It makes me feel so good to hear that there are a lot of you that think our XKR's are "better" than the Aston Martin. I always liked the Aston but they are way out of my price range. I think we are so lucky to have a car that is as nice looking as the Aston for a lot less and (hopefully) easier to maintain. In my opinion our dash looks better too. I sure like mine. Eat your heart out James (Bond).

 

Although I haven't yet owned an Aston, by all accounts I hear and read they are much pricier to maintain and repair. Go figure. While the XK(R) is half the price of say a base Vanquish, the Aston seems to hold its value better.

Also, by all accounts, they need repair more often than the XKs. Plus, with performance nearly identical and appearance very close (I've been asked how much I paid for my Aston many, many times) why pay (much) more for just a few badges that say "ASTON MARTIN"?

I say all this now, but since there isn't any NEW XKRs in the works, my next car will probably be a CPO Vanquish S Volante Convertible. Guess I have to pay the premium markup to get what Jaguar doesn't offer now.

TATA, please make a replacement for the X150!!!!
(yeah, right)

 

Yesterday, I had to have an x-ray done at Cedar Sinai Imaging Center and at the valet in front was a new Aston Vantage. I will admit that the previous generation Vantage was one of the purest, best automotive designs ever made (imho), and while I was drawn to the shape of this one from a distance, I found I distinctly disliked it as I got close. First off, the top of the hood is as wide as a barn with nothing breaking up the expanse. You might as well set up chairs on each side and have a picnic Secondly, the side little air scoop at the front looks like an afterthought to give some surface relief to the rest of the side. I can honestly say that I prefer our X150 profile to the newest Vantage even if the older one would have been a much closer toss up. The car was black so a lot of the details were hidden in the paint, it was dirty, and it had boring wheels, and was obviously a "base" model. And don't even get me started about the front grill design language of new Astons, wide mouth bass comes to mind. Thirteen years after introduction, we X150 owners don't give up anything to Aston. I'd still make the decision again!
[img]https://hips.hearstapps.com/amv-prod-cad-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2019-Aston-Martin-Vantage-136.jpg?resize=480:*

 

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
What he said. The new Vantage is ugly and gross.

 

The XK is a beautiful car and dwarfs the Vantage and DB9 when parked side by side. The XK is no Aston though. There so many little details and the material quality is quite different. The XK is really a mass produced cut rate Aston in the best sense. Similar construction and design for most of the car. At least the XK has metal front fenders while the Aston are fiberglass or carbon fiber. Rear trans-axle and much better steering and handling are two things beyond the materials that sets an Aston apart. You really feel like James Bond driving one too...

I am fan of the new Vantage and DB11. Vantage is quite color and wheel pattern dependent. It's a forward thinking design that in 10-15 years will won't seem so crazy as it is today. I am torn between a DB11 or Vanquish S for a next car. They're similarly priced on the used car market. Both have big pluses for either choice. I just love my Rapide and every drive is real event.

Reliability has been the same for Aston and Jaguar in my experience. Parts cost more and the expectation of having the work done correct is higher. The responsibility to keep the car clean and tip top is higher as well. People buy an Aston as a work of art and Jaguar as a beautiful car. Each are both and both are more one than the other...

 

Cousins.


DB9 with Mansory kit. Yuk.

The Aston costs more because the tach goes backwards and the faster you go the younger you feel.

 

Dwarf the vantage not wrong

 

Not a fan either cee Jay give me a 4.7L in royal blue any day

 

I've been very close to buying a Vantage on a number of occasions but was never quite able to justify the purchase cost. In the UK I would have been lucky to get an early (2009) 4.7 Vantage with 30k+ miles for the price I paid for my 11k 2014 Dynamic R. Also I would imagine the automated manual would be a challenge to live with so I'd have to go with a manual and my left leg isn't keen to come out of retirement. Beautiful beautiful cars though, always a joy to see on the road.

 

The Vantage is a full on sports car. Many want to think of it as a GT since it has a swank interior. If you drive the sportshift like a manual, the expectation in traffic is the same, but you have two pedals. It is not meant to be driven in auto mode. The throttle and timing to switch the gears is the same as driving a manual. I sold my Vantage partially due to it be too sporty (I had a manual). It felt more "full on" than my buddy's 991 despite having more comfortable seats...

For most situations, the DB9 is a better choice. Same utility as the XK, but with better handling and has everything that makes the car feel like an Aston Martin. I think the V12 is a better engine choice with an Aston. V8 can leak at the and checking the dry sump oil is a pain. The V8 does have a viciousness on throttle that is different than the V12.

 

"Feels like I'm going faster; Sounds like I'm going faster, and my heart is certainly beating faster.... but, my rearview mirror is still full of Jag"
- Jeremy Clarkson doing a Vantage vs XKR comparison

 

The 5.0 XKR has more power than the 6.0 V12, but different personalities. Jag engines are not much to look at. Wish Jag did more (or any effort) to show off the engine. Very little reason to pop the hood at car day for the modern Jag engine; despite the big numbers Jag can get out of their super charged engines.

 

 

I'm on the hunt for a manual DB9 Volante, and yes they are interested, and you can find ways to download the factory service manual, which is truly excellent among manuals. Guys like Aston1936 and othoth on the six speed online forums and AMOC post DIY guides and videos as well.

Honestly, they're really reasonable to own compared to other cars in their initial price range.

 

6Speed has a very active Aston group with many that wrench their own cars or are in the business of repair and discount parts. Activity is on par with the XK sub-forum here. The AMOC forum is very quiet, but member events are fun.

 

Have you seen that volcano red one that is for sale? Excellent condition. Have you driven both the manual and automatic DB9's?

 

When I was originally considering a AM in my price range at that time ($40,000-$50,000 5 years ago), all that was available were cars in the late 1990s or very early 2000s. . The thought of finding a shop to do repairs overwhelmed me as I was really looking for the unrealistic car that could be driven without stories. That's when I decided to go for a similarly attractive body design at a comparable price at the time. I found my 2010 XK Coupe with 4,800 miles up north and shipped it home to Fl. Today, with just about 10,000 miles, I have yet to do a single repair other than to replace the OEM pads to ceramics. Ok, I can't say I've owned an AM......this will be as close as I get. Still fun, and most out there (other than the knowledgeable and enthusiasts) don't know the difference or even what I'm actually driving. As the saying goes.....Perception is 100% realty? Anyway...I'm enjoying it.

 

Right now an early DB9 with under 30k miles can be had for forty ish. I'm not worried about working on them because it'll never see a dealer, just me. I've worked on two of them, and as time goes on, I like them even more. Usually I find shenanigans that make me want to tap out.

The nearest dealer to me is about a hundred miles away in Troy Michigan. Not a big deal to me though as I'll just get my dealer only parts shipped when I order them.

 

Do you have the Gaydon era Aston book? I forget the proper title, but it's the definitive guide to those cars. I have a copy, but wish I had one before I bought my first Aston. Manual DB9 has to be in the 50's to start, no? V12 Vantage is quite buy in the used Aston market.

 

I test drove a DB9 and a Vantage before buying my current '10 XKR as I fancied a change after around 30 years of Jaguar ownership.

My XKR is a daily driver and most of my driving is around town and there is no way I could have lived with the SportShift gearbox in the Vantage.

The DB9 didn't feel very responsive. The accelerator seemed to be more like a stop/go button so in the end I bought the XKR. I would definitely rather have an Aston in my garage but prefer the XKR to drive and that is the most important part of car ownership.