I have always entertained the thought of buying a brand new car as I reached the end of my working life. The Mrs had the brand new Punto a few years ago so she agreed to me having my turn

I would clearly like to have to be something special but quickly became quite depressed at the prices. The cheapest Audi RS is north of £45K so I looked at the VW Scirocco. As you add items to the configurator the price quickly shoots beyond £30K and that got me thinking, does it have to be a new car.

A quick look on Pistonheads showed that an older Aston, often with quite low mileage, can be picked up for just a bit more than a well specified VW.

So, what would you do, new or old?

You could go for one that is 6-12 months old and save a chunk of cash that way.
My dad has just bought a 435d x-drive which was 2 months old and had 15 miles on it, for £9.5k less than list.

Old..your gain is someone else's pain, go for a nice Aston, few thousand miles a year would mean relatively small maintenance and consumables bills..that's what I would do.

2006 Vantage

Steve Webb the Pensions Minister suggests we all buy Lambos!

I don't want to be too silly....

Buy something special, even if it is older. The only proviso is running costs. Parts will be more expensive and servicing might be depending on whether you tinker yourself, use a reasonably priced indi or a main dealer. If anything major goes wrong, the bills will sadly be special too though.

I fancied something different and went for a used XKR which is not quite as expensive to run as a Maserati, Aston etc. where I'm located. It is said to be very soild and one can get all the usual parts outside of the dealer network. Less easy for some of the slightly more esoteric and even rarer competition.

Older, a VW will always be just that. An Aston will always love you back and probably not lose £1,000's in your first year of ownership.

Firstly - do it - buy something special. I don't think you ever regret it.

But I'd echo neil_r , investigate the running costs first rather than the purchase price.

I ran a Aston DB7 for 5 years or so. Servicing was twice a year, major and minor. The least I ever paid was about £800 a pop and most about £3000 when parts needed replacing, It was the earlier 6 cylinder version and parts were hard to find and expensive.

I than ran a Maserati Spyder 4200 V8 which was worse. The flappy paddle gearbox wears out very quickly and a new actuator and clutch cost me nearly £7000. While the car was in bits they warned me the cats were due replacing at £K per side !!!

Obviously these were 2nd had cars rather than new but running costs for these "special" cars are high.

Realistically I'm a few years away from taking the plunge. Just dreaming at the moment. I clearly want the mortgage gone before taking on such a huge money pit

But buying second hand does seem to make more sense. It looks like I'm never going to have that brand new car feeling The very thought of owning a low mileage Aston Vantage V8 does have me drooling far more than the thought of a VW I must confess

Three arguments for you to consider Bob....

1) How much will the brand new Scirocco be worth in 5 years time. How much will the Aston be worth?

2) If you go out in the Scirocco and park it up, will you turn round and look at it as you walk away?

3) When someone asks you "so what are you driving nowadays, Bob?.." - what would you like to tell them?

FWIW, my 355 cost me £7k in depreciation over the two years I owned it (If I'd foreseen the latest price rises and kept it, I'd now be looking at a profit). Even a three year old Mondeo would have depreciated more, never mind a brand new VW

Buy wisely, and it will be difficult to see how you could lose anywhere near as much money as you would on a new car

Funny! Last summer that car is actually the one that me thinking about buying something special. However, the ensuing research unearthed enough problem areas and no sensibly priced fixes. Even service parts are very expensive.

One really should look in detail at the overall costs and and problem areas, and balance that against the purchase price. These cars are cheap secondhand because they are quite expensive to very expensive to run. But do your homework and buy carefully and hopefully both you and your wallet will be happy.

I'm not expecting either to be experiencing that new car feeling or to be purchasing anything more exotic than our current car, but - as I said to neil_r about his Jag - I love that people are able to achieve these things and I'd be delighted to hear what you decide, Bob.

I can't imagine what it would feel like to look back at an Aston Martin, knowing it was mine, but I can imagine how it would feel for a VW. I think that sums up my advice: go for the exotic!

