Selling my 4200 & Chimaera - 2 into 1 - Thoughts on replacement?

[rockits]

The only downside of Aston Martin is the expensive annual maintenance. Although it can be justified on more expensive cars, it would pain me to have to spend £600-700 a year on oil and filter on a £25k car... and that’s if nothing goes wrong which never happens on those cars.
At least most Maserati’s go 2 years between services.
I would assume that even with a low annual mileage, the potential AM buyer would really frown upon a car that was serviced every other year

I do agree but also I think a view should be taken on older cars with annual service intervals on very low mileage. It is very wasteful and bad for the environment to drain and thrown away expensive fully synthetic oil every year when the car has done 500-1000 miles. Every 2 years is fine IMHO. I would rather that money saved be spent on a brake fluid change or diff/ gearbox oil change that often don't get changed enough IMHO.

 

[Andyk]

I was looking at service prices at Dick Lovett Aston Martin Bristol and thought it was reasonable compared to say Maserati. They were quoting £600 but a equivalent year GT was £1000 plus for the same service. Sure obviously a specialist would be cheaper and there a plenty of those these days. But then I've not owned one so reality may be different. Wasn't it just the later Maseratis that was a two year service plan as was it every GT?

 

[rockits]

Every GT I thought was 2 year intervals and QP 2007 on.

Lots of places do a short or low mileage service now annually for low mileage low use cars for this kind of reason.

 

[Andyk]

Ah right...got it...So early QP's, GS, 4200 etc yearly anything from 2007 two years. So it's about the same then as wa hats a two yearly standard service £1400ish ?

 

[rivarama]

I have had mine for over 2 years now and apart from fixed price servicing (which has been a fraction of what I was paying every year to an Indie on the 4200) car has been faultless. I bought from main dealer and cars have to be almost as good as new or they cant sell them with the AM warranty. When I bought my car dealer was selling an early V8 Vantage with 83k on the clock. I asked him if it would take time to sell and he said he could sell at least one a week like that because he was selling with full warranty and when you are driving down the road people dont know if it has 80k or 8k on the clock. Car was sold the next day.

Nice to hear. Last time I checked w AM dealer, the fixed price service on the vantage was the same price than what HR Owen charges me for my fixed price service on the F430. You seem to have fared better

On the as good as new comment from the dealer, prior to buying my GT 5 years ago, I had considered a db9 and vantage. A very prominent main London dealer set up a few test drives for me. The db9 headline roof panel was coming down as the glue had done its time (5y/o car at the time) and the vantage had both front wheel bearings shot and ticking on every roads bumps...
I was so shocked that those issues had not been addressed prior to the vehicle be put up for sale that I told him and took my business elsewhere...

 

[rivarama]

I do agree but also I think a view should be taken on older cars with annual service intervals on very low mileage. It is very wasteful and bad for the environment to drain and thrown away expensive fully synthetic oil every year when the car has done 500-1000 miles. Every 2 years is fine IMHO. I would rather that money saved be spent on a brake fluid change or diff/ gearbox oil change that often don't get changed enough IMHO.

I agree with the above. Especially if the car is still being used regularly to keep the fluids going.
Without mentioning how annoying the logistics of having several cars that need to be serviced every year. The logistics of the trips back and forth to the dealer, taxi, wife picking me up/dropping me off at the station etc...

First world problem, I know I know

 

[Needamaser]

Nice to hear. Last time I checked w AM dealer, the fixed price service on the vantage was the same price than what HR Owen charges me for my fixed price service on the F430. You seem to have fared better

On the as good as new comment from the dealer, prior to buying my GT 5 years ago, I had considered a db9 and vantage. A very prominent main London dealer set up a few test drives for me. The db9 headline roof panel was coming down as the glue had done its time (5y/o car at the time) and the vantage had both front wheel bearings shot and ticking on every roads bumps...
I was so shocked that those issues had not been addressed prior to the vehicle be put up for sale that I told him and took my business elsewhere...

AM fixed price servicing has been trimmed quite hard in last couple of years as they wanted to match specialist prices. £600 for a DB9 doesnt strike me as unreasonable. I paid the same amount about 10 years ago on a Ducati which has 10 cylinders less!
Shocking presentation by that dealer. The 2 dealers I have dealt with (Newcastle and Edinburgh) will only put out cars that pass the 140 point check as a minimum. I was interested in a DB9 Edinburgh advised was in stock but they came back to me a few days later to say they werent happy they could get it up to standard at sensible money and put it to auction.
Edinburgh will collect my car in covered lorry and take it for service and bring back to me afterwards if I decided to use them for servicing. It is a 400 mile round trip from where I am and the £250 charge is less than the fuel I would use and an overnight stay in a hotel.
I actually drive to Newcastle which is quite a bit further but having bought from them I get one or 2 nights in a country house hotel (no charge) and choice of E class Merc or DB11 as a courtesy car for the day.

 

[Vampyrebat]

Dean
As you can see from my avatar, my big brother owned a Vantage 4.3 manual for over 3 years. He traded it in for an SLK AMG when going for a new apartment as the parking space was too small for the AM. The apartment fell through (DOH)!! and he was gutted! They now have a place that can cater for a AM, and he is now on a mission to get shut of the Merc and get a AM on his drive again as he loved it!........ Sorry, going on a bit!
What I was getting around to saying is, if you want to have a chat with him and ask a few questions, he would be more than happy to chat. Just let me know if you would like to and I can PM you his details.

Stu

 

[rockits]

Thanks for that Stu. I'm OK at the mo but will certainly reach out if I need to and much appreciated. Very kind.

 

[Vampyrebat]

Thanks for that Stu. I'm OK at the mo but will certainly reach out if I need to and much appreciated. Very kind.

Your more than welcome Dean. And great choice BTW!! Some times my brother and I would swap cars for a couple of days just for sh!ts and giggles! And I really enjoyed every minute of it.
I don't do it now that he has a Merc!!