2003 Aston Martin Vanquish from UK and Ireland - Comments

You wrote:

"Ford isn't Aston Martin's problem, nor is it Jaguar's or Land Rovers. When you buy expensive luxury cars loaded with electronics and new kinds of technology, it should be common sense before buying to take into account the high chance that something will go wrong. Aston Martin's paddle shift semi-auto tranny was the first they'd made and therefore cannot be expected to be perfect. Also, just because a car is over $100,000 does not mean that you are buying yourself reliability, but rather exclusivity. They are two different things. Nothing is free and everything comes at a price. When you spend those kind of dollars, you are paying to stand out and you don't give two damns about the great fuel economy that the guy in the '01 Golf TDI behind you is getting. Comparing a Scion XB with a Vanquish is one of the most idiotic things I have ever read in my life. Of course a Toyota is going to be more reliable than an Aston martin. Its got 3 times less cylinders for crying out loud, not to mention 1/8 of the sophistication worth of technology. The less you have in a car, the less there is to go wrong. People, please stop and think before you come up with these bogus statements and reasons-that sound like you've pulled them out of your butts-to answer things you have no clue about."

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Why should anyone (OK rich folks) have to live with inconvenience? What is good with a car regardless of price, if it doesn't fulfil its primary duty of getting from point A to point B? You are simply making excuses for the company for making lemons! Exclusivity and reliability can both exist if the company can use the higher profit into making more reliable electronics or even outsourcing. I am sure none of the Vanquish owners would find the problems with the car part of the appeal for owning one.

In response to your comment.

"Why should anyone (OK rich folks) have to live with inconvenience? What is good with a car regardless of price, if it doesn't fulfil its primary duty of getting from point A to point B? You are simply making excuses for the company for making lemons! Exclusivity and reliability can both exist if the company can use the higher profit into making more reliable electronics or even outsourcing. I am sure none of the Vanquish owners would find the problems with the car part of the appeal for owning one."

If you want reliability, buy a civic! It will outlast any Aston Martin ever made. Reliability and exclusivity can both exist? Hardly, my friend. The cars that fall under the category of exlusivity are all super low production cars, which in turn lead them to be not of the most reliable kind. The Vanquish has a build rate of around 300 cars per YEAR. Honda sold 3,334 civics in 2006, let alone the total number of civics that were even built that year. That's exlusivisty versus reliability. People buy Astons because they want to be a part of a very "exclusive" club; one of passion and legend. People buy Hondas, Toyotas, Volkswagens because they want a car that will get them from A - B without costing them $3000 per service or $140 to fill up every 200km. This is the difference. I will say it again; when you buy from a manfucturer that throws out 300 cars per year, expect its reliability to far under-perform that of one that produces 5000. I don't know what "higher profits" you speak of, but lets just talk about profit in general. In the case of such a company as Aston, those profits go towards the design of stronger engines, more aggressive and modern looks, and a new story to be told. Sure, the problems that the Vanquish has are not part of the appeal of owning one, but what the car represents in regards to automotive history is! I hope I have made my point.

The Vanquish is a very beautiful car no arguement about that, but if you want reliability and good looks, go with a Ford Mustang.

A mustang? Maybe, if you live somewhere that doesn't have too many corners (it's a yank tank) and you want a very common car...

If you worry about spending 3k on a service, its simple, don't buy a supercar and stop dreaming out of your depth... the fact of the matter is that any high price low volume car is going to have issues every now and again, even lambo's who are now owned by audi still have issues, so a company that was up until recently owned by ford who were hemoraging money like the titantic taking on water is going to have corners cut... lets hope the new aston owners recogise it as an iconic british brand again... and not just a way of shifting crappy switch gear from medicore ford cars...

Think before you write!

Regards.

A narked off brit.

I've had cars that have had 1000 miles a year put on them tops... if that. Plenty of time to have issues corrected. So you drive something else. But the 1000 annual miles are a blast and you have a piece of art in your garage even if not driven. Some people do not get that aspect of ownership however. Like my spouse!

If you want reliability and good looks.. go for an m3, just as good looking and probabaly more reliable than a mustang. and if you are a millionaire and can afford the vanquish.. then you probably won't even consider the bmw or ford.. regardless of reliability.

Or you have a Vanquish, also a Mucielago, a couple Vipers both coupe and convertible and maybe even a vintage Shelby KR500 as well. This is just an example but it seems like those I know end up driving a Range Rover or the like most of the time anyway and then break out one of the above once in a while.