Brilliant sum up there Jim!

It seems that we all share similar dreams / fears.

When I do buy something it won't be getting used every day. It will be a bit of a garage ornament and will probably spend most of its life parked in a garage next to a Green Coupé. For every day use we'll have the Grande Punto or its replacement.

I fully accept that an exotic car will be more expensive to keep than to buy. I am also fairly sure this is a concept, albeit at a much lower level of pain, that most Fiat Coupé owners are well aware of.

On a more general note, whether I'm looking at buying something exotic or a bit more 'ordinary' (pardon the expression), I don't think I would ever buy something brand new unless I'd got serious money to burn.

You just get SO much better value for money on a nearly-new/3 year old car than you do on brand new, you can get a better spec for less money and still own it early enough into the life cycle for it to feel new-ish.

Also, and I know this isn't new or clever advice and you know this already, but if the top end of your budget is £45k and you end up buying something exotic second hand where the cheapest are £45k, then you're probably walking into a world of trouble! I don't think I'd ever buy anything again where I'm getting the cheapest of what's available, if I can't afford to get the best of what's on offer with a decent slush fund in reserve then I'd definitely turn my attention to alternatives..

There are cars that are not money pits..my coupe has not drained me of funds but then neither I nor the previous owner drove it like a [cloud9]. The thrill of purchasing a second hand performance car is immense choose one wisely, read and acknowledge all the 'warning signs': both the car and owner...and from my experience the risk substantially diminish.

VW Scirocco as a retirement car...for real.....c mon man! ;-)

http://www.evo.co.uk/features/15358/best-cars-to-buy-for-35000-evo-garage

For £35k+ off the top of my head I'd be thinking

Porsche 997 C4S wide body with factory aero kit
C63 AMG Coupe
CL63 AMG
Lotus Evora
Maserati Grantourismo 4.7 S
Audi R8

996 turbo circa £25k, loads of specialists and plenty of info out there.
Plus it will probably increase in value.

How about a TVR ?

You can get a lot of TVR for your money and semi British too.

http://www.evo.co.uk/buying/buyingguide/289408/tvr_sagaris_buying_checkpoints.html

I've always fancied the richer mans Coupe.......



GranTurismo's are getting around the £30k though you need £10k+ more for the 4.7 Get a £20-£25k Gransport and keep the change for the servicing. They make a Vantage look common

I like Nello's advice. My taste would be for an old fibreglass body 308, circa 1978, but I think they've shot out of the price range now.

Practically all Fezza's are £30k+ now - Gone bonkers if you ask me. Mate of mine bought a 308GT4 for £12k four years ago. The Ferrari OC almost shunned them not that long ago and they are now double if not triple that for a good one. Madness. This one took the biscuit for me
The Fibreglass 308's always fetched more anyway which used to make me laugh as being 'plastic' was always the usual Journo's comment whenever they road-tested 308/328/348 against Esprits.

Bob - even my sisters' old Cygnet is gaining value !

Neil - I hope he knows someone who's good with an English Wheel to get those little holes fixed!

The rear wheel arch looks ok though.

Thinking sensibly - Most new cars come with a years insurance, 4 years servicing and a 5 year warranty. If you add what it would cost to have that on an older Aston or similar, does it narrow the price gap between the new and old?

I'm incredibly fortunate to own an Audi RS and a Scirocco R, you wouldn't regret either, the Scirocco, especially in R form is a great replacement for the Coupe and yes you do still look at at it as you walk away, just like you turn to look at a 16 year old Fiat.
The Audi is an amazing machine, you can pick up a low mileage used RS4 for similar money to a used Aston, it has the practicality of an estate car, great looks, great fun to drive and it will come with some warranty and servicing package.

Me and Adam took a trip around a few dealerships today.

VW - I do like the Scirocco a mate has one and it looks great. So I viewed White one and a Blue one today.

