V8 Vantage - normal wear & tear?
Discussion
Not for the first time I find myself seriously contemplating a V8 Vantage.
Looked at one the other day which appears to be very attractively priced.
Although the car (late 55 reg) had covered less than 3k, and overall appeared mint, close examination revealed several areas which showed signs of wear which I was surprised to see given such a low mileage:
The forward facing area of the rear wheel arches showed signs of light peppering from stones (above the small area of clear plastic film). Not too excessive at this stage, but I would imagine 3x the mileage it would be far more noticeable.
The centre caps of the alloys were showing signs of corrosion/dis-colouration around the edges.
The drivers seat had several noticeable areas of scuffing/wear around the side bolsters and near the handbrake grip. Otherwise, the upholstery was fine.
Any V8 Vantage owners experienced similar? Also, have later model years had any preventative modifications with regard to any of these issues. Has anyone received any remedial repairs re any of the above under warranty?
Would I be better waiting a year or so and picking up a later vehicle as early production issues may have been ironed out?
The attractive pricing of the car was cited as being due to the fact that it did not have Sat-Nav. Not a great problem for me. But how much should this affect retail value?
(Note: I have no concerns over the general sincerity of the dealer and that the mileage is genuine).
Finally, I would welcome any experiences regarding general durability issues particularly from owners who have used their vehicles as daily drivers or have covered relatively high mileages.
This vehicle is very much an aspirational purchase and I would be looking to keep it for 5+ years covering around 6k per annum.
Lots of questions I know. But these are un-chartered waters for me and I will sincerely welcome any advice.
Looked at one the other day which appears to be very attractively priced.
Although the car (late 55 reg) had covered less than 3k, and overall appeared mint, close examination revealed several areas which showed signs of wear which I was surprised to see given such a low mileage:
The forward facing area of the rear wheel arches showed signs of light peppering from stones (above the small area of clear plastic film). Not too excessive at this stage, but I would imagine 3x the mileage it would be far more noticeable.
The centre caps of the alloys were showing signs of corrosion/dis-colouration around the edges.
The drivers seat had several noticeable areas of scuffing/wear around the side bolsters and near the handbrake grip. Otherwise, the upholstery was fine.
Any V8 Vantage owners experienced similar? Also, have later model years had any preventative modifications with regard to any of these issues. Has anyone received any remedial repairs re any of the above under warranty?
Would I be better waiting a year or so and picking up a later vehicle as early production issues may have been ironed out?
The attractive pricing of the car was cited as being due to the fact that it did not have Sat-Nav. Not a great problem for me. But how much should this affect retail value?
(Note: I have no concerns over the general sincerity of the dealer and that the mileage is genuine).
Finally, I would welcome any experiences regarding general durability issues particularly from owners who have used their vehicles as daily drivers or have covered relatively high mileages.
This vehicle is very much an aspirational purchase and I would be looking to keep it for 5+ years covering around 6k per annum.
Lots of questions I know. But these are un-chartered waters for me and I will sincerely welcome any advice.
Edited by disad-vantage-d on Thursday 28th June 22:36
A chap called Timmmmmmmmmmo may have one for sale (he posts on here)...
The rear arches are best protected by fitting front stoneguards (150 or so from a dealer).
Not seen dodgy centre caps yet. But would imagine they are cheap to sort.
There have been a few people noting wear on the leather. Again, if conditioned I would imagine it would come up fine (always did on my 355). Think later cars may have tougher leather.
Can't help on the warranty front as mine's an 07.
As for waiting a year, not necessarily, though getting one with a warranty would probably be wise. Check prices of cars carefully and be sure to check the detailed spec so you know you are comparing like with like. Very early cars are a good bit cheaper I think, so may be worth having a look now.
Don't think official dealers will touch cars sans sat nav, but that will get less of a problem as the car gets older. The std fit system is crap anyway.
If you're aiming to keep the car for a while, I would take a very close look at the later cars (e.g. 07 model year) to see if the detail changes float your boat. If not, go for it now. They are very, very good cars!
