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The Aston Martin marque conjures up words like opulence and high performance, but that's not always the case, particularly with the DB7.

Most people have had at least one fantasy in which they are a superhero or, even better, a spy. And most have probably fantasized about being a dapper, shrewd character like James Bond, who always gets what he wants and commands authority just by walking into a room.

“Not every man would like to be James Bond, but every boy would. In one adventure after another, he saves the world, defeats bizarre villains, gets to play with neat gadgets and seduces, or is seduced by, stupendously sexy women (this last attribute appeals less to boys younger than 12),” said American film critic, Roger Ebert.

But James Bond wouldn't be agent 007 without his extreme gadgets, exhilarating sports cars, and amazing fashion choices, so every guy likely had at least one dream of donning a Brioni suit and driving an Aston Martin. The problem is that this fantasy of being the next Bond gives people unrealistic expectations, and astute brands know how to capitalize on this.

Take, for example, Aston Martin. The British luxury automaker, built its marketing campaigns around the James Bond strategy. In 2016, Dan Balmer, Aston Martin’s former director of global marketing, acknowledged that the brand depended too much on its association with the James Bond franchise. Unfortunately, this association has given the brand a boost and enabled it to promote vehicles that fell short of luxury buyer expectations. To be fair, Bond never drove the DB7, which was in production for a decade, but consumers still continued to identify the franchise with the car. Most likely, Mr. Bond was aware of the DB7's numerous flaws and chose to settle for BMWs. So for all the Bond and Aston Martin lovers out there, this is why you should avoid buying the DB7.

Related: How The DB7 Saved Aston Martin

Customers who purchase pricey luxury vehicles anticipate the most opulent interior, exquisite style, and unique features. However, the Aston Martin DB7 fell short in delivering on these fronts, and customers criticized it for having an unremarkable appearance. While most people criticized the DB7's cramped interior, some claimed it lacked fine details. Particularly tall drivers found it difficult to squeeze in, and they didn't have adequate headroom or legroom. But it wasn’t just the cabin that failed to impress. In fact, the whole car looked like a poor man’s Aston Martin.

This car was more of a parts' bin with the mirrors coming from a Citroën CX, the chassis from a Jaguar XJS, and the rear lights from a Mazda 323F. Even in challenging economic times, this is far from being the definition of luxury.

According to several publications, throughout the pandemic and stagflation period, consumers' top concern have changed from performance and sustainability to reliability. The reality is that consumers were always concerned with reliability and post-manufacturing issues. This is especially true for premium vehicles that come with high maintenance costs.

Unfortunately, the Aston Martin DB7 is losing ground here since it frequently experiences reliability problems. Some of the most frequent issues associated with the DB7 include breaking seat latches, steering issues, water leaks, rear vibration, and exhaust manifold cracking.

“The steering problem occurs through kicking sensations when cornering at high speeds. This is usually due to problems in the upper triangle bushes,” says the Vintage Type. And typically, it is a broken rear radius arm, the one that causes the vibration.

Consumers should keep in mind that since the British automaker manufactured this vehicle between 1994 and 2004, the DB7 lacks modern safety and technological features. Adding them on would increase the costs by several hundred dollars. But the Aston Martin DB7 requires advanced safety features because the automaker didn’t make all the body panels from regular steel. For instance, the fenders and bumpers got made of resin-transfer-molded plastic, so drivers and passengers require the maximum amount of protection possible in the event of an accident.

Related: 9 Reasons Why Aston Martin Builds The Most Desirable British Sports Cars

Luxury cars not only cost more to buy outright, but they also require expensive maintenance over time. This is understandable if we consider that automakers manufacture them from expensive materials and build them by hand. However, this is not the case with the Aston Martin DB7, which was mass-produced and manufactured from lower-quality components borrowed from ordinary cars. In this context, outrageously high maintenance cost are unacceptable. For instance, a buyer who acquired a 1998 Aston Martin DB7 for $25,007 in 2018, complained that so many things broke on his vehicle that his “mechanic will easily be able to afford his family Christmas cruise this year — or probably an entire yacht at this point.”

Eugenia Akhim is a luxury car aficionado. She naturally gravitates towards the legendary 911 and the classic Ferrari because they are fun to drive and have a killer aesthetic. In her column, expect to read more about turbo-powered vehicles.