Need advice. Looking to buy AM V8 Vantage
Discussion
Hi All,
I'm looking to buy a Vantage but would like some honest advice on using it as an every day car. Although I'd like to know things like cost of replacing the brakes, cost is not my reason for this enquiry.
I used to own a Lotus Esprit and it was forever in the shop because a stone would puncture the radiator, or a pot hole would break a tracking rod arm. Although it was (and still is) the best car I have driven to date I do not want to repeat the ownership experience. Everyone keeps telling me to buy a 911, but I dont want to be like everyone else, if that makes sense.
I really want a Vantage so I'm here to ask current owners what they've experienced. I'm looking to buy a used car from AM and I'm going to test drive both but would like some feedback on manual vs 'flappy paddle'.
Appreciate any advice you can give.
Ian
I'm looking to buy a Vantage but would like some honest advice on using it as an every day car. Although I'd like to know things like cost of replacing the brakes, cost is not my reason for this enquiry.
I used to own a Lotus Esprit and it was forever in the shop because a stone would puncture the radiator, or a pot hole would break a tracking rod arm. Although it was (and still is) the best car I have driven to date I do not want to repeat the ownership experience. Everyone keeps telling me to buy a 911, but I dont want to be like everyone else, if that makes sense.
I really want a Vantage so I'm here to ask current owners what they've experienced. I'm looking to buy a used car from AM and I'm going to test drive both but would like some feedback on manual vs 'flappy paddle'.
Appreciate any advice you can give.
Ian
im sure Rick at DMS will have some proper brake quotations, but when I had mine done (elsewhere), from memory it was a about £120 a corner on discs + £200 a set on pads
there are many threads here on the daily use thing, and many owners that use them that way. My car has averaged over 10K a year now and is 4 years old...no problem
it costs me nearly 1/2 as much to run as my old Audi Rs6 over the same mileage etc, mostly due to the high consumable costs on the RS6 e.g. brake discs that lasted 20K miles and cost double
If you use a specialist for servicing (or a reasonable dealer...not one in central London with £150 p/h labour!) then its mo more costly to run than a premium German saloon
there are many threads here on the daily use thing, and many owners that use them that way. My car has averaged over 10K a year now and is 4 years old...no problem
it costs me nearly 1/2 as much to run as my old Audi Rs6 over the same mileage etc, mostly due to the high consumable costs on the RS6 e.g. brake discs that lasted 20K miles and cost double
If you use a specialist for servicing (or a reasonable dealer...not one in central London with £150 p/h labour!) then its mo more costly to run than a premium German saloon
IanDH said:
I'm going to test drive both but would like some feedback on manual vs 'flappy paddle'. Ian
This is very much a personal thing. There are plenty of owners who will tell you the flappy paddle is great, but I can't stand it. I can see its advantage in traffic, and perhaps on a circuit, but I much prefer the interaction with the car and its dynamics when stirring a manual box. Sure, it's not the slickest manual, but I find it immensely satisfying (although the tardy throttle response is a bit frustrating when blipping for down-changes). I think your test drives will tell you more than we can. Just insist on lengthy drives on different types of road so you can get a proper feel for each, and take it from there. Good luck!Mine is a daily drive in heavy traffic and a dream compared to my previous Tuscans. Its solid, planted and yes the gear box is a bit "notchy" compared to manual BMW's I have had, but its certainly a drivers car. This car is everything I hoped it would be. If you trawl here and see my 1st day experience last June, I was so nervous. Nine months on it just gets better.
Cheers
Di
Cheers
Di
I've had my manual vantage for around 2 months now - done 2,000 miles - nice trip to Norwich and Somerset and went like a dream - easy in traffic and damn right gorgeous on the open road!
I use her every day and so easy and comfortable - you can trundle along or put you foot down and hear that V8 open up - is there any better sound!
I use her every day and so easy and comfortable - you can trundle along or put you foot down and hear that V8 open up - is there any better sound!
Hi guys. Thanks for the posts. I've had a look through a lot of the posts on here (and there's a lot) for information about the Vantage and it's helped me a lot. Especially the info about clutches. My guess is that the clutch will 'potentially' get less wear from the use of the paddle shift gearbox.
I was concerned from reading magazine articles that the servicing was going to be horrendous, and that replacement brake components were going to be extremely expensive and last 5 minutes. But as you guys have said throughout all the posts I've read, it depends how you drive it. If you do a track day a month they won't last. I have a motorcycle for that so shouldn't be an issue.
Judging by what I've read here the journalists in the magazines really didn't like it at all or give it a chance, or they were basing their opinions on previous AM's like the Vanquish or DB7, and not the car they were driving.
So, to recap... Servicing at a specialist will be about £400, double at main dealers? Brakes should last 20k (not 2k of normal road use)? And a clutch should last approx. 30k if you drive the car properly? Oh yeah, and it sounds fantastic and puts a smile on your face every time you drive it?
I was concerned from reading magazine articles that the servicing was going to be horrendous, and that replacement brake components were going to be extremely expensive and last 5 minutes. But as you guys have said throughout all the posts I've read, it depends how you drive it. If you do a track day a month they won't last. I have a motorcycle for that so shouldn't be an issue.
Judging by what I've read here the journalists in the magazines really didn't like it at all or give it a chance, or they were basing their opinions on previous AM's like the Vanquish or DB7, and not the car they were driving.
So, to recap... Servicing at a specialist will be about £400, double at main dealers? Brakes should last 20k (not 2k of normal road use)? And a clutch should last approx. 30k if you drive the car properly? Oh yeah, and it sounds fantastic and puts a smile on your face every time you drive it?
Regarding clutch life, I believe that a well-driven manual 'box will be a LOT easier on the clutch than the paddle-shift. The computer slips the clutch quite a bit in low-speed, stop-and-go type driving, and you simply do not have the ability to control the slip the way you can with a clutch pedal. Most mechanics I've spoken with concur -- if you know what you're doing, you will get FAR more life out of the clutch with a gearlever and a clutch pedal than with paddles. Personally, I've driven my first car, an '83 Saab 900 Turbo, over 266,000 miles so far -- still on it's original clutch (not typical, but illustrative of the point).
Thanks for the responses guys.
Wessex, the front of the lexus certainly looks the same as mine.
None of the guys in the office have any family in somerset as I know, however going to re ask them again this morning.
The keys are left in a keybox at the office along with the fleet vans etc.
I am a bit stuck on what to do.
Wessex, the front of the lexus certainly looks the same as mine.
None of the guys in the office have any family in somerset as I know, however going to re ask them again this morning.
The keys are left in a keybox at the office along with the fleet vans etc.
I am a bit stuck on what to do.
dafydd2008 said:
Thanks for the responses guys.
Wessex, the front of the lexus certainly looks the same as mine.
None of the guys in the office have any family in somerset as I know, however going to re ask them again this morning.
The keys are left in a keybox at the office along with the fleet vans etc.
I am a bit stuck on what to do.
Thought of posting in the correct thread?! Wessex, the front of the lexus certainly looks the same as mine.
None of the guys in the office have any family in somerset as I know, however going to re ask them again this morning.
The keys are left in a keybox at the office along with the fleet vans etc.
I am a bit stuck on what to do.
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