The rear arches are best protected by fitting front stoneguards (150 or so from a dealer).
Not seen dodgy centre caps yet. But would imagine they are cheap to sort.
There have been a few people noting wear on the leather. Again, if conditioned I would imagine it would come up fine (always did on my 355). Think later cars may have tougher leather.
Can't help on the warranty front as mine's an 07.
As for waiting a year, not necessarily, though getting one with a warranty would probably be wise. Check prices of cars carefully and be sure to check the detailed spec so you know you are comparing like with like. Very early cars are a good bit cheaper I think, so may be worth having a look now.
Don't think official dealers will touch cars sans sat nav, but that will get less of a problem as the car gets older. The std fit system is crap anyway.
If you're aiming to keep the car for a while, I would take a very close look at the later cars (e.g. 07 model year) to see if the detail changes float your boat. If not, go for it now. They are very, very good cars!
That was quick!!!
It is an official dealer car. They state that the car is attractively priced due to no SatNav and that they want to move it.
The leather on the seat bolster has a 1" abrasion parallel to the seam which has taken the top surface off the finish. Also a couple of slight scratches showing the un-dyed leather from beneath.
Seemed excessive wear given the low mileage.
Particularly compared to my own two yr old cars completely unmaked upholstery.
The car has remaining 18 months or so manufacturers warranty.
It is an official dealer car. They state that the car is attractively priced due to no SatNav and that they want to move it.
The leather on the seat bolster has a 1" abrasion parallel to the seam which has taken the top surface off the finish. Also a couple of slight scratches showing the un-dyed leather from beneath.
Seemed excessive wear given the low mileage.
Particularly compared to my own two yr old cars completely unmaked upholstery.
The car has remaining 18 months or so manufacturers warranty.
To be fair the car has large side bolsters & they are easily caught when getting in, so this explains the scuffs, mine had this with 2k miles! Even though volumes have gone up Aston is still a specialist manufacturer, to an extent it still hand finishes many items & wear & tear will show more than on certain high volume mass produced cars, including the paint finish!
The bottom line is you ask your dealer to make good the scuffs & chips before purchase all should be well, sadly some of the quirks are part of the appeal!
I don't think you will have major issues with reliability, although the car is so new no one knows how it will be 8 years after launch!
The only point I would make is they do appear to be mileage sensitive depreciation wise, so if you are going to do 6k miles a year, this is likley to affect residuals rather hard!
The bottom line is you ask your dealer to make good the scuffs & chips before purchase all should be well, sadly some of the quirks are part of the appeal!
I don't think you will have major issues with reliability, although the car is so new no one knows how it will be 8 years after launch!
The only point I would make is they do appear to be mileage sensitive depreciation wise, so if you are going to do 6k miles a year, this is likley to affect residuals rather hard!
Edited by Grant3 on Thursday 28th June 23:16
disad-vantage-d said:
...It is an official dealer car. They state that the car is attractively priced due to no SatNav and that they want to move it. ...
Seats are easy to get sorted.So the question is, how much is cheap?
Bear in mind that dealers seem to be bidding very low 60s on the earlier cars...
Thanks for your prompt and informative replies.
To answer some of your queries:
To Murph 7355: The dealer is asking 68k.
To Grant3: Surprised at your comment re annual mileage. I thought 6k a year was rather conservative. Would this mileage seriously affect residuals?!
Would a dealer be receptive to repairing (light) stonechips and scuffed upholstery?
Since posting have flicked through a recent copy of EVO and they summarise in their back pages `reliability still a little dubious'. Must admit though after researching on PH & AMOC forums have not found any evidence yet of serious issues.
To Aston Zagato: Depreciation is something I can accept initially. Although longer term I would hope things level off. As I intend to keep the car for medium to long term I hope that overall I will not get stung too badly.
I can appreciate that 1-2k per month is expected from new. Surely once the car reaches 3yrs old plus this will ease significantly. Are you saying that the car will depreciate heavily until 5yrs old then level off?
