Maser GTS x AM Rapide. A very apt comparison. Thank you Harry. I have owned both (still have the Maser). Both are excellent but I agree with Harry that the Maser is probably the better car for a family. Materials/trim quality is better in the AM. The AM V12 sound is more refined but less thrilling than the Maser V8 howl (my young kids think that an actual dragon lives in the engine of the Maser...).
My kids loved the Maser V8 howl too. Often thought about getting another one but I have no reason to own one, apart from listening to that engine. really enjoyed my time with that car, maybe best to just keep the memories. Rapide doesn't interest me at all from an ownership point of view.
@@harrysgarageA family car then... I hesitated with an AM DB9 Volante but was warned off it due to battery issues, maintenance costs and build quality. I also thought the back seats were ridiculous. My wife dealt the killer blow by stating that my hair was not grey enough for that kind of car. I really love the (first iteration of) AM DBS though. Any thoughts?
There's a suspiciously familiar black Fiat Panda hiding back there. Who else do we know in motoring journalism that drive s black Fiat Panda, and definitely did a piece on the Lamborghini Countach? hmmm....
Rapide's rear seats look barely more useable than the rear seats in the DB9 coupe. I guess the rear door makes it easier to get in and out... Still, I think the design works WAAAY better on a slightly longer wheelbase. I like the V8 Vantage rear and matched to a DB9 front end. I don't like most of the newer Astons but I do like the Rapide very much. Because it is compromised, somehow it has more character than other modern Astons. I guess it's because somehow one feels cheated if an Aston doesn't have some inexplicably strange design flaw.
We test drove the Maserati before buying the Rapide , it felt down on power and build quality wasn't great. Not as pretty either- Rapide was a fantastic car for a family of four I must say.
Harray, may I ask you where you are living, because the Countryside seems so untouched and beautiful and the roads so nice to drive on. I had a DB7 vantage volante which remains for me the nicest Aston. Now I am enjoying my Maserati with it’s unique sound. Best regards. Charles from Antwerp
Cotswolds in England. I live just below in North Somerset and I agree, the Brecon Beacons, Somerset and Costwolds are fab places to drive. (And all close to one another).
I'd still love the Rapide as my wife is about the size of Kylie Minogue and i have an 8 year old daughter. The more leggy sister wife Svetlana can sit in the front when she comes into the family. Perfect family car for my needs. Now I only need to find the money!
Always informative, Harry. I have driven a Rapide. I didn’t find it quiet at all. I’m not an aggressive driver and I wasn’t flogging it. But the engine noise was quite pronounced to my ear. I decided not to buy a Rapide because I could just imagine the constant complaints sure to come from my wife about “that noisy thing.” Probably for the better. I imagine the maintenance is both frequent and breathtaking in expense.
A few years ago I was chatting with a lovely woman about her beautiful Bentley, I think it was an Azure, and she said that her son (around 12 years old) was complaining that there was no room in the back and she was looking for a new car. She wasn't interested in anything from Benz or BMW and Lexus made her vomit. Expensive cars for people who aspire to boganhood. I'd previously met a couple with a Rapide and it looked great. So I suggested she should look at the Rapide. Ooops!
Harry can I ask your opinion I love both Jag and AM I always buy used Jags from main dealer XK and run them for three years making the car about 8 years old I then but another XK ??? I would like an AM DB9 but the cost pound for pound at 5 years old is double the price of the Jag Do you think AM holds price better than the Jag XK I do long road trips in the summer months so reliability is important should I buy a Jag or and Aston Martin which is the better car
A family member bought a DB9. Absolutely gorgeous just standing still. The ride was entirely disappointing. You feel EVERY imperfection in the road and there is no suspension adjustment button. The care and maintenance was the last straw. At 17,000 miles it cost almost $20,000 in tires, shocks, oil leaks, electrical issues. Closest dealer was in the State and required a $700 flatbed tow. You can see in this video how rough the ride is even with a longer wheelbase.
