Is there life after owning an Aston??
Discussion
Hi all –
After 5 1/2 years of ownership I think it might be time to part with my Aston Vantage Roadster – I have driven and owned a car I never thought possible. My original proposal was to keep the car for a year but as every year has ticked by I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it.
My girlfriend is now expecting a baby and the opportunities I will get to drive it will become less and less as there is no room for a third person! I wondered if anyone else has had the same dilemma – is there life after an AM? If so, where – recommendations greatly appreciated!
After 5 1/2 years of ownership I think it might be time to part with my Aston Vantage Roadster – I have driven and owned a car I never thought possible. My original proposal was to keep the car for a year but as every year has ticked by I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it.
My girlfriend is now expecting a baby and the opportunities I will get to drive it will become less and less as there is no room for a third person! I wondered if anyone else has had the same dilemma – is there life after an AM? If so, where – recommendations greatly appreciated!
Hhmmm.....a difficult dilemma.
It depends what you want the car to do.
If it's just that you want more space then the Rapide is a terrific car to consider.
Thing is that Astons combine heritage with beauty that few other marques can offer.
They are understated and do not scream "look at me" and appeal to many on that basis.
If you already have a daily driver I think possibly a Bentley,Range Rover or Jaguar might be alternatives.
It depends what you want the car to do.
If it's just that you want more space then the Rapide is a terrific car to consider.
Thing is that Astons combine heritage with beauty that few other marques can offer.
They are understated and do not scream "look at me" and appeal to many on that basis.
If you already have a daily driver I think possibly a Bentley,Range Rover or Jaguar might be alternatives.
avinalarf said:
Hhmmm.....a difficult dilemma.
If you aleady have a daily driver I think possibly a Bentley,Range Rover or Jaguar might be alternatives.
If you aleady have a daily driver I think possibly a Bentley,Range Rover or Jaguar might be alternatives.
With all the kit needed for babies these days, and obviously one cannot be seen out with generic stuff, so that means £2,000 for a push chair, most of us had to make do with a Lada Estate.
Jon39 said:
avinalarf said:
Hhmmm.....a difficult dilemma.
If you aleady have a daily driver I think possibly a Bentley,Range Rover or Jaguar might be alternatives.
If you aleady have a daily driver I think possibly a Bentley,Range Rover or Jaguar might be alternatives.
With all the kit needed for babies these days, and obviously one cannot be seen out with generic stuff, so that means £2,000 for a push chair, most of us had to make do with a Lada Estate.
I've driven Fords as a daily workhorse and found them super reliable and economical to run, which is what I want when I go to work every morning.
The Aston is my reward to myself for all the hard work I do, and to my wife for putting up with my nonsense over the years.
Edited by avinalarf on Thursday 13th December 10:24
PantsFire said:
I daily a Golf R, brilliant little thing with all mod cons, four wheel drive etc, get a one year old ex-lease and you're laughing, then save your coin for a while and pick up an Aston 2+2, from age 2.5/3 onwards you can get child seats that fit the Vanquish, DBS, DB9 & DB11.
I've a Golf R as my daily 'runaround' which is great - I would love to have something else as alternative in the same way I have the Aston.I was in the same scenario as you, I had a V8V with a baby on the way. What I did was this: I kept it.
We had a second car for the family, a mid-size hatchback that my Wife was happy to drive and which we could fit all the kit in. I put a baby seat in the passenger seat of the Aston (with the airbag turned off naturally) and bought a compact buggy that fit in the boot. If my Wife and I were going somewhere without the baby I could take out his seat in about 60 seconds. After a year I decided I wanted something more practical, so I got a DB9 Volante. The child seat for my now 3-year-old son fits in the front and either I or my Wife can fit in the back for short journeys. Normally it we are going 3-up we take her car, but will take the Aston when we can, especially in nice weather as the rear seats are fine with the roof off. Several times a week it's just me and my Son, in which case I almost always take the Aston.
I have no time for this nonsense that you need to go and buy a Range Rover as soon as you have a kid.
We had a second car for the family, a mid-size hatchback that my Wife was happy to drive and which we could fit all the kit in. I put a baby seat in the passenger seat of the Aston (with the airbag turned off naturally) and bought a compact buggy that fit in the boot. If my Wife and I were going somewhere without the baby I could take out his seat in about 60 seconds. After a year I decided I wanted something more practical, so I got a DB9 Volante. The child seat for my now 3-year-old son fits in the front and either I or my Wife can fit in the back for short journeys. Normally it we are going 3-up we take her car, but will take the Aston when we can, especially in nice weather as the rear seats are fine with the roof off. Several times a week it's just me and my Son, in which case I almost always take the Aston.
I have no time for this nonsense that you need to go and buy a Range Rover as soon as you have a kid.
While I have solved this problem myself by never having children, if you have gone and done it, remember that DB9s have back seats which will do a baby for a couple of years until its legs grow a bit longer. Then you can get a Rapide.
Alternatives would be a Jaguar, Bentley or Maserati.
Alternatives would be a Jaguar, Bentley or Maserati.
hanny1973 said:
Hi all –
After 5 1/2 years of ownership I think it might be time to part with my Aston Vantage Roadster – I have driven and owned a car I never thought possible. My original proposal was to keep the car for a year but as every year has ticked by I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it.
My girlfriend is now expecting a baby and the opportunities I will get to drive it will become less and less as there is no room for a third person! I wondered if anyone else has had the same dilemma – is there life after an AM? If so, where – recommendations greatly appreciated!
After a spin in a friends AMV8 many years ago, my son (9 at the time) announced that we should get one. His only concern was where Mummy was going to sit. A few years later we got a V8VR. Me and the boy love it. Mummy has her own transport!After 5 1/2 years of ownership I think it might be time to part with my Aston Vantage Roadster – I have driven and owned a car I never thought possible. My original proposal was to keep the car for a year but as every year has ticked by I just couldn’t bring myself to sell it.
My girlfriend is now expecting a baby and the opportunities I will get to drive it will become less and less as there is no room for a third person! I wondered if anyone else has had the same dilemma – is there life after an AM? If so, where – recommendations greatly appreciated!
Keep the Aston. No matter what!
PantsFire said:
I daily a Golf R, brilliant little thing with all mod cons, four wheel drive etc, get a one year old ex-lease and you're laughing, then save your coin for a while and pick up an Aston 2+2, from age 2.5/3 onwards you can get child seats that fit the Vanquish, DBS, DB9 & DB11.
Doesn't work if the driver is tall and there is more than one child. Been there, tried that.We have a little one and I am looking at buying a vantage. We only use the wifes car if we all go out. I think we have put the car seat in my current car twice in 18 months, and both times it was so we could avoid waiting at a garage while tyres were changed on my wifes, but if push came to shove i'd have worked around that so a Vantage seems fine.
Keep it, go on
Keep it, go on
Sebastian Tombs said:
While I have solved this problem myself by never having children, if you have gone and done it, remember that DB9s have back seats which will do a baby for a couple of years until its legs grow a bit longer. Then you can get a Rapide.
Actually, it is the opposite of this. When the baby is a baby the car seat requirement is large/bulky and rear facing, as the child grows the seat can be smaller and front facing.Just get something practical for the family journeys that doubles up as the GF's litter bin/makeup bag/food waste catchall that you are ok with puke, drink and food being splattered all over, and keep the AM for your solo (or +1) journeys.
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