Thinking about taking the plunge - advice appreciated

Thinking about taking the plunge - advice appreciated

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Crystal-T

Original Poster:

73 posts

236 months

Sunday 21st December 2008
quotequote all
Whilst the proud owner of a TVR Cerbera, I feel drawn towards taking the plunge and stepping 'up' to DB9 ownership. Now I recognise there is little in the way of synergy between both marques, save for fuel and running costs though each I suspect puts a smile on ones face for differant reasons. The Cerb certainly makes me smile every time I'm behind the wheel. That said, whilst I have been fortunate not to have incurred huge costs running her, due to I hope the provedence, history and late build of the car, I realise such costs can and do typically arise. So with this in mind, I'm seeking words of experienced wisdom on the joys, pitfalls, typical servicing and running costs, items to look specifically out for, (clutch, exhaust etc for example) when viewing. Oh, any thoughts on a reputable indie in Herts appreciated too.

I've my eye on a Volante, so any views on pros and cons for this model, welcomed.

Thanks.
C-T.

tuscaneer

7,835 posts

230 months

Monday 22nd December 2008
quotequote all
i jumped out of an 05 tuscan s(which was the third tvr i had) into a db7 on the 53 plate just on 2 years ago.while the tuscan was a total pig(easily more problematic than my tuscan mk1 and chimaera put together) the difference was marked.at the time the grand tourer feel was too different to the looking out of my side window driving i was used to.so i chopped it in for a new v8vantage.nowhere near as straight line quick as the tuscan but fast enough, believe me.i have had the v8 for 18 months now with zero regrets.i too fancy a db9 but have been wary in case it was too similar in drivability to the 7.however it is a much more sorted car than the 7 was.in a nutshell while i was almost tempted by a db9 a few months ago i am almost certain my next car will be a db9 sportpack just to bridge that gap a little more.regardless what you go for the aston will make you feel all warm inside wheras i know from bitter experience that whilst the tvr gave me surreal adrenaline spikes it also gave me feelings of anger every time it broke.

Riley15/6

105 posts

195 months

Monday 22nd December 2008
quotequote all
Crystal-T said:
Whilst the proud owner of a TVR Cerbera, I feel drawn towards taking the plunge and stepping 'up' to DB9 ownership. Now I recognise there is little in the way of synergy between both marques, save for fuel and running costs though each I suspect puts a smile on ones face for differant reasons. The Cerb certainly makes me smile every time I'm behind the wheel. That said, whilst I have been fortunate not to have incurred huge costs running her, due to I hope the provedence, history and late build of the car, I realise such costs can and do typically arise. So with this in mind, I'm seeking words of experienced wisdom on the joys, pitfalls, typical servicing and running costs, items to look specifically out for, (clutch, exhaust etc for example) when viewing. Oh, any thoughts on a reputable indie in Herts appreciated too.

I've my eye on a Volante, so any views on pros and cons for this model, welcomed.

Thanks.
C-T.
About time you stopped driving that hairdressers car!

Go and drive the V8V and DB9, choose one and get on with it.

wavey

N

Tonto

2,983 posts

253 months

Monday 22nd December 2008
quotequote all
For some reason there are lots of ex TVR owners within the Aston community nowadays. (Not sure why though, maybe its a British car thing?).
I went from a Tamora to a V8 Vantage. Very different cars. Here are some observations after 6 months of Astoning;

.) Tamora was a lot quicker in a straight line and slightly quicker around the corners.
.) The Tamora had road presence, but nothing like the Vantage! You are instantly elevated to celebrity status in the Aston. Everyone assumes you are someone they know.
.) I can't add much to the issue of reliability. Both cars have had few problems.
.) I would expect the servicing costs to be similar. (I would expect a DB9 to be more expensive, but probably on par with a typical Cerbera though!)
.) An Aston (well V8V, DB9, Vanquish etc) will open doors! I pulled into a local sports car dealership in Duffield a few months ago and was offered a spin in a Gumpert Apollo!
.) The Vantage is a lot bigger than any TVR's and the DB9 is huge! Make sure you can fit it in your garage.

Hope that helps.

Lucozade

2,574 posts

284 months

Monday 22nd December 2008
quotequote all
I'm lucky enough to own a V8 Vantage and a Tuscan S (previously having owned a Cerb 4.5 and 2 other Tuscans).
I Was thinking of putting up some kind of comparison of both having taken the Tuscan out of it's slumber at the weekend and going for a blast. I've been in the Vantage for a month since buying it and my impression may/may not surprise some:

Reliability: Neither the Tuscan nor the Vantage have let me down and left me at the side of the road. I've had a few bits done to the Vantage since buying it, mostly under warranty. However, much to my shock, some were of the same nature as the TVR world, i.e. door seals, water ingres in fuse box, crazy electrical gremlins, squeaks, rattles, etc.

Comfort: The Vantage is on another level and much better on long trips. Low driving noise, i.e. wind and road help to make it a lovely place to be.

Drive: In my opinion the Tuscan is so much more enjoyable for a spirited drive, quicker and more agile. The Vantage get's up to the higher speeds but not with the same delivery.

Economy: Not too different although the Tuscan is definately more fuel dependant!

Presence: Well that's a difficult one. I prefer the look of the Vantage yet the Tuscan still gets huge applause
from passers by.

Power: The Tuscan has plenty the Vantage just doesn't have quite enough.

Depreciation: Oops not really the best of subjects I guess. Here's hoping that my Vantage doesn't depreciate by 50% in the next 2 years of it's life!

In summary I love them both, but both are in different leagues to each other. The Vantage wins on comfort and looks, the Tuscan on outright performance.

Crystal-T

Original Poster:

73 posts

236 months

Monday 22nd December 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for some interesting views. Much appreciate the comparison with TVR. I'm off to my local dealershp tomorrow to road test a DB9 and a V8V Volante!!! Admit I am now drawn to the V8 in drophead guise - absolutley love the DB, though am thinking about my kids in that respect.

I guess the one consideration for me (and I'm not seeking advice nor opinion) is the fact I have a debt free Cerbera, which pound for pound has few competitors. Stepping 'up' and taking on a degree of debt to kill the itch I have a for an Aston, might be regrettable.

Driving both tomorrow will help to either soften or increase the itch...!

Thanks again guys for the very helpful insight and experiences.

C-T

Crystal-T

Original Poster:

73 posts

236 months

Monday 22nd December 2008
quotequote all
Riley15/6 said:
Crystal-T said:
About time you stopped driving that hairdressers car!

Go and drive the V8V and DB9, choose one and get on with it.

wavey

N
...I was about to write a suitably acerbic and witty retort to your words of incisive wisdom and then realised who it was.....!

Bar-steward...!

Hope you're well sir!!!

Riley15/6

105 posts

195 months

Tuesday 23rd December 2008
quotequote all
Crystal-T said:
Riley15/6 said:
Crystal-T said:
About time you stopped driving that hairdressers car!

Go and drive the V8V and DB9, choose one and get on with it.

wavey

N
...I was about to write a suitably acerbic and witty retort to your words of incisive wisdom and then realised who it was.....!

Bar-steward...!

Hope you're well sir!!!
Splendid!

I shall look forward to you being able to produce some acerbic and witty retorts.

My only advice on this one is get a warranty. Unexpected small things can cost a fortune.