Would you go for a Manual V8V or a Manual DB9?

[w44neg]

I thought I was all set on aiming for a V8V soon. This would be a 4.3Ltr as mentioned in another thread and I love the size, the looks, the exhaust note etc. I started looking at DB9 V12s as another option though, and the force is strong in that one as well! :-D I've never had a V8 or a V12 but I would imagine they both offer different driving experiences.

Is either car better than the other in the reliability stakes and are there any other reasons why you'd choose one over the other?

[paulrog1]

Both cars have common issues, as i've got a DB9 I'm biased as think it looks better than the vantage, apart from the looks the 2 reasons I chose the DB9 is the V12 engine, sounds awesome, and the gearbox, I prefer the automatic box with the steering wheel paddles.

The manual DB9's are rare most of them have the auto gearbox.

Go out for a test drive with both cars, pop down to McGurk's as they will have the 2 different types with different colours etc, this should make up your mind.

Buy the Aston Martin book, great read and very informative, be careful when seriously looking round as some faults might turn out to be expensive (for example a leaking DB9 timing gasket costs £2000+ to repair) my advice is to take the car to an Aston martin dealership for a pre purchase check before you buy, this will cost around £250 and you will know any faults.

But you need to enjoy the process, these are special cars and although my car has given me times of worry and stress I still love it !!

Edited by paulrog1 on Sunday 3rd July 10:00

[w44neg]

Thanks for the reply, I've bought the book and it arrived so quickly I haven't even found time to open it :-) I will definitely be reading it asap. I've checked out that garage as well which looks like it has a good selection, and not terribly far away. I'll aim to pay them a visit soon.

[JohnG1]

"my advice is to take the car to an Aston martin dealership for a pre purchase check before you buy, this will cost around £250 and you will know any faults"

That's not a great option. The AML inspection is a waste of time and money. Have an independent garage look at the car. Will cost more but is worthwhile.

[12pack]

I owned and enjoyed a 4.3L V8V (preferred the more aggressive proportions as well as the roomy hatch) for many years during all of which I always was a bit disappointed with its straight line performance and feel. I always convinced myself the the handling balance and the looks etc. more than made up for it. Now that I've jumped to a V12V - well... there is nothing like a NA V12. So I can see how you would be torn in your choice.

[rossyl]

JohnG1 said:

"my advice is to take the car to an Aston martin dealership for a pre purchase check before you buy, this will cost around £250 and you will know any faults"

That's not a great option. The AML inspection is a waste of time and money. Have an independent garage look at the car. Will cost more but is worthwhile.

I've got to say that I've had mixed experiences in this.

I had the car inspected by an Independent instead of a Dealer. The car is good, so I cannot fault the inspection too much. But, it missed how worn the brake discs were entirely. Checking brake wear is fairly standard, so was worrying that it was missed. I also only received an email specifying what was wrong. There was no checklist stating what had been checked.

By comparison immediately after purchase I took the car to Stratstone who did a complimentary check. They checked a hell of a lot and even gave me brake wear measurements in millimetres. They also provided a checklist of what they'd done.

A long story, but the lesson is, be clear with what you are getting done, what will be checked, to what level of intrusion will they go to check, what will you be provided with at the end. But I strongly advise that you get a check.

[w44neg]

Who did you use as an independent for checking the car out rossyl? Perhaps they're worth avoiding 😬