Aston Martin DB9 (2004 - 2018) V12 2d Auto (2005/05) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Hopefully that I'm a little more refined than a Ferrari driver.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

All would agree it is beautiful and I still think it is one of the most eye-catching supercars ever designed (though Aston's repeated use of the design language in the Vantage, Rapide, Virage, etc means they're as commas 911's now). The fact that it is unusable as an actual car however, does not impress.

Would you buy this car again and why?

I'm afraid this car has had so many faults that as beautiful as it is, I could never recommend buying an Aston Martin to anyone.

What are you likely to buy next?

Lamborghini Gallardo.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£55,000

When did you buy the car?

May 2010

Did you get a good deal and why?

I paid the standard going rate.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

It's beautiful and the V12 engine is a marvel of engineering!

What was the dealer like?

Truly awful.

What's it like to drive?

When it's running, it's quite good. Not as nimble as some due to the long (but admittedly beautiful) nose. It's also a bit tail slippy but the engine noise is sublime and the gearbox is very good - not all jumpy like a Ferrari's of the same age.

What's it like to park?

Not great as you need a fair amount of space either side for the doors to open. Mine would definitely benefit from a front sensor as well as rear because I've banged the nose a couple of times. Oh, and it doesn't do speed bumps or multi-story car parks without a rather cringe-inducing scraping noise as it grounds out.

Have you had any problems with the car?

The car is undeniably beautiful - but it's useless as a car. Constant faults ('Emissions System Service Needed' which covers just about anything, will be familiar to all Aston drivers, I imagine) mean the car spends more time at the garage than on the road.

What's most practical about your car?

Nothing. It should be built for cruising the motorway. I'm genuinely too scared to run it to the shops in case it breaks down yet again.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The engine start buttons are still very cool (mine's Tiptronic) and the paddles / gearbox changes are very good for a car of this class.