To answer some of your queries:
To Murph 7355: The dealer is asking 68k.
To Grant3: Surprised at your comment re annual mileage. I thought 6k a year was rather conservative. Would this mileage seriously affect residuals?!
Would a dealer be receptive to repairing (light) stonechips and scuffed upholstery?
Since posting have flicked through a recent copy of EVO and they summarise in their back pages `reliability still a little dubious'. Must admit though after researching on PH & AMOC forums have not found any evidence yet of serious issues.
To Aston Zagato: Depreciation is something I can accept initially. Although longer term I would hope things level off. As I intend to keep the car for medium to long term I hope that overall I will not get stung too badly.
I can appreciate that 1-2k per month is expected from new. Surely once the car reaches 3yrs old plus this will ease significantly. Are you saying that the car will depreciate heavily until 5yrs old then level off?
Edited by disad-vantage-d on Friday 29th June 00:09
Edited by disad-vantage-d on Friday 29th June 00:10
Hi...
The down sides of ownership are
1. Depreciation - but hey no worse than other cars at this price (unless you get in early and out early).
2. Fuel Consumption - but the running cost difference between 17MPG and 25mpg falls into insignificance when you think about depreciation.
3. Stone chips, the front of mine is battered, the sides are much better and chipping has slowed massively since fitting stone guards. I just plan to get mine blown over when they really annoy me. If you get a light colour they do not notice too much.
But these are all minor compared with what a fantastic experience owning an Aston Martin is, I am 1.5 years in and 11,000 miles and every mile has been special. If you can, then do it....what else can you get for £68k that is this special!
ps the SatNav is useless any how!
The down sides of ownership are
1. Depreciation - but hey no worse than other cars at this price (unless you get in early and out early).
2. Fuel Consumption - but the running cost difference between 17MPG and 25mpg falls into insignificance when you think about depreciation.
3. Stone chips, the front of mine is battered, the sides are much better and chipping has slowed massively since fitting stone guards. I just plan to get mine blown over when they really annoy me. If you get a light colour they do not notice too much.
But these are all minor compared with what a fantastic experience owning an Aston Martin is, I am 1.5 years in and 11,000 miles and every mile has been special. If you can, then do it....what else can you get for £68k that is this special!
ps the SatNav is useless any how!
Edited by sadlerj on Friday 29th June 08:19
I meant the former. It will be evil to begin with and then level off quite a bit (though it will still be depreciating). I don't watch these things closely but to my untrained eye, DB7s seem to have just about hit a floor in the mid-£20's (after 14 years) but the V12s are still falling (after 7 years), albeit slowly.
The only danger is that some go the way of the XJS/XK8 and end up on the sheepskin-coated "Honest John's" forecourt in a dodgy part of town. Tatty, poorly maintained and unloved, such cars drag down the value of the minters too. Some Astons have gone this way - the late-60's DBS can be had for mid-teens in a very presentable form. TBH I think that is more of a risk for the V12 cars as maintainence will be more costly and specialised (whisper it but the V8 engine is based on the Jaguar one so there will be more specialists competent to tackle it).
You should also nose around the AMOC forum (www.amoc.org) - it is very active (look both in "New Era" and the sub-board to that, "V8 Vantage". Think about joining the club, if you are going to be a long term owner.
The only danger is that some go the way of the XJS/XK8 and end up on the sheepskin-coated "Honest John's" forecourt in a dodgy part of town. Tatty, poorly maintained and unloved, such cars drag down the value of the minters too. Some Astons have gone this way - the late-60's DBS can be had for mid-teens in a very presentable form. TBH I think that is more of a risk for the V12 cars as maintainence will be more costly and specialised (whisper it but the V8 engine is based on the Jaguar one so there will be more specialists competent to tackle it).
You should also nose around the AMOC forum (www.amoc.org) - it is very active (look both in "New Era" and the sub-board to that, "V8 Vantage". Think about joining the club, if you are going to be a long term owner.