Audi next. Only cars that really caught my eye were an R8 which was fantastic and an S4. I was hoping to see a (5cyl) TTRS but they didn't have one.

Next stop was Jaguar and the F type. The R8 had looked good but the F type was the first to really look and feel special to me. Sadly the chap selling, despite being generally helpful was a bit too pushy and sales driven. He continued even after I had explained I wouldn't be buying straight away

The Porsche dealership was next. We looked at several models but again none shouted "PICK ME"

We then went to the Aston dealership. I explained my situation to the salesman and he was fantastic. Not a hint of push and he fully explained what to expect at what budget. Sub £30K very early cars but buy with caution - could be some really big bills looming. For £30 - £40 I should be able to get a good early car and Sub £50K should get a good late 2000's car possibly with a dealer warranty too.

Adam and I then drooled over an N430, what a car So tempted to draw down the full tax free amount and buy it now...

Conclusion from today.

We saw some great cars today but there was one model that really stood out. Adam has been mad about the F type after seeing my mates Orange convertible. When we were at Jaguar Adam really fell for a fantastic looking black V8, which was stunning. But I was the Vantage that blew us both away.

Stay part of the congregation my friend.
Bangle designed the perfect driving machine for you and Mrs Barmybob.
Fixed roof or open top, IMHO they both look stunning.
@new-used: used for me. Especially as the cars you're looking at depreciate very fast.

For me a 5 year old F-Type would take some resisting.
Hopefully still fresh, but with the worst of the depreciation out the way....
My brother has a XK(S) which is immaculate and whilst not my cup of tea, its a lot of car.
The F-Type has that sense of occasion and are pretty rare here in the West Country.

Sir, If you had taken notice of a previous post you would have noticed that I plan to keep the Coupé

@Barmybob: point taken
Still, would the Z4 be an option for you?

I've just put a deposit down on a V8 Vantage. Pick it up Monday. Certainly going to be a slow few days!

Got to agree with everything you said about the car. Always wanted one without really ever seeing one up close. And once I finally did and got the chance to take the car off for spin, I certainly wasn't dissapointed.

Good luck with whatever you choose to buy in the future, but for me it was an easy choice

Fantastic Piers!
Hope you really enjoy it.

Thanks! It will be hard, but I'll try my best!

That looks mean, like properly aggressively mean.

Love it!

That is quite beautiful, Piers. Good man!

Now, of course, if you would like that beauty immortalised in oil paints, I know a talented artist who would love to paint an Aston...!

Very nice Piers

Another vote for a used car here Bob. I was mad to have sold the 911 last year, especially as the values have continued to climb so much. The extra running costs associated with something like the Aston will be offset by a relative lack of depreciation compared to a new car. Besides, something special like the V8 Vantage could still be in an as new condition anyway.

Umm. I took one look at the photo, and I've embarrassed myself.

New pants please....

Hope you're talking about the car!

Thanks for all the kind words guys.

Only got 3 photos of the car and can't stop looking at them! 2 more days to go.

Here's the others.





Just noticed it's got an aerial! They've annoyed me ever since owning a coop after realising you don't need an exterior one.

Jim, this is something you do?

Not me, Piers, MrsC...

Ask her to make sure she leaves out the trade plates, though.

That is gorgeous.

Last week I was 55.

Next month I can raid my pension pot...

What is this "Pension Pot" of which people speak...?! I'm fortunate to have a pot for a more basic function, but nothing else!

F*** me Piers I could say how envious I am but I'm not, just plain jealous. Fantastic looking car. My all time favourite choice. That in my mind is true car porn'

I'm a tight old git & although I'm not short of a bob or two realistically I couldn't see myself purchasing such a beast. Approaching OAP territory myself, ach you never can tell.

Seriously enjoy the car....

