I posted several times on this forum last year, when I was trying to decide between a Porsche 911 and an AM Vantage. The feedback I received on this forum helped in making my decision to buy an AM. Unfortunately, my plans to buy that Vantage last year, were temporarily derailed, as I had to channel some funds to my son, whose business, like so many others, has become a victim of our current economy.

I'm now back in the market. I've tried to do as much research as possible, regarding pricing, extended warranties, etc. Several friends have suggested I buy a 2008 or newer. Is there any major difference between the 2006-07 models.....and the 2008 or newer? I would appreciate any and all suggestions. Thanks in advance!

 

'07 came with a number of upgrades. the most obvious is to the interior, which has a much nicer stitching job on the seats. they also added an LED light in the door handles so you can see where the handle is at night (the handles are flush to the body). there were some other things, and someone posted a document with all the changes in one of the threads around here.

the most obvious difference for '08 was the removal of the antenna from the roof, so the '08 doesn't have that Alfalfa look to it.

i think it was '09 when they upgraded the center console, increased engine displacement, lightened the flywheel, and so on.

 

To telum01,

Thanks for responding! To your knowledge, is there any specific year that might be more trouble or problem prone than other years. Again, Thanks

 

i'm honestly not too sure. i've mostly stuck to looking at '07s as those fall in my price range. if i remember correctly, the '09s had some issues when they came out. some people reported the engine cutting out from time to time. i'm not sure what was done to resolve it, but everything i heard involved dealers taking care of the problem. i started to put together a little checklist the other day (haven't gotten to far on it, though):

Bulletin 236 for transmission (fixes shifting problems)
drain holes for trunk lid (if they clog, your trunk/hatch can get water in it when it rains)

-leaking engine - known problem
-doors not locking - known problem
-brake noise - known problem (common for lots of cars with high performance brakes, which the AM has from Brembo)
-screws loose in the dash board rattling at high speeds - known problem
-alarm sensor - known problem

everything listed should be covered under warranty (which might encourage you to go with a newer car that still has its warranty), but i don't know what can be done about the brake noise except for anti-squeak grease (or whatever it's called).

 

I wouldn't get an 06 solely based on it being a new model. As mentioned previously, "known" issues got worked out some for 07. If you want sportshift then you have to go with 07 or newer. I have an 07 and dealt with a couple of the known issues so far. I don't have experience to give a suggestion of an 08 over an 07.

Love my car!

 

You can buy mine in October. It's an '08 roadster with 5K miles and tons of upgrades and factory options. I bought an '08 because the interior was better than the first 2 years. Also, I think it was the first year for Sat radio and the upgraded stereo (700W). The sports shift became more widely available. There were a few minor issues with the first cars and I was told at the time that the 08's had less. I think that you may find that the 08 cars are a little better equipped and available in a wider range of color and option combos. When I was looking, it seemed that a lot of the older cars had black interiors. I wanted something different.

 

My '07 has the premium sound. My advice is that, whichever car you buy, you hold out for one with this upgrade. The sound is amazing.

Aside from that, each year has its minor techical issues that have arisen on some folks' cars. I don't think the '08 will be a substantial improvement over the '06 or '07 in terms of reliability. The biggest choice you face is between the older 4.3L or the newer 4.7L. If you can afford it, you'll want the torque of the 4.7L.

 

I have an '07 w/ lot's of upgrades (factory & after Mkt - yes premium sound too). Had a few items/issues from the above list - all were handled by the dealer as warrenty and have not been an issue after repair. One other thought is yes the dash/stereo are a little different for '08 (looks like the DB series) - which actually I do not care for that style. The move from 4.3 to 4.7 is nice but after mkt kits for 4.3 can give you more power vs. stock 4.7
All in all I would suggest buying the best, well cared for, car you can afford. Be careful with something that is a "lower price" than others available - might just be an abused car that will quickly cost you more in the near term. This is just like the Porsche & Ferrari mkt - there are some nice cars and total slugs out there.

 

I appreciate the responses! One of my biggest concerns about buying an AM have been reliability issues. Obviously, that's why forums like this or so helpful, when owners can share their experiences. I'm 52, and my memory of British cars dates back to the early 70's, when several of my friends owned MG's, Triumph's, and Jags, They were all great looking cars with terrible reputations for reliability. I realize that 35-plus years have gone by since then, and AM seems to be a state of the art car. I have a tendency to keep my cars for a long time, so I hope an AM Vantage will be a special car that could potentially be a keeper. I looking for a Vantage with a manual transmission....I would appreciate anyone could share their experience about driving one daily. Thanks

 

I have the RSC cats, RSC ECU reflash, and K&N filters on my AMV8. I estimate that the car has about 410-415 bhp (ran 330 rwhp on a dyno). I haven't driven the 4.7L, but my car still is a bit lacking in perceived low-end grunt. I suspect that while the RSC and other aftermarket mods bump up the HP at the higher RPMs, the low-end torque is still lacking. The 4.7L has about 15% more torque than the 4.3L. In addition, I believe the 4.7L has a lighter flywheel, which makes a difference too.

So, IMHO, the lack of low-end oomph is a bit of a negative of the 4.3L car. That said, I love the car and would rather have the beauty and style of the Aston than another car that is lacking in those categories but has more power.

 

In my experience, the car has been very reliable. I've only had a few minor issues over the last year of ownership, including: a loose piece of chrome trim, an interior rattle noise, and a gas flap that does not open when I try to pop it from within the ****pit.

 

I have an 08 manual...several minor issues (mentioned by others above) taken care under warranty but again I don't drive it much. You can't expect AM to be very reliable like Lexus and Acura/Honda but I would say that reliability is about average or above average, which is typical for luxury or exotic cars. I think most folks buy AM for style, uniqueness, and beauty rather than speed and reliability. I recommend 07 or 08 under extended warranty and then put sports exhaust and power upgrade kit to bring it to 410-415 hp unless you want to spend more for the 2009 4.7L. It all depends on how much you want to spend. 06 was the first year and it's best to stay away from it.

 

I'll disagree regarding your '06 comment. I have an 06; bought it when it was three months old (it was on the first boat over - there was a time when these cars were hard to get).
' drove it daily for the first year or two, and never had a issue worth mentioning. I don't drive it much anymore, but I'd not hesitate to hop in and drive cross-country.

I'm not aware of any particular reason to be biased against an '06 (outside of the outdated "first year" stereotypes).

 

I have an 09 V8 Vantage Raodster that I purchased at the beginning of this year from the dealer with 347 km on it. Put on 2000 KM so far and no mechanical issues with it at all. Even took it to an autocross event and plan on trying it on the track towards the end of this season. Preferably on a track with no concrete walls. My only gripe is the little details; passenger door rattles inside, driver side window trim chrome piece was popping up on one side, a loose clip on the underside of the rear roof caused a puncture on the leather deck lid. All covered under warranty but a bit annoying from such a fine and well crafted car.

 

I also have an '09 purchased new earlier this year and now closing in on 2k miles and not one issue....no rattles, no popping up chrome pieces etc...nothing. Ok....perhaps one small issue is that occasionaly I need to press the fuel cap release a couple times before it pops open and I am sure that a adjustment would remedy it.