We love used cars here at Parkers and dedicate a lot of time to assessing them and helping you choose the best. Usually, the best used car will be the most reliable, economical, and well-equipped car in a particular body style and at a particular price point.
But what about throwing caution to the wind? We’ve all seen those listings on Cars for Sale offering something exotic, once expensive and now temptingly cheap. Used cars that deliver bucketloads of performance, luxury, and potential headaches, all for the price as a new supermini.
Welcome to What Could Possibly Go Wrong, our new series in which I dive down the rabbit hole of those used exotics, trying to work out just how much of a mistake they could be to buy.
The king of cool
Aston Martin is cool. The usual associations with James Bond may not extend to the DB9, but that doesn’t matter. It’s still a car that squared off against the Bentley Continental GT and arguably even the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti when new. It has a 5.9-litre V12 engine, a bonded aluminium and fancy composite body, and an interior that’s a very special place to be. It also cost north of £100,000 when new.
But how bad of an idea is it to run a used Aston Martin? It might be cheaper than you'd expect to buy but don’t expect it to be cheap to run. A simple servicing kit (pollen, air and oil filters) is £150, four new brake discs will set you back £1,000 and any engine work will require specialist attention. The DB9 also needs a service every 12 months. We found one Aston Martin specialist who charged £865 for a regular service, £900 if you need a brake fluid change. That thirty V12 also means it won’t be bothering our most economical cars list any time soon, expect 19mpg at best.
If we reintroduce the Citroen and Suzuki vying for your £20,000 it gets even more interesting. Both new cars offer ample room for four passengers and modern infotainment systems. The Aston is technically a four-seater, but the rear seats are more ornamental than functional. The Aston’s infotainment system – a Volvo unit – was dreadful new and is even worse 20 years later. The flip side? A DB9 can do 186 mph and has 450hp. No Citroen or Suzuki can manage that.
The most obvious rivals to a used DB9 are its contemporary peers: the Bentley Continental GT and Mercedes-Benz SL. Both outsold the DB9 and are in plentiful supply, but neither quite has the same level of class the big Aston offers.
Step down a level, and the Jaguar XK looks remarkably similar, is in healthy supply on the used market, and still turns heads — but it’s a notably less prestigious brand, like swapping Harrods for M&S.
Pros
- Handbuilt V12 is special
- Comfortable and yet capable GT car
- A lot of badge kudos
Cons
- That V12 is thirsty
- Expect to pay a premium parts and servicing
How much does an Aston Martin DB9 cost?
I’ve seen used Aston Martin DB9s for as little as £20,000 on our Cars for Sale, and it’s a varied selection of cars at this price. I’ve spotted both manual and automatic around £20,000 and in both hardtop and Volante (convertible) form. Super high mileage DB9s are rare, even at the bottom end of the market, so expect 70,000 miles to be about as high as you’ll see.
Later DB9s command a price premium. As well as less age-related depreciation, they get a bit more power, a better – but still outdated – infotainment system and some snazzy LED headlights.
How much did an Aston Martin DB9 originally cost?
Back when the DB9 launched in 2004, you’d be expected to fork over £103,000 before options to get your hands on one. There was a price premium for automatic and convertible examples with prices reaching £140,000 for 2015’s DB9 GT special edition. Prices have all equalled out now and the DB9 represents astounding value for money.
How to buy a used Aston Martin DB9
Here are five crucial things to look for if you do want to take a punt on a used Aston Martin DB9:
1 – Gearbox
Yes, you could have an Aston Martin DB9 with a manual gearbox and they’re fairly reliable too. The biggest expense will be for the clutch, they tend to last for 20,000 miles at best and a replacement will set you back at least £1,000 before labour costs. Alternatively, the automatic gearbox is a reliable pick so long as there’s evidence of regular servicing.
2 – Corrosion
The DB9’s body was made from bonded aluminium and other fancy composite materials but corrosion can still take hold. Bubbling paint around panel edges is a sign of corrosion and repairs will be expensive. The steel subframe can rust, so inspect where the suspension is mounted to make sure it’s not flaky.
3 – Interior
When it was new, the Aston Martin DB9 was lauded for its stunning interior finish. Nowadays, expect there to be some wear and tear, especially at the lower end of the market. The leather can shrink and crack from the onslaught of sunshine, the electric windows are known to fail and the Volvo-sourced sat nav system will be painfully slow to use.
4 – Cooling
That big V12 needs some serious equipment to stop it from overheating. Early DB9s can suffer from radiator and hose leaks, and inspect the thermostats and cooling fans, they can fail and lead to overheating.
5 – Stereo
The Linn stereo system fitted to the DB9 looks fantastic but it’s a fragile thing. Make sure it can produce sound and there’s no crackling from the speakers. Pretty much any issue with a Linn stereo will be uneconomical to repair and require a new head unit.
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