V8 Vantage - what's it really like?
Discussion
V8 Vantages did improve rapidly following their introduction. Later 4.3 models were better sorted than the early cars, though well-maintained early cars are likely sorted now. I bought mine new. It's a MY09 4.7 Coupe, manual, Sports Pack. I've done 13,500 miles, so it's obviously not my daily, though I use it whenever I can. I LOVE it. It's a superb drive and has been a fantastic car to own. It has been nearly faultless. Here's the entire list of problems: the radio's AM band quit when it was 2 years old. That's the entire list. My car's build quality is truly superb -- the fit and finish is essentially perfect, the paint looks miles deep and has almost no orange peel, there are no squeaks or rattles (and I hate squeaks and rattles), and the whole car feels extremely solid (the torsional rigidity figures confirm that). Yes, there are a few relatively minor issues that may show themselves, but these cars have no major, fundamental potentially catastrophic faults like some competitors (Porsche IMS bearings, BMW rod bearings and rear chassis structures, for example). These are low-production, hand-made cars, so they are not likely to be as flawless as a Toyota, but they are generally very reliable cars. My experience has been wonderful. I've known many owners over the years, and the vast majority have had great experiences and gotten excellent service from their cars. Even after 11+ years, my V8V is a real event.
I wouldn’t run a vantage without a reserve fund of a few grand. The same would apply to any cars of this age and particular those from a prestige brand.
As for the Maserati. Genuine LOL. I know Harry has a habit for pronouncing whatever his latest acquisition or conquest is the greatest with genuine arguments as to why, but if you’re fearful of big bills, the last place I’d aim for would be the Maserati section of the classifieds.
As for the Maserati. Genuine LOL. I know Harry has a habit for pronouncing whatever his latest acquisition or conquest is the greatest with genuine arguments as to why, but if you’re fearful of big bills, the last place I’d aim for would be the Maserati section of the classifieds.
milu said:
Find Zombies account of his Gransport in readers cars. Some real work sorting issues there.
As an aside I owned a 3200gt which was great for the time I had it back in 07. Can’t remember everything but I don’t feel the Aston is of lesser quality.
The 3200 wasn’t particularly well sorted as a drivers car either.
I know the gransport was improved in that regard
I did read that whilst doing my research! As an aside I owned a 3200gt which was great for the time I had it back in 07. Can’t remember everything but I don’t feel the Aston is of lesser quality.
The 3200 wasn’t particularly well sorted as a drivers car either.
I know the gransport was improved in that regard
Shnozz said:
I wouldn’t run a vantage without a reserve fund of a few grand. The same would apply to any cars of this age and particular those from a prestige brand.
As for the Maserati. Genuine LOL. I know Harry has a habit for pronouncing whatever his latest acquisition or conquest is the greatest with genuine arguments as to why, but if you’re fearful of big bills, the last place I’d aim for would be the Maserati section of the classifieds.
Heh. Fair point. As for the Maserati. Genuine LOL. I know Harry has a habit for pronouncing whatever his latest acquisition or conquest is the greatest with genuine arguments as to why, but if you’re fearful of big bills, the last place I’d aim for would be the Maserati section of the classifieds.
And as a man who has owned Morgans, which are terrible for reliability, I know something about ruinous cars...
But I spoke to a lot of people in the Maser community. Hence going for a last of the line car after my (fairly typical) 4.3 V8V experience.
And to be clear - if I could live with two seats, I would have had a 4.7 Vantage over the Maserati, for sure. Different price points, of course.
Shnozz said:
I wouldn’t run a vantage without a reserve fund of a few grand. The same would apply to any cars of this age and particular those from a prestige brand.
As for the Maserati. Genuine LOL. I know Harry has a habit for pronouncing whatever his latest acquisition or conquest is the greatest with genuine arguments as to why, but if you’re fearful of big bills, the last place I’d aim for would be the Maserati section of the classifieds.
