Buying AM HELP!!!!!!
#16
03-08-2014, 09:34 AM
My Advice (I'm the guy that got the 09 from Newport Beach AM for $65K including shipping to Minnesota).
I bought an 07 AM Vantage new with all options and a factory wood interior (panel and doors) for $156K new with a 5 year warranty. Thinking this was a better investment than the same price Ford GT (new), the AM would be a better investment (boy was I wrong) and more drivable (that was right). I only owed $50K when the recession hit and destroyed my business. A quick sale (I dumped every unnecessary item) meant I took a $90K loss, made worse because Lake Forest Aston Martin, my salesman, (Dave Pigg), who said my warranty was refundable when I built the car, recanted and I could not get my $5,000 back. Losing everything but my business and home was painful, but especially the new Vantage took months to recover.
When business came back one of my goals was to be in a Vantage, and like you drive it about 5K a year. I knew there are certain must have items (for resale) like NAV, 700W Stereo, Cruise, Bluetooth, remote garage opener, and exterior and interior color that makes a resale difference. I thought my budget was for an 07 (I did not want an 06 because of significant upgrades made in 07), but after a few weeks looking my son told me of the 09 at Newport Beach. Other than a delivery nightmare on their end, the purchase was 99% satisfactory and I did purchase a 2 year factory (as if new) warranty because the car was AM certified already. It was not perfect. I spent about $1,000 for a dent repair in Minneapolis (not sure why they did not fix it), a spare key, and an owners manual, which they gave me a 20% discount on parts price. The 'clear bra' was missing, so small chip (tiny) repair and a new bra will likely set me back another $1,000 in the next few weeks as the snow melts.
Another big factory in affordability was financing. My bank Wells Fargo would go down to 8% on a used Aston loan, Newport Beach AM got me financing at US Bank for only 3.5%, making it even more feasible for an upgrade (I put $15K down).
When I bought the 09, there were only 2 Vantages we found under $60,000, so the choices were much less than today when I looked at cars.com and say many under $60K.
The 09 I got was delivered as represented... no surprises, other than problems in getting title.
The condition of the leather interior is very important as leather repair is expensive. Look for wear on the bolster of the drivers seat, is it cracked or worn? It did not appear that the car your looking at had the critical options when you resell the car: NAV, Cruise and Bluetooth. Look for buttons both sides of the steering wheel to see if it has cruise and Bluetooth. If it has the stereo upgrade even better. Without these when you resell, you might be passed over (unless you trade in).
If it were mine, I'd ask for warranty prices. Another recent post shows a defective transaxle yes rare, but if something like that happens the warranty is worth sleeping better at night.
Because of the additional miles compared to many others between $50K and $60K on the market right now, you might have some negotiating room, especially if it lacks the above options, or maybe they could discount or include a 1 year warranty extension.
Just my opinion, and experience.
Had I bought the Ford GT, I could have sold it anytime for more than I would have paid for it, even in the depth of the recession... oh well.
I bought an 07 AM Vantage new with all options and a factory wood interior (panel and doors) for $156K new with a 5 year warranty. Thinking this was a better investment than the same price Ford GT (new), the AM would be a better investment (boy was I wrong) and more drivable (that was right). I only owed $50K when the recession hit and destroyed my business. A quick sale (I dumped every unnecessary item) meant I took a $90K loss, made worse because Lake Forest Aston Martin, my salesman, (Dave Pigg), who said my warranty was refundable when I built the car, recanted and I could not get my $5,000 back. Losing everything but my business and home was painful, but especially the new Vantage took months to recover.
When business came back one of my goals was to be in a Vantage, and like you drive it about 5K a year. I knew there are certain must have items (for resale) like NAV, 700W Stereo, Cruise, Bluetooth, remote garage opener, and exterior and interior color that makes a resale difference. I thought my budget was for an 07 (I did not want an 06 because of significant upgrades made in 07), but after a few weeks looking my son told me of the 09 at Newport Beach. Other than a delivery nightmare on their end, the purchase was 99% satisfactory and I did purchase a 2 year factory (as if new) warranty because the car was AM certified already. It was not perfect. I spent about $1,000 for a dent repair in Minneapolis (not sure why they did not fix it), a spare key, and an owners manual, which they gave me a 20% discount on parts price. The 'clear bra' was missing, so small chip (tiny) repair and a new bra will likely set me back another $1,000 in the next few weeks as the snow melts.
