interior of a 2004 car is very dated indeed compared to the XKR ( which is slightly dated itself ). The equipment on the XKR 5.0 will be vastly superior to the DB9 too.
Having said that, the Aston has the badge........and a V12.
So, I'd have the DB9 over a 4.2 XKR but not over the 5.0 XKR
Having said that, the Aston has the badge........and a V12.
So, I'd have the DB9 over a 4.2 XKR but not over the 5.0 XKR
A difficult choice, and no mistake. If you have any doubts over the affordability of maintenance, then you should definitely go for the Jag. The Jag will also be a newer car, so you'd have fewer worries about condition. And finally, you should be able to leave the Jag more places without worrying about it.
One the other hand, an Aston... If you have the opportunity to own an Aston, you need a pretty good reason to turn it down, and things like running costs are a bit mealy-mouthed.
One the other hand, an Aston... If you have the opportunity to own an Aston, you need a pretty good reason to turn it down, and things like running costs are a bit mealy-mouthed.
Never mind 'maybe the 5 litre'......for £50k, you'd probably get a brand new 5 litre XKR!
Jag for me....despite being the prettier car and the more desirable brand, I think thats all it's got over the Jag. Aston is too dated at this money (or any money actually) and a brand new XKR will be the better all round car unless you specifically want a V12.
Enjoyed your opening thread in GG by the way....different, thats for sure
Jag for me....despite being the prettier car and the more desirable brand, I think thats all it's got over the Jag. Aston is too dated at this money (or any money actually) and a brand new XKR will be the better all round car unless you specifically want a V12.
Enjoyed your opening thread in GG by the way....different, thats for sure
Palmball said:
Never mind 'maybe the 5 litre'......for £50k, you'd probably get a brand new 5 litre XKR!
This.That's not to say I wouldn't have a DB9. Despite being pretty old now, I'd much, much rather have 12 cylinders than 8. The DB9's interior feels great but the styling is a little bland, although that wouldn't be a deal breaker for me personally.
Comparing the engines though, the Jaguar 5.0 beats the Aston Martin 6.0 in every objective way, leaving only the emotive matter of it being a somewhat over-done V8 compared to a creamy V12. When the less desireable engine goes faster, costs less to maintain and uses just over half the fuel it becomes a matter of "because I can" to get the Aston.
I don't think I'd ever actually buy a DB9 with my own money. It's a bit too big to chuck about yet the back seats are not useable even for my young children, so in my eyes it's just an oversized 2 seater. A V8 Vantage is about the right size but everyone and his dog has a cross plane V8 so there's nothing to compel me to commit to Aston Martin running costs just to end up with the same engine behaviours and sound that everyone else has. A V12 Vantage is still very much on my shopping list though. The most compact sports car wrapped around a V12 engine and a manual gearbox is very appealing to me although it's a lot of money. The fact that some people think the V8 Vantage is a better package all-round strengthens my preference for the V12. It doesn't matter that it's not any quicker. It doesn't matter that it costs a lot to run, and it doesn't matter that you lose time changing gears compared to the XKR or DB9. You have something small enough to position on the road, and you just drive along enjoying V12 music without an automatic gearbox deciding to change down for you when you really just want to hear the '12 grunt its way up the rev range.
That wasn't the question you asked, I appreciate, so for £50k and an automatic large GT, I'd choose the XKR.
OK so I feel I am one of the best people who can answer this for you as I have been lucky enough to have owned both these cars for a period of 12 months each. Both cars were bought privately so I got a good deal on both.
I had a 2007 XKR (from 2012-2013) and a 2005 DB9 (from 2013-2014 sold recently!). Both cars were black in colour and attracted a hell of a lot of attention. When it comes to brand coolness there is nothing like having an Aston Martin. The V12 sounds phenomenal once you peg back the active exhaust valve pulling the relevant fuse. The XKR did attract all the right attention too but the DB9 won on that one.
The interior of the DB9 to me felt very dated compared to that of the Jaguar - the Sat Nav in the DB9 is absolutely useless compared to that in the Jag which is not exactly the best bit of kit either.
