v8 Vantage roadster - swap to V8 F type
Discussion
I'm giving serious consideration to parting with my v8 vantage Roadster and getting into a V8 Jag F-type, or possibly even high specification V6S.
Just wondering if there is anyone out there that has done something similar or considered it?
I bought the Aston purely as a stopgap whilst waiting for the Jaguar to drop in value. I was lucky enough to be in a position to hire an F type V6 back in 2014, I picked it up in Munich and spent a week driving it round the Alps with my son. I loved it so much I went back a few months later and did the same thing with a good friend, but this time in a v6S although at the moment I still haven't driven a V8.
I decided after the trips that it was definitely going to be a car I wanted, the sound of the exhaust on upshift and downshift was unbelievable. But the time they were beyond my budget, but knowing how much Jaguars can depreciate by decided to sit back and wait for the prices to reach a better level. In the meantime I purchased the Aston.
At the moment the prices of early Vantage Roadsters seem to have levelled if not gone up a bit over the last 6 months.
I'd love to hear what the general thoughts are?
Just wondering if there is anyone out there that has done something similar or considered it?
I bought the Aston purely as a stopgap whilst waiting for the Jaguar to drop in value. I was lucky enough to be in a position to hire an F type V6 back in 2014, I picked it up in Munich and spent a week driving it round the Alps with my son. I loved it so much I went back a few months later and did the same thing with a good friend, but this time in a v6S although at the moment I still haven't driven a V8.
I decided after the trips that it was definitely going to be a car I wanted, the sound of the exhaust on upshift and downshift was unbelievable. But the time they were beyond my budget, but knowing how much Jaguars can depreciate by decided to sit back and wait for the prices to reach a better level. In the meantime I purchased the Aston.
At the moment the prices of early Vantage Roadsters seem to have levelled if not gone up a bit over the last 6 months.
I'd love to hear what the general thoughts are?
Yes, sell the Aston. The noise is awful and no style whatsoever.
Whereas the pops and farts from the Jag is awesome. The styling on the Jag compared to the smooth lines of the Aston, admittedly has been compared to Halfords parts bin but note the amount of Mondeos and Corsa's outside Halfords on a Sunday so they must be doing something right!
Oh hang on, im a Aston owner and i have just realised im in the Aston forum section.....Dooohhh!!!
Seriously apart from stating the obvious, you mentioned price. Look at the prices of the Jag in 10 years time and wonder if you made the right choice. Should not base your decision wholly on this but there is a reason why Astons do hold their value.
Whereas the pops and farts from the Jag is awesome. The styling on the Jag compared to the smooth lines of the Aston, admittedly has been compared to Halfords parts bin but note the amount of Mondeos and Corsa's outside Halfords on a Sunday so they must be doing something right!
Oh hang on, im a Aston owner and i have just realised im in the Aston forum section.....Dooohhh!!!
Seriously apart from stating the obvious, you mentioned price. Look at the prices of the Jag in 10 years time and wonder if you made the right choice. Should not base your decision wholly on this but there is a reason why Astons do hold their value.
"I bought the Aston purely as a stopgap whilst waiting for the Jaguar to drop in value."
Not had the Aston long then....
Seriously though, just wait a little bit longer......dum de dum de dumm........, the Jag will have dropped some more and you'll be able to keep the Aston and have both!
purrrrfect.
Not had the Aston long then....
Seriously though, just wait a little bit longer......dum de dum de dumm........, the Jag will have dropped some more and you'll be able to keep the Aston and have both!
purrrrfect.
I recently searched on the Bentley dealer website where I bought my V8 Vantage Roadster from in Nov 2012.
They have this F Type convertible for sale.
http://www.glasgow.bentleymotors.com/models/Pre-Ow...
I know nothing about the F Type and would not pass any comment on it apart from the fact that I was surprised how much newer and lower mileage car you can get for the same money as say a 2007 V8 Vantage Roadster from an AM Dealer.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing..........only you can really decide
They have this F Type convertible for sale.
http://www.glasgow.bentleymotors.com/models/Pre-Ow...
