The R8 is an anomaly. It was cheaper to buy new then used for the last few years. All cars fall in value, but the more limited the interest the harder it is to sell and the lower the price. Dealers can't even move new some new ones for years. To keep brands out of it, would you rather have a 3 year old Vantage V12, or a new V8? Almost the same price, depending on how close to sticker you pay for the V8. One is faster and more exclusive, one has a warranty. I'm not sure which way to go...

 

I'm sorry but all the Audi's I had sucked, including my semi-Audi GTI which had many maintenance issues. But I do agree on the market perception of AM or all brit cars for that matter. I also had many porsches (including 7 varieties of 911s. All had issues including oil leaks, seal leaks, etc. Fact is that volume manufacturers do a hell of a lot more marketing than AM or other brit manufacturers.

 

I was recently presented with this dilemma and opted for the 2013 V8Vantage S with a full warranty... I didn't even drive the V12 though... the V8S seemed (for now) fast enough and so much faster and refined than the car it replaced (07 Vantage).

 

And yet... For many years now, Jaguar has been at or near the top of reliability surveys, while Audi does rather poorly. My service experience with Audi was nowhere near as good as it has been with Aston, and neither was the Audi as reliable as my Aston has been. Same goes for my current Mercedes.

Also, Aston resale value is no worse than most other prestige cars'. Porsche 911s used to hold their value well, but not anymore. Maserati values plummet, and V12 Ferraris do too. M-B SLs (and SLS) and Jaguar XKs -- they fall rapidly also.

 

^^^^^ Yup. I kept a 2001 XK8 for 10 years -- very reliable, reasonable service costs, but a depreciation cliff like nothing I've ever seen before. Tarred with the sins of the past.

 

2006aston vantage vs 993 porsche from 1998.
They are getting 40,000 for these old porsches. just doesnt seem like the car as the AM vantage is.

what about 3 years left warranty on a AM vantage 06 and 28,000miles for $60k dealer and no NAV system, vs a same year with 20k miles and NAV and no warranty for 55k?
visually, same shape, both pristine? what would you do and why?

 

993's are a cult car is why. Try to get any money for a 996...lol

My pal in Chicago just bought a brand new, leftover 2012 Porsche 991 Carrera Cabriolet with a window sticker of $ 112K on it for $ 85K. Now there is depreciation before it ever got off the lot! This is the one he just bought at Hoffman Porsche in CT. He waited them out on the price...

http://www.hoffmanporsche.com/certif...01335/info.php

 

Perhaps the people who can afford to spend $100k+ on a car would rather buy new if a used one is not significantly cheaper. Everything is under warranty and less hassle and worry. That would help explain the demand side of the used cars.

On the supply side, maybe the really rich new car owners often trade up to the latest and don't mind losing a chunk of money in the trade-in. I was quite shocked to see the number of 1-3 year old cars with <5k miles for sale for much less than new. Cars look barely used at all. Did these folks even enjoy the car? It takes over 1000 miles just to get the car fully ready to perform.

Just my theory. I'm happy to be on the buying side of the used ones. For the price of a new ordinary Mercedes/BMW/Audi, I got my dream car (MY09 V8V roadster). Plan to keep it forever, but who knows, it's only my first performance car.

 

I really loved driving my V8 Audi S4, but the maintenance costs became too much. I hated to part with it, but could not justify the money any longer for repairs.

 

Porsche repair costs are the same as an Aston? I was surprised to hear that as being an owner of a few Porsches and a Aston. I believe the dealer last quoted me over $800 for an oil change for my Aston where one on a 997 TT is about $3-$400 depending on dealer. Oil filters as well as air filters for my DB9 are simply the most expensive I have ever had to buy for a performance car. Last time I checked the dealer my DB9's oil filter cost was $65-69 and a set of air filters were close to $200.

People are really offering you 20k less than your asking price? I have zero tolerance for that crap! My guess is a lot of these buyers are hoping for a "home run" so they can profit from your ignorance. Stay strong at your price but allow for some negotiation so the buyer feels they got a deal. Good clean low mileage examples are hard to find. I paid a premium when I bought mine with only 10k miles on it but glad I did because the car feels showroom new when driving it. Buyers who are informed will realize that the lower mileage cars usually end up costing less in the long run. Good luck!

 

I think the problem is the fact that at your asking price, you're competing with vehicles with lower miles that also happen to be newer.

I happen to be in the market for a V8V as I recently lost my Lotus to an accident. My wife and I test drove a 2008 V8V at Scottsdale Aston Martin yesterday. Vehicle is local, one owner, immaculate, grey on black, 2008 model year, 3800 miles. They are asking $74,800 but after working them for an hour, we got to $71,000. Full service history on this car. Previous owner owns multiple exotics and stores them in a climate conditioned garage. Car was traded on a Rapide S. I needed to sleep on it before making my decision and decided today that I would not pursue the vehicle because I don't want to pay more than $70K for what would be my weekend toy.

 

Seriously, you didn't buy the car because you were $1k apart from a deal? Wow, from what you say about the car it sounds extremely well cared for.. not too many with histories like that.

 

Condition and mileage appears very good. If you want an 08 this looks like a well maintained unit with super low miles! One drawback is the 4.3L engine, I believe the 4.7L which was introduced on 09 to improve on performance.

 

Add sales tax and dealer fees and we're talking $79K.

 

I agree with a lot that has been said here.

Regarding the warranty - any chance you could buy and extended warranty (Costco, etc ) and pass the cost (included in your price) on to the buyer? Having a viable, reliable warranty made it much easier to sell my AMG SL55.

Good luck.