Hmmm What to do?

[Chattonmill]

In the near future I may be coming into some money, thoughts turn to a garage reshuffle......
I am thinking of changing the E55 for an E320cdi as a daily runabout, leaving the OH's Golf in France and getting her a Fiat 500 Abarth and then buying myself a weekend car.
Now the choice runs to:

Mercedes SL55/65
Maserati GranTurismo
Aston martin V8

has anyone had experience of the above re reliability and general stuff?

 

[mykulmerc]

What a choice?? Wish I had had that problem...not having driven any of them, I would probably go for the Aston..

 

[bpsorrel]

Re the Maser, the Classic Car Club have two, a fairly new Quattroporte and a 4200GT and both have been EXTREMELY unreliable! Lovely to drive and look at, but personally I'd steer clear...
(Of the cars you mention, the SL does it for me!)

Facing a similar (weekend car) dilemna, nearly bought a Porsche Carrera (996) last week but am still leaning towards a C5 Corvette..

 

[Londonscottish]

What a great dilemma!

I take it you don't fancy a 997? There's something about the rear arches and growly noise that really appeals to me. Or maybe I'm just one of those blokes who's never got the 911 thing out of his system.....

From a punter's view (not an owner's view....)

- heart would say Aston for looks, Maser for cabin and noise
- head would say SL.....

Tell you what - why don't you try all three and let us know how you get on. Go on.

 

[whitenemesis]

You want to talk to DSLiverpool..

http://www.mbclub.co.uk/forums/mb-defectors-other-marques-forum/88570-decided-sell-db9-volante.html

 

[grober]

JAGUAR XKR better driving car for less money would be my choice. You would have to take one on an extended test drive to find that out though.

 

[Chattonmill]

What a great dilemma!

I take it you don't fancy a 997? There's something about the rear arches and growly noise that really appeals to me. Or maybe I'm just one of those blokes who's never got the 911 thing out of his system.....

From a punter's view (not an owner's view....)

- heart would say Aston for looks, Maser for cabin and noise
- head would say SL.....

Tell you what - why don't you try all three and let us know how you get on. Go on.

I am not a Porsche man at all, never got them
Heart and head say Aston( I have a friend who works there and developed the gearbox), but the Maser is gorgeous and vaguely seats 4. Something about a Maser, you don't see many of them around(Maybe because they are in the garage) so make them something a bit more special.
The Merc for a weekend car....I would drive it all the time instead!

 

[Adam230K]

Even though the chances of you considering this are minimal, but an SL65 with the silencers removed would make one hell of a sound, and would then be probably more thrilling to drive than the others. And it'll probably be the best in comfort

But an Aston Martin.... that car sounds and looks gorgeous doesn't it

tough choice!

 

[Chattonmill]

JAGUAR XKR better driving car for less money would be my choice. You would have to take one on an extended test drive to find that out though.

Trouble is it is a Jaaaaaag, I don't do them either unless you go back many years! It is a bit like a mondeo in drag

 

[Londonscottish]

Heart and head say Aston( I have a friend who works there and developed the gearbox)

Seriously beautiful car.

but the Maser is gorgeous and vaguely seats 4. Something about a Maser, you don't see many of them around(Maybe because they are in the garage) so make them something a bit more special.

Well in London I see a lot of Astons and SL's and very few Masers. I always hear the Gran Turismo's and Quatroportes before I see them and feel obliged to turn and look. You would certainly arrive in one of those....

Merc for a weekend car....I would drive it all the time instead!

Well that's the rub I suppose. A weekend "emotional" car vs the one that has had a billion miles of Tuetonic testing under its wheels...

 

[Chattonmill]

I do also have an Aston History....

My friend had his name on the V5 which gave me parts at cost + 10%.....
Bought it for £13000 sold for £17500 the profit bought this

Which was my first Merc....I have now had 4 Mercs

So That is why The SL and the Aston are in there, the Maser because I have never owned one.

 

[kay7]

Id go for SL 55/65 . Driven this car from Wien to Vaduz and loved every second.

 

[Londonscottish]

That V8 you had is also a stunning-looking car. One of the dads at my daughter's school had one of those rebuilt from the ground up by an ex-Aston factory worker not that long ago. Oddly enough it was the same colour. It looked just amazing - mind you, it should have done as the rebuild took two years....

I happen to like that colour as Alfa Romeo had a very similar shade for Alfettas and so on in the mid-70's. My mate's day had '75 Alfetta GT 1.8 in that green. First car I was in at over THIS BIT IS CENSORED mph. Happy days

 

[Sonny Burnett]

if this was me id look at a r129 SL600 2000+

i think the 129 600 is unparalled

 

[Londonscottish]

Here's an idea.

(1) sell E55 now
(2) watch the first in a string of Euro Zone countries default on their sovereign debt
(3) watch a few more do the same
(4) see the UK economy drop into deep, deep recession
(5) watch people desperately trying to off load their uber-cabrios
(5) buy two for the price of one

 

[Charles Morgan]

I live around the corner from the HR Owen Maserati and Ferrari dealership, so see the Gran Turismo on a very frequent basis, and while initially I thought they were super, with time I think they are overstyled and the interiors just a bit overdone. Not convinced by the restyled SLs either, so I would go for the AM.

 

[Mudster]

Get a slightly newer V8 - preferably an X-Pack.. like this:-

 

[Sonny Burnett]

this is a mercedes forum... lmao why is everyone saying the names of cars that arnt MB

 

[BlackC55]

Drive an SL65. It will blow you away.

 

[Chattonmill]

Get a slightly newer V8 - preferably an X-Pack.. like this:-

I never get bored of those looks!