DB9 or Gran Turismo, from Gallardo? advice please :)
Discussion
I've been running my BMW/Gallardo combo for 3 years and it had been working well for me for the first couple of years. Infact I was considering going for a new one not too long ago.
My work generally involved 3-4 month projects abroad, followed by a few months break in between. This meant when I was home I got good use out of the Gallardo, because I had very few fixed commitments.
In the last year or so my client focus has shifted back here. I still do project work, but being in the same country clients tend to call me in at much shorter notice, and for "minor favours". As a result I have far less confidence in taking the Gallardo (small boot and only 2 seats), and so I use it less and less. The change in how I work has affected what I do socially aswell, which has further impacted when I use the car (two seats not enough).
Essentially I need to switch the Gallardo for something with a useable boot and 4 seats. I've narrowed it down to the Maser and Aston (don't like the Bentley, and definately none of the uber german cars), but am dithering which to go with. DB9 seems like less of a step down in terms of raw driving pleasure and that intageable "wow" factor that makes you smile when you pick up the keys in the morning. But the Maser is still very nice, probably a little fresher (right now) in terms of looks, has four "propper seats", a bigger boot.
Now to my questions, have asked a few dealers, but obviously got positive answers as you'd expect.
1) I'm sure your sick of this one, but are the early reliability issues really sorted (I know two people who had early cars when they first came out, who had quite a few issues with them)? I'd be looking to do 5-8k/year, used 4/5 days/week.
2) Any particular year which is best to look for/avoid? Been advised by one dealer 07 facelift onwards would be best as they saw fewer problems from then on.
3) Would like a manual, but they seem scarce, and been advised may be harder to sell (possibly contradiction there, if there are more people who prefer manuals like me)?
4) Extended warranty, versus newer car with bigger balance of manufacturers warranty left? How much are extended warranty's, is the coverage good, or close to the original warranty, any restrictions i.e. have to buy from dealer?
5) Have about approx -10k to -12k/year in mind for residuals, is that realistic given the upcoming facelift? I know its hard to predict, but primarily wanted to make sure I hadn't missed a big change in the facelift (which I've been told is minor) or something. And it never hurts to canvas opinion.
6) Imagine the servicing running costs will be on par with the Gallardo/Maser? But never hurts to ask
If I do go for the DB9, I don't think I'd go for anything newer then a 2007. Don't feel it would be sensible with a facelift coming, and if my circumstances change again I may well hanker for another Lambo/Ferrari. Would be safer to go for a used one. From the prices on autotrader it looks like 2007's are listed in the early 90k's and 2006's in the early 80k's. Is that about right, anyone know what the dealer margin is, incase I see a decent private one?
Thanks for persevering through my long post and for any advice you can provide.
I'm due to test drive one this week, so will let you know how that goes.
P.S. I know the rear seats aren't ideal, but am mulling over wether they will be acceptible for most of the shorter trips I do. Rarely do 1-2hr drives. And usually 3 people total, which means the seat behind the passenger would be used.
My work generally involved 3-4 month projects abroad, followed by a few months break in between. This meant when I was home I got good use out of the Gallardo, because I had very few fixed commitments.
In the last year or so my client focus has shifted back here. I still do project work, but being in the same country clients tend to call me in at much shorter notice, and for "minor favours". As a result I have far less confidence in taking the Gallardo (small boot and only 2 seats), and so I use it less and less. The change in how I work has affected what I do socially aswell, which has further impacted when I use the car (two seats not enough).
Essentially I need to switch the Gallardo for something with a useable boot and 4 seats. I've narrowed it down to the Maser and Aston (don't like the Bentley, and definately none of the uber german cars), but am dithering which to go with. DB9 seems like less of a step down in terms of raw driving pleasure and that intageable "wow" factor that makes you smile when you pick up the keys in the morning. But the Maser is still very nice, probably a little fresher (right now) in terms of looks, has four "propper seats", a bigger boot.
Now to my questions, have asked a few dealers, but obviously got positive answers as you'd expect.
