Any thoughts on Aston Martin as a DD?

I drove a rapide for a couple of years as a dd and it was fine apart from a couple of minor electrical issues.

 

could you expand? what year, how many miles, how much maintenance/ cost, like best, like worst as a DD?
that would be great info. 4 doors rapide in my list

 

My car was a 2012 with about 28k miles . Drive it 2 years as dd and to be honest the maintence was low . The issues I had was the passenger door window would go down when the door was opened but always got stuck and would not go back up , I had to the boot the battery every time . Towards the end I had an issue with the main dash not powering up when I started the car then would come back to life about 5 minutes into the drive . Those were the 2 issues other than that I enjoyed the experience .

 

I use my manual V8 Vantage as a DD for 7 months a year (and store it for the other 5 months on a battery tender). No mechanical or other issues whatsoever. Just annual services, that's about it. Bulletproof reliable!

 

I've got a DB9 Volante with a manual transmission. Lovely ride. No issues. Have a DB7 Vantage as well. A whole different ride - a bit retro. No real issues with it either. Both are V12s and pull like freight trains. Not quite the same as the 550, but close enough and sound great. You can still smell the leather in both cars - even with the tops down. Astons are always a class act...

 

I traded my 2005 DB9 with 47,000 miles. I now have a 2012 Virage with 30,000 miles. No problems with either one.

Joe

 

If I'm not hauling a trailer with bikes or kayaks, or taking two more couples out to dinner in my Ford Flex, my 2009 DB9 is a DD with a 360 Spider being my primary exotic. The DB9 is a joy to drive, lots of luggage room if you add in the rear sets and quite comfortable on long weekend getaways.

 

Had a DB9 as a daily for about a year — mechanically reliable, just annoying electrical gremlins : Dead battery for no reason, door / trunk open light would come on at random times ( inclusive at high interstate speeds, always fun), radio wouldn’t work at times. All very random and dealership could never sort them out. Car always plugged in charger. Figured it was too finicky for me as a daily. Newer ones may be very different, mine was a 2006. Also found the seats uncomfortable for long rides but believe they updated seats in 2008 or 2009(?).

 

Yup. 2007 or newer...

 

I have an ‘07 with a manual transmission. It’s fantastic and you could definitely daily it. So much bang for the buck at current values.

 

I used to daily drive an Aston DB9. No issues. I recently purchased a 2009 DBS manual and I'm really excited to take delivery in about a week or so. And yes I will be driving it on a regular basis.

 

Congrats!!! One of the best!

I’ve daily driven and now on my 5th Aston: V8V Nurburgring Edition, Casino Royal DBS manual, V12 VS, DBS morning frost white, Vanquish morning frost white.
As others have said, overall, it’s an elegant car with occasional quirks.
Pros: the paint is something special, several layers and definitely recommend a pearlescent finish.
Aston leather has that unique smell of class.
The NA motor purrs with symphony.
Cons and what to look for:
Check swan door struts as they may go bad.
Make sure the gas cover opens and works (had 2 cars with this issue)
Check for the notorious “Emissions Service” CEL.
Inspect and smell the beautiful leather.

I love my Vanquish and Aston, as it is a sophisticated marque.


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Thanks Edward. Beautiful assortment of exceptional automobiles. Mine is Storm Black with Black leather/Red Alcantera inserts. I'll post some photos as soon as it arrives. Kudos to you for excellent taste!

 

My wife had a Volante in 2006 as a daily driver.
She put around 10k miles with Zero issues, car was in service only for oil change and to swap the tires for Winter, Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I had a 2005 V8 Vantage manual for almost 3 years and used as my daily driver. Put about 8,000 miles per year on it (Meteorite Silver over Black Leather). One of the first cars in the US. Bullet proof besides squeaky brakes and had some leather pieces shrink on the dash (replaced for free under warranty). Navigation system was pretty poor etc but I didn't use it much. Loved the experience and if you care more about driving etc I am not sure you can find a better cost/smile ratio.

Have since cycled through BMW M3 convertible (E90), Ferrari Scuderia, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, and a Porsche 911 Turbo S. Hanging on to the Porsche which is a shockingly good DD also but picked up an Aston Martin V12 Vantage S (dogleg manual) because I have such fond memories of the V8. So I drive the Porsche and AMV12 daily depending on the day, mood and where I am headed.

 

That is one I need to get into .... manual V12 VS


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I daily my 2016 V8V GTS...I love it! Makes the most mundane errand fun. I can fit a standard size golf bag or a week's worth of groceries in the trunk. The only inconvenience I've had so far is the cup holders are tiny, so got to make sure drinks have a secure lid as they'll go flying once the fun begins. I got mine CPO, so the warranty gives me peace of mind, however I haven't had to use it yet

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It is worth it... the slowest car in my stable but puts the biggest smile on my face every time. Pulled out of a soccer practice drop off and my friend was behind me in a pick up truck. Spun the tires in first, second and third... next day he had this HUGE smile on his face saying it was the most amazing sound he ever heard from an automobile

 

i had one when they were new...
slow car but flows nicely through corners.
Reliable but battery used to drain quickly (british car ?)

 

my biz partner had several vantages back in day. auto, manual, coupe, cab. all fine as a dd. no issues at all. but dealership was only half hr away and was on warranty so....

 

I have a 2011 Vantage S and have daily driven the car for 3.5 years and around 40k miles. Also taken the car on several road trips, the longest being 2k miles. Each with no issue. I love this car!

Mine is also highly modified with just about every performance part made for these cars short of a supercharger and still super reliable. I had an electrical issue early on that needed sorting but once fixed it has been amazing!

I also play hockey twice a week. The trunk is large enough to fit my equipment bag and two hockey sticks!
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Can someone point me to a resource to start reading up on models/ years, pros and cons? Don’t even know where to start.
Is a manual the only way to go/ are the automated gear boxes okay?

 

This book by Grant Neal is considered required reading before purchasing any Gaydon era Aston. It explains all the differences in the various models and production years.
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6speed forums have a wealth of knowledge! Also checkout the Redpants website.(yes, its called red pants, theres a story behind it on the site) Rich has a great site dedicated to Aston ownership. The Vantages are bulletproof and a great value. Personally I'd go with 2009 and up, just for the larger engine. The older ones are still fantastic cars. I had a manual V8 vantage and never had an issue. Maintenance was about 1400 a year at the dealer. Or Redpants website walks you through everything to do the service yourself for a few hundred bucks if you want. Of course, if something does go wrong, it could get expensive fast. But, for the most part, they are very reliable cars.

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