Another big factory in affordability was financing. My bank Wells Fargo would go down to 8% on a used Aston loan, Newport Beach AM got me financing at US Bank for only 3.5%, making it even more feasible for an upgrade (I put $15K down).
When I bought the 09, there were only 2 Vantages we found under $60,000, so the choices were much less than today when I looked at cars.com and say many under $60K.
The 09 I got was delivered as represented... no surprises, other than problems in getting title.
The condition of the leather interior is very important as leather repair is expensive. Look for wear on the bolster of the drivers seat, is it cracked or worn? It did not appear that the car your looking at had the critical options when you resell the car: NAV, Cruise and Bluetooth. Look for buttons both sides of the steering wheel to see if it has cruise and Bluetooth. If it has the stereo upgrade even better. Without these when you resell, you might be passed over (unless you trade in).
If it were mine, I'd ask for warranty prices. Another recent post shows a defective transaxle yes rare, but if something like that happens the warranty is worth sleeping better at night.
Because of the additional miles compared to many others between $50K and $60K on the market right now, you might have some negotiating room, especially if it lacks the above options, or maybe they could discount or include a 1 year warranty extension.
Just my opinion, and experience.
Had I bought the Ford GT, I could have sold it anytime for more than I would have paid for it, even in the depth of the recession... oh well.
You're absolutely right on the options. They matter, and a lot.
Finally yes, the little things matter! My car came with no pen, owner's manual or umbrella, or battery tender, and just one of the plastic keys. Luckily it did come with the glass one. I ended up negotiating for them to at least provide a manual and a pen. Since it was not an AM dealership I did their homework and directed them to the cheapest prices I could find online for these.
I agree with Aerome, I think there's usually at least 3k to 5k wiggle room from the dealer (except in rare occasions, like when the car has already been heavily discounted before). Some dealers are willing to take a slight loss or break even to get rid of old inventory. Remember the cars don't get any newer... Then again they just listed the car so it's possible they'll be firm the first few weeks.
I'd say you you ask about the previous car's use/owner. When I was there looking for cars last year they have a nice vert that turns out was used as a rental! Big nono. To their credit they freely disclosed this. I think the same car was for sale recently in the LA area...
#17
03-08-2014, 04:08 PM
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Montana
Posts: 5
Rep Power: 0 
My Advice (I'm the guy that got the 09 from Newport Beach AM for $65K including shipping to Minnesota).
I bought an 07 AM Vantage new with all options and a factory wood interior (panel and doors) for $156K new with a 5 year warranty. Thinking this was a better investment than the same price Ford GT (new), the AM would be a better investment (boy was I wrong) and more drivable (that was right). I only owed $50K when the recession hit and destroyed my business. A quick sale (I dumped every unnecessary item) meant I took a $90K loss, made worse because Lake Forest Aston Martin, my salesman, (Dave Pigg), who said my warranty was refundable when I built the car, recanted and I could not get my $5,000 back. Losing everything but my business and home was painful, but especially the new Vantage took months to recover.
When business came back one of my goals was to be in a Vantage, and like you drive it about 5K a year. I knew there are certain must have items (for resale) like NAV, 700W Stereo, Cruise, Bluetooth, remote garage opener, and exterior and interior color that makes a resale difference. I thought my budget was for an 07 (I did not want an 06 because of significant upgrades made in 07), but after a few weeks looking my son told me of the 09 at Newport Beach. Other than a delivery nightmare on their end, the purchase was 99% satisfactory and I did purchase a 2 year factory (as if new) warranty because the car was AM certified already. It was not perfect. I spent about $1,000 for a dent repair in Minneapolis (not sure why they did not fix it), a spare key, and an owners manual, which they gave me a 20% discount on parts price. The 'clear bra' was missing, so small chip (tiny) repair and a new bra will likely set me back another $1,000 in the next few weeks as the snow melts.
Another big factory in affordability was financing. My bank Wells Fargo would go down to 8% on a used Aston loan, Newport Beach AM got me financing at US Bank for only 3.5%, making it even more feasible for an upgrade (I put $15K down).
When I bought the 09, there were only 2 Vantages we found under $60,000, so the choices were much less than today when I looked at cars.com and say many under $60K.
The 09 I got was delivered as represented... no surprises, other than problems in getting title.