1) I'm sure your sick of this one, but are the early reliability issues really sorted (I know two people who had early cars when they first came out, who had quite a few issues with them)? I'd be looking to do 5-8k/year, used 4/5 days/week.
2) Any particular year which is best to look for/avoid? Been advised by one dealer 07 facelift onwards would be best as they saw fewer problems from then on.
3) Would like a manual, but they seem scarce, and been advised may be harder to sell (possibly contradiction there, if there are more people who prefer manuals like me)?
4) Extended warranty, versus newer car with bigger balance of manufacturers warranty left? How much are extended warranty's, is the coverage good, or close to the original warranty, any restrictions i.e. have to buy from dealer?
5) Have about approx -10k to -12k/year in mind for residuals, is that realistic given the upcoming facelift? I know its hard to predict, but primarily wanted to make sure I hadn't missed a big change in the facelift (which I've been told is minor) or something. And it never hurts to canvas opinion.
6) Imagine the servicing running costs will be on par with the Gallardo/Maser? But never hurts to ask
If I do go for the DB9, I don't think I'd go for anything newer then a 2007. Don't feel it would be sensible with a facelift coming, and if my circumstances change again I may well hanker for another Lambo/Ferrari. Would be safer to go for a used one. From the prices on autotrader it looks like 2007's are listed in the early 90k's and 2006's in the early 80k's. Is that about right, anyone know what the dealer margin is, incase I see a decent private one?
Thanks for persevering through my long post and for any advice you can provide.
I'm due to test drive one this week, so will let you know how that goes.
P.S. I know the rear seats aren't ideal, but am mulling over wether they will be acceptible for most of the shorter trips I do. Rarely do 1-2hr drives. And usually 3 people total, which means the seat behind the passenger would be used.
No experience of the DB9 but I do own a GranTurismo and am on my 2nd Gallardo with the 3rd due shortly (LP560). The Maserati is a very accomplished car and has more room in the rear than the Aston. You might want to consider the GranTurismo S which shares it's paddle shift gearbox with the Ferrari 599 and has a 4.7 ltr V8 http://www.autojunk.nl/clips/view/140952
isuk said:
No experience of the DB9 but I do own a GranTurismo and am on my 2nd Gallardo with the 3rd due shortly (LP560). The Maserati is a very accomplished car and has more room in the rear than the Aston. You might want to consider the GranTurismo S which shares it's paddle shift gearbox with the Ferrari 599 and has a 4.7 ltr V8 http://www.autojunk.nl/clips/view/140952
I've kept my slot for a LP560 next summer as a backup just incase. Figure worst case can just drop out if things dont change or i'm happy with the Maser/DB9.I've driven both now. Found the Maser good, my main complaints would be:
1) Feels a little heavy, especially under braking (brakes possibly a little weak for its weight). But I may be more sensitive to that coming out of a Gallardo, and so might not notice it as much once its my main car.
2) Somewhat underpowered. So the GT S may well be a good idea. But again I may well find its fine once its become my normal car.
3) I hate!!!!! the cup holders. Trivial I know, but has to be said.
4) I would like the boot to be a little bigger given the size.
I've considered the GT S, but part of me says if I'm going to compromise, why burden myself with another clutch eating F1/E-Gear car. Not sure if I can hold out untill theyre in the dealerships so I can try for myself.
Drove the Aston and it felt suprisingly better then the earlier model I drove a few years ago. This one had more miles on than my friends car when I first drove it, and was a bit older. But felt far better in every aspect. I would say it aged suprisingly well. Perhaps the 2007MY are better put together?
Anyway the major plus for the DB9 is that I think I'd be more likely to not crave another Lambo/Ferrari come next summer. Was a better drive then the Maser in most areas. Better under breaking, acceleration, around corners, etc.
I'm just trying to justify if it will be practical enough.
The boot is not great but its workable unlike the Gallardo. And although the Masers is bigger, for servers etc, I wouldn't be able to carry much more then in the DB9. Still will have my other car for times when I need more storage.
