Had a drive in a 08 DB9 tht was for sale at a dealers today, was i impressed, no not really. Would not swap my 07 xkr for it any way. The two cars were parked side by side and for me the xkr looked better. Some things i liked about the aston were the inside, nice dials and trim ,well laid out. Buttons for the gear selection was a nice touch and nice paddles. Bit cramped though, xkr feels more comfortable and more room. Driving the Aston had better steering but to hard a ride, xkr more softer and for me a nicer drive. Power not much difference, jag seems more torque responsive. As for sound xkr hands down. Well that was my view on the DB, others may differ, when people say Aston Martin you think a great car ,maybe, but i would not swap my xkr for one, this type anyway.

 

I hate to say it, but I don't like the looks of any of the Astons except for the Vantage. I think the Vantage's profile is amongst the best designs ever (right up there with many Jags including the XK/XKR series-both generations). The proportions of the bigger Astons don't translate as well, and I don't like the big toothy grills. And the Zagato ranks right up there on the ugly scale with a 1963 Plymouth Valiant and an Alfa Milano, two of the ugliest of all time.

 

Oh a rare disagreement, tberg. I reckon the Vantages look a bit cheap (probably because I see them more than any other Aston) but I love the DB9. And for me the Zagato is awesome - big, rude and nasty

 

I much prefer the xk/xkr to the AM DB9

 

Great to read some views and debate. Why are the astons so expensive, is it the hand built statement or just the badge. The astons have a nice front I think, but the xkr has one hell of a good looking butt. If I was to have any aston it would be a DBS convertible.

 

I would gladly take any manual-transmission equipped Aston over my Jag! If it's a paddle-shifting Aston, I don't want it...

 

Well Bruce,
There is some agreement, the Zagato is absolutely "big, rude, and nasty!" I saw it at it's North American Debut and Galpin Aston Martin. They had a big party in the dealership which is on a hidden mezzanine floor and accessible by invitation only. I just couldn't get over the "rude and nasty."

 

Love Aston's, but chose my XKR at a dealer that sold both where I could view them side by side. Saw a DB9 on the highway last year and followed it for a bit. I thought it was pretty much the most beautiful coupe I had ever seen driving down the road. Another time I saw an XK coupe and it was gorgeous also. I'd give the Aston the nod for styling and exclusivity, the Jag for price and service, and my money to the one that can equip it exactly the way I want!

 

The DB9 is a gorgeous car. A 7 year old DB9 without any warranty could be scary.

 

I seen a 2013 Vanquish in LA. What a beautiful Aston! I would trade my 2013 XKR for the Vanquish but the dealer would want around another $150K. The Jaguar XK line up is excellent value when compared to any other performance GT and it turns a lot of heads--"it's a Jaguar"!

 

An interesting aside. Galpin Motors which is the largest Ford dealership in the world as well as one of the larger Jaguar dealerships in southern California has an incredible "hidden" Aston showroom on a locked mezzanine floor above the Jaguar showroom (along with Lincoln) on the first floor. Most people's homes are not nearly as elegant as this showroom. And when you take delivery of an Aston, you receive it by it being driven through an enormous bank vault door that is opened as your Aston arrives. On the day of the Zagato premiere, all Jaguars were removed from the showroom, there was not a single model or car visible anywhere at Galpin. I can only guess that the $500,000 Zagato would not have fared well against lesser XK-XKR's at 1/5th the price. Not a single Jag!

 

From my previous post: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...xkr-db9-60537/





Both cars have very similar body designs from the side, particularly if you disregard the aftermarket Mansory front bumper on the DB9. But I prefer the angular line of the Jag's convertible top at the rear quarter window over the curved line of the DB9's.

 

Visually, the Vantage is too small compared to the XK, and DB, looks like a less evolved and lower version of the XK; albeit smaller as well. Both Aston's beat the Jaguar in interior refinement, along with exterior material details like Carbon Fiber... Aston's have that "specialness" to it, but the proportions of the XK I feel are more spot on than either of those two Aston's.

 

I always liked the lines of the AM even going back to the start of the DB series. As I was looking for my XKR I even considered looking at maybe getting a AM in the $70-$80K range and even looked at a few in Palm Beach a few months ago. I had to rule it out because of the lack of any dealer/service in my area. Then I also considered the cost of parts for these unique vehicles. My 1st choice was the XKR but this brand crossed my mind. Funny thing is every time I see a ford Focus coming at me it reminds me of the AM.

 

the dp9 needs the sport package (nice 5 spoke wheel) to give it a nice look. i am so happy with my with my XKR and I would 1 up and get a new XKR again. it has been 2 good to me.

 

Ever seen an AM Lagonda? This was at the JEC meet recently:

 

I used to see Lagondas on a semi-regular basis here in Los Angeles. I guess because they were so rare I didn't include them in the "ugly" chart. I understand that nameplate is being attached to a new model, hopefully a nicer one. Still maintain that the Alfa Milano, which looks like it's already be rear ended from the side view, takes the cake. (Although the current model Honda Odyssey with that goofy side rear window is a very close third behind the Valiant)

 

I liked the Milano (Alfa 75 in Europe) when it came out. Raised rear end was unique at the time, and the dash was pretty cool along crazy hand brake. The Milano did look like it sat kind of high on the wheels. 164's styling blew it away though and actually still looks good today. I've almost bought a Milano many times as a grocery getter. 3.0 Verde with S cams, Euro pipes, and Ansa sport exhaust sounds wicked!