Vantage S - Higher Mileage/SS2 issues
Discussion
Hi everyone
I'm new to the forum but I've been looking around for a while now for a Vantage and have come across a 2013 Vantage S, in my favourite colour combo at a price I can afford...!
Only issue...she's done 75,000 miles and has a sportshift gearbox (I was originally looking for a manual).
I have two questions:
Firstly I'm wondering whether it is generally accepted that these cars become a total nightmare to maintain with so many miles on the clock? How many miles have people gotten to before serious issues start cropping up? My budget would require me to look at 30k+ mile versions in any case but I couldn't afford the S at that mileage.
Secondly, I have read plenty about the sportshift gearbox which hasn't been the best reading, but as this is a 2013 Vantage S, i'm hoping that its Sportshift 2 will help matters. Has anyone had both and is there a material difference to their reliability and performance?
Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated as I'm very keen to get my feet on the Vantage ladder!
Thanks in advance,
Rob
I'm new to the forum but I've been looking around for a while now for a Vantage and have come across a 2013 Vantage S, in my favourite colour combo at a price I can afford...!
Only issue...she's done 75,000 miles and has a sportshift gearbox (I was originally looking for a manual).
I have two questions:
Firstly I'm wondering whether it is generally accepted that these cars become a total nightmare to maintain with so many miles on the clock? How many miles have people gotten to before serious issues start cropping up? My budget would require me to look at 30k+ mile versions in any case but I couldn't afford the S at that mileage.
Secondly, I have read plenty about the sportshift gearbox which hasn't been the best reading, but as this is a 2013 Vantage S, i'm hoping that its Sportshift 2 will help matters. Has anyone had both and is there a material difference to their reliability and performance?
Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated as I'm very keen to get my feet on the Vantage ladder!
Thanks in advance,
Rob
Rob
generally they are very robust cars and handle mileage well, if maintained
I have an 07 V8V manual with 77,000km - no real issues although Ive got a faulty left front indicator which needs a fix (replacement light is $4500 here)
their weak point is the clutch, but a sportshift clutch can be measured by Aston for extent of wear
check the service history carefully - that will be your secret
I also have a 17 V12VS so have some experience with the sportshift III gearbox - they take some getting used to & are clunky at low speeds but just brilliant when pushing the car - never use the D button - even clunkier
good luck with your search
Graeme
generally they are very robust cars and handle mileage well, if maintained
I have an 07 V8V manual with 77,000km - no real issues although Ive got a faulty left front indicator which needs a fix (replacement light is $4500 here)
their weak point is the clutch, but a sportshift clutch can be measured by Aston for extent of wear
check the service history carefully - that will be your secret
I also have a 17 V12VS so have some experience with the sportshift III gearbox - they take some getting used to & are clunky at low speeds but just brilliant when pushing the car - never use the D button - even clunkier
good luck with your search
Graeme
General consensus is that modern AM’s wear their mileage well... apart from depreciation (which car doesn’t???).
Regarding the SSII gearbox, I personally find it’s great and really compliments the car. Had a V8 with manual for 18 months, then switched to a 2016 V8VS with the automated manual. Couldn’t be happier with the gearbox as it’s involving and suits the character.
And this is from a “manual-only” kind of person. Never had, nor looking for any other kind of auto car.
Drive it and see for yourself. It takes a few weeks to fully acclimatise which is kinda fun too.
Good luck!
Regarding the SSII gearbox, I personally find it’s great and really compliments the car. Had a V8 with manual for 18 months, then switched to a 2016 V8VS with the automated manual. Couldn’t be happier with the gearbox as it’s involving and suits the character.
And this is from a “manual-only” kind of person. Never had, nor looking for any other kind of auto car.
Drive it and see for yourself. It takes a few weeks to fully acclimatise which is kinda fun too.
Good luck!
Thanks for the feedback on this - very reassuring to hear that the mileage shouldn't be a deal breaker and of course I will be sure to check the service history properly. It's only had two owners and having just spoken to the seller I understand the first owner was an Aston dealer so hopefully it was maintained well at the start of it's life!
Will be very interested to see how the SS II gearbox behaves.
I've booked the test drive for Saturday. Fingers crossed!
Will be very interested to see how the SS II gearbox behaves.
I've booked the test drive for Saturday. Fingers crossed!