The rear seats are the bigger concern. Tried the back seat behind the passenger, and I think for short-medium journeys it would be workable (not me sitting in the back
). So for my journeys with 3 people I think its a possibility. The fourth seat behind the driver would be of no use, since I couldn't drive with my seat far enough forward to give the passenger any legroom.Thanks for eveyones help. Just got to keep mulling it over in my head I guess. Currently thinking back how many days I would have used each car over the past year.
Its comforting that nobody has posted any reliability horror stories about either car
isuk said:
No experience of the DB9 but I do own a GranTurismo and am on my 2nd Gallardo with the 3rd due shortly (LP560). The Maserati is a very accomplished car and has more room in the rear than the Aston. You might want to consider the GranTurismo S which shares it's paddle shift gearbox with the Ferrari 599 and has a 4.7 ltr V8 http://www.autojunk.nl/clips/view/140952
P.S. Love the white Spyder. If only I was festidious enough in my cleaning routine The GranTurismo is a heavy car and does feel very different to drive than the Gallardo. It's not a sports car by any means. The engine does loosen up with miles however and using the sport button improves the response considerably and firms up the dampers in cornering a fair bit if the car has skyhook suspension. I really enjoy driving it and find that it's relaxed cruising character actually makes me more mellow on longer journeys than a more frantic car that begs to be thrashed everywhere. I'd agree the brakes feel a little lacking but they do pull you up and I think it's more a case of getting used to them. I used my Cayenne as a daily before and that takes more force to stop so I guess the GT feels better to me in comparison. I doubt I'd choose the S over the auto box standard car personally unless it was my only car as the auto box is one of the cars great attributes IMHO. I don't think any other car comes close at the price point for style, space or exclusivity. It certainly turns heads in a positive way. I was surprised at how small the boot is for such a large car but then if you want a large coupe with acceptable luggage space you end up with an M6 and I'd rather sacrifice space for style 
isuk said:
The GranTurismo is a heavy car and does feel very different to drive than the Gallardo. It's not a sports car by any means. The engine does loosen up with miles however and using the sport button improves the response considerably and firms up the dampers in cornering a fair bit if the car has skyhook suspension. I really enjoy driving it and find that it's relaxed cruising character actually makes me more mellow on longer journeys than a more frantic car that begs to be thrashed everywhere. I'd agree the brakes feel a little lacking but they do pull you up and I think it's more a case of getting used to them. I used my Cayenne as a daily before and that takes more force to stop so I guess the GT feels better to me in comparison. I doubt I'd choose the S over the auto box standard car personally unless it was my only car as the auto box is one of the cars great attributes IMHO. I don't think any other car comes close at the price point for style, space or exclusivity. It certainly turns heads in a positive way. I was surprised at how small the boot is for such a large car but then if you want a large coupe with acceptable luggage space you end up with an M6 and I'd rather sacrifice space for style
M6's back seats are suprisingly tight, let alone the style compromise.I'll try and get a drive in a Maser with a little more mileage to see how it feels once loosened up. The one I drove had less then 1k on it, so was probably still within run in.
Thanks again for sharing your experience. Was leaning alot towards the DB9 earlier, now back in the middle, lol.
BTW how long have you had the Maser. Have you found it reliable? I have to admit I like the fact it will be pretty individual for a while, given how few will come into the country over the next couple of years. Would definately have it over any of the uber german offerings. Just trying to see if I can squeeze myself into a DB
I've only had my car for a couple of months so not really long enough to comment on reliability. Mine has been trouble free thus far however and the build quality appears good for a low volume car. I believe the annual UK allocation is around 600 cars so it will remain a relatively rare sight on the roads for a few years. Probably best to look at forums like maseratilifecom or maseratiforum.co.uk for more info on reliability although I don't think there are many owners on either as yet. You might also be interested to know that DMS offer a chip upgrade for the standard car which is said to greatly improve the mid range torque and acceleration. I'm going to put a few more miles on mine before deciding whether to go with it. A guy on maseratilife had the upgrade done and I asked him what he thought of it. This was his response:
"I was not 100% happy when I got my GT .. it was a bit like driving a German car at first, very smooth and quiet,and it felt like the engine was not giving 100%. It's the same engine as my old Gransport which was so lively and yet felt dull in the GT. The upgrade has helped a great deal giving the engine more freedom , more revs and torque ! I think what's really aided are the new back boxes which allow the engine to breath more freely and the gear change from 1st to 2nd now sounds like a spitfire!! The upgrade on the software was £1200 + vat (should be £1400 + vat). Have a word with Mike Cooper from DMS. He can fill you in on the finer details of the upgrade. Now I enjoy driving my GT. It sounds like a Maserati and revs like one!"
