Hey guys,

I want to start off by saying this forum has been a huge resource as I have read many posts and learned more about AM's than could have ever picking up an owners manuel or some online article, Thank you all in advance you are a great resource to the community.

With that being said Im in the market for an AM. I understand it is a process that can not be rushed due to the fact the vehicles are so limited and hard to come by. My previous cars are a V10 M6, and a 2009 SL63 which I just sold and am looking for a car to replace.

Heres are the details;

2008 AM Vantage
50K miles
47,000- asking price (Im a grind and will get them lower)

*Looking at the resources I have available to be these are the cons;
1.Car is Local
2. Vehicle was purchased and now being sold at the same AM dealership(California Car)
3. Carfax service reporting indicate the vehicle has been serviced every 5K miles.

I have read many of you say the vehicle is better of being driven than sitting as a garage queen, in this case too? I have read all your suggested annual maintenance costs and although most of you say about 1200 without clutch or rotors Im keeping in mind 2.5K.

Im also looking for a aftermarket warranty who do you guys all use? Will AM try to sell me one?

I will be driving the vehicle primarily on weekends, I want to say a total of (really trying to keep it under 4,000 miles a year) but 5K to be safe.

Here is the carfax;
http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...&partner=CDM_U

Thanks,
Ken

 

I imagine it's this car?

http://www.astonmartinnewportbeach.c...D08216?state=1

Good price, I'd budget at least 4.5k to 5.8k for a new clutch...
Take into account 08 is pre-engine and center console upgrades.

 

why are these cars so cheap when they have only 50k miles on it? $47k seems very cheap. it seems the 06 and 07s with 25 to 30k miles go for $55-57k
is it going to need a clutch?
still, seems like something else should be wrong with it for them to sell it for so low.
It seems the automatics take the biggest hit too.

 

When I was looking for a used Vantage I found the Sportshifts to be cheaper than the manual trans cars. Still a 2008 (even with the 50k miles) for 47k seems about 10 grand lower than normal. -weird.

 

Bleen: Yes that is the car! The dealership is maybe 5 minutes walking distance from my place, do you think its worth checking out? The only reason I'm entertaining the car is because any 2009 with the updated consul and engine is about double the price, and to me personally it doesn't make sense.

XWCGT: I have been asking myself the same question as to why its so cheap compared to the others on the market. This AM is currently the highest milage Aston on the market and maybe the fact that the price of all the others are higher with fewer miles has something to do with it. Regardless, I have about 10-15K to play with on top of this selling price but would love it if I could purchase this car and maybe save that money for another car, but making the smartest decision possible even if it means paying more and holding out. I guess what Im really looking for is someone else's perspective to weigh the pros and cons with me.

TKO211: I completely agree with the weirdness of the pricing, maybe the clutch is running out of life? tires? I mean it could be anything but from my experience of purchasing cars dealers have no mercy on those types of things and will still price the car how they feel regardless of upcoming maintenance's that may be due in a handful of miles. I just don't know anyone and couldn't find anyone on the forum that has gone through a cycle of miles this high 60K and up. Any further thoughts? Things I should look for? Worth a stop by to the dealership?

Thanks Guys!

 

I'm in LA and I've been to that dealership. They seemed fine but I ended up not purchasing the car at the time for unrelated reasons.

They seem to consistently have very competitive prices on their preowned cars, I recall last year a fellow forum member got a 35k 09 for $65k.
With AM it seems that the most depreciating factor is the miles, therefore it's not odd to find that car so heavily discounted.

I very recently purchased one and since it's one of my dream cars (the only dream car I can actually afford), I decided to spring for one with everything I'd ever want. Otherwise yes, a pre-09 with a ~$20k discount would have been my choice. I wouldn't care much about miles, since you still need to factor in a new clutch anyways. Specially with sportshift cars.

Have a PPI done by another dealer before purchasing. Galpin did mine and it was $348 (vs $500 for Ogara). They did it in 2 hs or so and gave me a very comprehensive list which saved me thousands of $$$ by allowing me to negotiate for the price better.