When you take the test drive do remember that SSII is not an auto box, for smoother changes a very slight lift of the accelerator will really help. It is an automated manual and as such needs to be treated as such. From memory of my V8S it has got the ability to carry out full bore shifts without lifting but that is only when above certain revs and with your foot well planted. Personally having had PDK Porsche boxes and Audi DSG ones I prefer the Sport Shift it isn't as quick at changing but does require you to work with it to get the best out of it.
As has been said leave the "D" button unused and just work with the paddles, personally the "D" button should never have been installed on the SS cars as it suggests syrupy smooth auto box gear changes and a single clutch automated manual is not going to provide those.
As has been said leave the "D" button unused and just work with the paddles, personally the "D" button should never have been installed on the SS cars as it suggests syrupy smooth auto box gear changes and a single clutch automated manual is not going to provide those.
In my experience they are very reliable, I ran my first 2006 vantage until it was 10 years old and had 83k miles on it.
Other than a new clutch at 73k miles, other non consumable repairs were things like coolant sensors, thermostats, ABS transducer, all cheap DIY repairs. The only other things that really wore out were wheel bearings, changed 3 out of 4 at £500 a corner fitted.
Any luxury car you buy with 73k miles on it could cost you a lot of money if all the consumables need replacing in a 12-24 month period. The actual routine servicing of the Vantage does not increase that much "big " services include plugs n filters. So check the condition on the car of discs, pads, tyres.
Other than a new clutch at 73k miles, other non consumable repairs were things like coolant sensors, thermostats, ABS transducer, all cheap DIY repairs. The only other things that really wore out were wheel bearings, changed 3 out of 4 at £500 a corner fitted.
Any luxury car you buy with 73k miles on it could cost you a lot of money if all the consumables need replacing in a 12-24 month period. The actual routine servicing of the Vantage does not increase that much "big " services include plugs n filters. So check the condition on the car of discs, pads, tyres.
OP is it at an AM dealer or is the seller private? If at an AM dealer the warranty is excellent, if not and you like the car then I'd recommend inspection by someone 'proper'.
I bought a high mileage 4.7 (66k miles) over a 4.3 low mileage at the same price and I'm glad I did. Yes, there were warranty claims and I needed to change the brakes but they are fabulous things. I cannot comment on the Sportshift but I did drive a friend's R8 with their robotised change and it was fun, even in that one (meant to be better than the Aston' one) lifting off a bit is necessary for passenger-friendly changes and it makes it a challenge to drive really well. And who doesn't like a challenge?
I bought a high mileage 4.7 (66k miles) over a 4.3 low mileage at the same price and I'm glad I did. Yes, there were warranty claims and I needed to change the brakes but they are fabulous things. I cannot comment on the Sportshift but I did drive a friend's R8 with their robotised change and it was fun, even in that one (meant to be better than the Aston' one) lifting off a bit is necessary for passenger-friendly changes and it makes it a challenge to drive really well. And who doesn't like a challenge?
Thanks guys.
The SS gearbox sounds quirky...Looking forward to giving it a go. From what you’ve said, it will probably feel better over time as I learn how to use it best.
It’s being sold by an independent dealer, not an AM specific dealer. They’re offering a standard 3 month RAC warranty (which I’ll try and negotiate up), which excludes ‘wear and tear’ items. To be honest I imagine most issues given the mileage will probably be wear and tear related but any warranty is better than none I guess!
The SS gearbox sounds quirky...Looking forward to giving it a go. From what you’ve said, it will probably feel better over time as I learn how to use it best.
It’s being sold by an independent dealer, not an AM specific dealer. They’re offering a standard 3 month RAC warranty (which I’ll try and negotiate up), which excludes ‘wear and tear’ items. To be honest I imagine most issues given the mileage will probably be wear and tear related but any warranty is better than none I guess!
It went very well! The advice on lifting off during gear changes was spot on - makes a huge difference! It will take a little while to get used to, particularly the shift from 2 to 1 when coming to a slow stop. I agree that it’s a great experience on a country road though having the paddles, and quickly changed my ‘manual only’ mindset, in fact reversed it.
Sure I don’t need to state the obvious but the sound of the V8 was just incredible with the windows down (especially in sport mode). The downshifts especially...! Already thinking about the big Fuse 22 question - to pull or not to pull...
Turns out the previous owner had owned it since 2013 having acquired it from an AM dealer, so is effectively a 1 owner car and he’d been putting around 10-12k miles on the car per year since then. It’s got full AM service history and even given the mileage, the interior is immaculate.
