4.7 vantage vs 4.3 vantage

4.7 vantage vs 4.3 vantage

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Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Ok. So I'm still researching about buying a vantage and have recently purchased the definitive aston Martin guide. After reading, it seems the 4.7 is the choice over the 4.3. However, my issue is budget. The cheapest 4.7 on stratstone approved used is £50k which is above my budget. I love the look of the N400 but they seem to be rather over priced and more in line with the price of a 4.7 car. The guide tells you not to pay too much for them.

My question is, if it's only the earlier 4.3 that is in budget, should I look for something else? I was heart set for a long time on a C63 AMG and have just come out of an E92 M3. I don't want to be disappointed with the performance of the 4.3.

Also, I don't think I will be looking to buy privately. I want the convenience and security of dealer back up a d warranty.

Any thoughts on the 4.3 vs the 4.7 would be appreciated.

Thanks.

justin220

5,331 posts

203 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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If you are looking for performance, you should be looking elsewhere. The 4.7 isn't that quick either, or should I say it's not easy to drive quickly.

The Vantage is more about the overall ownership prospect IMO

Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Fair comment.

I totally understand that no one is timing me on the road and I don't treat it as a racetrack.

However, I just don't want to be disappointed with the power. Being as the M3 was rather exciting and certainly felt very powerful.

mjk1

230 posts

225 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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I've got an 06 V8V and have seen absolutely no reason to upgrade to a newer model with the very minor reincarnations over the intervening years. I prefer the purer looks of the original without the extended sills and I also think the original 19" wheels are the nicest to have been fitted to a Vantage. They hide their age very well if looked after. I test drove a V8VS and really felt I had 90% of that car with my 06. Choosing not to spend the £60k to change was a no brainer. The other aspect to consider if money isn't of limitless supply is the fact the 06 cars have more or less reached the bottom of their depreciation curves if looked after. I bought mine 4 years ago for £38k, I'd be confident it's still worth only a few grand less.

petop

2,135 posts

165 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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If you have come from a M3 and "felt performance" is what you want then dont go for the 4.3. Although it will sound quick its not M3 speed. I wouldnt ignore the 4.7 though as it certainly isn't slow. I came from a 911 C4S and im not missing the speed of the 911. Prices of the 4.7's have firmed up a little and dealer wise they rarely drop below 50k. The difference is if you wait longer and manage to get a 4.7 and dont like it, you wont loose as much money, if any, compared to the same situation with the Merc.

Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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mjk1 said:
I've got an 06 V8V and have seen absolutely no reason to upgrade to a newer model with the very minor reincarnations over the intervening years. I prefer the purer looks of the original without the extended sills and I also think the original 19" wheels are the nicest to have been fitted to a Vantage. They hide their age very well if looked after. I test drove a V8VS and really felt I had 90% of that car with my 06. Choosing not to spend the £60k to change was a no brainer. The other aspect to consider if money isn't of limitless supply is the fact the 06 cars have more or less reached the bottom of their depreciation curves if looked after. I bought mine 4 years ago for £38k, I'd be confident it's still worth only a few grand less.
Great reply!
I love the fact of minimal depreciation.
Without sounding personal, how is reliability with your car? I had a few issues with an 08 M3 so am nervous to go older. But an 06 vantage is right around my budget so if consensus is good the ball could start rolling.

Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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petop said:
If you have come from a M3 and "felt performance" is what you want then dont go for the 4.3. Although it will sound quick its not M3 speed. I wouldnt ignore the 4.7 though as it certainly isn't slow. I came from a 911 C4S and im not missing the speed of the 911. Prices of the 4.7's have firmed up a little and dealer wise they rarely drop below 50k. The difference is if you wait longer and manage to get a 4.7 and dont like it, you wont loose as much money, if any, compared to the same situation with the Merc.
Fair comment on the merc too. A 2011 merc will set to lose more than an early vantage.

Jon39

12,782 posts

142 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Robbie_FRS said:
Any thoughts on the 4.3 vs the 4.7 would be appreciated.