Heh. Fair point. Although you will note that I was pretty critical of the Aston when I first got it (I owned a Series II Aero 8 at the time and did a back to back review on here somewhere). Even to someone who ran Morgans, it felt like a pretty unresolved car. Further drives of different 4.3s have not changed that opinion. I do tend to be critical of my machines - for example I have frequently said of my CLS that it is a great car, but only really any fund at licence losing speeds and at all other times feels like a taxi with a thirst problem...As for the Maserati. Genuine LOL. I know Harry has a habit for pronouncing whatever his latest acquisition or conquest is the greatest with genuine arguments as to why, but if you’re fearful of big bills, the last place I’d aim for would be the Maserati section of the classifieds.
And as a man who has owned Morgans, which are terrible for reliability, I know something about ruinous cars...
But I spoke to a lot of people in the Maser community. Hence going for a last of the line car after my (fairly typical) 4.3 V8V experience.
And to be clear - if I could live with two seats, I would have had a 4.7 Vantage over the Maserati, for sure. Different price points, of course.
I also run a CLS 63AMG so have a properly built car to compare them all to...having run all sorts of cars ranging from awfully built and amazingly charismatic (Morgan Aero 8) to beautifully built and a bit boring (Porsche 968, Mercedes W124 cab), to beautifilly built and quite savage (CLS63 AMG), I feel qualified to say that IMHO, the 4.3 Vantage sits in the middle. It is neither awful, nor brilliant It does feel undeveloped though - notably the gearbox is not great, the drivetrain a bit clonky, the damping a bit wayward and the engine poorly matched to the weight of the car. You forgive it because it sounds and looks so good.
All issues that seemed to be sorted with the 4.7, which feels like a far more evolved machine, and a car that in convertible form, I intend to return to once I go back to going for drives myself, and you are still allowed a petrol car in London. They represent stonking value for what they are.
I think a test for me is that, as a Londoner, I need to enjoy driving a car in town. The 4.3 manual Aston was a pig at town speeds and in traffic - heavy controls and seemingly zero torque at low revs requiring revving to get off the line cleanly (unlike say, my Aero 8s which would creep away on idle if you lifted the clutch, being so light and with BMW V8 in saloon car tune). The Maserati is absolutely fine with far lighter control weights and an F1 box that in Sport, is lovely to use, if a bit slow.
Still, horse for courses. Everyone has a different pinion - just giving mine.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 18th March 09:02
Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 18th March 09:20
AlexNJ89 said:
Just read this entire thread and made me gulp at what I could be in for if I pull the trigger on a V8V.
Did they fix the common issues when they updated to the 4.7L or are the common faults still there?
Did they fix the common issues when they updated to the 4.7L or are the common faults still there?
AlexNJ89 said:
The condensation on the rear lights, the intermittent central locking problem, the headlight cluster failure, poor paintwork, corrosion (usually around the door handles), the fuel filler flap not opening and requiring manual release.
Unless my memory is going - I didn't actually have most of those issues and this thread was 95% positive.Rear lights did fail, which was annoying and expensive - but I don't think that's even unique to Astons - LED lights are not the greatest invention in my opinion.
My central locking problem was cured by replacing the key fob batteries - it did suggest a slightly odd central locking design - but it was a practically free fix.
My headlights didn't fail in 4 years.
My paintwork was fine - I think at the last service they found a tiny tiny point on the rear of the roof but it was absolutely tiny and not really something I was worried about.
My fuel filler flap failed to open when I bought the car - I fixed it easily and didn't have a problem for another 4 years.
They are superb cars, and I fully expect to own another at some point.
I've realised over the years that every "performance" car can have issues. If you read Porsche forums there is endless debate about IMS bearings and bore scoring. BMW forums agonise about crankshaft rod bearings and boot floors. Range Rover forums are hilarious with tales of woe that would make your hair curl. And then there's TVR which is in a class of its own!
Of course, it's rare that someone posts "my car has been reliable" because that's a bit boring.
