Hi Guys, Newbie here hoping for some suggestions.

I'm in my late 20s and entering the 3rd year of a BMW 3 Cabrio lease. Last week my friend offered to take over the last 6 months, I'm on the market for a used AMV8. I'm not "wealthy" enough to buy cars as toys, but I do love cars and enjoy detailing and maintaining fine automobiles. This is intended to be a daily driver.

In the past 2 years I've developed quite an unhealthy obsession towards car detailing. The 3er is still in mint condition even as my daily driver and parked in an outdoor space. I figured leasing no longer makes sense, since I want to really take good care of a car well for 3~5 years, with the sense of pride and ownership. (AMV8's been a dream since the concept days)

However, I do realize that with an 07 Aston, I'm giving up many of the BMW's creature comforts (no, not iDrive) that I've taken for granted. The small things that make you go "wow, that's neat". I tried to get these answered, but most AM dealers ignore my used cars inquiry, and the used car dealerships knows little about what they are selling. I was hoping you guys can help me out. I'm sure the sacrifice is worth it for an AMV8, but I still want to know what to expect. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

1. Keyless Entry/Ignition (as I understand not possible with the Volvo-sourced keys during the Ford PAG era.)
2. Hill-Assist for Manual Transmissions. (the BMW makes you lazy.)
3. How does the handbrake on the left side impact the above maneuver?
4. Inner city driving, is this an easy clutch to work with or rather challenging?
5. Will I be able to perform basic maintenance with my mechanic buddy? Oil changes, break pad replacements, etc.
6. Any way to build an Aux-in into the car? Don't even need full iPod integration if it's too much work. (btw, great write ups on the other threads, very helpful)

Hopefully with these answered, I'll be ready to make the jump. Any comments or suggestions are welcome! Thanks again for the help guys.

 

Okay, bearing in mind that my regular daily driver in London is a road-legal vintage racecar... I find the Vantage very easy to live with on a daily basis. Handbrake is a non-issue. Some of the other guys on the forum will be able to help with the Ipod retrofit.

Clutch is a bit heavier than most modern cars. I really like this, but some people prefer a lighter clutch. I find it very direct and rewarding - if you get your downshifts right you really know it.

As far as maintenance goes it isn't too bad. The only downside with the 06/07 cars is that the engine undertray doesn't have a cut-out for the oil change so you have to remove the whole tray to get at the sump. You can retro-fit the '08-on tray which does have a cut-out and I think that's only a couple hundred bucks or so.

Sexiest car on the road and pre-owned prices are an absolute steal....

 

Thanks for the detailed reply, that information on oil change will sure save me a ton of time and surprise when the first scheduled change comes around.

One question I forgot to ask, does the xenon headlights turn, or do they only level? (again, my questions are for the 06/07 AMV8)

I think I'll begin looking around in October.

 

headlights do not turn ... forget the iPoD hard wire ... seems the only solution is very expensive (relative) and not sure anyone has actually done it in the US ... so use a FM modulator if you need Ipod or burn some CDs ...
1) no
2) no
3) no issue - it is floating and moves out of the way
4) no issue if you can drive a stick
5) get a good shop and no issues
6) see above but answer is really no

 

i will let you know in a week or so. I got rid of a pretty loaded 335i coupe and got myself a loaded (but rather antiquated in comparison to the 335i) 06 AMV8.

I think you should test drive one. I forgot about all the creature comfort as soon as I drove one AND looked at one. It really is that beautiful (obviously that's a matter of taste) inside, outside and it drives really decent too.

If you want the creature comforts - try looking at a 997.2 Carrera 2. With the discounts, you can get one between 72-80k.

BTW - If you miss the creature comforts - just pick up a used infinity, lexus or that new hyundai genesis as a daily driver. Those have more *AND BETTER* gizmos than the BMW...

 

Thanks for the info djakarta. You just made the switch? I'm coming from a loaded E93 328i. Great car, but missing that special something.

Where did you get the chance to test drive the car? I have acquaintances with Bentleys, AMGs and Porches, but nobody with a few degrees of separation has an Aston. Should I just find the nearest dealership with a car in my price range? That's about 105 miles away.