As you will have read in 'the book‘, or the AML 4.7 launch announcement (on the web), there is a long list of changes between the 4.3 and 4.7 models. You mention performance, and although I have not driven a 4.3, it is said that in addition to the power increase, the torque increase is quite noticeable.

Not sure how much performance you want, but for a road car I cannot be on full throttle for many seconds with a 4.7, before thinking about my licence.

As suggested already, if you would prefer a 4.7 can you wait until price meets budget?
The early 4.7 cars seem to have remained at £50,000 retail for two years. Presumably they will be under that eventually. I have already ticked the Mercedes-Benz coupe box. It has not been used too much, looks as new and the value would probably be £2,000. You won't find an Aston Martin that has depreciated that far.

Looking at your profile - Bridgend perhaps?

Tricky decisions, but good luck.



Edited by Jon39 on Saturday 24th January 18:02

V8Andrew

387 posts

161 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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An alternative which is what I did is a well specced 4.3 car for low money plus a full exhaust and induction system which will give you the power of a 4.7, and most of the options that became standard. If you just want to go fast I'd buy a GTR or a 997 turbo, but neither has the beauty of the Aston.

Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Yes I work in Bridgend. 👍 are you local?

I could wait a bit longer and save the deficit but i am becoming twitchy without a nice car and the earlier models are starting to sound like a good bang for the buck.

I just need a few owners here to tell me the 06 and 07 models are great and reliable and things could well start happening! Lol

Thepetrolhead

17 posts

240 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Robbie_FRS said:
Yes I work in Bridgend. ?? are you local?

I could wait a bit longer and save the deficit but i am becoming twitchy without a nice car and the earlier models are starting to sound like a good bang for the buck.

I just need a few owners here to tell me the 06 and 07 models are great and reliable and things could well start happening! Lol
PM sent with my views of ownership. Very positive :-)

gibbon

2,182 posts

206 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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I bought a 2006 Vantage V8 two years ago, coming from a 996 c2 911.

It is not quite as urgent in feel as the 911 was, however I sold the 911 to a friend and we have driven both cars together, there is no noticeable speed difference between them in acceleration terms, the Vantage is a quick car, but feels more refined and less urgent than some of its rivals, but after two years, i feel no need to swap the Vantage, after two years with the 911 I fancied a change, that must say something. It feels a very special car, and for me, its not worth the extra to step up at the moment to a V8S, I would rather keep my 2006 Vantage and buy something else as well, Im currently looking at a classic to sit beside it. If i do come to change up within the Aston world i think it will be for a v12 Vantage.

Having said that, the car really does everything I need it to do and has been a wonderful ownership experience. I had a warranty in the first year, which covered a thermostat that went. The second year I havent renewed the warranty, and touch wood, so far so good.

I paid £35k from a main deal for the perfect spec car for me with 27k miles on it. I imagine minus the dealer margin its not worth a lot less now.

Go for it.

Gettoff

1,434 posts

206 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Nothing to fear with the 4.3 V8V Robbie.

I had a similar experience to our simian friend above biggrin. I purchased a 4.3 back in 2012, kept it for 18 months or so and changed to a V12V about a year ago.

I also encountered a faulty thermostat which was replaced under warranty, had a couple of minor electrical glitches which were also covered but there was never anything to cause a breakdown or a non-starting situation, overall a great car that I was very happy to have owned.

From a performance point of view I can't help with comparing with an M3 of any vintage, but compared to the 4.7 and the V12V there isn't a massive difference on the road. You will certainly notice the extra torque of the larger capacity cars, you just need to use the gearbox in the 4.3 a bit more to keep it in the sweet spot. The power delivery is very linear and so as a result you don't feel a step change in performance throughout the rev range, but look down and you will be travelling at a decent lick wink. There have been numerous run-outs over the years on the forum and the 4.3 is in no way lacking compared to the other cars, they can be punted along A and B roads at a very good pace, and for some they are the best sounding modern AM of the lot.

