V8 Vantage - Spending 35-40k

[hogbenc]

I'm in the market for a Vantage and looking to spend i the region of 35-40k and would appreciate any thoughts in age vs mileage......

I'm definitely after a MY07 (or later) primarily due to the seat design. There are a couple of low mileage cars (~20k miles) i've seen priced in the mid->high 30's bracket, great history and fantastic condition, but i can't help thinking i'm spending a few extra k on a low mileage car that take the miles pretty well anyway. Would i be better off holding on for a slightly newer car (maybe even a 4.7) with higher mileage?

Some people say get the latest car possible... others are more worried about mileage!

Also a number of the cars i've seen look to have been prepared/washed by a muppet and there's an awful lot of swirl marks. Are there certain colours that hide the marks and can these be addressed with investing in a proper detail?

Thanks for any responses
Chris

[rovcallum]

“Would i be better off holding on for a slightly newer car (maybe even a 4.7) with higher mileage? “

I was originally set on a 4.3 but I hung out for a few extra years until money was available for a good 4.7 with low miles. If I’d plumped for a 4.3 I would’ve been constantly thinking of the whatif. Life’s too short.

Metallic greys hide swirls well, lots of Astons in meteorite, tungsten, grigio titanio, etc.
Whatever you buy, I’m sure you will enjoy it. Great cars.

[mhurley]

Ideally you want one with a recent clutch and brakes as they are probably the most expensive consumables

[ds666]

I was originally set on a 4.3 but I hung out for a few extra years until money was available for a good 4.7 with low miles. If I’d plumped for a 4.3 I would’ve been constantly thinking of the whatif. Life’s too short.


lol

[David Ramsbotham]

For what it’s worth, I recently purchased a 4.3 with 26k miles for lower end of your budget. I never considered a 4.7. The style is the same, the interior slightly different but this happens to all cars over time. I guess I ‘m not a what if person because where do you stop.

Get the best car you can find for your budget considering condition, mileage, history and most of all, one you really have to have!

[Dewi 2]

hogbenc said:

I'm in the market for a Vantage and looking to spend i the region of 35-40k and would appreciate any thoughts in age vs mileage......

..... Would i be better off holding on for a slightly newer car (maybe even a 4.7) with higher mileage?

I think might depend whether you want a long-term 'keeper'. If so, what I did was wait for 4.7. Have now owned the car for 7 years with no regrets. It was the right car for me, and from a financial point of view, I have had no desire to trade in for a 'better' Aston Martin, so therefore have perhaps saved on a future additional 'cost to change'.

They can certainly take the miles, as shown by some owners on here, but on the used market, it is clear that buyers do like low mileage (and will pay more), because there are usually a few available.

You are quite right to do your research first. Good luck. They are wonderful cars.
I must add, that there is certainly nothing wrong with the 4.3, but perhaps the 4.7 is just that little bit better. All personal choice.

Edited by Dewi 2 on Thursday 14th February 15:49

[rovcallum]

^^^agree
You put it so much better than me! lol

[David514]

David Ramsbotham said:

For what it’s worth, I recently purchased a 4.3 with 26k miles for lower end of your budget. I never considered a 4.7. The style is the same, the interior slightly different but this happens to all cars over time. I guess I ‘m not a what if person because where do you stop.

Get the best car you can find for your budget considering condition, mileage, history and most of all, one you really have to have!

Thats good advise and exactly what I have just done

[Del Lardo]

35-40k should easily get you into a 4.7, if you're looking at a 2008-2010 car then even with "high mileage" of 40-50k miles will only have done around 5k mile/year. That's not exactly a lot but it is enough to ensure that bits are seizing up and falling off which would always be my concern with a low mileage car.

If looked after they seem to stay in remarkably good condition, I am about to buy a 2008 4.7 with 48k miles and apart from a couple of stone chips and one slightly wonky bit of trim around a rear window it is immaculate, put a sticker over the odometer and tell me the car had 10k miles on it and I couldn't tell.


So IMO, don't get hung up on mileage or age, or even for that matter the engine as some people find the 4.3 fine, some much prefer the 4.7, buy on condition and I would say that generally the car attracts owners who look after them very well.

[murphyaj]

Del Lardo said:

So IMO, don't get hung up on mileage or age, or even for that matter the engine as some people find the 4.3 fine, some much prefer the 4.7, buy on condition

^^ this

Get a good test drive in a 4.3 and 4.7, otherwise you don't know if the difference is worth paying. Other than that condition is what you pay for, the age of the car and the mileage are just numbers, and they are only important as they are indicators to what the condition is likely to be. Whether more years or more miles has a greater effect on condition depends entirely on the owner, so I wouldn't favour one over the other as a rule.

[pggroves]

Having had a 4.3 for nearly 7 years I would buy the best car you can find but wouldn’t ignore the 4.3.
I came into Aston’s after TVRs and Caterhams and have never found the Aston slow, but you need to work the 4.3 engine more than a 4.7.
I bought mine because of the colour/trim combination and the overall condition. It’s just won an AMOC concours award so it justified my decision.
Frankly I find I drive it quite sedately most of the time as I just love the overall experience and just love the shape and sound and still keep going into the garage to look at it.
I’d buy one now rather than wait for years saving up for a 4.7. Who knows what’s around the corner and I ve always believed you should live for today.
Read Grants book and look at as many as you can.
I went for Titanium Silver with Chancellor Red hide and lots of people comment on the combination.
Hope you find the right car with a good history and recent clutch/brakes and use someone who knows what they’re doing to look after it. I use Aston Engineering in Derby and they’re brilliant.