The condition of the leather interior is very important as leather repair is expensive. Look for wear on the bolster of the drivers seat, is it cracked or worn? It did not appear that the car your looking at had the critical options when you resell the car: NAV, Cruise and Bluetooth. Look for buttons both sides of the steering wheel to see if it has cruise and Bluetooth. If it has the stereo upgrade even better. Without these when you resell, you might be passed over (unless you trade in).
If it were mine, I'd ask for warranty prices. Another recent post shows a defective transaxle yes rare, but if something like that happens the warranty is worth sleeping better at night.
Because of the additional miles compared to many others between $50K and $60K on the market right now, you might have some negotiating room, especially if it lacks the above options, or maybe they could discount or include a 1 year warranty extension.
Just my opinion, and experience.
Had I bought the Ford GT, I could have sold it anytime for more than I would have paid for it, even in the depth of the recession... oh well.
I bought an 07 AM Vantage new with all options and a factory wood interior (panel and doors) for $156K new with a 5 year warranty. Thinking this was a better investment than the same price Ford GT (new), the AM would be a better investment (boy was I wrong) and more drivable (that was right). I only owed $50K when the recession hit and destroyed my business. A quick sale (I dumped every unnecessary item) meant I took a $90K loss, made worse because Lake Forest Aston Martin, my salesman, (Dave Pigg), who said my warranty was refundable when I built the car, recanted and I could not get my $5,000 back. Losing everything but my business and home was painful, but especially the new Vantage took months to recover.
When business came back one of my goals was to be in a Vantage, and like you drive it about 5K a year. I knew there are certain must have items (for resale) like NAV, 700W Stereo, Cruise, Bluetooth, remote garage opener, and exterior and interior color that makes a resale difference. I thought my budget was for an 07 (I did not want an 06 because of significant upgrades made in 07), but after a few weeks looking my son told me of the 09 at Newport Beach. Other than a delivery nightmare on their end, the purchase was 99% satisfactory and I did purchase a 2 year factory (as if new) warranty because the car was AM certified already. It was not perfect. I spent about $1,000 for a dent repair in Minneapolis (not sure why they did not fix it), a spare key, and an owners manual, which they gave me a 20% discount on parts price. The 'clear bra' was missing, so small chip (tiny) repair and a new bra will likely set me back another $1,000 in the next few weeks as the snow melts.
Another big factory in affordability was financing. My bank Wells Fargo would go down to 8% on a used Aston loan, Newport Beach AM got me financing at US Bank for only 3.5%, making it even more feasible for an upgrade (I put $15K down).
When I bought the 09, there were only 2 Vantages we found under $60,000, so the choices were much less than today when I looked at cars.com and say many under $60K.
The 09 I got was delivered as represented... no surprises, other than problems in getting title.
The condition of the leather interior is very important as leather repair is expensive. Look for wear on the bolster of the drivers seat, is it cracked or worn? It did not appear that the car your looking at had the critical options when you resell the car: NAV, Cruise and Bluetooth. Look for buttons both sides of the steering wheel to see if it has cruise and Bluetooth. If it has the stereo upgrade even better. Without these when you resell, you might be passed over (unless you trade in).
If it were mine, I'd ask for warranty prices. Another recent post shows a defective transaxle yes rare, but if something like that happens the warranty is worth sleeping better at night.
Because of the additional miles compared to many others between $50K and $60K on the market right now, you might have some negotiating room, especially if it lacks the above options, or maybe they could discount or include a 1 year warranty extension.
Just my opinion, and experience.
Had I bought the Ford GT, I could have sold it anytime for more than I would have paid for it, even in the depth of the recession... oh well.
If you don't mind me asking how much room did you manage to shave off the asking price and do you have a recommended person that I may deal with to help sooth the process.
Im fairly young and dont want to go in for a test drive looking like a tire kicker not to mention I just shipped off my SL63 and I drive my wifes Prius
hmmm I wont be taken too seriously.
Thanks,
Ken
#18
03-08-2014, 11:43 PM
OK so i called the dealership. They informed me this was a pricing mistake and the car has already been sold. I asked how much and the guy told me over $67k.
They said they are removing all the ads on Monday.
Oh well. :/
They said they are removing all the ads on Monday.
Oh well. :/
#20
03-09-2014, 08:35 AM
I'll bet someone transposed the trade-in price instead of the sales price on the ad. I think dealers count on people who come into dealerships that make an immediate emotional connection and want the car without investigating if it's a good deal. If nobody buys the price starts going down. They were lucky to get that price.
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