Hello to all of you,

This is my first post here, my name is Rick. After reading half a dozen forum pages I have to say I'm impressed with the quality of the people and dialogue here. Because of that I am hopefull you can help me in going forward with an "intelligent" purchase this spring, or sooner if I can't hold out! I have really been taken by these cars since looking into them in detail the last month or so. I was looking at Bentley GT's for a while but I've come around to the Astons. They are more affordable than I imagined before.

I live in the Detroit area, which means among other things, slim pickings for a used AM. I have yet to sit in one let alone drive one, but after doing a lot of research I think what I'd like to get is a DB9. However, until I actually drive that and a V8, I can't be too sure.

So getting some drive time is one problem. It seems Chicago will be the closest place to get this done and I am wondering if anyone here can make comment about the various dealers and exotic stores in that area? I want to avoid places that may have a bad rep for spoiling the experience. Any other ideas are welcome.

Another thing I need to learn about is the warranty periods of the different years and when are you able to extend them? I think my budget of <$100k, will put me in a 2006 for a DB9. Out of waranty I expect. Are the AM dealers willing or able to give you the service history of any car from their computer system?

Related to that, is when, or at what mileage points, do you need to get major maintenance work done, what is it and the apx. cost? I'd like to know what to ask has been done that is significant based on the miles on the car. I read somewhere that service every 10,000 miles is recommended and that it's about $1,000-$1,500?

I haven't had a 2nd car now for quite a while, so I'm itching.

Thanks for any help you offer, it will be very much appreciated.

Rick

 

I'd like to recommed Lake Forest Luxury Cars in the Chicago Area, if you want to work with a dealer. My V8Vantage was purchased new from them and I bought it used from the Original owner and had it serviced there before driving it back to Nevada. I chose a 2008 V8Vantage rather than a DB9 because the back seats in the DB9 are barely enough for young kids, and the trunk is 1/2 the volume of the Vantage. To get and idea of what's available and price range, search Autotrader.com (any distance) and yahoo cars, you'll find a lot of listings. Good luck with your search and post again with other questions you have as you search.

 

Rick, you've asked a bunch of questions so let me tackle a few. First and foremost, let me share something with you that most people never discuss on forums and that is coming to terms with the ROAD CONDITIONS where you live. Cold climates are notorious for pot holes, frost heaves, expansion joints and the rest. A car that has a firm suspension like the Vantage may not be the most comfortable car to live with. You might be ok with that but will the wife or girlfriend? Just something to think about. I learned this lesson AFTER I bought my last eighty thousand dollar toy and then spent another three grand trying to soften up the suspension to make it livable. It's no fun owning an expensive car that you can't wait to get OUT OF after an hour of jostling and kidney punches. You also asked about the extended warranty. It is not a bumper to bumper warranty. In fact, it's not even called an extended warranty. It's called an "Extended Service Contract" and there are LOTS of exclusions. If you include your e-mail, I will forward you a copy of one. Any AM dealer can provide you with info regarding service work that was done while the car was in warranty. Ask them to check their vehicle enquiry system. Personally, I have been trying to buy a vantage for six months but have only found one dealer in the country who has treated me like a gentleman. Most have made me feel like they're doing me a favor letting me buy their car. It can best be described as a careless indifference. I'm not trying to bash anyone here which is why I purposely didn't mention any names or dealerships, I'm just being brutally honest sharing my experiences. Before I plunk down another 80K on a car, especially in a horrific economy, I want to be sure that I'm doing business with a company that appreciates it's customer base and so far; that hasn't been the case!

 

I have had great experiences with Lake Forest Sports Cars in Lake Bluff, IL, a north suburb of Chicago. The sales people are very friendly, knowledgeable and are not pushy whatsoever. Much better experience than I have had with Porsche, BMW, etc. I would be happy to give you the names of the people I have dealt with over there if interested. For the record, LFSC has done all of the maintenance and warranty repair work on my car. I really like the service staff too. They are mod friendly to boot! I purchased the 2 year extended warranty from LFSC as my original 3 year factory warranty expired last July/August. My recollection is that it pretty much covers everything with the exception of the Satnav. I think I paid around $5500 for the 2 year plan. Annual maintenance will run about $750-$2,000.

