DB7 Price Check

...very tempting - last i priced them out this past autumn, there were only one or two poor outliers that affordable, so i've been shopping chassismate XKRs instead...

 

Shop harder.

There are nice Vantages (V12) for that kind of money. The I-6 cars will slide under $20K...

 

My friend had two the supercharged 6 and the V12 both were a nightmare and one actually tried to kill him....I would go for an XKR.

 

CPO = ?

...owners tell me that by 2003 the XKs were well-sorted and pretty much bulletproof...astons of course are another story entirely; even trivial repairs kill you on parts...

 

Certified pre owned

 

I had an '02 XK8 coupe that I bought used, no problems to speak of in the 12k miles or so I had it. The previous owner had replaced the throttle bodies ($1600) though. The ones to avoid are pre-2001 unless the chain tensioners have been updated to the non-plastic ones.

http://www.jagservice.net/jaguar_v8_secondary_tensioners.htm

I don't know how much more trouble a I6 DB7 would be, the engine as I understand it is based on the 6-cylinder Jag XJR. That engine had been around long enough you would think most of the bugs would have been worked out.

 

A friend is a part owner of a AM dealership...trust me, the aston martins, even the newer ones , can be a repair nightmare...the db7 can kill in costs if you are a little bit unlucky..

 

Get the XKR the 03+ (4.2L) is a bulletproof car and can be had for less than $20k.

No-brainer.

 

I use an 03 DB7 GTA as a daily driver. Before that I had an 03 XKR. The XKR is fast and has lots of Gadgets but the problem is its BORING with no exhaust noise and even old ladies with purple hair drive them around here. The DB7 thrills everyday and gets about as much attention as my F car. The V12 sound booms from the first push of the button and makes you smile every time.

I only had one really good trip with the XKR and that was a long weekend to Pebble beach and back. Get it seriously fast on some twisty roads and the car comes into its element which it never could in suburban LA. I'm not going to say how fast I averaged but there are about 1532 furious Prius owners I remember seeing dissapear in the mirror and I cracked the windshield somehow (bumps=ramps at speed).

 

I have had mine since February 2001 and it has never tried to kill me or bankrupt me. In fact it is the longest I have ever owned a car, outliving my Ferrari 328 and 550 by years. It's not the fastest or the most nimble or the cheapest thing around and I no longer use it every day, but it is a nice thing to own, and one day in the distant future it'll be a proper classic car.
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How would you compare the performance against the 550? I've driven both but it was months apart - the 550 was slightly faster feeling and had tighter suspension (had Fiorano handling pack), but otherwise it didn't seem that the DB7 gave up much in terms of performance. Certainly was a value considering how cheaply a DB7 V12 can be had in the US - higher mileage examples (30k+ mi) from 01-02 are around $40k or 27k GBP. I got to drive a Jubiliee edition Volante for an evening and it was great fun, but the windline was on my forehead and the auto trans sloshy... a manual coupe would be super though!

 

Beautiful Beautiful Nice GT !

 

How about a side by side?
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The 550 was faster in a straight line and definately on twisty bits with the sport switch on. However the DB7 V12 is much less stressed and feels more available at any speed - you can drive in 3rd gear for ever. It'll pull away in third, overtake in third, do 90 mph in third. The 550 had more power (and accordingly ate rear tyres like you wouldn't believe and I'm no boy racer) but I am guessing that between 20-70mph in the wrong gear the DB7 is much faster. The rear seats were handy when my daughter was little but she's outgrown them now and she'd just 12 yrs old. The really big difference is the reaction of other drivers - the Aston was quite rare when I bought it (pre-DB9 and V8V mass production) and people were really deferential - my mother remarked that it was like Moses parting the Red Sea on motorways, people just pulled over and let you through.

The 550 could get up people's noses and you'd get the occassional suggestion that manual genital manipulation was a hobby. It was also bloody silly to live with - the car is wide and the doors are so long and thick that you can't park in about 95% of all parking bays and get out. However, I drove it down to Le Mans and it was a sensational drive.

As an every day car the DB7 is much more sensible, but as a toy the 550 had its moments. I guess the ultimate test is that I sold the Ferrari and kept the Aston, but then I am English and that may colour my view.
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Do you not have front number plates where you are? That'd really confuse the speed cameras here!

 

Ha, that's funny f328nvl I'm English too.

There is a front plate law in California but most places you can get away without one. I think its due to the sheer volume of cars on the road. If you do get stopped or cited when parked then you get a fix it ticket and you can opt to pay a fine for not having the plate or go have it inspected. Fine is around $40 depending where you live.

 

Gorgeous collection, you have great taste!

 

No more than any other supercar "could" kill in costs. They are relatively cheap to buy, and certainly that V12 engine is strong with no problems, likewise the transmission and final drives are very strong too. If your buying an early six-cylinder car they suffer from a few things like radiators leaking and a/c evaporator failure which is a couple of grand to put right, but evidence of such repairs should be with any car with a decent history. The electrics on these cars are not great however, expect to spend most of your time in the car with the engine lamp on. Usually caused by sensor failure or poorly we up throttles. Earlier Astons use Ford and jag based management systems that any decent garage with a code reader can work on, which shaves a bit of costs if your in the Market for a cheaper example. They are very underated and don't need to break the bank to run