2005 vs 2007 DB9

I had a 2005 and I loved it. I replaced it with a 2012 Virage, which I also love.

Joe

 

No. They have been great. The 2005 had 48,000 miles.

Joe

 

If I remember correctly the differences were slight, I think they added some steering wheel controls in 2006 and there were differences in the way audio system could be used. They also added some other options in either 2006 or 7, though I could be wrong it was a couple years ago that I was looking for one.

 

I thought of adding one and recalled the 05's had a transmission failure (fixable) issue that reflects in their lower resale.

 

I wish I could. I know the Vanquish being an owner but limited knowledge on the other cars. I would not want to be grouped as one of the potifictors BSing as if they are an authority on something they read or heard from an unreliable source. All I know is two owners I spoke with said there was a high failure rate of the transmissions on the early cars and if I wanted one on the secondary market to find one that had the transmission replaced or documented work.

I would go to piston heads or AMOC and do a search to see if anything popped up on the issue.

 

Not trans failure. Failure of the trans oil cooler lines/hoses causing leaks, fixed by service bulletin during warranty period (hopefully). Trans is bullet proof.

 

I blew a Transmission Cooler Line on my 2005. Only problem.

Joe

 

I just bought an 07 DB9 and like it very much.

- First impression driving experience wasn't great, but my second test drive felt solid and convinced me I'd be happy with it. I like it even better now after a number of drives. My experience is it's a bit jittery over poor pavement below 45mph, but any surface over 50mph it was very competent. It really gets into its own above 100.

- Mine is an old fashioned manual 6-speed. The clutch/throttle coordination from a dead stop is sensitive. High throttle shifts can be ungraceful. It is hard to sense when the clutch starts grabbing is the best I can describe it. By now I've gotten used to it and haven't embarrassed myself.

- Lots and lots of information to absorb from the Owner's Manual. In my opinion the switch functions and infotainment systems are overly complex, meaning I'll just ignore most of it and won't use half of the functions. Have the seller walk you through the basics.

- The clear coat finish on my wood console is showing one thin crack. Haven't they learned to stabilize the materials any better? The car will be garaged, so I doubt it will propagate. Otherwise the interior is lovely, excellent adjustability and very well put together.

- The advice I picked up while looking for mine was to check that coil packs (engine bay heat cooks them) and clutch (30-40k mile lifespan) are freshly serviced, and everything works on the A/C system.

Happy Hunting!
- Art

 

I have a manual car also. The challenge to driving them smoothly is to adjust to the drive-by-wire go pedal. Not a fan of that item. The other issue is a tall reverse gear ratio. Stalling is easy to do when backing up an incline.

 

Bullseye!
- I stalled out twice backing up from a standstill on my test drives. At low rpm, and I'm thinking "Where is the @#&% torque in this engine??" Glad to hear the reason isn't just my newbie skill with the wire throttle and lack of clutch-take-up feel.

In related news, I had it out in the sunshine on Friday for an hour, loved it.
NOTES:
1.) Outward vision is outstanding.
2.) The brakes have an increasing grab as speed drops, feels like some hybrid re-generating brake systems I've driven.
3.) It gets an order of magnitude more comments and thumbs up than any other classic I drive .

Cheers,
- Art

 

Hi,

to come back to the question: I had a 2007 DB9, after looking at different model years and my budget... .

Difference I remember:
- seats different design from 2007 onwards, some prefer older, some newer, better try them out if you are tall
- front and rear parking sensors on 2007 (before optional)
- seat memory functions both sides (from 2007 onwards)
- more space in boot from 2007 onwards (but still not great...)
...

I sold my 2007 and now have a facelift (MY 2009) version which has:
- better navigation unit (but still not as good as a basic Gramin)
- new middle console lay out (less buttons to push)
- higher power (but not that important to me)
- some other stuff...

So, if you like the original design DB9, look for a per-2012 model (afterwards, don't like the added skirts and spoilers...). Every year, small modifications were made to improve the car.

If you wait a few more months for the DB11, you will get twin turbo 5.2 ltr V12.... . Design to be revealed in Geneva !

Cheers,
Frank

 

I've had my 05 DB9 Volante almost seven years now and it's been quite reliable. The oil cooler transmission lines had to be replaced as mentioned by others above. But really only wear items such as brake pads, rotors, tires, and tpms sensors. These items are soft and don't even make it 20k miles. And a battery. The earlier the production year, the less gizmos that are on it. I actually prefer its simplicity and clean lines both inside and out. The car cover is beautiful and the built in battery charging port is fantastic. Still looks like new and I love looking at it every morning. It is a snappy chariot!

 

It gets an order of magnitude more comments and thumbs up than any other classic I drive .

Cheers,
- Art[/QUOTE]

It's true. No "haters" when you are driving an Aston. Everyone loves 'em it seems. ;-)
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A M5 chased me in traffic today. When it caught up, he rolled down his window to give me a thumbs up. It happens all the time.

Joe

 

Another excellent resource for a buyer/owner is the book "Definitive Guide to New Gaydon-era Aston Martins"..

It is $50, comes in a small 5x7 format but is chock full of info and detail on all the model years, and the author's driving and usability impressions with the cars matched mine precisely, so I value his opinions.

The Definitive Guide to New Gaydon Era Aston Martin: A Buyer's and Enthusiast's Guide to: Vantage V8, V8 S, V12 - Coupe & Roadster. DB9 - DBS - Virage Coupe & Volante, New Vanquish and Rapide: Grant Neal: 9780950682563: Amazon.com: Books

Cheers,
- Art

 

Just got my copy today. Took about 3 weeks to get here and I can hardly put it down. Great read and a must have for anyone considering a Gaydon era AM!!!

Jim

 

I have a 2005 coupe, and have loved it for over 6 1/2 years