Maserati vs. Aston Martin

Well, I don't know a whole lot about the Astons, really, so I can't help you with a direct comparison; but I have an '02 Masi Coupe, so feel free to fire away with any questions you might have.

 

Both marques are very different and "early 2000" models of either can be fraught with problems. You really need to do research on both and then decide what you want. Then do a lot of research on that particular model. I would say that a MY 2000 Aston Martin DB7 has the edge on looks alone and while they can be quite bulletproof its the small niggly things that will kill the ownership experience so buying a good one takes some knowledge. I had a 2003 DB7 GTA until earlier this year and used it as a daily driver. It got about as much attention as my Ferrari and it wasn't even red.

Good luck with your search, Fchat is a good place but ************ and Aston owners forums will help too.

 

Yes: www.astonmartinlife.com.

 

www.amoc.org is a bit more active than the site mentioned above

 

If you should decide to go the Maserati route, I would suggest you check cars that are 2004-current. The coupes & gransports are selling cheap now, the higher priced cars are just sitting for months and in some cases well over a year.

In my own experience as an original owner now with high 40k miles, Higher mileage vehicles will require some $$ to keep them going. There are some expensive parts in the transmission, f1 system that I had replaced, along with clutch replacement, etc, you can easily drop 15k into the car within a year. The good news is that the factory updated those parts and the car shifts better than new and also better than when they offered the upgrades to the existing equipment a few years ago.

You may find history about clutch replacement and problems associated. I've taken mine to the dealer exclusively, FMBH, and have had good luck with them. They may not be the cheapest in town but they do it right and work with me on my preferences etc.. I think it was worth it as others, who have gone different routes, have paid twice for the same job.

Also, on pre 2005 vehicles, the cost to repaint rear end damage is big. They made panel seperations at the rear of the roofline in 2005 to deal with that. One dent in the rear on pre 2005 vehicle requires all windows to be replaced and new paint from the front windsheild back. It's costly. I've seen some cars where the faded it in and you can tell on certain colors...didnt look good.

In general the car is reliable and has performed well for the # of years Ive owned it. Its not cheap, but do expect some investment.

One of a few extra items I have done is the Tubi, which is great, and replaced the springs at about 40k with an aftermarket set. Tubi made a tremendous improvement in sound and the new spring's performance blew me away the first time I took a quick right turn.