I know nothing about the F Type and would not pass any comment on it apart from the fact that I was surprised how much newer and lower mileage car you can get for the same money as say a 2007 V8 Vantage Roadster from an AM Dealer.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing..........only you can really decide
I seriously considered a F type when I sold my V8 Vantage. I test drove both, the V6s convertible and the V8 coupe. Both have good engines and the exhaust-note is great, though it sounds a bit artificial, a bit like trying too hard. they both drove pretty well, but the V6s felt a bit underpowered compared to the V8. The 8 speed gearbox is plain simple s
t. The auto is constantly changing gears, and when in manual mode, you have to shift thru 5 gears to get from 0 to 150 km/h. Last but not least, the interior looks an feels cheap, definitely for a car in this price range. Far too much plastic and the rubber coated buttons and shift paddles just feel odd.
I did't buy one and went for an Audi R8 V10 Spyder instead. But after a bit more than 1 year with the Audi I am back with Aston.
Sooner or later everyone who once owned an Aston and sold it, will come back. Long story short, keep the Aston ;-).
t. The auto is constantly changing gears, and when in manual mode, you have to shift thru 5 gears to get from 0 to 150 km/h. Last but not least, the interior looks an feels cheap, definitely for a car in this price range. Far too much plastic and the rubber coated buttons and shift paddles just feel odd.I did't buy one and went for an Audi R8 V10 Spyder instead. But after a bit more than 1 year with the Audi I am back with Aston.
Sooner or later everyone who once owned an Aston and sold it, will come back. Long story short, keep the Aston ;-).
Jag seem to be struggling, i bet you'll get a cracking deal on a new one! Bear in mind, they must have run out of money during the R&D phase of development of the F type, as the V6 still has the V8 lump in it, albeit minus 2 conrods & pistons!! Oh, and they have minimal traction, with no weight over the rear wheels. I guess its an itch you need to scratch,,,but why???
IanV12VR said:
The plastics used looked really cheap and not a place I would want to spend my time.
PLASTIC inside a car - how terribly awful! Must help one decide on a marque if one prefers leather/wood/alloy/glass 
Ohh mind you there are the bloody indicator stalks - cant have it all Mine very much pops and bangs too - ways and means
roughrider said:
Jag seem to be struggling, i bet you'll get a cracking deal on a new one! Bear in mind, they must have run out of money during the R&D phase of development of the F type, as the V6 still has the V8 lump in it, albeit minus 2 conrods & pistons!! Oh, and they have minimal traction, with no weight over the rear wheels. I guess its an itch you need to scratch,,,but why???
Is that correct or am I reading it wrong? Two empty cylinders??My son took me for a ride in an F-type roadster, which he had been lent by a dealer for a weekend.
Am afraid I cannot tell you much about it, because I put a bag over my head, just in case I was seen by any neighbours. I did hear all that artificial popping and banging though. Dreadful.
You must certainly ask your question on the Jaguar forum.
It has rave reviews there.
The two unused cylinders are very handy as extra storage for sweets. Well not actually sweets, but stuff that some people might want to hide in an engine.
Edited by Jon39 on Tuesday 3rd May 00:14
I compared and looked at both. I decided on the Aston. Side by side comparison, well there is none, Aston beats Jag hands down on looks. I know all the magazines say the F type is the most beautiful car ever made, but not in my opinion. The Jags interior is a jumble, doesn't flow, lots of plastics. I like the sound of the V8V better, F type R sounds like a big American V8, which is nice, but kind of boy racer for a Jaguar. These are just my opinions, there are others out there who will not agree. The Aston is a timeless design, the Jaguar is not.
Here's my post from about 3 years ago, and it's still true:
I’ve driven and looked very closely at the F-Type (the Roadster in V6S and V8S forms), and I’m really looking forward to seeing the Coupe. I've always been a Jag fan, I like the current cars, and I’ve owned an XK140 and an E-Type. IMO, the F-Type is very, very nice. But it's not even close to being as nice as a Vantage. It may well have more tech, but it doesn't look or feel anywhere near as expensive or as finely crafted as an Aston Martin.
Many of the styling details are taken straight from Aston; the wing vents (which are fake in the Jag!), the vents in the top of the bonnet, the general shape of the dash and center stack, the door handles, etc.). The difference in quality of the interior materials is massive. It has one those cheap and utterly boring plastic engine covers. Astons are beautiful under the bonnet. Many, many things in the interior and the exterior are made of plastic in the Jag, but made beautifully of metal in an Aston. The Aston looks and feels like it’s worth every single pound/dollar of the difference in the cars' prices.