[LPH]

I just bought a 4.3. I was considering a 4.7 and missed a few bargain cars (£35k) and most lower mileage 4.7 were around the £40k mark. I considered a few super low mileage 4.3s with less than 10k on the clock but again these were high £30ks. It had to be a manual, if you re looking for a sports shift then you will have more choice in the 4.7s it seems.

Then I stumbled across an 18.5k mile 2007 4.3. Turned out it was actually a 2006 MY that was only registered in 2007. Seems it was a cancelled order that was sat in the dealers when the owner I bought it off decided to have it as a 40th birthday present. It was advertised for £35k which is at the top end of prices for a 2006 car but with such low miles, a full Aston history until last year when it went to a specialist and loads of extras fitted over the years by AM it made sense to me. And I got it a bit cheaper than the advertised price. Having now collected the car and read the papers/receipts in more the spec as sold by Aston in 2006 is:

Full Leather
19 inch wheels
Powerfold mirrors
Heated screen
Bright finish grille
HID headlamps with level and wash
Heated seats
Tracker
Cruise control
Integarted GSM phone
Sat Nav
and Premium Audio

This seems to be about £9k worth of options over basic list

During his ownership the previous owner then added (all AM fitted again)

Power Pack - 400HP upgrade with new inlet manifold, modified airboxes and ECU reflash
Sports pack - N400 wheels and uprated Bilstein shocks/springs
N400 side sills
Sports exhaust - back box with black exhaust tips
Carbon fibre front lip and rear diffuser

Well over £15k fitted.

All this plus it being in great condition and the colour combo of Tungsten and black cherry made me decide it was the one for me. It's not perfect but I don't think any of them are at 9-12 years old. All will suffer from the 'usual' little issues that these cars have.

I could have held out for a cheaper 4.7 or kept looking at 4.3s but decided I had to jump in at some point. If anything 4.7s seem to have crept up a little in prices since I started looking last August.

I know my way around a car but as I'm new to Astons I got it inspected. Cost me £275 but put my mind at rest and they knocked me some of the service i took it for as I'd had the inspection.

Edited by LPH on Sunday 17th February 22:14

[jakesmith]

Sounds like a cracking car
I love all that body kit for the Vantage, makes a beautiful car just a touch more agressive

[hogbenc]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. After looking at a lot of cars over recent months i've just put down a deposit on a low mileage 4.3 in Titanium Silver.
I'm sure i'll miss the TVR smile but looking forward to the new Aston smile!
Going to have to wait a week until i pick it up as i'm having some paint protection work done. Just hope the spring weather holds for my collection!

[cardigankid]

LPH said:

.....I know my way around a car but as I'm new to Astons I got it inspected. Cost me £275 but put my mind at rest and they knocked me some of the service i took it for as I'd had the inspection.....

Who did you get to inspect it?

Edited by LPH on Sunday 17th February 22:14

[Mr.Tremlini]

hogbenc said:

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. After looking at a lot of cars over recent months i've just put down a deposit on a low mileage 4.3 in Titanium Silver.
I'm sure i'll miss the TVR smile but looking forward to the new Aston smile!
Going to have to wait a week until i pick it up as i'm having some paint protection work done. Just hope the spring weather holds for my collection!

Well done for jumping in! I waited two years until I found the car for me, and it was not a 4.7 as I expected, but a 4.3. Granted it is not a "Oh my God" fast car, (but neither is the 4.7) however it`s not slow, and if like me you feel the need for a bit more grunt then Bamford Rose can sort you out with the exhaust/power upgrade/remap combo that`ll put a smile on your face! Enjoy the experience, and don`t forget to drive it, as many have stated, these cars handle the miles.

[stuthemong]

I agree they handle the miles, I've a 07 4.3, it's market value would be off the bottom of your range.

It's not a fast car, but it's not slow either. It's beautiful and it makes a great noise.

I opted to not get swept up in 4.7 race for a few reasons.

1. My car was mint & warrantied, super low risk.

2. Upgraditis. "Oh 10k more I can get a 4.7", a bit faster a bit newer, "ah but for 10k more I could get a facelift or S".... but "for 15k more I could get a v12"... etc..etc... When I stepped back and looked at it, for me, a fantastic condition 4.3 and 40k in my pocket that I didn't spend on a v12, meant less stress, less depreciation & more play money...

....It's a slippery slope upgraditis.... but like an idiot I've just bought some new wheels, so when the chips are down, I don't practice what I preach.

I guess don't lose sight of the value of money. For me a v12 would be FANTASTIC, but it's literally double the price of my car, and only 50% more cylinders. Poor ROI. I honestly think it makes more sense to put the 40K into a supercharged atom, best of both worlds!

[LPH]

cardigankid said:

Who did you get to inspect it?

Sorry, only just noticed your question.

AML performance in Macclesfield. The car was being sold only a couple of miles form them and they knew it as they had serviced it last year. The first time it went for a non-AM dealer service.

Edited by LPH on Sunday 17th February 22:14

[V8Andrew]

I’d consider this one - although I’m biased...

Lower money and better looked after than most low miles cars, wrap can be removed if not to your taste

https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/...

[m.barnes]

Same budget and thoughts as you!

I want one as a daily driver, so will be putting miles on the car but I must admit for £40k you can only just get into a 4.7 and mainly a sport shift.

Can't help much as trying to decide the same but I get the impression from several threads and posts that getting an Aston of any kind is an experience and a thrill so sooner rather than later is probably my only thought.