I only have one parking spot, so there's no way for me to handle two cars by myself. I don't think I'll miss the creature comforts as soon as I hear that engine

 

i sold the 335i in may - been carless since. The AMV8 is coming in this Sunday/Monday. I'm losing sleep to be honest!

I loved my e92 335i. It was very talented, balanced and looked good... but it was missing something like you said. not sure what it was..

I ended up driving a local one - but I did not get it because it was green inside..

 

When I first read the title of your post, I thought, WTF?!?! You're talking about a 3 year old car, not something from the 80s. Geez, I guess you young guys move at the speed of light and anything older than, say, 3 hours, is out of date. You're not losing any creature comforts. C'mon! You only mentioned 2 things that could remotely be considered a 'comfort' item (hill assist and I-pod). The other 4 things aren't creature comforts by any stretch of the imagination.

Geez, man up! Throw your lame I-pod out the window and enjoy the car, not the little crap items. Like someone said, buy yourself a Hyundai Genesis if the first thing out of your mouth is creature comforts. You ain't a car guy.

 

Yes I admit I strayed from my original topic as I was posting, just had a few questions I was hoping the AMV8 owners could help me out with.

I might not be your definition of a car guy, but at my age, income, and with my financial responsibilities, I simply cannot (yet) buy cars merely as toys. Therefore I wanted to ask a few more questions before moving forward.

You really have to admit, compare the Ford PAG era Aston Martins with BMW/Audi/Mercs of that era at the same price range, you really don't get a lot of creature comforts.

can you really fault me to want to enjoy a 700w system with my music from the ipod?

finally, even though I hate to say this, as a car guy, I have to respect what Hyundai has done with the Genesis. Simply amazing.

Lets not get personal.

 

If you can manage to find an 08 in your price range, you would get the audio features.

 

If your criteria for a world class car is whether or not it has an I-pod hook up, then I feel for you buddy. You buy a $120K car (or whatever it costs) and if you worry about the lack of an I-pod for more than a millisecond, you shouldn't buy the car. I-pods are the second biggest scourge on the earth (right after cell phones).

People complain about the semii-crappy nav system. Who cares. If you don't know where you're going, and don't like using the nav system, get a map.

Astons are very luxurious and have more than enough creature comforts. You've got power seats, windows, mirrors, dual zone climate control, alarm systems, a CD player, a radio, multi speakers, leather everywhere, a body to die for, etc, etc. This is a car, it's about the driving experience, if you have some extras, great.

I remember a co-worker who bought a brand new Vette (C4) and took me for a ride at lunch. The first thing he wanted to do was have me listen to how great the stereo system sounded; I wanted to listen to how great the motor sounded. The car gods should have immediately smote him and taken the car back...what a moron.

 

if you wind up getting it, please let me know how you like it. I'm strongly considering one of these as my next car as well.

 

when I was test driving 997 porsches I used the 'oh this doesnt have integrated sirius radio, no swiveling lights, etc.' excuses in comparing it to my e92 335i.

somehow it never crossed my mind when I drove the V8 vantage

you should drive it first. Or find a nice local dealer who would at least take you for a ride in a V8 vantage.

i'll have to find out if I'm going to miss these nice techno gizmos or not. If I do but I still like the vantage too much to give it up, I'll get a loaded Ford Fusion Hybrid and save the environment. I think the sync nav system reads your SMS for you

 

I don't think the V8 Vantage is not winter friendly in NE if it's going to be your only car.

 

thanks for the great replies guys. extremely helpful.
@XJRS_Owner. I'm definitely lusting the AMV8 because of the fact that it's a wonderful "car". Nearly perfection in so many ways. However inevitably this will not always be a plaything. When I'm stuck in traffic, it'd be nice to stream some podcasts to ease my mind from NYC traffic. Yes it's minor details, but the major items I've settled a long time ago, this is the car I want.

@djakarta
I'm definitely interested in your feedback because of this similar background in cars. Let us know how the experience goes. I'll also be looking to test drive in a few weeks when i finally get a few days off. (if i had space for another car, I actually really want a Fusion Hybrid, quite a fun little car)

@lucky6600
My E93 with ultra high performance tires actually fared quite well. I do plan to have a set for winter though. Good following distance and keeping your eyes out for hazards goes a long way in NYC winters.