Hi all,

I am considering purchasing a 2010-2011 Rapide and would appreciate any advice on such a search:

1. Best forums and manners in which to search
2. Optional equipment considered a “must have” on the car
3. Potential maintenance issues or “red flags” that might signal a car to avoid
4. Best colors for resale
5. The fair price for a nice condition Rapide of that vintage with 5000-20,000 miles

I was also wondering whether anyone uses their Rapide as a daily driver and might comment on the practical considerations regarding such a use (apart from the loss in value):

1. Is it sufficiently reliable as a daily driver?
2. Does it perform well in rain?
3. Any other comments as to why it might not make a good daily driver?

As an aside, I had been considering a Panamera TT as a daily driver and while it obviously is more proven in that regard, I always have been mesmerized by the AM cars (for obvious reasons) and would rather go in that direction if the Rapide could fill that purpose.

Thanks in advance for any and all help and comments!

 

Hey,

I am not sure how valuable my info will be for you as I just received my Rapide 2 weeks ago. I intend to use as my daily car (had Mercedes CL500 before) and so far I am very pleased with it - then again you would expect that after just a few weeks…

The reason I decided on the Rapide was that it is way more practical than a coupe - and when you drive it you completely forget there are seats in the back - it handles very well in my opinion and the sound is amazing - probably due to the longer exhaust system.

In auto mode, cruising - it is quiet and very easy to drive - just like a "normal" car.

Options: If you can get the reverse camera and the new Garmin sat nav system it would be great value, you would probably need to get late 2011 model for that.

- Rear Entertainment System if you have kids is pretty cool.

- Not sure if B&O sound is standard - but I rather listen to the car than the music although it is really good.

I have not had it long enough to face any problems - but will make sure I share them here…

God luck with it.

Cheers,
Klaus

 

Carter, you won't find much Rapide activity on any of the most popular Aston forums (this one, AMOC, or PistonHeads). Rapides are either very rare on the ground, or the owners just aren't forum participants. Rapide questions pop up from time to time, but there are usually few replies. I think the it's a good looking car and if I needed occasional back seats I'd be looking at them too.

The current (Gaydon) generation of Aston V12s and the TouchTronic transmission are pretty much bulletproof. I use my DB9 as a daily driver without any fear. I live on the West Coast and see a lot of rain -- it's a heavy, high-powered, rear drive car so you need to drive it with respect in the wet, but the brakes and traction control are top notch. Don't even think about driving it in the snow unless you've got good winter tires. And oh yeah, it uses a lot of fuel.

All the usual cautions apply concerning full service history and PPI.

Good luck with your search.

 

Rapid is a great sedan but the rear seats are not huge they are good but not super spacious like a rolls, maybach, or S65. My friend bought a brand new rapide this year and just got rid of it for a RR ghost, he is really happy with it but he liked the rapide a lot just wasnt as spacious as the RR for him at the end of the day.

 

Thanks you all so much for the replies.

I also was thinking of hanging on to my current sedan and looking at the DB9 or perhaps the Vantage S to scratch the itch for an AM. Still, I really love the look of the Rapide so I don't feel as if I'd be sacrificing much in the way of looks or sportiness. Also, I want it to be a good cruiser for those 300-500 mile trips and the Rapide might be even more comfortable than the Vantage for that task.

By the way, how frequent are the regular service intervals for the AM for a low mileage car?

Thanks again!

 

all AM are annual (or 10k) scheduled maintenance.

 

Sorry to all for the additional questions but this seems far different than locating a used Porsche or BMW (to say the least):

1. Production of the Rapide was moved to Gaydon in late 2012. Is there any reason to believe that the Rapides manufactured at Magna Steyr in Austria prior to late 2012 are unreliable or sub-optimal cars in any way?
2. What items are important in a service history?
a. What if the car has not been serviced at an AM dealer?
b. Any other items?
3. Is it dangerous to purchase from a private party or non-AM dealer? What precautions should be taken? Is there a pre-certified program?
4. Any thoughts on whether AM may drop prices on the Rapide to meet competition from the Quattraporte and Panamera?
5. Does anyone know of any AM brokers/experts in the U.S. who may be able to help weed out any problem cars?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

2: Annual/10k service requirements; any warranty repairs.
2a: AMs have a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty. If the car has not been regularly serviced at an AM dealer, and you have a problem develop while still under warranty, you may encounter "resistance" when you take the car to the AM dealer for resolution/repair. Extended warranties from AM are available (expensive!), but require a detailed inspection, which is not free. Once the car is out of the warranty period, however, ...
3: May not be any more dangerous than any car purchase...caveat emptor! Bought my two year old Vantage from a specialty dealer as a consigned lease return, but with AM service/maintenance records.

 

Production was moved because there was spare capacity at Gaydon, and it didn't make sense for them to be paying Steyr to produce cars that they could accommodate within their own facilities.

Overall, the Rapide should perform like a DB9, the running gear is pretty much the same, and have others have said, the DB9 is a very reliable car.

There is a new Rapide expected soon, which is likely to be a cosmetic upgrade (like the new DB9) with the upgraded engine from the new DB9

 

FYI, went today to look at a 2008 Vantage, a local high end dealer had in stock, and they happened to have a Rapid there. It was a 2011 model year with I believe about 5k miles. The car looked mint. They had it listed for $150,000 Seemed like a decent deal, and it had the B&O system. Beautiful car.

 

I have been using my 2012 Rapide as my daily driver. Had a Porsche Cayman S and AM V8V previously. Have to say that the Rapide is great to drive. A 300 mile trip in the Cayman used to beat me up. That same trip in the Rapide and I feel great. I am not planning on driving it in a snowstorm but will take it out on sunny days during the winter. Have had the car for six months and not having any problems.

 

We have a number of clients racking up daily driver miles on Rapides locally. As others have mentioned, there don't seem to be any Rapide-specific issues to watch for.

Comments about it feeling like a slightly bigger DB9 are accurate as well. If you don't look over your shoulder while driving, there's not much to give away that it has back seats and four doors.

Without plugging my own inventory, I would still be happy to chat with you if you have any questions.

Chet at Aston Martin of Dallas

 

We have a few clients that drive there Rapides year round ..even through are Canadian winters. If it was between the 2010 and 2011..there the same, no difference. In 2012 though there were some nice changes..newer Nav from Garmin versus the Volvo unit everyone dislikes. The wiper arms have been upgraded to the newer blade type, reverse camera now available..some cosmetic stuff like wheels/trims/exterior color have also been added.

Reliable car..only real issue with Rapide is the rear door harness's..they can be found to corrode from water ingress. Aston is aware and a fix has been made to solve the issue. They also have a concern with the body door seals detaching from the body..fix is to install a new seal if a concern is detected by the client(at rear fender flared sectionseal detaches)..but as for engine/drivetrain..it's mint, only issue ppl can get is misfire, but this is due to not driving the vehicle, ppl start the engine, drive 1mile and shut off the car..this fouls the spark plugs due to not achieving operating temp, but if you drive the car..no worries about this issue with any V12 from Aston ..