"I was not 100% happy when I got my GT .. it was a bit like driving a German car at first, very smooth and quiet,and it felt like the engine was not giving 100%. It's the same engine as my old Gransport which was so lively and yet felt dull in the GT. The upgrade has helped a great deal giving the engine more freedom , more revs and torque ! I think what's really aided are the new back boxes which allow the engine to breath more freely and the gear change from 1st to 2nd now sounds like a spitfire!! The upgrade on the software was £1200 + vat (should be £1400 + vat). Have a word with Mike Cooper from DMS. He can fill you in on the finer details of the upgrade. Now I enjoy driving my GT. It sounds like a Maserati and revs like one!"
Having spoken to dealer, apparently Aston Martin now do new for old warranties, provided the vehicle is still in warranty at the time of purchasing the extended warranty. So that answers one of my questions.
If I was to buy from an indipendant/private what inspection should I get done? Should I take it to a franchise dealer for inspection, etc?
Colour wise I'm thinking of Meteorite, One of the other Greys ro black. Interior would prefer one of the darker reds or black. Are any of these a resale no, no?
Normally I wouldn't be so concerned with the latter (within reason) but since I'm not sure if it will be a keeper I want to on the side of caution.
If I was to buy from an indipendant/private what inspection should I get done? Should I take it to a franchise dealer for inspection, etc?
Colour wise I'm thinking of Meteorite, One of the other Greys ro black. Interior would prefer one of the darker reds or black. Are any of these a resale no, no?
Normally I wouldn't be so concerned with the latter (within reason) but since I'm not sure if it will be a keeper I want to on the side of caution.
I have owned a DB9 for 3.5 years since new. It is a fabulous car which still excites me. It is a very accomplished GT car which is made for long trips into the countryside. Despite the fact that the manual car gives you are more involved and spirited drive, the paddleshift touchtronic is the best around in my opinion. Mine is a March 05 and it has had no issues what so ever. I have done 18.000 miles and have used one set of tyres changed at 15.000. Service is around 1.500 per year and I have just had the front spoiler and wheels re-sprayed due to stone chipping which unfortunately is an issue. My car is Tungsten which is a touch lighter in the shade than Meteorite and hides the stone chips a bit better - but Meteorite is a great colour. The leather interior wears very well with mine still smelling like a new car. I have bitter chocolate which is an unusual colour. Most cars come with black interior. I have resisted the temptation to go for the upgraded sport development pack which gives a firmer ride but also lowers the ride height which makes it even more prone to grace the sleeping policemen. I have just been told that my 599 slot has come up for spec - but I just might hold on to the DB9 - it is a great car - and hasn't aged lot since its introduction in 2004 as the facelift only offers minor tweaks, and some would argue to the worse in terms of interior. Enjoy.
I have a 2006 db9 in your preferred colour scheme which goes well with black leather. No problems with reliability yet ( boought ( months ago ) , 2 year service cost £1000 , although auto is good I am really glad I got the manual which is more involving , rarity meant I did not get my car any cheaper second hand than an auto . Mine is a convertible and although I have had a 5 feet 2 inch 21 year old in the back for a 2 hour journey I would not recommend it - the coupe may be a bit better but I doubt it.
steelej said:
5to1, have you looked at the Jag XKR, it always comes out on top at this level of GT car, might be another option?
John.
I've thought about it, but for some reason it doesn't do it for me.John.
Maybe I'm subconciously a badge snob
, or maybe some aspect of the design doesn't sit right with me. Just don't know.I have read its a very good drive, but when I'm spending this much I want it to give me the urge to look out of the window at it. Or bring a big smile to my face when I step out of my front door. I don't think the Jag would do that for too long.
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