Starting to seriously consider moving on from my current vehicle and acquiring an AM. From a budget standpoint I'm looking to keep it under $60k, so it's got me looking at '05 DB9s and '06-08 Vantages.

My main concern when comparing the 2 is that the DB9s I've been seeing are auto while the Vantages I would consider would be manual only. Is either more reliable than the other? I've been poking around on the internet as well as the forums here to try and read up a bit but just wondering if anyone else might want to offer their thoughts, tips, etc on this process.

I'm willing to wait for the right car to come along, but here are a few local ones that I've found already. I'm really surprised at the diff in price btw the 2 DB9s, although I suppose the accident and 3 owners on the 1 is probably what has it priced so much lower. Any other concerns on why it may need to be avoided?

As for the 1 Vantage, it's been at the same dealership for over a year, which has me wondering why that might be.

Once again, any input is very much welcomed and appreciated, thanks in advance.

http://www.motorcarsofgeorgia.com/us...ed5bc84289.htm

http://www.atlantausedcarsmarietta.c...8beffab259.htm

http://www.selectluxury.com/details/.../3846162?cid=5

 

The first DB9 looks fine at a glance although that stereo description doesn't seem right. Not uncommon to see '05 DB9s at that price point, but you'll need to make sure all the updates and whatnot have been done and that it's in good mechanical condition before you get into it.

The second DB9 ($51k) is listed as the wrong color (it's Titanium Silver, not Mercury Silver) and has some sort of aftermarket head unit thing going on with a cheap-looking frame or bezel around it (maybe it just looks cheap in the pics). In my experience, be extremely careful about the wiring jobs on aftermarket installations. I've seen some horrendous work and it's more of a headache than anything.

The V8V looks completely unoptioned, which is probably why it has sat for so long. If you're getting into an Aston, figure out what you want and be patient. Some options are "must haves" for some people (my must-haves were Premium Audio and manual transmission). If you're too focused on price, you're going to limit what you can find and, not to be mean, but if you're that focused on super-low pricing, you might be getting in over your head for what you can afford. Although AMs are generally reliable, a lemon will cost you dearly.

 

Excellent points by Telum01

Of the three listed, I'd lean towards the one first.
- slightly better chance of having the AM dealer work out something with you on a PPI
- what T said about the second car and add ons
- you may regret a bare-bones Vantage

Remember, the vantage is a completely different car than the DB9. I feel it's a tighter, sportier package for a "sports car enthusiast"

Also, I'd recommend not limiting yourself to local cars. I live in the Atlanta area, and went to SEATTLE, WASHINGTON to purchase my Vantage S.

Regional pricing, and the commitment the dealer saw in my coming across country more than made up the hassle of flying out, and or shipping the car.

Good luck on your search.
Take your time and enjoy the hunt. It took me about a year to find the perfect Vantage S. The ASM2, carbon fiber, and interior details were "must-haves" for me

 

Make sure you like the seats in the early models; I didn't. Too constraining, butt wise, for me. 2nd gen seats much better. If this holds for you, then you'll be looking for a 2007 and up.

 

I've got a 05 6-speed DB9 and I love it! Hold out for the 6-speed. I've had many exotics and this is the first car I love so much that after 4 years of ownership I still enjoy it as much as the first day I drove it. I really can't see ever selling it, except to maybe trade up to a DBS. I've recently started doing all the maintenance myself and it's been a real pleasure to work on and own.. Go for it! You'll never regret it.

 

If you limit yourself to local cars you won't find the right one. In fact that might be true if you limit your search to within 1,000 miles. I just went through a months long search and finally ended up getting what I wanted. But it was on the west coast and I'm east coast. There just aren't many of these cars available. That's part of the allure.

Because there are not many available and the total number manufactured are low as well, you should investigate what some repairs cost. You can't go to your local auto parts store and pick up a starter when you need one. Replacement parts will be more expensive than you are used to. This is coming from a former Porsche owner, and those parts were less than these parts. Some by a lot. It's also harder to find good mechanics outside of the gold plated dealership. Think about that, because you will be buying an older car and many parts wear out just from being old regardless of miles. Many people seem to spend less than $1,500 per year on maintenance, but with an older car those numbers will be spiky.