BTW, I respectfully disagree with ptaylor_9849 comments about road conditions and being able to enjoy the cars daily in Detroit. Assuming the roads are the same as Chicago it can easily be driven daily. No worries whatsoever. It is not too low to the ground, does not bottom out when hitting large potholes, the front does not scrape, etc. I think the suspension is pretty damn good actually. The sportpack suspension is even better if you can afford a '09 or later. The seats are amazing, ingress and egress is easy and long trips are a breeze. For the record I have a herniated disc so I am quite sensitive to seats, driving position, etc. I think AM did an awesome job in this regard.

Hope this helps.

Adam

 

I just bought a V8V after a yearlong search. I can't comment on the ownership bits but can help on the searching part. Don't restrict yourself to just Detroit and local areas. At any given time there are about a hundred or so cars in play. Get inspections from dealers, it's worth teh 4-500 they'll cost you. I am an active member of the Britishspeed.com Lotus forum and have had the good fortune of people willing to look/test drive cars for me.
For transport I am going to use:
http://plycargroup.com/
They have the AM corporate account and deliver new cars to the dealers. One of their transports was picking up a couple Porsche's locally so I was able to look at the transport.

 

Alevine, I think your Am rep might not have been completely forthcoming when he advised you about your “Extended Service Contract” You have always been helpful to me so now let me return the favor. I know we’ve gone back and forth a bit on this topic so let’s get it out in the open for all to see because this question comes up a lot around here. Here’s a list of items that are NOT COVERED under a premium AM Extended Service Contract.There's some really important stuff in here so please read thoroughly. Remember, everything on this page is not covered!

Body components: Strikers and hinges, which may need adjustment from time to time.

Brake facings: The renewal of brake facings, pads or rotors due to general wear or abnormal use of the brakes.

Clutch: The renewal of any clutch component due to incorrect adjustment, misuse or general wear and tear.

Contaminated fuel: The clearing of fuel lines, filters, injectors, pumps or any other component within the fuel delivery system including damage to components resulting from the use of incorrect or contaminated fuel.

Electronics: Radio/cassette/CD players/telephone/satellite navigation or any other component within the in-car entertainment system.

Glass breakage: Broken Glass

Miscellaneous: Tires or wheel balancing, general adjustments, de-carbonation, batteries, bulbs, water ingress, exhaust system, wiper arms and blades.

Paintwork / Bodywork:

a) Where the Vehicle has been subject to misuse or neglect.
b) Wheels and other components which are not an integral part of the bodywork.
c) Any part of the bodywork which has suffered accidental damage.
d) Corrosion resulting from damage to the paintwork which is caused by, but not limited to: stone chips, scratches, accidental damage, atmospheric pollution or the application of corrosive materials.
e) Corrosion resulting from the fitting of accessories which are not approved by Aston Martin or where approved accessories are fitted other than in accordance with Aston Martin instructions.
f) Soft trim (including convertible vehicle soft-tops) Deterioration of soft trim and appearance items due to wear and/or exposure.

Normal maintenance and the replacement of service items including but not limited to: spark plugs, oil filters, lubricants, drive belts and other items fitted in connection with routine servicing.

This Contract also does NOT COVER:

A) Failure whensoever it might occur which could be reasonably stated by a licensed mechanic appointed by the Company, to have been due to a fault(s) present before commencement of this Contract. Any such pre-existing fault(s) must be corrected before this Contract becomes effective.

ii) Which could be attributable, in the reasonable opinion of a licensed mechanic appointed by the Company, to the lack of proper maintenance.

iii) Which is attributable to components that have failed which are subject to a manufacturer’s recall or service campaign.

iv) Which is attributable to components that have failed which can be considered as having an inherent design fault.