Anyway, it seems to me that truly expensive problems with V8 Vantages are rare. The engine and gearbox are very strong, and things like rear light failure and paint bubbling on edges are fairly simple and cheap to fix, especially if you avoid AM main dealers. Companies like Bamford Rose are becoming very good at developing solutions - witness their proposed suspension arms currently in development.
TLDR: performance cars all have problems. V8 Vantages seem to have fewer than most.
Of course, it's rare that someone posts "my car has been reliable" because that's a bit boring.
Anyway, it seems to me that truly expensive problems with V8 Vantages are rare. The engine and gearbox are very strong, and things like rear light failure and paint bubbling on edges are fairly simple and cheap to fix, especially if you avoid AM main dealers. Companies like Bamford Rose are becoming very good at developing solutions - witness their proposed suspension arms currently in development.
TLDR: performance cars all have problems. V8 Vantages seem to have fewer than most.
Brave Fart said:
Of course, it's rare that someone posts "my car has been reliable" because that's a bit boring.
Funny thing is, I think a lot of my posts in this thread said exactly that.I know I had a little rant when I thought I'd need new door lock modules soon after rear lights - but I'm genuinely surprised that anybody reads this thread and comes away thinking a V8 Vantage would be a bad idea.
All true. These are issues, but none of them are catastrophic.
I recently nearly bought a Ferrari FF, stepped away from the discussion thread with a case of eyes properly opened, and bought a much cheaper Maserati that I frankly don't care if it falls to bits, and don't need a £2k a year warranty on. The thing with the Ferrari is that they don't go wrong always, but often enough and when the 4x4 system let's go (for example), it bankrupts you.
The Vantage is not in that league. My LED rear light went. I bought some on ebay and replace them for a couple of hundred quid. My door modules went and the locking failed. I found the correct Volvo unit and replaced them. Aston wanted stupid money for one broken coil spring. I had a company make up four new ones bespoke to the correct spec for less than the cost of one from AM. There are options.
But try getting anyone but Ferrari to fix the transfer case on an FF for less than many thousands of pounds...
All performance cars have issues. The V8V's are not even in the same neighbourhood as some of the ones you find with other brands.
My Morgans cost me thousands in repairs at every annual service because they were designed by drunk people and built by people who were clearly smoking crack, for example. Fuel lines routed over hot exhaust manifolds so they fail and catch fire? Yep, that's a good plan-let's do it! Immobiliser housed next to catalytic converter so it fries and leaves you stranded at the Nurburgring? Bring it on!
The major problem with Astons has always been getting skinned by dealers. A major London dealer wanted £5k to do the brakes on my 2007 V8V. That's not the car's fault. I bought the bits and had the local garage do it for a normal price for replacing brakes on any motor car. As they get older, this will only get better as they are common enough for specialists to bother with.
I recently nearly bought a Ferrari FF, stepped away from the discussion thread with a case of eyes properly opened, and bought a much cheaper Maserati that I frankly don't care if it falls to bits, and don't need a £2k a year warranty on. The thing with the Ferrari is that they don't go wrong always, but often enough and when the 4x4 system let's go (for example), it bankrupts you.
The Vantage is not in that league. My LED rear light went. I bought some on ebay and replace them for a couple of hundred quid. My door modules went and the locking failed. I found the correct Volvo unit and replaced them. Aston wanted stupid money for one broken coil spring. I had a company make up four new ones bespoke to the correct spec for less than the cost of one from AM. There are options.
But try getting anyone but Ferrari to fix the transfer case on an FF for less than many thousands of pounds...
All performance cars have issues. The V8V's are not even in the same neighbourhood as some of the ones you find with other brands.
My Morgans cost me thousands in repairs at every annual service because they were designed by drunk people and built by people who were clearly smoking crack, for example. Fuel lines routed over hot exhaust manifolds so they fail and catch fire? Yep, that's a good plan-let's do it! Immobiliser housed next to catalytic converter so it fries and leaves you stranded at the Nurburgring? Bring it on!