Ikobo

511 posts

148 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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I'm only five months in with mine (4.3) and I just can't imagine not having it long term, and that's coming from someone who is almost constantly looking for the next car five minutes after buying whatever's in the garage. Considering I was landed with an almost £3k bill for a clutch/flywheel replacement a month after buying it (dealer paid for the repair) I'm amazed that at no point I've stood looking at it thinking "you'll have to go". From a performance point of view it's way in the shadow of the Lotus Evora S it replaced, but I've found that I just don't care. It's by no means a slow car, it's just, different? There's something so special about it to me, and judging by the amount of comments I get from people every time I take it out, it's a car that is much loved in general. Every time I look at it, every time I get behind the wheel of it, I just can't help but think "jesus, I love this thing".


Grant3

3,635 posts

254 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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Great advice from tne guys. The 4.7 is worth the extra (it's not just about the upgraded engine!), but if it is above your budget fear not the 4.3 is still a special car.

As you know if you have the guide, the Aston offers a multifaceted ownership package it is not just about the performance.
Don't underestimate the iconic exterior design and special interior touches, you will gain pleasure from simply looking at and sitting in your car.. it WILL likely get under your skin!

As you will have read the 4.3 isn't slow either, it sounds great and has the unique Aston flow on a favourite B road. It's not a chuckable 10/10th's road racer, but it has excellent steering feel, great power to dynamics ratio (traction, braking, handling). It will take you a while to get in tune with the way the Aston drives compared to an M3, so don't judge it on one short drive. If you still have the "ever-faster" bug then maybe something like a GTR may be your pre-Aston move. My first Aston was a Titanium silver 4.3 manual coupe and I loved the beastie despite having come from a ballistic tweaked 996 TT.

If you can't stretch to the 4.7 try for a 4.3 Roadster next, if this is still above budget just ensure a nice appealing spec. Best of luck, reading about, looking for, interacting with existing owners and finding the right car is all part of the pleasure in finding your next steed smile

V8VDan

52 posts

170 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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I had a 4.3 for 2 years and loved every minute. Didn't have any significant issues at all. It may not be the fastest car in the world, but it sure provides one of the biggest grins each and every time you drive it. Three years after selling for financial reasons I too got the Definitive Guide to Aston Martin at Christmas and came to the conclusion that it was worth the extra budget to get a 4.7 and picked mine up 2 weeks ago. Yes it has more power and torque, but the grin is pretty much on a par! Whichever you go for, find the spec you want at the price you want to pay and then just enjoy!

Edited by V8VDan on Saturday 24th January 23:10

snuffy

9,661 posts

283 months

Saturday 24th January 2015
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If performance is your primary consideration then I'd not recommend the 4.3. I had mine for 18 months and it never really did it for me. I liked everything else about it (looks, noise etc), but it was way too underpowered (I suspect having a Noble M12 before I bought it did not help matters).

Having said that, it's not slow, it just does not fire you down the road, but sometimes I looked at the speedo and was surprised at how fast it was going when it did not feel that quick.

Others have mentioned a GTR and that's what I went for and I love it, it's the best car I've ever owned. But it depends what you want really.


Robbie_FRS

Original Poster:

81 posts

187 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
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Amazing passionate replies! Thanks to every one of you.


justin220

5,331 posts

203 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
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Robbie_FRS said:
Fair comment.

I totally understand that no one is timing me on the road and I don't treat it as a racetrack.

However, I just don't want to be disappointed with the power. Being as the M3 was rather exciting and certainly felt very powerful.
Four of my good friends all have, or have had one so I've had a fair exposure to them. Driven a couple and plenty of miles in the passenger seat.

If basing your thoughts on the Vantage on the M3, I would say you may be slightly disappointed however the feeling of just being around the Vantage is very special. The M3 is very easy to drive quickly especially the DCT version. Brilliant gearbox. The M3 felt quicker to me, whether it is, and by how much I'm not sure.

Probably worth having a good drive in a Vantage before deciding. Its taken me a while to bond with mine

Jon39

12,782 posts

142 months

Sunday 25th January 2015
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Robbie_FRS said:
Yes I work in Bridgend. ?? are you local?

No not local, but had family in Glamorgan so know the area.

I am sure you know that your colleagues in Cologne build the engines for Aston Martin. Your new car will therefore be quite happy in the company carpark.