Should I buy a Rapide?

[RudeDog]

Thinking of buying a Rapide (2010 car) and I’m interested to know what owners think I should look out for when buying.

Are there any ‘must have’ options I need to be aware of?

How do people find the tech in the car and are there any simple solutions for upgrading it (particularly the Sat Nav)? I’m coming out of a very modern Merc which has all the toys and I’m a little bit worried that 8-year old tech will drive me nuts!

I am not too worried about mechanicals because the one I have seen is from a main dealer so it comes with a 12-month manufacturers warranty (which I plan on maintaining as long as I have the car).

I’ve searched PH for a buyers guide but it didn’t provide any results so apologies if I’ve missed the obvious.

Thanks in advance

RD

[RudeDog]

Thank you for the responses so far. I’m taking the one I’m considering for a spin on Friday.

It has the rear seat entertainment and the front/rear heated and cooled seats.

I have to say, it’s an awful lot of car. The biggest worry I have is that after a string of fairly lively cars (Cayman S followed by two C63s), am I likely to find it a bit less interesting to drive, despite the fantastic engine? I guess I’ll find out later in the week.

[RudeDog]

Thank you for the continued positive replies, I am getting quite excited about the prospect of owning one. They are great looking things and so much rarer than a Vantage or a DB9.

The only Aston I have previously driven was an early DB9 and it was on a track. I was fairly underwhelmed by it but I was on one of those Supercar experience days and it was the third car I drove after a Gallardo and a 996 GT3... That was a long time ago. I am looking forward to trying the Rapide out on the road.

[RudeDog]

ParanoidAndroid said:

Other car on the radar is Maserati Granturismo.

I had my heart set on a Maserati Granturismo for the last two years however when I looked at them seriously, I realised that they were going to be a money pit.

I was tempted by a beautiful Rosso Red 2015 car that still had the balance of the manufacturers warranty (about 4 months). I inquired about extended warranty and servicing costs:

£3,400 for a two year warranty
£1,600 for a Minor service
£3,300 for a Major service
Service interval is every 12 months or 12,000 miles.

So I figured my planned two years of ownership was going to cost me £8,300 before I had spent a penny on fuel, tyres, brakes, clutch, etc. (It being Italian I would expect a bit of this)

I know that the Rapide is not going to be cheap but the one I am looking at has a 12-month warranty already and the second year will be less than £2k. Servicing costs average £1k per year (slightly more for Major and slightly less for Minor). Its much more reasonable, even if it doesn't rival Ford.

[RudeDog]

Thanks for all the advice. I test drove a Black 2010 car last night and I’ve paid my deposit. It only has 16,500 miles on the clock and there wasn’t a blemish on it.

It has a marmite Chancellor Red interior but I quite like it. I really liked the sound, the engine and the steering although the gearbox is pretty rubbish. Overall, you can feel the quality and it’s definitely a big step up on the AMG I’ve currently got. The AMG is a lot faster in a brutally good way but it’s nowhere near as nice.

I know that pics are obligatory so I will try and upload done later.

[RudeDog]

Here you go, as promised...

[RudeDog]

Picking it up on Thursday and yes, I’m very much looking forward to it.

The dealer needs to sort out a couple of minor things and put a ceramic polish on it. All I need to do is find some patience.

[RudeDog]

ParanoidAndroid said:

How are you getting on with the Rapide now you’ve had it a few weeks?

I love it!

Overall I am very happy. So much to like about it!

There are a couple of minor niggles that I have found but nothing that can't be easily rectified when I next take it to the dealer (brakes sqealing, faulty rear seat latch sensor, rattle on one side of the exhaust)

I've installed a Fuse 3 switch and figured out how to play music on a USB stick so thats all good.

I am a bit surprised at the lack of storage in the cabin (glove box and centre tunnel storage is almost non-existent) but I have now found a place to store my phone (cup holder) and wallet (door pocket).

I really like driving it around, it looks amazing both inside and out. It handles fairly well for a big car and the steering is very positive/confidence inspiring. It is not however all that fast... I tested it at the M6 Toll at the weekend and it only just scraped over the 100 thingies mark by the time you reach the National Speed Limit sign coming out of the pay booths. My last few cars would be doing over 120 thingies by that point.

I have received a lot of positive attention at work because of it... mostly due to the noise it makes!

I'd definitely recommend them so far.

RD