B) Any Claim:

i) Unless the Vehicle has been properly serviced at the time and mileage intervals specified by the manufacturer and otherwise in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. A maximum allowance of 1,000 miles less than or in excess of the stipulated mileage and four weeks prior to or in excess of the stipulated time period is permitted.
ii) If the Vehicle’s odometer has been tampered with, altered, or disconnected.
iii) In whole or in part due to any kind of accident or any act or omission that is willful, unlawful, or negligent.
iv) Caused by collision, fire, theft, freezing, vandalism, riot, explosion, lightning, earthquake, windstorm, hail, animal, or water.
v) Caused by pulling a trailer or another vehicle, unless the Vehicle is equipped for this as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.
vi) Caused by contamination of fluids, fuels, coolants or lubricants.
vii) Associated with the labor charges to diagnose, teardown, reassemble, repair or replace part(s) which are not covered.
C) Repairs, replacements or alterations:
i) Not authorized by the Company or Administrator.
ii) Any components which have not actually failed but which are repaired or replaced, or which are reported or discovered during servicing and/or maintenance work as requiring repair or replacement.
iii) Any components which have been modified from the manufacturer’s specification.
iv) The cost of which is recoverable by the Holder under any other existing service program/contract, guarantee, or warranty, including but not limited to those provided by the manufacturer.
D) The gradual reduction in operating performance of the Vehicle commensurate with its age and mileage including (but not limited to):
i) Gradual loss of engine compression necessitating the repair of valves or rings.
ii) Gradual increase in oil consumption due to normal operating functions.
E) Any Vehicle used in any kind of competition or racing or for any commercial purpose, hire or reward, (e.g., taxis, self-drive, driving schools, etc.), during the Period of Coverage.
F) Any Vehicle owned or operated by a garage or motor car dealer, or by any of its subsidiary or associated companies, or by the proprietor thereof, or any relative of the proprietor, or any employee of such dealer, or of any of its subsidiary or associated companies.

 

Thanks so much to all of you.

My Jag S type R had 35 profile tires and around here over 3-4 years I bent two wheels on pot holes so I am sensetive to that issue. I don't know why they insist on going to extremes on tire profiles. Anyway, I am somewhat concerned about the road conditions in general because as we know, every spring you find roads are less smooth than they were. But I'm not going to move to drive a car I like, not yet anyway.

Seems Lake Forest has great repsect here but they don't have large inventory unfortunately. I notice Gold Coast has a lot of cars but I have read some troubling things about the people there, but good as well.

Ptaylor, was the dealer you liked also LFSC? If not who? I tried to send you a private message with my email but I need 15 posts for the priviledge. Is there another way to get you that without posting it publicly?

Has anyone engaged people who do "Car Finding and Purchase Negotiation" as a job? Someone recommended that I might try them out but with the internet to search with I don't know how much they can offer to pay their way.

Does the upgrade to 420 hp in the 09 vantage make a real noticable difference in in town driving? I had read that some would say the previous Vantage needs to be rev'd to go fast. I don't know if that applies to the 09 as well. I prefer engines with good low end torque, like I am hoping the DB9 has. I would really appreciate input on this topic.

I have been searching nationwide through the channels mentioned plus directly to dealers web sites. aol, autotrader, cars.com, yahoo

Since an 08 DB9 is the latest model it looks like I can enter with, is there any very compelling reason to work hard for that as opposed to an 07? I didn't find much to diferentiate them so far.

Thanks again everyone.

 

Thanks for going through the fine print and putting it online for all to see. This should be very helpful to prospective purchasers. I would like to point out that AM offered 2 or 3 variations of their extended service contract during the past few years. In fact, I think one of the plans offered was through another unaffiliated 3rd party company but branded and sold as an AM product. This was about 2 years ago however. I wish I saved the literature to compare.

