Thinking about selling M3 for a V8 Vantage...? Some question

[tomvcarter]

Hi Im thinking about sellim my E92 M3 and exchanging it for the a 2005 V8 Vantage.
Just wondering what the running costs are like.
What are the servicing costs like?
Im used to a high fuel cost, but concerned that the Astons Service will be scary in comparison.
Anyone think i would be making a mistake?...

[LC23]

I've not owned an E92 M3 but have driven one and also owned an E46 M3. Just purchased my first Aston (V8V) and to be honest, I just don't care about the running costs! It's an Aston Martin! Buy one, enjoy it. I don't regret a single penny on buying the car. I am also just in the process of having one or two niggles sorted out. But none of that has stopped the smile on my face every time I look at it or drive it. You won't regret buying one.

[MarlonM]

Hi

I had an E46 M3 a year ago, so compared to that

If you are thinking running costs:

Annual service at Aston - around £750-1000 (BMW M3- oil service £200, I1=£500-700 I2 £1000ish)
Annual service at DMS (v respected round here) - £250-500
Fuel - combined on my V8V I got 17mpg, I think the M3 did 24mpg or so.
Tax - same as your E92, or maybe a bit less for a 2005 V8V
Insurance - for me the Aston was about £200 cheaper, despite it being worth a lot more.

It will feel a lot more special than your M3, but not much quicker, also be prepared for a lot more looks, less comfort parking it places, and being let out at junctions!

Best of luck.

[GlynMo]

tomvcarter said:

Anyone think i would be making a mistake?...

Not in this forum!

[bogie]

Ive had my Vantage a few years/50K miles now

its been one of (if not the) cheapest cars to run ive owned in the last 10 years

certainly cheaper than my last Audi

so go for it

/naturally if you go down the dealer each week and pay £150 an hour for them to fix the odd niggle here and there, the bills could add up ......

[tomvcarter]

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (380bhp) vs BMW M3 (E92)

Lap Times
Track V8 Vantage (380bhp) M3 (E92)
Nordschleife 8:03 8:05
Hockenheim Short 1:14.8 1:14.3
Bedford Autodrome West Circuit (2004 - 06/2008) 1:26.75 1:26.60
Oschersleben 1:47.16 1:47.20
Willow Springs 1:40.73 1:36.92
Zolder 1:51.60 1:49.31
Autozeitung test track 1:44.9 1:40.1
Balocco 2:53.51 2:55.22
SportAuto wet handling test 1:33.4 1:32.4
Rockingham 1:40.0 (wet) 1:25.58
Inta 1:14.19 1:12.36
Autocar Wet Handling Track 1:08.8 1:16.9

Specs
Max speed 173.6 m/h (280 km/h) 155 m/h (250 km/h)
0-100 km/h acceleration 5.0 4.6
0-160 km/h acceleration 11.6 9.4
0-200 km/h acceleration 18.0 15.2
0-300 km/h acceleration - -
Quarter mile time 13.1 12.5 @ 114.8mph
Power/weight ratio 0.17 0.19

Summary
M3 is noticably faster.

[GlynMo]

Statistics like that tell you nothing other than how quick a car goes on a circuit in fairly expert hands. In the real world, you wouldn't notice much (or any) difference, apart from in the AM, you're in a work of art, not a box, and people smile at you, let you out at junctions etc

[michael gould]

yes the BMW is quicker.....SO WHAT......Ive owned M3's and M5's but they were just very quick, very capable cars, and that just isn't enough...........as ive said before in previous posts......next time you go to the school reunion and you get asked the inevitable male question "So Tom, what you driving these days" what do you want your answer to be? yes its a bit shallow, but us men are ?

Driving and owning an Aston Martin is a privilege and wonderful experience..........Join the club

[tomvcarter]

michael gould said:

yes the BMW is quicker.....SO WHAT......Ive owned M3's and M5's but they were just very quick, very capable cars, and that just isn't enough...........as ive said before in previous posts......next time you go to the school reunion and you get asked the inevitable male question "So Tom, what you driving these days" what do you want your answer to be? yes its a bit shallow, but us men are ?

Driving and owning an Aston Martin is a privilege and wonderful experience..........Join the club

True true, but i do enjoy answering "M3"

[blackice1]

tomvcarter said:

michael gould said:

yes the BMW is quicker.....SO WHAT......Ive owned M3's and M5's but they were just very quick, very capable cars, and that just isn't enough...........as ive said before in previous posts......next time you go to the school reunion and you get asked the inevitable male question "So Tom, what you driving these days" what do you want your answer to be? yes its a bit shallow, but us men are ?

Driving and owning an Aston Martin is a privilege and wonderful experience..........Join the club

True true, but i do enjoy answering "M3"

And

Compaired to answering "A Aston Martin"

Sorry no contest really in my eyes.

[Knights of Aston]

If you are deciding on buying an Aston on whether on not it's 0.3 of a sec slower around a race track that no-ones heard of then you're in the wrong market. Ferrari maybe interested in outright times and getting there faster than everyone else but that's not the Aston Martin way. Never has been and never will be. You buy an Aston because it's an Aston. If you want outright speed get a Nissan GTR (that'll sound great at the school reunion when chatting up the ladies - I've got a Nissan...!) as those owners are always banging on about lap times and cornering 'G'.

[tomvcarter]

Knights of Aston said:

If you are deciding on buying an Aston on whether on not it's 0.3 of a sec slower around a race track that no-ones heard of then you're in the wrong market. Ferrari maybe interested in outright times and getting there faster than everyone else but that's not the Aston Martin way. Never has been and never will be. You buy an Aston because it's an Aston. If you want outright speed get a Nissan GTR (that'll sound great at the school reunion when chatting up the ladies - I've got a Nissan...!) as those owners are always banging on about lap times and cornering 'G'.

im going to test drive one this week... im just worried they are not quite agressive enough compared to the M

[Jasandjules]

tomvcarter said:

Anyone think i would be making a mistake?...