Lovely car. It's amazing what you can pick up at this price point. I'll be in the fortunate position to afford something like this next year. However I don't think my clients would appreciate it. If I turned up in a new Merc E Class diesel, they wouldn't bat an eyelid. They're the same price! I may get away with a Jag XFR given the positive effect Jag has had on our region.

It'd be great if you could keep a ownership thread going on it

Piers, I hate you

This week the local Aston dealer sent me details of a 2008 they have just taken in. It looks blooming fantastic (Black with black leather and red callipers, just like yours!).

Sadly it's a bit to early for me to take the plunge. No matter how tempting it is I'm not taking out a loan to buy it

I am convinced that one will appear on our drive in a few years though.

Don't feel bad. I'll never be able to afford one !

I guess it is for the built in Sat Nav

Hi Joe,

I've not been to see it but it is at Lancaster's

£45,950

From the pictures it looks like it needs a good detail!

Thanks Bob. Looks nice even when a bit grubby.

Well the dealer in Cambridge does seem to like keeping me tempted. This week they sent me an email with a link to an EVO N430 video.

Whilst I still do love the car the video has me wanting to take the Coupé to Scotland

Scotland....

I'll be taking mine up there next year. Always wanted to drive to Scotland and now I have route to take. Thanks for the share

Brilliant that.

Excellent video. The lower end of that road is right on my doorstep.
I drove it in my Coupé a few years ago but must say the squeeks and rattles detracted from the experience somewhat. Maybe better with standard suspension.

Returning home down the old Military Rd. on another occasion in my rather heavily modified Mk4 Fiesta was much more fun, until I set fire to the brakes.

Hmm, looks like we might have to arrange a meet or something

Bob, you should get the V8 Vantage. It is just the most awesome car. Prices seem relatively static these days so it [could] be cheaper to own than a new hatchback, although there is the maintenance question to consider. No big bills for us yet (I'm touching wood repeatedly as I type).

I had a little play with one the other day. Guy was a great sport but looked particular confused as to what had just happened...

This is news by the way, how long have you had yours?

A couple of months. No doubt you'll see her down at PD at some point.

I assume this was in a rolling third gear!

For the market it is in the V8 Vantage is not that quick - 5 seconds to 60. That's one of the reasons they brought out the V10.

The most important thing about it is it makes me feel like James Bond!

I find myself looking at V8vantage coupes most days.

Just got to sell a house or some land and then I'm there!

Looking forward to it



Three goes actually, ranging from 2nd into 3rd to 3rd through to end of 4th Most on video actually

DB9 is my retirement dream car. Not cheap to run at all, but once the mortgages are paid off and the kids are gone you need something to spend the dosh on.

In the mean time I can highly recommend the Z4///M. Have had mine nearly five years now, since I said farewell to My Coupe in fact. It costs less than the Coupe did to run, but that is mainly down to it being a weekend toy, were the coupe was a daily.

What BHP do you have these days Ryan?

It's in my signature, 416.

Lol. So it is.

Well, that's why you're quicker than a Vantage. Would have been reasonably close though I'd have thought - I'd take through third and to the the top of fourth to be seen off by a 420bhp coupe.

You have email

What power does yours have? I've done some reading and it seems there was an uprated 4.3 engine and thena later 4.7 fitted (400bhp and 420bhp IIRC).

Any pics?

I've had mine now since earlier this year and still loving it. As Mr Cooper says, not blistering fast by any means, but it's actually pretty nippy from about 70+. But it's the noise I love - Mr C, I take it you've pull fuse 22?

Really need to take some proper photos!

Cheeky TVR hiding in the garage there Piers?

Yep. It gets the garage because it's significantly less water tight than the Aston

Actually, I tried fitting the Aston in the garage when I first got it and it was too wide!

The Vantage V8 is my retirement dream too, though I have entertained thoughts of picking one up early. The problem is that I would still need to get to work so such a plan would mean the Coupé would have to go

Current thinking is to keep the Coupé and get something else more interesting for work... A 5 cylinder TTRS perhaps?

Very pretty car but I think if I could have any car it would have to be a Maserati. I have seen a few for around £10,000, so maybe one day!

Piers - Snap.

Yes, it sounds awesome. I have a switch which allows me to have it one or run on bypass. You might want to put the fuse in every now and again as I hear the valve can seize open otherwise and if open it may not pass the MOT. That may be forum bullshit though...

Mr Cooper / Piers,

Are you fellows using the Aston as a daily driver?

A change in our circumstances has potentially brought forward my Aston dreams. However my sensible head is telling me to invest in the house. Also the A5 has really grown on me and this has placed focus on the potential of the V8 RS5. For the same money I could have a much newer RS5 - agreed it isn't an Aston but....

A good friend who has a rather enviable car collection, which once included a V12 Aston, has suggested I rent a Vantage over the summer and get it out of my system

We commute on the train so no. However there is a chap near me i often see when cycling to the station and i know he uses his for his work run.

We have another car for doing the close to home donkey work.

So basically we use it at weekend and once during the week to keep it all moving.

I think you could use every day but these will be your concerns:
- its an aston so you will be agitated about regularly putting it in car parks and having some fool damage it
- mileages of 35k for a nine year old example are common. Fifty or sixty k is high mileage. I understand the cars can take it but you have to think resale. If most people do 3k a year and you do ten then its going to have an effect. Less of an issue if you own for a year or two and buy a low miler to start.

I think prices are both low and stable at present meaning its a good time to buy. Ok there is the risk of a largish bill, but if depreciation is only a k or so per year it can make more sense than a new car.

I'd say do it, but have another car for short trips near home, when the roads have salt onthem, when you have to leave it somewhere less than ideal etc.

Very nice MrCooper! I've had mine almost a year now and I still love it as much as ever.

With regard to the exhaust switch, I've actually got a remote fob which activates the bypass valve, which I tend to use when leaving for work in the morning to not piss the neighbours off too much.

I do use mine as a daily driver, but I only do about 3k a year (plus TVR does some of that too), but if I were doing more serious mileage I'd probably think again. Fuel economy is pretty awful, think I average about 14mpg.

So tempting...

On the A5 forum there was a discussion regarding RS5 or Aston. I think tat whilst I need to commute it has to be an Audi, not the RS5 though

I'll live with my current A5 3.0tdi for now, need to get some summer fun under my belt with it really. I might upgrade it later in the year though

Darn it... that's another change of undies needed.

Very nice. Quite a few miles on it. I'd want to be damned sure it wasn't this car (nothing wrong with it AFAIK, but I'd want to be clear on history) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aston-Martin-V8-Vantage-FOR-HIRE-ONLY-NOT-FOR-SALE-/321215345436?hash=item4ac9ed331c:g:F~IAAOSwU9xUN9xl

If you are going to want to commute a decent distance in it then I agree I wouldn't go for the Aston either.

It's coming up for service time for me and an oil and filter change is c£850 at Aston. A total rip off. However, insurance is significantly cheaper than I expected where I live, so it's swings and roundabouts.

Interesting views on that thread. Different boards pick up on different things and some of the negatives cited I don't disagree with. However, the view you'd rather have an Audi of any description, rather than an Aston Martin is, IMHO, myopic. Technically, is it a better car - in some ways certainly, perhaps most. Does it have soul - No. My 350z was a far, far, far, better car than my coupe. However, I didn't really love it - no soul you see. Some people value that, others value teutonic-sledgeness.

Hi Piers, I've seen some of those online. Look like they will do the job. They seem very reasonably priced - are they easy to install? I have no idea how my switch works. Have a receipt from aston for its fitting from a prior owner - I don't fancy repairs on it!

Yes fuel economy is very poor for short work. Put it on a motorway and I think its not too bad - 25mpg say. However then you clock up the miles quickly, so I don't like going on motorways!