Some big ticket issues to look out for:
- Clutch (this CAN be somewhat tested in a sportshift)
- Tires
- Brakes
- Timing cover leak
- Radio/head unit

Negotiate and negotiate HARD if possible. These cars take a while to move. Time is your friend.
I managed to get an 09 in the LA area from 78k down to 68k (yes, 10k!) by negotiating. Ironically ended up not purchasing that car

Oh, buy Grant's book too

And when you end up buying one, let me know if you'd like to do some canyon carving.

 

Bleen,

Great detailed advise

I won't jump on the car too quickly making me look desperate, Ill stay posted on it and wait for them to upload pictures. I was unsure if I should have a PPI done since it is at a AM dealer already, but i will definitely have it done at galpin. Do you think they will require me to tow it? or can I drive and come back? Sometimes these dealers get weird about things...
Regarding the clutch; I was under the impression that you could electronically see the percentage of wear?

Also, Do you have a warranty for your AM? did you purchase from a dealer who offered the program to you? I have experience with aftermarket warranties and they always have come through for me *knock on wood* but when you want to warranty an AM they aren't exactly lining up to do so, any information will help.

Thanks,

Ken

 

Unsure how the PPI works. In my case it was an out of state car, I had it shipped here after I paid for it and I got a 48hr warranty of sorts so it was a Post-Purchase-Inspection with a lot of asterisks. I wouldn't think they'd let you drive the car before purchasing it?

A PPI is good to have because you'd know exactly all the flaws in the car and as such it gives you a lot more power to negotiate. Honestly it pays for itself.

You could call the guys at raging bull performance in the area, a fellow forum member has recommended them. They might be able to do an inspection at the dealership? They're in Costa Mesa.

You're correct, for the sportshift you can read the amount of times the clutch has been activated. This is not an exact indication of wear because it depends on how the car was driven, but it will give you a rough estimate.

I don't get warranties, and I always buy preowned cars. My take is, unless you're really really unlucky, you're always gonna come up ahead by not getting one. It IS a business after all.
Dealer warranty for a v8v is around 4.1k a year and AFAIK you cannot get it in 1 yr increments, only in 2. That'd pay for a couple of clutches haha.

That being said, AM will give you warranty on a car that's up to 10 years old IF you do an inspection in a dealership.

 

Whether Raging Bull Performance ( who I use ), or another certified independent AM mechanic, you'd avoid any potential conflict of interest that may exist in getting the inspection done at a fellow AM dealership. Given the scenario, this is important, and you don't want anything held back for political repercussion reasons, or embellished for competitive sale reasons.

Good luck! It's a lot of car for a price like that.

 

Frank and raging bull performance have excellent reviews,he must be doing something right over there! I was worried about the same political reasons that you mentioned as far as PPI. Thanks for your input.

 

Tires replaced at 3500 miles?

 

When my warranty expired, I was quoted roughly $4k for one year and $6k-$7k for two year extended warrenty. I feel that if you car is in great shape and you take care of it, it will take some really bad luck to justify the extended warranty.
I find it very interesting that it's possible to get a feel for clutch life in ss. When I was at the dealer for service I specifically asked them if it's possible and was told no way.

 

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.

 

All good advice here, so far. Dealers pay a premium for low mileage cars and those are the cars you see advertised everywhere. They feel the high mileage cars won't bring any money so you can bet they gave a very low price on the trade in. If they didn't think they could recoup +, the car would have gone to the auction (let them know you have an interest before they dump it). The money they're looking for seems good but check for those little things like keys and remotes, book, leather, carpets, paint, tires, brakes, of course the clutch condition or sheet metal work needed, etc., then beat them up for the price. You may be able to work some magic on the cost of servicing (like for a clutch) if you commit to them or add it into the price. I'll bet there's about 3K to 4K of movement in there. You should be able to get a warranty for 3.8K from AM, regardless of the asking/list price. Realize that when it's time to sell, you'll take a beating on this as you'll have an older car with high mileage.

 

My 2006 now has 49k miles on her. There are 2 other guys here in my area with higher miles on their 2006 V8Vs. One of those cars is up to 69k miles. (Original clutch still!)
So my impression so far is that if they are well maintained these cars run strong and very reliable for an exotic.
It's possible that the car needs new rotors and pads with that many miles. Maybe clutch soon? All told that could be 7k or so. So maybe that's it.