Quote:
faxon said:
Justin,
I really do prefer the F430 because of the true sportscar feel,but couldn't wait 3 or more years to get it.The only other car that really does for me is the Db9.What are your impressions of the Astons?
Sorry for the late reply. Hard for me to fully comment on the DB9, as I have not wrung it out by myself and have not really pushed it hard enough to expose any flaws.
Astons are fantastic in their own way, but very different from Ferraris IMO. In the DB9, you get the feeling you are in a gentleman's grand tourer. The engine sounds fantastic and has plenty of torque. It handles well for its size, but you will not be able to keep with a Ferrari F430 in the curves most likely. Stereo is nice and the car is very comfortable. Brakes are pretty good, but I wonder if they are good enough to stand up to heavy use during downhill mountain driving. It's not that kind of car though, so you probably won't have to worry about it. The gearbox is good for an automatic, but it's not a manual.
Haven't driven the F430 obviously, so these are more just general philosophy differences between Ferrari and Aston. Performance wise, Aston will never really provide a lot of bang for the buck. You pay for the experience of it.
Personally, if I wanted to do some straight line blasting and some road trips, I'd go with the DB9. Unfortunately, I love sports cars and seek out twisty roads whenver I can, so I would go with the F430. This despite the DB9 being much more beautiful, elegant, and classy (IMO).
- J
Though you can do reverse going uphill, it does put addtional strain on the F1 clutch. Again no different than a manual. 