My recollection is that the extended service contracts sold today are done directly through AM and yes, I agree there appears to be many exclusions. However, with the exception of the radio/satnav, I view many of the exclusions as wear and tear and general maintenance as long as you continue with the recommended AM service and schedule. In fact many of these items would be excluded from the original 3 year warranty if proof of regular maintence cannot be made. Also, I think with any extended service contract one must have a relationship and trust with their AM service center as they will be the ones to submit warranty claims, etc. I discussed these concerns with my service adviser and he gave me comfort that they have a long relationship with AM and they have never had an issue with claims on the extended service contracts. I purchased mine for a few reasons. 1. Peace of mind. 2. Cover any major loss and 3. Help with potential resale value if I decide to sell (NOT HAPPENING ANYTIME SOON! )

For the record I should point out that I have not had any claims on since I purchased the extended service contract to test any of the theories stated above.

Good discussion for all interested in the extended service plans!

Adam

 

Perhaps one quick way to narrow your search would be to decide if you want a manual or paddle shifters...There is a dearth of manuals in DB9s and later year Vantages.
As to the 420 Vantage in the 2009 model year keep in mind that a dealer installed powerpack was made available by AM to bring up the 4.3L V8s to the 09 spec engine. It costs about 5K ish to install. So if that's important to you it might help expand your choices.

 

Bustert, as mentioned previously I have spoken with numerous AM salesmen AND sales managers. The absolute best hands down/no contest was Stuart McIntosh from Galpin Premier Collection in CA. Stuart is knowledgable, courteous, professional, patient and reassuring. But in six months, he's been about the only one. However, I should mention one other person of great help to me and that is Scott Morgan from AM North America. I didn't include him earlier because he's with corporate offices not a sales person. If AM had more people on their staff like them, I would have bought an Aston six months ago.

 

Hey Rick-
I believe there is a Jaguar/AM dealer in Troy. My father picked up a new XKR there but mentioned they also had AM's. That is close to you and should work for a test drive.

 

As I have been looking for the past 4 months, I have spoken with at least 1/2 of the AM dealers in the U.S. Only once have I called a GM and asked to be reassigned from the rep that I had spoken with. That rep was, shall we say, somewhat deficient.

With one or two exceptions, I have found all of them to be forthcoming, honest and cordial (although many of them do not know as much about their lineup as most of the folks on this board).

That said, some are certainly more open to discussion than others, and I am very forthright about the fact that I am looking far and wide. Virtually all of them take the long view that buyers of AM are not the typical car buyer, and I have rarely been pushed to "buy today".

YMMV, but I give this dealer chain high marks, certainly higher than other big-toy dealerships.

 

Don't overlook buying from a private party. Most take very good care of their Astons, have it serviced regularly at a dealer and generally treat it like the fine car it is.

 

Banton and Ptaylor,

When you are talking to these great people, are you talking new or used with them? I wonder how they treat a used car shopper when they know that they aren't likely to end up with your business if you are looking nation wide?

111R thanks for the powerpack idea but I am still waiting to hear from someone who knows, aboutg the extent of the improvement that extra 40 hp generates and what happens to the torque curve? I am almost certain I want paddles.

Detomaso, I'm aware of the Troy dealer but it's winter and, I wouldn't feel right driving their new show room car knowing I am only able to buy used and they don't have any. Maybe they'll get something used in the next few months.

What are the thoughts out there about coupe vs volante? Are the roadsters solid without cowl shake? I favor the coupe for style and I don't think I would really drive top down all that often. I know it can be pure bliss when conditions are just right but that isn't often in Michigan. And to me, the coupe is the way it's supposed to look. But it seems the population of DB9 automatic coupes is pretty small fraction of the total.

 

"When you are talking to these great people, are you talking new or used with them? I wonder how they treat a used car shopper when they know that they aren't likely to end up with your business if you are looking nation wide?"

I have spoken with everyone regarding both new AND used. There is not a dealer out there who would not be happy to have you drive one of their new cars to find out what the AM experience is like. These are not Kia salesmen hanging out on the lot waiting for customers. They understand that they don't carry a lot of inventory, and you may go elsewhere.

I'm sensing that you might not be approaching these people in the best possible manner. This is not supposed to be a painful experience. You are not buying a Yugo, and you won't be treated that way. Treat them well, be honest as to your goals, allow for some give and take and, above all, treat these people with respect; they can either become a prized vendor or your worst nightmare.