A BMW for an Aston? I don't think anyone of sound mind (by that I mean a petrolhead) could even consider the purchase of an Aston to be a mistake......

[LC23]

tomvcarter said:

Knights of Aston said:

If you are deciding on buying an Aston on whether on not it's 0.3 of a sec slower around a race track that no-ones heard of then you're in the wrong market. Ferrari maybe interested in outright times and getting there faster than everyone else but that's not the Aston Martin way. Never has been and never will be. You buy an Aston because it's an Aston. If you want outright speed get a Nissan GTR (that'll sound great at the school reunion when chatting up the ladies - I've got a Nissan...!) as those owners are always banging on about lap times and cornering 'G'.

im going to test drive one this week... im just worried they are not quite agressive enough compared to the M

I definitely found I drove my M3 in a much more aggressive way. This was not a good thing however and I much prefer just enjoying being in the Aston rather than feeling I have to wring its neck everytime I get in it.

[Knights of Aston]

I'm guessing that the M3 only feels good when driven hard. The Aston always feels good. Even when sat still.

[christer]

michael gould said:

y yes its a bit shallow, but us men are ?

speak for yourself.

[D16RR_Rich]

tomvcarter said:

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (380bhp) vs BMW M3 (E92)

Lap Times
Track V8 Vantage (380bhp) M3 (E92)
Nordschleife 8:03 8:05
Hockenheim Short 1:14.8 1:14.3
Bedford Autodrome West Circuit (2004 - 06/2008) 1:26.75 1:26.60
Oschersleben 1:47.16 1:47.20
Willow Springs 1:40.73 1:36.92
Zolder 1:51.60 1:49.31
Autozeitung test track 1:44.9 1:40.1
Balocco 2:53.51 2:55.22
SportAuto wet handling test 1:33.4 1:32.4
Rockingham 1:40.0 (wet) 1:25.58
Inta 1:14.19 1:12.36
Autocar Wet Handling Track 1:08.8 1:16.9

Specs
Max speed 173.6 m/h (280 km/h) 155 m/h (250 km/h)
0-100 km/h acceleration 5.0 4.6
0-160 km/h acceleration 11.6 9.4
0-200 km/h acceleration 18.0 15.2
0-300 km/h acceleration - -
Quarter mile time 13.1 12.5 @ 114.8mph
Power/weight ratio 0.17 0.19

Summary
M3 is noticably faster.

Keep your M3 then!!!

A no brainer for you.

Just hope that I don't appear behind you on one of my 200bhp+ bikes.

You'll then see real performance in a complete different league!!

[steveatesh]

Surely this really depends on what a "mistake" would mean from your perspective because people buy cars for different reasons? If you are only looking for raw figures and stats rather than real life everyday experience, then pick your car from those mentioned. For me, I've had BMW, Merc and now a V8V. I can honestly say that no other car I've ever owned or driven has given me the buzz the Vantage does - even just seeing it on the drive is special. In addition, the Vantage is the only car that people have asked me if they can be photographed with, the only car people put their thumbs up as I drive by, the only car people have complimented when parking, the only car that people do a "double take" of when passing or in traffic. And on one occasion even a group of girls flocked to see it (sadly the car, not me!).

Aston Martin has one of the best Brand profiles in the UK - even my local news did an article on this "Iconic Brand" the other night!. BMW? well,they are good cars, but Aston Martin they are not.

[355f]

If the only concern was performance there is no need to consider these types of vehicles, A caterham or mitsibishi is a far more capable real work performer.

The vantage has its shortcommings for sure but what is it about an M3- when its just a few years old- it already seems like yesterdays car- with values to match.

I would never pay £50K plus for a vehicle such as this but we all have different buying criteria

[Adam2S]

Ive owned two E46 M3's in the past and cancelled my order on an E92 M3. Sure they are really stunning cars to own and drive, no doubt about it and a more practical all rounder perhaps than a V8V.

However the V8V plays in another league. Its plenty fast enough for the difference not to matter unless you are either on a track or just a stat-head who wants to play top-trumps down the pub with your mates. The AM makes you feel 1000% more special everytime you get in and out of it. You will really do feel like Mr Bond... I loved my M3's to pieces and still feel the attraction of the car, but I have zero regrets about moving up to a V8V and then on to a V12V.

Only petrolheads really appreciate an M3 (Im one, I should know), but to everybody else its just a nice BMW. Everybody but everybody, petrolheads, the office nerd, young girls, old blokes and grannies, you name it - they all know that an Aston Martin is something rather special indeed. I have had at least 10x as much praise from strangers in my Astons than any of my M3's or Porsche 911's ever had - you will be just stunned at the 360 spectrum of people who come up to you to tell you how nice you car is.

If you dont feel the vibe when you sit inside the Aston (let alone drive it and hear the thunderous engine tone), then fair enough, go home and get out the M3 brochure and read the 0-60 time again to yourself and be content that you have made the right choice. If however the Aston makes the hairs on the back of your neck prickle when you go near it, then its time to leave that bimmer behind and move on up!

Your comments above worry me that you are just hell bent on owning the car that is 0.000001 seconds faster around blursburg track or something - its all meaningless really. Trust me the AMV8 is a fast car, far far faster than you can ever legally exploit on the UK roads anyway. Yes the E92 M3 might well be quicker, but thats only one single dimension in the thrill of owning a true sports car.

Edited by Adam2S on Friday 24th September 21:02