My DB9 had the top end 950W Linn sound system and I must confess that my dad's 2009 Vauxhall Astra's sound system is better! It was an absolute joke - pretty much sounds like you are listening to AM radio most of the time and when you turn it up loud the subwoofer it would distort! I thought there was a fault with it and even had it checked out but there was no fault found - absolute joke and to think that the first owner paid around £3k for this make my eyes water. In comparison my 2007 XKR had the Alpine Dolby Digital high end system which was a few light years better and sounded great. I was once loaned a 2010 XKR with the Bowers and Wilkins system and that was just awesome.
The XKR would return 20-22mpg around town and up to 30mpg on a long run - again pull out the exhaust fuse and the V8 growl was just sublime although the DB9 wins on exhaust sounds
The DB9 did 12-16mpg around town and 22-24mpg on a long run. The XKR wins hand downs on comfort and is a very satisfying car to drive where as the DB9 was extreme and I could feel potholes and road imperfections shiver through my body! I used both as daily drivers but IMHO the DB9 is just not made to be driven everyday - Im sure the Vantage may be different there.
The biggest thing for me though was reliability - in 12 months all I spent on the XKR (apart from fuel and insurance) was an annual service which cost £315 at a main dealer - £315 for a car with 420BHP is marvellous! I also added a Jaguar warranty on the car which cost me £800 for 12 months and this was worth it as I had a faulty aircon condenser, leaking rear dif, faulty wing mirror and a faulty seat module - all were replaced under warranty but the dealer told me I could have paid up to £2k to have all this sorted so all in all I was quids in with the warranty! I felt confident in the Jag, confident that if anything goes wrong Jaguar will look after me and they sure well did - best customer service from a car brand ever.
Now for the DB9 I was lucky to buy a car with some warranty on it (3 months) but to renew they wanted £2500 so I didn't bother! The DB9 was nothing but problems - various electrical gremlins with warning lights on the dash every day due to a low battery charge, seats getting stuck in position, weird noises from engine bay and suspension, faulty buttons on the dash (gear related),s
t sound system, annual service £1500 at main dealers and around £1800 spend on maintenance in 12 months. I was not confident with the DB9, I would go to it every morning and wonder what is going to be thrown at me today!I enjoyed driving the XKR much more than the DB9 in all aspects.
What would I buy again - the XKR. I don't think I want to be in an Aston Martin again unless it's the new Vanquish with a rock solid warranty. I am actually contemplating buying an XKRS right now.
The DB9 and XKR are two completely different cars - I would say one is like a stunning supermodel that will grab you attention everywhere you go, give you an awesome shag but cost you a bomb to maintain and the XKR is a pretty model with moderate maintenance costs that is a good companion that will keep you happy and satisfied for longer
Hope this helps but ask if you what to know anything more specific.
Don't forget to consider depreciation for the models/years you are considering. This could be a major factor as Jags do depreciate away ending up being worth little.
Reading the posts above its seems "heart = DB9" and "head = XK". A lesson I learned many years ago is that if you are a true petrolhead then always follow your heart!
Reading the posts above its seems "heart = DB9" and "head = XK". A lesson I learned many years ago is that if you are a true petrolhead then always follow your heart!
AMDB9 said:
OK so I feel I am one of the best people who can answer this for you as I have been lucky enough to have owned both these cars for a period of 12 months each. Both cars were bought privately so I got a good deal on both.
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Hope this helps but ask if you what to know anything more specific.
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Hope this helps but ask if you what to know anything more specific.
If you are living in France, the Aston repair costs will be unbelievable, the Jaguar costs will merely be astronomical ......
with complicated problems with a 2004/5 car you will consider driving over to England to sort stuff..... Considered anything else other than Jag and Aston...... ??
Charvet said:
Yes, a Bentley Conti GT, that that is it.
NO: U.S., Asian, German cars for me please.
You've missed Italy out ...... no Italian Exotica....? NO: U.S., Asian, German cars for me please.
If you included Italian cars, it opens the game right up. Fezzer, Mazzer, Lambo. Looking at your budget, and the type of car you already want, considered the Mazzer Gran Tourismo ? F430 engine with chains instead of belts and torque converter instead of clutches, 4 seats and quite affordable..... I jumped ship...... and it works for me.....Gassing Station | Jaguar | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff