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Old 01-10-2022, 07:57 PM   #1
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Anthem vs Aspire

Looking at 2 coaches now both 2014 like mileage 32k Anthem is asking 35 k more than Aspire. I do like some of the features on the Anthem more like Heated floors and IFS just trying to weigh if its worth 35K more? Any thoughts?
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Old 01-10-2022, 09:35 PM   #2
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A couple of ways to address your question:

1) Looking at NADA values for a 2014 Aspire versus a 2014 Anthem, I pulled the numbers for two of the most popular floor plans of that era – the 42DEQ and the 44B. With either floor plan, the difference between the Aspire and the Anthem is currently about $35,000 for the Low Retail numbers and about $42,000 for the Average Retail numbers. Based on that, I would conclude a 2014 Anthem is currently worth $35,000 to $40,000 more than a similarly equipped 2014 Aspire, assuming both coaches are in similar condition.

2) Only you can decide if the Anthem is worth an additional $35,000 out of your pocket.
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Old 01-11-2022, 03:38 AM   #3
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Aspire vs Anthem

They are both 42 DEQ models my biggest concern is the ride with the ride with the IFS compared to beam axle and the diesel Aquahot Vs LP aquahot
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Old 01-11-2022, 05:32 AM   #4
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I’ve had both a solid axle on a Freightliner and IFS on Spartan. For me, the difference was modest. I’ve never had a propane heating system, but I suspect that a full tank of diesel would last considerably longer than a full tank of propane. That may make a difference if you boondock often. Again, no first hand experience with propane.
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Old 01-11-2022, 05:40 AM   #5
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The reasons you mentioned is why I chose the Anthem over the Aspire when I ordered my 14. LP heat was another. My previous coach had LP heat and I was ready to change to a more convenient fuel type. The engine heat loop that the Anthem has is something that was appreciated when driving in cold weather.
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Old 01-11-2022, 06:10 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dsrtrider View Post
Looking at 2 coaches now both 2014 like mileage 32k Anthem is asking 35 k more than Aspire. I do like some of the features on the Anthem more like Heated floors and IFS just trying to weigh if its worth 35K more? Any thoughts?
Your choice of words suggests an often overlooked, but still important, difference between the Aspire and Anthem of that vintage.

Indeed, the Anthem does have IFS vs. the solid axle Aspire which makes a difference in ride worthy of consideration.

The Anthem front axle has a weight rating of 17,000 pounds as compared to the 15,660 pound rated Aspire front axle. The empty weight distribution of various floorplans (42DEQ is front heavy) can make that a significant difference.

When I attended the Spartan Academy, one feature of that program was a four corner weight check. It was interesting that the Cornerstone folks, with their K-3 chassis could load anything they wanted anywhere they wanted without coming close to any axle limit. The Anthem folks, although some were close to an axle limit, were all under the max. The Aspire folks were all busy moving heavy stuff from their front bays to be under the front axle limit.

Entegra recognized that weight distribution challenge and moved the house batteries from their then left front location back to a mid-ship location, somewhat easing that weight distribution issue. That's good for weight distribution, but, adds a new level of challenge when it comes time to replace the house batteries.

The newer model years (both Aspire and Anthem) have higher weight limit front axles.

Take care,
Stu
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Old 01-11-2022, 07:28 AM   #7
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2014 Aspire 44b.
Current 4 corner weight at Spartan had us at 14700 on the front axle. 100 over rated limit. Easy enough to shift some things around but I suspect no matter what I do, we will be near the limit. RetroBands, proper tire inflations ease some of my concerns.
I have no complaints on the ride from the solid axle. Maybe I’m not as sensitive.
Just to clarify, Aspires have heated floors.
The cost differential Larry looked at was the same I had to consider 2.5 years ago.
For us, floor plan, condition, cost were the main factors.
Even then, you will probably put $15-20k into it before you hit the road.
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Old 01-11-2022, 07:46 AM   #8
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Having owned a 2013 Aspire 42 DEQ and then an Anthem (2015 44DLQ), the difference was night and day. The IFS front axle in the Anthem made a huge difference in handling and ride, especially over wash boarded interstates and bridge transitions. I also never really worried about overloading the front axle vs. always concerned about the solid axle Aspire.