Two of the most beautifully styled cars ever created and they offer a lot a lot of headaches and trips to the shop for they are the most unreliable but they even look Good being broken down half the time Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
The truth is obvious here , the Maserati is built on the Quattroporte chassis and the Rapide on the DB9 chassis , hence the compromises are quite evident . Neither is a bad place to be , the Aston will be more reliable and cheaper to maintain.
Doesn't really live up to its name - 5.3 for 0-100kmh isn't slow, but it doesn't keep up with the likes of much cheaper 4 doors like the M3's, RS4's, even my $60K Aussie Ford is quicker from the factory. Ah well I guess you buy Aston Martins for the looks the prestige, and the sound, not the performance.
I'm not defending it... not really a fan of the Rapide. But the argument would be that 0-100k times are irrelevant to cars like the Rapide, you don't buy it for paper stats and racing from the lights. I imagine past 160k (100mph in my language) it'll ease passed the 'cheaper' sporty 4drs and with less effort too. But for the same type of car, I'd spend my money on the Maserati Quattroporte or Jaguar XJR instead (among other better competitors).
aye mr harry.. we had to trade in our german car to have a proper entry door to Chauffeur mum after she went to a wheelchair. access is keen on a coupe vital. so the stretch off the chassis of a coupe made that not viable.
cant stand cars that are poorly designed inside. There is no excuse for poor ergonomics and poor packaging... WTH is with manufacturers obsession with HUGE center consoles.. insane waste of interior space.
+hingo Not at all, also your complaint about bhp is pretty stupid. Considering this car isn't meant to be sporty, but be nice 4 seater meant for autobahn driving. Lastly this is a 2010 Model.
+hingo Power figures tell you very little about a car. The way it delivers the power is the key. How much power and torque are available in a given gear at a given engine speed are far more important. It's not about how much power a car has, it's about how much of that power you can use. That's why Aston Martin in the old days refused to quote power figures in their marketing materials - it is actually completely irrelevant.
Back In the day , when I sold hand built british exotics ....the term they used for cars such as the Rapde is called "Gentleman's Express " ....And I think that sums it up nicely...
the centre console is too high, resting arms quite fatigue, even at the rear seats, not comfortable as passengers... but it's quite awesome looking from the exterior.. tq bro.
I've spent 3 minutes listening to Harry detailing all the problems of getting in and out of the car. Then the sill and dirt on his trousers. Wear a mini skirt Harry, practice getting in and out so we can't see your knickers. Then you won't be 'aving any getting it all over your trousers trouble.
was the driver door squeaking on that 200k € car? still the best looking 4-door car. not even the very pretty maserati quattroporte comes close. a pitty their quality can't keep up with the price.
It seems like it has lots of ergonomic and electronic quirks. For the most part, quirky isn't better. It seems like a redesign with more space, adjustable center arm rest heights, etc. is already in order.
Yes but they are connected to a tiptronic-like automatic transmission. The last automated manual was the one used in the old vanquish and they were shit.
Tim Young Wait are you talking about the Hyundais in europe or America? because the genesis sedan, genesis coupe, and Equus V8 and Hyundais scram jet turbo engines in the 4 clynder cars are Quite fast, especially the Tau 5.0 liter V8 in the genesis sedan, properly fast, with a 0-60 under 5 seconds and a top speed over 170.. with 450 hp. 440 break horse power. and the new 2016 Genesis sedan 5.0 R-spec sc will have 560 hp. while the 2016 coupe gets 408 hp.
Nice idea to do the quick comparison with the Maserati. I like the thought of the Rapide, but it is just to heavy and with them having done a reverse Tardis the execution is all in all not great.
I can't afford any of 'em but that was always the case in the days of "Car" magazine (is that still running). Nothings what it was any more so the AM probably as British as maseratis is(n't) anyway. It maybe that lucas make the cigar lighters.