After all this, I ended up falling in totally love with it and after weighing up all the pros/cons/possible future issues, bought it!
Thanks again guys for the comments - here’s to many many highs and not to many lows of V8VS ownership!
Rob
Sure I don’t need to state the obvious but the sound of the V8 was just incredible with the windows down (especially in sport mode). The downshifts especially...! Already thinking about the big Fuse 22 question - to pull or not to pull...
Turns out the previous owner had owned it since 2013 having acquired it from an AM dealer, so is effectively a 1 owner car and he’d been putting around 10-12k miles on the car per year since then. It’s got full AM service history and even given the mileage, the interior is immaculate.
After all this, I ended up falling in totally love with it and after weighing up all the pros/cons/possible future issues, bought it!
Thanks again guys for the comments - here’s to many many highs and not to many lows of V8VS ownership!
Rob
Great news, Rob - enjoy!
Following-up on what Graze and CSK1 mentioned... indeed I have also found these two techniques to smoothing an approach to a stop with an SSII ‘box to be of use.
For the first 6 months, I tended to pull both paddles simultaneously to bring it into neutral from 2nd gear (or higher). This would avoid driveline shunt nicely. The nice thing about the ‘box is that if you’re still moving and want it back in gear again, just tap on the Up paddle and the appropriate gear re-engages smoothly and you’re off again seamlessly.
However, over the past month or so, I found that when approaching a junction, I drop down the gears until I reach second (who doesn’t like those blips??? ) and then coast to a halt. The ‘box will automatically disengage the clutch when the revs drop too low and the automatically select first when around 5mph without re-engaging the clutch. This makes it all ready for you when you need to dart off.
I think the second method is now my favourite. Even at very low revs and 5-10mph, it will allow you pull away again without stopping, but keep you in 2nd gear which is more natural for normal driving.
Following-up on what Graze and CSK1 mentioned... indeed I have also found these two techniques to smoothing an approach to a stop with an SSII ‘box to be of use.
For the first 6 months, I tended to pull both paddles simultaneously to bring it into neutral from 2nd gear (or higher). This would avoid driveline shunt nicely. The nice thing about the ‘box is that if you’re still moving and want it back in gear again, just tap on the Up paddle and the appropriate gear re-engages smoothly and you’re off again seamlessly.
However, over the past month or so, I found that when approaching a junction, I drop down the gears until I reach second (who doesn’t like those blips???
) and then coast to a halt. The ‘box will automatically disengage the clutch when the revs drop too low and the automatically select first when around 5mph without re-engaging the clutch. This makes it all ready for you when you need to dart off.I think the second method is now my favourite. Even at very low revs and 5-10mph, it will allow you pull away again without stopping, but keep you in 2nd gear which is more natural for normal driving.
Thanks guys, really happy and am still in slight disbelief that it’s finally happened!
I’ll give the double paddle neutral trick a go next time I go out...the auto 2nd to 1st is good but I did find it a little bit jerky if coming to a slow stop rather than a fairly quick stop. Anyway, all a fun learning curve!
Next jobs:
- Replace rear tyres (have booked in £300 for both fully fitted - thought that wasn’t bad value actually!)
- Sort out Bluetooth iPod connection
- Buy the exhaust remote kit from cccharger.co.uk (of course choosing the ‘Start Up Loud’ option
)
- Find the best roads in Surrey/Bucks!!
I’ll give the double paddle neutral trick a go next time I go out...the auto 2nd to 1st is good but I did find it a little bit jerky if coming to a slow stop rather than a fairly quick stop. Anyway, all a fun learning curve!
Next jobs:
- Replace rear tyres (have booked in £300 for both fully fitted - thought that wasn’t bad value actually!)
- Sort out Bluetooth iPod connection
- Buy the exhaust remote kit from cccharger.co.uk (of course choosing the ‘Start Up Loud’ option
)- Find the best roads in Surrey/Bucks!!
I went onto blackcircles.com (tip from the dealer actually!) and arranged the tyres to be sent to my local garage and fitted at a pre-set price. All very straightforward.
I’ve gone for what’s on there at the moment - Bridgestone Potenza 285/35 R19.
Having them fitted Saturday afternoon so if any dramas I will come back and update the above feedback!
I’ve gone for what’s on there at the moment - Bridgestone Potenza 285/35 R19.
Having them fitted Saturday afternoon so if any dramas I will come back and update the above feedback!
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