 

Thanks for the quick feedback so far. I'm not entirely price focused, that Vantage just so happens to be one I stumbled upon that is close, so I'll likely go and see it in person and maybe go for a test drive in it. I've got no problems traveling to get the right car, both of my last 2 vehicles I've flown one way to drive 6-8 hours home.

I'm coming from a Cayman, so I think the sportier ride would be more suited to my tastes, and like I said, I really would probably prefer a manual.

Outside of that, right now the only things on my short list of "must haves" would be upgraded audio, alcantara headliner (which is standard on 07 and up models), and power folding mirrors. I'd love more power but figure I could always upgrade after the fact if I felt so inclined.

Where could I find the option list for '07 and '08 Vantages? only one I've been able to find is the '06 option list.

 

Also note that some fairly basic items like memory seats and cruise control were options on the Vantage. They're common but not universal, so double check if those things matter to you. The only option I have and wouldn't get again is navigation because it's the only thing that looks dated in the car (and I use my phone anyway because it's far better for GPS).

 

Thanks for the heads up! memory seats I could do without but cruise control is another matter entirely.

I agree w/the notion about nav looking dated, I feel the same way about the nav in my Cayman now and I never use it either. However from what I've seen nav appeared to be quite the popular option on the Vantage as I can't recall seeing a car I've liked anywhere online that didn't have it.

Here's another follow up question though, where all did you find your Vantages? I've been scouring autotrader mostly, was hoping to find some other forums with a robust marketplace but most of the Aston only forums seemed pretty dead.

 

Cars.com has a bazillion Astons of all types

 

Also look at E-Bay, and note how long these cars have been advertised if possible. Color also make a difference in both value and resale. Some colors do not sell well.. if you can live with an odd color and it's been on the market awhile, you have a lot of negotiation room. My 09 was a tremendous deal, it's problem was 30,000 miles (two years ago) and sat at the dealer to long.

 

This may sound strange, but I think that one of the first questions you need to ask yourself is whether your primary desire is for the Aston Martin brand, or for a car that meets a specific set of criteria (seats, size, performance, feel, image, handling, amenities, etc.).
I decided that I wanted an Aston Martin before I knew that I wanted a DB9. Once I'd locked-in on an Aston, it then became a matter of matching up my response to features and the availability of cars.
For example, I knew I wanted a convertible to increase my wife's enjoyment of the car. Then I decided that I DIDN'T want a sportshift transmission (at least an early one). Then I spent a fair amount of time learning about the challenges owners have had with DB7s, DB9s, and V8Vs.
I found that the DB9 Volante offered the combination of quality, performance, reliability, and AVAILABILITY that best suited me. Then I spent quite a long time waiting for the right one to become available at the right price.
I'm still thrilled with my choice. It's one of the few purchases I've ever made that has never caused a moment of buyer's remorse.

 

I'm glad Prefurbia brought up mileage, what exactly is "good" mileage for an 06-08 Vantage? I've mostly read that these cars do need to be driven in order to be in the proper condition, and sitting too long is not a good thing. But then it seems a lot of ppl shy away from the "higher" mileage ones.

Also, is there anywhere that I could easily get build/option lists based on VIN?

 

It's something of a balance between being driven regularly (and proper maintenance with it), and sitting too long ("garage rot"). The cars you're looking at are 7+ years old now. At only 5k miles per year, that's 35k for a 7 year old car. Mine's just shy of 52k right now (it's an '07).

The weird thing about mileage on these cars is that people see two cars that are similar in a lot of ways: model, year, options, etc. The one with lower miles will be expected to sell for more. But in the case of these cars (and other exotics), they're often underused. So the mindset people have is, "I can buy a $140k Aston Martin with only 5k miles on it for 1/2 price. It's a 7-yr-old car but it's practically brand new with so few miles on it."

Just my opinion, of course, but I don't trust a garage queen. Things can rot over time if not kept moving.

 

Right, and your opinion I feel is shared by many who are actual enthusiasts and will drive their vehicles (at least to the tune of 3-5k miles a yr). So does that mean a car closer to 10k miles on the odo ought to be avoided to some degree?

Take for example, this car:

http://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/de...7690/overview/