Aston Martin DB9 | PH Carpool

Name: Paul Disley
Car: 2005 Aston Martin DB9
Owned since: 2025
Previously owned: 1986 1.3 Vauxhall Astra GL (first car and obviously the greatest/fastest), 1998 1.4 Vauxhall Tigra, 1998 Porsche Boxster 2.5, 2002 1.6 Honda Civic, 2002 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG.

“I’ve always wanted one (I said so in my C32 Carpool) but I talked myself out of it and kept the C32 instead. I listened to all the scare stories of V12 engines munching on catalytic converters (told by Aston specialists selling services to remove them), oil in the air filters, sky-high maintenance, dodgy door modules and other electrical gremlins just put me off.

“I have no issue with paying for someone’s time, experience and expertise, but parts that are jacked up by 300 per cent just because they come in an Aston box instead of Ford or Volvo box really annoy me (just like the supercharger pump for the C32 – AMG box, £300. Same part in a Ford box, £90). Yes, there are bespoke parts in the DB9 (the crystal dash buttons spring to mind), but the door window switches are Ford parts!

“I was happy to go to car shows and look at Astons and tell myself that they would be more trouble than they are worth, but that all changed when a close friend of mine was diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal cancer. Watching my friend’s health fall away in just a few months brought home how short our time on this rock really is, and if you can do something, then why the hell not?

“And so, it began…the search for the right(ish) car. Which kicked off, as always, with research, research and more research. After sifting through the scare stories, one thing became apparent: these cars need to be driven. Low-mileage garage queens seem to have problems, but cars with ‘high’ mileage (for an older Aston) that are priced at the bottom end of the market and seem to be looked down on by people as unloved, abused money pits. 

“The cars at the lower end had to be avoided; my fear was always that their owners brought the car just for the badge, and would move it on as soon as a big bill was on the horizon for the next chump to deal with. But the more affordable ones couldn’t all be financial disasters waiting to happen, could they? What about a well-maintained, well-enjoyed, high-mileage, low-owner, full Aston Martin dealer-maintained car with no corrosion around the door handles? Does such a thing exist? After six months of searching – yes!”

“I found a car with two owners (the second owner bought the car when it went back into the dealer network at four years old and had kept it for 16 years). It had full main dealer history, every service box stamped and lots of little jobs completed over the years (I confirmed this myself with a phone call to the dealer that said they knew the car). The wheels had just been refurbished and the bonnet resprayed (at a cost of £1,500). 

“The car had been kept in a garage, so the interior was in great condition, crucially with no shrinking leather. When these cars get to 70k they need all 12 spark plugs and coils changed, which is a costly job, but this had been done at the main dealer. I got an Aston specialist close to the car to do a pre-purchase inspection and confirmed what I needed to know for peace of mind – so far, so good.”

“Although the last owner had mechanically looked after the car, it was looking slightly tatty on the cosmetic side. Slight scrapes here and there (they are wide beasts) and the roof lining had begun to sag (the only thing wrong with the interior, and a common issue with cars this age). It had high mileage at just over 85,000 and was priced accordingly – at the low end of the market, so a car to avoid or consider? 

In my eyes, I was looking at an ‘honest’ car. The owner was upfront about the cosmetic issues, and I knew the car had been mechanically well-maintained. It was a simple choice – do I buy a car that is mechanically sound, that’s the right colour (the silver hides a lot of sins), was the right colour inside (no iron ore red – sorry, not a fan),4 but in need of some TLC? Or do I wait for something else to come along?

“What costs more to put right? Bodywork or engine work? To me, that’s a no-brainer. As the car was at the lower end of the market, I had pennies in the pot to get the bodywork sorted at a bodyshop I trusted (they did work on the C32), and that allowed me to put my mark on the car. 

“I’m sure some people will say I should have waited for another car, something with lower mileage or in better cosmetic condition, but life is short. My gut was telling me this was a solid car, the paperwork backed that up and I intended to keep the car for a good few years, so it arrived on a trailer at my house two weeks later.”

“Fly off hand brakes are a pain! Leave the car somewhere flat and leave it in Park! For a car that cost £100,000 new, the equipment level is below what I expected. The C32 had memory seats, climate control, automatic lights and wipers. The DB9 has none of these things and it’s a few years newer than the Merc, but all is forgiven when you’re in the driver’s seat. Handbuilt means that all the interior is held together with clips and Velcro, this does make it easy when you want to install a Bluetooth kit.”

“The saying goes ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’, and to me the DB9 is the most beautiful car in the world. The new Astons have large front grills and although they do look fantastic, I think they lack the clean lines of the DB9; they just can’t compare to the flowing lines of the design. The interior is a lovely place to sit, and the seats are very comfortable, which shouldn’t be a surprise in a car like this but are welcome nonetheless.

“I love the swan doors and the V12 sound. These cars have your typical high-performance soundtrack i.e. at 3,000 revs it sounds fierce, but in reality, the fun is just getting started!”

“I find the James Bond thing really cringey. I’m not some wannabe super spy, I’m just a potbellied bloke in an Aston. Not really something to hate, but something that I’ve not seen one car reviewer mention in all the years the car has been around that I find slightly annoying is putting white back lighting for the buttons/dials on a bright silver panel is just a bad idea. It may seem like a small thing, but in certain bright sunlight it makes the small symbols difficult to see – I want the air con on my face, not on my feet!”

“There is no getting away from it: these cars are expensive to maintain. But it’s a 5.9-litre V12, it would be daft to expect anything else. Go in with your eyes wide open and, unless you are unlucky, you should be fine. There are plenty of YouTubers out there with helpful guides for the keen DIYers on how to change things like boot struts… without paying for a main dealer or specialist.

“Insurance was a surprise – £380! Shout out to Admiral for that one! Tax is £430 a year and I’ll get tyres from Costco (Michelins, not Bridgestones). Owners’ clubs have compiled lists of alternate parts where you can avoid the ‘Aston tax’ on parts, so you can be smart with some (but not all) parts costs. It’s not about being cheap, it’s about not feeling like I’ve been ripped off.

“I’m allowing around £1,500 a year for the annual service and MOT with an Aston specialist near me. I’ll stick to the maintenance schedule and maintain the service history. I’ve also bought an OBD tool to check for engine misfires. If they start, I’ll replace the spark plugs, as this is what can lead to the cats breaking up and getting ingested; but keep in mind this is a very, very, very rare issue, so don’t believe the scaremongers! Look after the car and you’ll be fine, and if you’re thinking about fuel costs or fuel economy, this isn’t the car for you…”

“Aston owner clubs are good events to talk to some very knowledgeable people, and I’ve picked up some good pointers about the car. I’ve been to a few area three meets and the ‘Simply Aston’ event at the Beaulieu motor museum was a good day out. It’s incredible to look at some of the legendary classics like DB2/5/6s that look like they have just driven from a showroom – that’s love right there. I intend to enjoy my car by adding to the mileage and enjoying the driving experience!”

“Nowt! Top-tier car achievement unlocked – platinum trophy awarded!”