While I never really had any issues with the LP Aqua-hot, I never liked trucking that big tank of a bomb down the interstates at speed. And after getting trapped in -3°f winter weather in Atlanta one Christmas, where we were having to get the LP refilled every 3-4 days for a couple of weeks (the coach itself did fine at those temps I might say), I decided to part ways with the Aspire pretty quickly. The diesel Aqua-hot is a no-brainer.

The Aspire always had an issue with the leveling jacks, they would cause the coach to hop around and drag like a damn grasshopper during EVERY extension and retraction, as they came into contact with the ground. Neither the dealer nor Entegra could ever figure it out and make it right. So the coach was not going to last long in my stable!

We moved on to the 2015 Anthem 44DLQ pretty quickly! What a great coach, sometimes I wistfully think that we should have kept it. But I unfortunately got the "HP-itis" syndrome, convincing myself that I really did need 600hp!!
The Anthem was a much less troublesome coach than our Cornerstone has proven to be.....

If it fits your budget, I don't think you'll regret stepping up to the Anthem, while you may well have at least a few regrets on that era of Aspire. Whichever way you launch, welcome to the family!!
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Old 01-11-2022, 05:20 PM   #9
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Quote:
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Entegra recognized that weight distribution challenge and moved the house batteries from their then left front location back to a mid-ship location, somewhat easing that weight distribution issue. That's good for weight distribution, but, adds a new level of challenge when it comes time to replace the house batteries.

The newer model years (both Aspire and Anthem) have higher weight limit front axles.
Which was clearly the right solution to the steer axle weight issue. And I have to believe the engineering and implementation cost of upgrading the steer axle weight rating was minimal as compared to how much time and money was spent moving the house battery bank to a seriously hard-to-access location on not just the Aspire, but on the Anthem and Cornerstone as well.

But hey, moving the house battery bank opened up a storage compartment just behind the driver's side steer tire which owners can now use to store toolboxes, jugs of DEF, cases of wine, beer, etc. You know, stuff that in total weighs about the same as the batteries that were relocated.
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Old 01-11-2022, 09:38 PM   #10
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I have a 17 Insignia which is basically the same coach as a 14 Aspire. The Aspire comes with only 2 house batteries and the Anthem has 4. Also the Aspire did not come with slide out trays. So we added 2 extra batteries and slide trays. So know that you can add them if you want.
My coach handles great with the solid axle. No bouncing. I'm sure I'd like IFS but not sure if I'd really notice (I test drove Anthems and didn't notice).
I'm overweight in the front. Even if my bins were empty I'd be overweight. Just the way it's built and I'm not too worried. Plenty of weight room left in the back.
Good thing about propane, you have zero maintenance costs for the Aqua Hot. The electric heater does a good job of heating the water. As long as we snowbird, the propane lasts a long time. Turn on the heated floors and it won't last long, so I don't use that. If you will be in cold weather (below 40 degrees) a lot, then you'll use more propane. In 6 months of use, I've used half a tank.
There are a few fewer bells and whistles on the Aspire but that also means fewer bells and whistles that malfunction. I see posts on here all the time from people with problems I'll just never have.
So there... If I had the money, I would have bought an Anthem... Lol.
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Old 01-12-2022, 08:21 AM   #11
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LP Aqua hot is less maintenance but can be finicky at times. A heated floor is the one thing our Aspire does not have that we really wish it did. Other than that it meets our needs.
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Old 01-12-2022, 10:19 PM   #12
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Our 2018 Anthem rode much more smoothly than our 2015 Aspire, but I think that most of the difference is due to the use of Michelin tires, where the Aspire had the crappy Goodyears. Our Aspire had the diesel 450 Aquahot, so no propane tank onboard. My issues with the Aspire were 1) the ride and 2) the inadequate battery situation. The latter is easily addressed, and a switch to decent tires can probably fix the former.
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Old 01-19-2022, 08:17 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dsrtrider View Post
Looking at 2 coaches now both 2014 like mileage 32k Anthem is asking 35 k more than Aspire. I do like some of the features on the Anthem more like Heated floors and IFS just trying to weigh if its worth 35K more? Any thoughts?
Good morning

Months before we purchased our first coach, I was (and still do!!) reading these forums for information and education. There was one reverberating message that I came across: "Buy your last coach first."
I would like to suggest that you strongly consider NIRVC. Remember, if you see a coach at one of their other locations, it can be delivered to the closest location for you (or you can hop on a plane!).

Be safe

Dr. Mike
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