AstonZagato said:
I meant the former. It will be evil to begin with and then level off quite a bit (though it will still be depreciating). I don't watch these things closely but to my untrained eye, DB7s seem to have just about hit a floor in the mid-£20's (after 14 years) but the V12s are still falling (after 7 years), albeit slowly.
The only danger is that some go the way of the XJS/XK8 and end up on the sheepskin-coated "Honest John's" forecourt in a dodgy part of town.
Don't all luxury GTs end up here at some stage? I'm thinking of 928s, 2+2 Ferraris and Lambos, Bentley Turbo Rs, and currently the Virage. Some get scrapped due to their high running costs but many more are rescued by the Classic car scene and v. slowly there prices start to rise (unless it's a Jensen Interceptor).The only danger is that some go the way of the XJS/XK8 and end up on the sheepskin-coated "Honest John's" forecourt in a dodgy part of town.
The one thing I wouldn't worry about is depreciation - especially if your going to keep her a good few years. After all you don't worry about 'loosing' £1000s on that expensive holiday every year, you won't see a penny back on that Plasma TV, all those expensive cloths etc etc so why treat a car any differently? IMO a V8 will give you more pleasure than all those things combined. Just enjoy!
Thanks for all your helpful advice.
I was going to go and have another look at the car with the good lady tomorrow, but alas I received a call this morning to hear it's sold!!!
They are trying to interest me in a silver one with Sat-Nav for 72k. Will go and look, but doubt very much I will bite as the other one was my first choice for interior & exterior colours.
Still if the good lady likes the Vantage (impossible not to!!) I will ask them to let me know if they get anything suitable to my requirements in the future.
To Aston Zagato: Spent several hours on the AMOC vantage forum yesterday researching. Very useful......
I was going to go and have another look at the car with the good lady tomorrow, but alas I received a call this morning to hear it's sold!!!
They are trying to interest me in a silver one with Sat-Nav for 72k. Will go and look, but doubt very much I will bite as the other one was my first choice for interior & exterior colours.
Still if the good lady likes the Vantage (impossible not to!!) I will ask them to let me know if they get anything suitable to my requirements in the future.
To Aston Zagato: Spent several hours on the AMOC vantage forum yesterday researching. Very useful......
Fittster said:
AstonZagato said:
I meant the former. It will be evil to begin with and then level off quite a bit (though it will still be depreciating). I don't watch these things closely but to my untrained eye, DB7s seem to have just about hit a floor in the mid-£20's (after 14 years) but the V12s are still falling (after 7 years), albeit slowly.
The only danger is that some go the way of the XJS/XK8 and end up on the sheepskin-coated "Honest John's" forecourt in a dodgy part of town.
Don't all luxury GTs end up here at some stage? I'm thinking of 928s, 2+2 Ferraris and Lambos, Bentley Turbo Rs, and currently the Virage. Some get scrapped due to their high running costs but many more are rescued by the Classic car scene and v. slowly there prices start to rise (unless it's a Jensen Interceptor).The only danger is that some go the way of the XJS/XK8 and end up on the sheepskin-coated "Honest John's" forecourt in a dodgy part of town.
Some seem to avoid it (the old V8 Vantage). DB4/5/6 went there briefly 20 years ago but were rescued pretty quickly. I think what matters is the speed and cost to maintain. So Xk8's seemed to make that fall very swiftly, as do big Mercs when the next shape comes out. Once the cost of any significant fettling outweighs the value, they end up knackered.
I #think# the AMV8 (and DB7) will be a bit different just because they are soooo pretty and therefore there is/will be a base level of demand. Where the Virage and DBS fell over IMHO was that neither appealed to everyone.
disad-vantage-d said:
Thanks for all your helpful advice.
I was going to go and have another look at the car with the good lady tomorrow, but alas I received a call this morning to hear it's sold!!!
Take your time - there are plenty more!I was going to go and have another look at the car with the good lady tomorrow, but alas I received a call this morning to hear it's sold!!!
disad-vantage-d said:
To Aston Zagato: Spent several hours on the AMOC vantage forum yesterday researching. Very useful......
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