Hello everyone....

I have been reading and picking on some of your experiences here for a couple of weeks now and it is time to get in the water... so here i am ready to do it.
My dream car, (my wife kept asking why as i am driving a 911) but i am sure you all get it, right? LOL

Anyway, i got a very nice christmas card from my wife on top of being my BD a couple a months ago, and the card said " go for it!!!

So after much research and emotional torture (budget and all) i have narrowed it down to a 2009 v8v. I am more drawn to the coupe which i can't explain since i love topless cars( my 911 is ). Am i crazy?

Getting to the point-
Any input as to what i should be looking for to avoid trouble?

6 speed or the shifters?
Sport packg or not ?
who should i do the Pre purchase inspection with?
dealers or known cars to avoid?
and many more Question i wouldn't even know to ask.

I would very much appreciate any and all input and advise.

Thank you.

 

Exciting times! Lucky you

If you don't already have it, get yourself a copy of "The Definitive Guide to Gaydon Era Astons" (see https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ston-book.html). Lot's to learn there.

2009 is a good choice for a Vantage. The lines of the coupe are just right to me, unless you really need the roadster thing.

Good luck with the search!

 

I too, came out of a Porsche Convertible and was focused on a Vantage Roadster - or at least tried to be. But you know, the lines of the car are just not the same and its more claustrophobic when the top is up as well. I'd go back and forth between the coupe and the roadster - and at the end of the day decided most of the reason I was getting an Aston was for the style as the performance is similar to the 911...so the coupe won out. No regrets so far.

Manual trans for sure if you ask me. The single clutch sport shift is a boggy, miserable piece of hardware on both the street and track. The manual gearbox is very nicely weighted and feels good, too. Not as nice as a Honda S2000, but better than a Porsche.

There are lots of low mile cars out there, as like Porsches, the best deals look to be in Texas on them. The 2007 Coupe I picked up this past October only had 4,800 miles on it. Two months later it now as another 1,000 and I've had zero issues with it and found no faults on the car. They get crappy fuel mileage, but who cares? Lots of fun, and I'm pretty hooked on Astons now....

 

Thank you both for the input.

Duane- i am keeping my 911 for those days i need to also take my two little ones with/ and i will have the top down option. couldn't get myself to love the DB9) I also feel that for me i like the coupe look. is there a reason you went for an 07 other then $$ ?

 

Thanks, i will get it!!!

 

Congratulations on your Choice--a really good choice for sure. I would have the PPI done by Robbie Allen at Beverly Hills Aston. He's one of the most knowledgable (and personable) Aston Mechanics I've had the pleasure to deal with. You might take a drive down there and discuss Astons with him, perhaps one of his customer's has one for sale.

Give them a call first, I'm pretty sure this is where Robbie works.
http://www.ogaracoach.com/car/maker/astonmartin

 

Just $$$$ for me. I think the 2009 is the sweet spot actually...and they tend to run about $ 20K more than the 07's. You'll enjoy the truly hand-made part of as Aston, and the different driving experience.

 

Breezman,

Congratulations. I recently traded in my 2010 Vantage Roadster w/Sportshift I for a new 2012 Vantage S coupe w/Sportshift II. The Roadster looked great with the top down, but as mentioned by Duane the lines were not the same as the Coupe when the top was up. Two months ago I bought my wife a new Boxster S for our anniversary. Since she now had a convertible she was comfortable driving, a couple of weeks ago I decided to get a Vantage coupe. I wanted a manual b/c I missed having a real stick shift. At the dealership I spotted a Vantage S. When we started the engine and heard the exhaust on the S, it was all over for me. Even though the 2012 Vantage S was not available with a stick, I decided to go for it (btw, the Sportshift II is much better, but I will still use the paddles and the sport button 99% of the time). You should be prepared for all of the comments (positive) and questions you will get from people when you are in your Aston. Happy hunting.

 

09 is definitely a good year. It's the 4.7L which has a bit more umph and is noticeable. If you prefer manual, get the manual. It's pretty good in the Vantage and the Sportshift works but has it's nuances. 09 has the 1st gen SportShift which works fine once you figure it out but yea.

Regarding the sport pack, drive them both before deciding. The car is fairly stiff stock as a GT car and the sport pack tightens it up a lot. I personally prefer the sport pack and I put about 6-7k miles on my cars so it's driven much more "daily" for me.

Something else to consider is whether you want the N420 side sills. I believe this is an option in '10 models. It adds a lot to the lines of the car and was ultimately why I bought the Vantage S and sold my Vantage.

Good luck in your search!

 

Lots of good advice here welcome to the Aston forum here on the 6 def get grants book/guide on Aston martins... Also please search the forum here for more in depth discussions regarding your choices, you will find a wealth of information from friendly Aston owners and enthusiasts here.

 

Welcome! Awesome wife you have there.

Absolutely get the book. The author is a forum member, the book is amazing, and so far the author has been mailing out PDF updates for the book for those who purchased the book in the past.

www.astonmartinreview.co.uk

Jeff

 

Thank you everyone for the kind words and for the willingness to share your thoughts and experiences.. I already ordered the book but i guess i have to wait for it to arrive from the UK.
I am intending to use the car as a daily driver as my commute is about 30 miles up and down the california coast and i go into the office 4 days a week so it sound like a good match. the SS scares me a little and it seems that there is a learning curve. i am used to manual and "real automatic" so i am a little concerned there. also my wife will drive the car as well and it sound like she might have hard time with it, can she just drive in auto mode? Can anyone give me some more input on the SP please?
Most of my driving will be along the coast and into the city, however i do live in a semi rural area with fantastic winding mountain roads hope this info helps you guys help me..

Thanks ,

Boaz

 

Also--- ARe there any riding group or members in my area?

 

The shift lag on the sport shift is hugely annoying. It's not like Porsche's PDK. There is a very noticeable delay up shifting as if he car needs a moment to decide if its going to do it ...or not. I found it terrible on the street and just as bad on the track during a recent driving school where I was instructing and did some laps in them as driver. I would go back to Porsche if I required a auto-shift box, that's how strongly I feel about it. The manual transmission though.... It's really a sweet shifter! Drive them both for sure.

 

If your wife likes automatics, she' 'll be fine with the sport- shift. You can drive strictly in automatic,pull a paddle and you are in paddle mode. I' m 56 and pretty much past the racing phase and since I do drive it daily, it's a nice fit for me. When the weather is right the top is down and I happen to like the top down look more than the coupe, although it's close. The extra 40 horses in the 09 would be nice but, personally, I don't feel I'm missing much. Also have owned 4 different 911 iterations.