[DURGE]

Here's a little background: I've owned several cars:

BMW 7 series
Nissan Maxima
Infiniti FX45
Acura CL-S
Lexus ES 300
Nissan 240SX
BMW X5
Acura Integra
Jeep Wrangler 2 and 4 door

To make that long, long story short, I downsized everything after having to move back home from Palm Beach to Birmingham to take care of my mom until she could fully recover from a massive stroke. Now only the X5 and the CL-S remain.

Obviously, whatever I get it's going to be used. I've had enough problems in the past with new cars and I don't want to be bothered anymore. Even though new cars have warranties I seriously just don't want to be bothered anymore with lounging in dealerships, arguing with service managers and getting tons of apology letters and coupons after the fact. In my past experience I've gotten more pleasure out of a car after the previous owner wasted time getting the bugs out of it.

So, with all that being said I have four coupes in mind: Early to mid 2000's Aston Martin Vanquish, Ferrari Maranello, Jaguar XKR and Audi RS 5. Possibly even a 996 Turbo. The X5 will be the all purpose family car, The CL-S will be the daily driver, and the "gentleman's coupe" will be the designated toy. I'm leaning so hard toward the RS5 because its the most versatile out of the four. The Ferrari and the Aston because I've never owned a V12 and the Porsche because it will probably be more reliable than the V12's. Whatever I choose it's going to stay in my garage for a long, long, long time. This is a prime site for some serious advice on prior or current long-term ownership experience of any of the above. Your advice is seriously appreciated.

 

[RWD Madness]

What about an F-Type?

 

[adanmtxt1]

You have a CLS, but have you looked at the CL? Else, I'd look at the Porsche or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, the Wrangler. Really fun car; great in the winter and fun to pop the roof in nice weather.

 

[DURGE]

What about an F-Type?

Possibility. I'll wait for the coupe version. Not crazy about the convertible. The trunk is only 1 cubic inch larger than the trunk in a Lexus SC430. This is why I gave the 430 a thumbs down.

 

[Terminator]

It seems like an Aston would fit the bill perfectly. Imo it's one of the classiest coupes out there. They seem to depreciate in value considerably once they age, this would actually work in your favor for picking one up used, but I personally don't know if they older ones have any reliability issues. Maybe someone with more first hand experience could chime in?

I'm giving some thought into picking one up myself down the road. I just need to do some more research before making a decision. Good luck with your search!

 

[DURGE]

You have a CLS, but have you looked at the CL? Else, I'd look at the Porsche or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, the Wrangler. Really fun car; great in the winter and fun to pop the roof in nice weather.

I'm completely done with Jeep. My 07' was great but when I bought my 12' brand new in 2011 it had already been to the dealership twice for fuel pump issues. Also done with the Jeep life. Dealing with the top, always having to upgrade as well as repair what I scratched or broke from trail rides. Still eye-balling the 996 Turbo.

 

[DURGE]

It seems like an Aston would fit the bill perfectly. Imo it's one of the classiest coupes out there. They seem to depreciate in value considerably once they age, this would actually work in your favor for picking one up used, but I personally don't know if they older ones have any reliability issues. Maybe someone with more first hand experience could chime in?

I'm giving some thought into picking one up myself down the road. I just need to do some more research before making a decision. Good luck with your search!

I love the Aston too. It's the best looking out of the bunch. After some brief research I found there were extremely high maintenance costs--Even higher than Ferrari--once you get into mid 40,000 mile range. In a way, though, it may be an advantage to find an Aston in great shape over 50,000 miles. The prior owner(s) would have to have done most of the major maintenance.

 

[LINDW4LL]

You can pick up a DBS or V8 Vantage in your budget.

 

[Terminator]

I love the Aston too. It's the best looking out of the bunch. After some brief research I found there were extremely high maintenance costs--Even higher than Ferrari--once you get into mid 40,000 mile range. In a way, though, it may be an advantage to find an Aston in great shape over 50,000 miles. The prior owner(s) would have to have done most of the major maintenance.

Good to know. Have you checked into what type of maintenance seems to be really expensive? It is just regular stuff? Or major components like a transmission/clutch and things along that nature? I'm curious what general wear/replacement parts like rotors, pads, etc would cost.

One big advantage I guess for Porsche, is that maintenance is pretty reasonable and a lot of stuff can be done by yourself.

 

[jkim]

I dunno about the Aston, had few v12s, and no matter how smooth the power is and how much prestige they bring, maintenance can get verrrry costly. I would save up a little more and get a 997 turbo

 

[CTG]

Dont know about its reliability but a dark blue with tan leather interior Maranello would be my choice of a gentlemen coupe

 

[oufan2929]

V12 ferrari repair bills are gonna be scary! And those cars are starting to knock on 20 years!

I'd buy a low mileage perfect specimen 996! They are amazing cars and ready to go 200k miles!

 

[DURGE]

Good to know. Have you checked into what type of maintenance seems to be really expensive? It is just regular stuff? Or major components like a transmission/clutch and things along that nature? I'm curious what general wear/replacement parts like rotors, pads, etc would cost.

One big advantage I guess for Porsche, is that maintenance is pretty reasonable and a lot of stuff can be done by yourself.

Exactly. Though I hate metric tools with a passion I have to admit German cars are a little easier on the pocket than the likes of Ferrari. From what I've researched maintenance for an AM Vanguish is much higher than a Maranello i.e. various sensors, oil changes, timing belts, etc.

At this point I'm already doing all except major engine repair to my cars. And the only thing that's keeping me from doing that is time. With a pleasure car I'll be able to park it if I have issues and fix it at my convenience while I use my trusty ole' Acura for a backup daily driver. With a tech manual, the right tools and a few YouTube videos I can pretty much fix anything on wheels.

[2000 Ferrari 550 Maranello] ...you’ll need to budget another £400 [$659.44 USD] every third year to replace the cambelts, but the really scary bill comes at the 45,000-mile point, when all four lambda sensors need changing, adding a whopping £1500 [ $2472.90 USD] to the usual servicing cost....the 550’s only breakdown, caused by the failure of a £27 fuel cut-off solenoid, resulted in a bill showing a ridiculous £634 [$1045.21] charge for labour.

EVO.UK - long term 30,000 550​

[2002 Ashton Martin Vanquish] ....Astonman warned me to ignore the auto function, keep the box in sport mode, always pop her into neutral when stationary, shift up at exactly 4000rpms, and practice! Surely the repercussions of ignoring this advice revealed an engineering weakness rather than journalistic hubris…

The Truth About Cars​

 

[DURGE]

I dunno about the Aston, had few v12s, and no matter how smooth the power is and how much prestige they bring, maintenance can get verrrry costly. I would save up a little more and get a 997 turbo

What could possibly be new about this new model?

It has a new turbocharged engine with variable-geometry turbos that make 473 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque—58 horses and 87 pound-feet more than the last one. There's also a new four-wheel-drive system with electronic control over the way torque is distributed among the four wheels. And thanks to the use of aluminum in key locations, it's about 90 pounds lighter than the 996 Turbo. Aluminum doors alone save 31 pounds.


Many 911 Turbos are used as everyday drivers. Is the new one suitable for that sort of duty?

It's better than ever. The PASM computer-controlled suspension provides a more comfortable ride than the 996 Turbo's suspension did. Fuel capacity is up by 0.8 gallon to 17.7, and fuel economy is slightly improved for a better cruising range. Luggage space is quite good for this type of car, and the noise level in the cabin has been reduced.

Car & Driver - March 2006

Okay, you're pushing me closer to the 997!!