Astons are sexy and sound great. But they're built so poorly and the engineering is awkward

I would have to disagree with part of that statement. I owned a Vantage for a year and a half and was all over that car, pulling things off and putting them back on. It's a very well-made vehicle in my opinion, the workmanship is superb, and components are far superior to Porsche, where the capital "P" stands for 'plastic'. The only thing really poorly engineered on the car is the GPS system, which is archaic and should have gone out about the same time as Windows 95. They have fixed that in the latest Astons, however.

Aston got a bad reputation in earlier cars - those made before Ford bought them, prior to 2005. Workmanship on some of those was indeed shoddy, and some of the older ones had a tendency to overheat regularly. Once Ford bought them out things changed dramatically, and they went into the parts bin and replaced much of the componentry with Jaguar, Ford and Volvo items. Most the electrical system is Volvo, and that's a good thing. Many engine components will swap out with Jaguar parts, and yes, there are Aston Branded parts that cost $ 400 that are the same part available from Ford for $ 40 here and there. The transaxles are the same one as the ones used by Ferrari.

I have owned (5) Porsches, and got out of the Vantage mainly because it's not a good daily driver. Its very hard to see out of, the front end bangs curbs constantly, and the doors were difficult to get in and out of. A 991 is MUCH easier to drive day in and day out. However I do miss the bespoke nature of the Aston, and would love to own another one some day, the Vanquish I'd do in an instant if I could afford one. At the end of the day an Aston is a handmade car, the Porsche a production model. There is a difference.

 

Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but let's agree that "handmade" does not automatically equal "quality". I've been to both the AM factory and the P factory. How the car is assembled takes a back seat to how it's engineered.

DaveGee

 

There are days I still miss mine, it definitely had a vibe to it and was great fun. I'd buy another...



Of course, I like my 991S Cab better!

 

If you never owned an Aston then you only have an opinion, which is fine. I currently own a couple AM Vantages, both cars have been rock solid. Nothing but an annual oil change and back on the road. The fit, finish and materials of an Aston is much higher than Porsche. Having owned several Porsches, these are great cars as well. Having said this I have had several recalls with my Porsches including rear axle hub replacement (8 hrs of major work) on GT3's, wheel centerlock recall on the GT3, clutch pedal switch same GT3. Good thing I did not have a 2014 GT3, since all owners were directed not to drive them while they had an entire engine replacement!

PS I have a 2013 VW diesel Passat for sale CHEAP!!! Another fine piece of German Engineering!

 

Nice car!

Mine is a Tungsten Silver. However, if ever buy a new Aston, I'd buy a black one, or dark green.

But I agree, it is not a good daily driver. To be honest, my 993 drives much better, and that car is 20 years old. I was a bit disappointed with the ride quality from the Aston. It was my understanding that an Aston Martin is a comfortable GT in the first place and a sportscar in the second place. The steering is very hard also (but that can be the tires, not the car). But I have to say, my daily driver is a Mercedes, so almost every other car drives bad

That being said... will I ever buy another Porsche? Probably. Will I ever buy another Aston Martin? Yes. It was a childhood dream to ever own one, and I don't regret buying one.

PS: English is not my first language

 

I miss mine too. I preferred the db9 actually and I know I'll be back in an Aston one day but for now I'll have a Porsche as a DD.

 

I like "They're like ex wives. They're gorgeous but they don't produce **** and cost you more money than you thought"

 

I just sold my 997 and am going through the same dilemma...991 convertible PDK vs. a DB9 auto coupe (I think the DB9 looks better in coupe form). A good buddy of mine has a DB9 and loves it but it is way more expensive to maintain vs. a 911 given that it is a v12 and parts are generally more expensive. I like the way the DB9 drives but agree that with the 991 you feel way more connected to the road and it is a more modern car. Another issue I have is that the interior wear and tear on Astons is much more severe than the 911's (I've seen wood cracking and also leather dashboards that have shrunk) but those can be addressed.

Also, I probably would own a DB9 right now if I understood the potential engine starvation issue a little better and am just reading the super comprehensive Gaydon era Aston book. I drove the sportshift transmission vantage and just couldn't get past the feel of the shifts. It's a very nice sporty drive but would only consider it if I were in the market for a manual version (which I'm not currently).

I most likely end up with the 991 in the next month or two but there's still a chance that I find a nice DB9 example that I can pull the trigger on.

 

I had a 2007 V8 Vantage. It was a great car and I had no problems. Very reliable and I got more thumbs up then my 996TT or 997.2 TT Porsche's combined! Pretty easy car to work on and very, very well engineered. I would, and will, own another one someday. It's not a pure performance car but is not lacking on power either. The sound is intoxicating!

 

I was just kicking tires at my local Aston dealer the other day and came across this little thing of beauty. Man, I just love the look of this! Shape, paint, everything about this car is the sh*t. I'll let them update the tech in the next couple years and then give her a spin. LOVE this car.

alec

 

To me, the AM GT is more fun to drive than a 911. Plus its a stick.

 

I currently own a Porsche GT4 a Vantage Roadster and Hardtop. Comparing both car is challenging, they are so different. To me the Aston materials, (plenty of leather and aluminum) and craftsmanship is what sets it apart from the Porsche. As mentioned by others the Porsche technology is superior, but the Aston is just superb on material quality and paint finish. The 2013 Vantage is where many upgrades became standard, a practice Aston often does to sell cars. If I was in the market I would focus on this year or newer. A low mileage 2013 Vantage can be purchased for the high 80's, that is cheaper that a a Boxster S with plastic interior parts. I see some complaints about Aston reliability but I have had zero problems with my Astons.

 

WOWOWOWOW!!....Fantastic sound!

 

They are different cars. The V8V has great paint and the leather work is superb and the sound with fuse 22 removed is like a Mustang GT. The 991 what can I say "nothing even comes close" or "there is no substitute " The fit and finish of my 991 is very good, not to the standered of a Bentley but for the price the Porsche is a Fantastic car. I will never sell my Porsche but the Aston will probably be replaced with another Bentley.

 

The Aston with it's garage mates.