Yeah, dead easy to install. Think it cost about £15 all in and I fitted it myself! (which says a lot)

It's just a little emitter box with a small alarm fob (bit like the Fiat's one) which avoids the need to funnel any wires from the boot into the cabin. Fuse 22 is replaced by a little switch connected to the emitter which either makes the car think Fuse 22 is in or out.

Thanks. Good to know there's a cheap alternative if i ever have any problems.

Who do you go to for servicing by the way?

I decided to use Harwoods in Chichester rather than a slightly more local specialist. Cost just over a grand all in, but had any work needed doing I would've taken it elsewhere. They pick up and deliver which is handy and the car came back with the interior looking brand new. Not sure what leather product they used but it's better than anything I've used before.

Plus now I'm on their books I got invited to a local event and test drove the new vantage (was offered a Vanquish test drive too), and also got invited to go look around the James Bond DB10 when it was doing the tour of the dealerships. Also got a fancy Aston magazine through the post a couple of weeks ago. Not saying all this is worth spending £1k on an annual service, but it's pretty cool all the same and helps it be a bit more palatable!

I've done quite a bit of thinking on this recently.

It is really rather odd that as the possibility of ownership has become closer to being a reality I've become far less enthusiastic about the Aston

This week I decided to take a look at a 2013 RS5 that is for sale locally. It is up for similar money I was looking to spend on an Aston but is obviously considerably newer.

The test drive was fun but there were good points and bad points. Top of the good list was without doubt the sound. The burble on start up is fantastic but the noise above about 5000 rpm is epic. Handling and traction was really good too but I didn't get to exploit the car enough to see if the sport diff made much difference. The car did have the performance brake upgrade and that was really noticeable.... WOW.

The bad list is topped by the fact the car is almost exactly the same on the inside as my current A5. There are a few differences but it's not easy to tell you are in an RS. The interior is nowhere near as special as that of a Vantage. The next on this list is a bit odd. The V8 has over 400hp but it has noticeably less torque than my 3.0Tdi This is most noticeable when setting off. The Tdi has a huge and instant shove from standstill but the V8 only seems to come alive once moving, or if thrashed. Once on the move with the revs climbing the car comes alive though. The RS5 is a quick car!

I do love the look of the RS5. OK it's no Aston, far from it, but sat there on it's 20 inch wheels with its subtle external styling touches it does look rather sweet. The noise from the Audi V8 is a bit more subtle than the Aston, even when the more extreme mode is selected but it still sounds really good. OK neither the Audi or the Aston sounds as good as the F-type R

Sadly the worst thing about the whole RS5 package is how it doesn't really feel Special when compared to my current A5. This has me thinking that a later model 3.0tdi Quattro with the 300hp remap, sport diff option might actually be what I could go for

I do think that during the summer I will take the chance to rent an Aston for the weekend and see if I can re-kindle the Vantage attraction.

I think if you are choosing between a 2013 RS5 and a significantly older vantage the vantage is going to mean that you need to have some love for its foibles as an older car. You won't need this with the Audi.

Also you are going to have to be willing to swallow the horrible parts and servicing costs (no idea how these compare to the Audi, but realistically you are going to need more parts due to age).

If I had to pick a car to keep for five years I might well go for the Audi myself. However, you only live once and there is a case for owning the Aston for a year or two and then getting something else.

This is the crucial bit, Bob; you won't get to a ripe old age and wish "If only I'd lived the dream and bought that Audi"

Well, you might, but I think the Aston will impress the grandkids more... (I speak from experience - my Grandmother had an Aston Martin in the 1930s...)

No wait, if you're driving a James Bond Aston Martin "You Only Live Twice" not once?

Cool! Get both!

Reading your posts I would be inclined to stay put and enjoy the a5 you have.

I seems clear that whilst I am working and have to commute there can be no Aston, unless I got shot of the Coupé.

But then I like the Coupé and also an Aston wouldn't fit in the current garage.