Aston Martin as a First Car?
 

Hi all,

I was wondering if any of you guys have any information about the maintenance and running costs of owning an Aston Martin V8 Vantage. I'm currently looking at a couple of cars before heading to university (Toronto) this fall.

Please note that I will be paying 100% for this vehicle and have no issues doing so. I currently have 3 years of driving experience coming from Singapore and Beijing.

I'm currently looking at an Aston Martin V8 Vantage 2008, Audi R8 2008, Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 2009, Range Rover Sport 2012 & Porsche Cayenne 2012.

Let me know of anything else that I might need to look into before getting the car. But more importantly the maintenance cost, and I'm slightly worried at the number of issues with the clutch on the V8 Vantage.

Much appreciated!

There is a vast amount of information on this website that will answer your questions. Use the search function and you'll have all the info you need.

I have been lurking on it for quite some time now but am unsure about the frequency of which the clutch breakdowns happen.

I put over 22K miles on my 07 through 3 years of ownership with no issues at all. The car was very reliable although expensive as I had it serviced at my "local" Aston dealership. I wouldn't recommend the car in the snow as that would be just wrong! (IMO).

The V8V is a great car and definitley daily driveable... But unless your university has a garage spot for you... I personally wouldn't want to just leave an Aston out in some random parking lot. Definitley not in winter. Perhaps see what school life is really like first?..... (my college car lot was a mile off campus, and freshmen couldn't have cars.) As far as a college car I'd probably go more in the direction of the SUV options. Not sure I can fit a keg in my V8V.

With that said... for the $$$ perhaps look at a new 2014 Jeep SRT-8. I love my 2008. AWD, Brembo brakes, and faster than most sports cars! Have fun car shopping.

An Aston Martin as a college car?? Must be nice. I personally enjoyed the multi-functionality of my '80's Pontiac wagon with faux wood paneling back in the day. That car got absolutely destroyed though and it makes me cringe to think of a work of art as a college car. And winter would be awful. Plus, that's setting the bar quite high. I guess you could get a New Vanquish when you graduate?

Yeah the issue of setting the bar high has come across my mind several times and I guess it'll be sitting in the back of my mind.

It helps when you've started a business at the age of 16 with a high profit margin haha and sold it before I entered the army.

I mean I obviously wouldn't be driving the car when its snowing and what not. Would never subject to something this immaculate to something brutal and cold like a blizzard/slush.

As for parking... I'll most likely be getting a permit which to be honest isn't that bad in price. I come from a country where the Aston Martin would cost me 500,000 USD not including what they call "Certificate of Entitlement" (Which is around 75000 USD). A brand new Toyota would cost 60,000 USD or so.

Many years ago (2007) while on the AMOC forum, there was another college student with a new Vantage - shortly after he began posting, he inserted a picture of the car with it's wheels and tires missing being stolen from his parking lot. Other than that I don't remember too much of the posts.

I'm a college student and I drive mine to school some days. So far, so good. I definitely wouldn't do it every day due to weather and whatnot. Nor would I leave it overnight. But so far I haven't seen anyone messing with it or anything like that.

Here is a big issue. Besides snow and salt, the summer tires generally don't do well when the temps are below about 45F.

In the northern US and Canada, that means you'll be very limited on driving from November to April. That's also generally when school will be in session. As long as you don't need reliable transportation during those months, and have very secure parking, I guess you'd be ok.

If you were going to school in California, or Florida, it'd certainly be a different story.

Laila, welcome to the forum and may I also say congratulations on being successful in business at such a young age. It is a lot of work and takes a lot of guts to step out on your own. When I first started Velocity in 2007, I was also working full time and living in a Pub that a friend was running!

As much as I love Astons & would love to suggest that you pick one up, I also know what the weather can be like in Toronto (I am Canadian.) If your living arrangements are such that a big dump of snow or nasty weather means you just don't take the car out for a few days or a week or two at times, then go for it. If you are going to need to get around in the car all the time, get to school, go grocery shopping etc, I would consider something that will A. Be easier to drive in the snow, and B. You won't worry about getting a little messy.

Having said all that, the clutches aren't known for being enormously long-lasting. However, if you are sensitive in the way that you drive, pay attention and do a few important things like don't use the creep function, do regular clutch learns, there are plenty of people out there who have achieved very respectable mileages with both the manual and paddle shift cars. It is harder to do in city driving, but overall, the cost of maintenance on an Aston should be in the same ballpark as most of the other vehicles you've mentioned, given a similar age, mileage and condition.

Highly doubt if that's true, there is no shame in saying your parents paid for it. There are a lot of rich Chinese exchange students in North America. Anyways, it's a horrible idea. Here is why.

My parents worked hard and saved a lot of money for my College tuition. Then I got a 4 year scholarship and they gave me every single penny of it. I went to the nearest BMW and order myself a brand new M3. All I did was parked that car on campus to collect dust. College life is hectic with classes, exams, midterms, friends, girlfriends, part-time job, and college life itself. I never really enjoyed my car, didn't have time for it. My brother in high school took it most of the time to keep the battery from dying. Unless you like to showoff, it's a horrible idea.

It's a terrible idea. I had the opportunity to go off to college with a Lamborghini Gallardo (thanks to mom and dad, not my imaginary teenage tech empire).

Here is my biggest recollection of driving it in college:

1) "Sorry, I can only fit one other person"

2) "Dude, you better not puke in here"

3) Being 15 minutes late to class because I had to find a parking spot where ditsy sororities/other late students wouldn't open their door into it

4) The fact that there's nothing enjoyable about driving an exotic in 2 mile bursts 15 times a day

5) You learn to live without ever eating food because a) fast food smells up the car and b) you can't fit any groceries in it

6) Lastly, and I can't stress this the most, looking like an asshat because everyone else drove normal cars. It's college, not a yacht club.


If I did it all over again, I would have gotten a practical car and spent more time enjoying the actual college experience.

I hate you - but want to be your adopted brother.