I really like the F-Type and I hope it does well. It was very, very good to drive. It sounds great and handles very well (though the extra weight of the V8 over the nose of the V8S was very apparent – unlike the V8V, it is mounted over the front axle, rather than behind it, and the gearbox is mounted directly to the engine). But the V8V remains a great drive, and it looks and feels like a car in a completely different price range. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, either, as this has always been the case with Jags and Astons. Jags have always offered style and performance but have been built to a price (albeit now a higher price than years ago), whereas Astons offer style and performance, plus a level of craftsmanship that is in a totally different league. Both are great cars.
I like the F-Type a lot, but the Aston is an event that the Jag is not. I’ll be keeping my V8V.
I’ve driven and looked very closely at the F-Type (the Roadster in V6S and V8S forms), and I’m really looking forward to seeing the Coupe. I've always been a Jag fan, I like the current cars, and I’ve owned an XK140 and an E-Type. IMO, the F-Type is very, very nice. But it's not even close to being as nice as a Vantage. It may well have more tech, but it doesn't look or feel anywhere near as expensive or as finely crafted as an Aston Martin.
Many of the styling details are taken straight from Aston; the wing vents (which are fake in the Jag!), the vents in the top of the bonnet, the general shape of the dash and center stack, the door handles, etc.). The difference in quality of the interior materials is massive. It has one those cheap and utterly boring plastic engine covers. Astons are beautiful under the bonnet. Many, many things in the interior and the exterior are made of plastic in the Jag, but made beautifully of metal in an Aston. The Aston looks and feels like it’s worth every single pound/dollar of the difference in the cars' prices.
I really like the F-Type and I hope it does well. It was very, very good to drive. It sounds great and handles very well (though the extra weight of the V8 over the nose of the V8S was very apparent – unlike the V8V, it is mounted over the front axle, rather than behind it, and the gearbox is mounted directly to the engine). But the V8V remains a great drive, and it looks and feels like a car in a completely different price range. I don't think there is anything wrong with this, either, as this has always been the case with Jags and Astons. Jags have always offered style and performance but have been built to a price (albeit now a higher price than years ago), whereas Astons offer style and performance, plus a level of craftsmanship that is in a totally different league. Both are great cars.
I like the F-Type a lot, but the Aston is an event that the Jag is not. I’ll be keeping my V8V.
justin220 said:
What is it that attracts you to the F Type over the Vantage? Is it the sound?
Would an exhaust upgrade for the Vantage help?
Upgrade the exhaust on a v8 or buy Jag v6....Would an exhaust upgrade for the Vantage help?
I suspect the car doesn't need modification.
The OP obviously has been seduced by the artificial exhaust note over value and build quality.
I feel for him having to put up with the hand made leather interior, split drive train, dry sumped v8 and balanced chassis while he waits to buy his jag.
I recently spent a long weekend driving a v6s f type. I had a great time, i really loved driving the car, but i did feel that the novelty would wear off and i would be left wishing i'd stuck with the Aston.
The first thing that struck me was the door handles, a clear nod to the aston, but they just felt so flimsy and cheap. The car does feel more 'modern' though, well, it is, whether you like that feeling or not is subjective.
The first thing that struck me was the door handles, a clear nod to the aston, but they just felt so flimsy and cheap. The car does feel more 'modern' though, well, it is, whether you like that feeling or not is subjective.
Totally pointless thread imho. People buy these cars with their hearts not their heads. The OP has clearly already made up his mind to try a Jaguar F-Type, so no amount of rational "it's not as good a car as the Aston" from those of us who have driven both (surely a large percentage here given its an alternative) is going to convince him otherwise
Just wish him luck and we'll see him in 12 months when he realises the error
Just wish him luck and we'll see him in 12 months when he realises the error
The Jaguar is 4 inches longer and 2 inches taller with virtually the same wheel base as the Vantage. This does not sound like much, but it's quite apparent in a siide by side comparison. As mentioned above all the weight of the engine/transmission is directly over the front axle. And as also mentioned open the hood of any Aston and you see a beautiful engine, the Jag a big plastic engine cover. In the Aston everything that looks like leather is leather, the same goes for metal. In the Jag everything that looks like leather is most likely vinyl, and metallic finished plastics.
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