The major problem with Astons has always been getting skinned by dealers. A major London dealer wanted £5k to do the brakes on my 2007 V8V. That's not the car's fault. I bought the bits and had the local garage do it for a normal price for replacing brakes on any motor car. As they get older, this will only get better as they are common enough for specialists to bother with.
If you consider that these cars like most sports/touring premium labels are not going to be like running a Ford Fiesta then you are half way there to understanding and probably expecting some costs along the way.
In addition, people like comparing a Vantage to a 911 but they are very different cars built in entirely different ways and in vastly varying numbers. By comparison a 911 is mass produced having been evolved over 40-50 years with very little to no hands on 'hand built' aspect to it. In all honesty they should be bullet proof but as has been said all cars have their issues.
With AM hand building the Vantage to large parts surely it should be compared to one of the equivalent TVR's or Lotus products and when doing this we can see by comparison they are largely very reliable.
In addition, people like comparing a Vantage to a 911 but they are very different cars built in entirely different ways and in vastly varying numbers. By comparison a 911 is mass produced having been evolved over 40-50 years with very little to no hands on 'hand built' aspect to it. In all honesty they should be bullet proof but as has been said all cars have their issues.
With AM hand building the Vantage to large parts surely it should be compared to one of the equivalent TVR's or Lotus products and when doing this we can see by comparison they are largely very reliable.
AlexNJ89 said:
The condensation on the rear lights, the intermittent central locking problem, the headlight cluster failure, poor paintwork, corrosion (usually around the door handles), the fuel filler flap not opening and requiring manual release.
OK, in order, in my opinion. Others may have a different view.- Condensation on rear lights. It's not condensation per se, it's leakage through the seam that joins the front and rear halves of the lamp units. Technically not an AML issue as not all lamps do it, it seems to be down to process control at the supplier, and the fact that Aston's volumes mean bigger players in the lamps business may not have been interested. I believe it got better as car production proceeded, with early cars more prone, but I had one of mine replaced under the Timeless warranty - luckily the dealer had parked it outside so the issue manifested itself. No problem since. There is a company that will fix the lamps, and a DIY process for the brave.
- Intermittent central locking. I have no experience of this - my car locks and unlocks flawlessly. I'll let others comment, but I watched a Bamford Rose video where Mike seemed to imply the early cars had a rather dodgy bespoke door module.
- Headlight cluster failure I believe this refers to the LED strip. Mine are both perfect. I have read that this is due to condensation in the headlamps causing corrosion on the LEDs, again probably a consequence of a low-volume supplier. The condensation I get in mine is minimal so I've not bothered with a fan venting kit, but others swear by them. I also believe there are now companies that will fix headlamp LEDs
- Paintwork corrosion This is reported as an issue but mine hasn't got it. The door is made of a magnesium inner casting, some (I believe) steel brackets and an aluminium skin - if you know anything about electrochemical corrosion this is a potentially disastrous combination unless you have a robust process to keep the dissimilar metals apart. Sadly, the now-defunct door subcontractor didn't. All metal bodies will corrode if the underlying metal is exposed to the elements via a scratch, etc. Steel rusts and, once rusting, keeps rusting. Aluminium oxide is self-healing and protective, so the cars don't rot, but dissimilar metals can be an issue. The main rear quarter panel on a Vantage is steel. Scant comfort for you and I but on the new Vantage there are no magnesium inners, nor steel skin panels. Lesson learned? The mirror arms can be an issue as the paint prep process for the aluminium casting wasn't that consistent at the supplier (begin to see a theme here?). Mine has a touch under one arm which I plan to fix and touch in but, if all else fails, they can be removed, stripped, powder-coated and that will fix it forever. Bamford Rose offer this service, but I've heard it's not beyond a brave DIY Do remember that the paint used is butter-soft, so poor washing technique will leave the car a mass of swirls (as mine was, until Paddy fixed it
). - Fuel filler flap not opening Ah, the bane of AML senior managers stranded on the forecourt! There are various reasons for this and the problem is different on the Roadster (which has a gas strut) to the Coupe (which has a spring on the hinge). Yes, mine had this. If you know where the emergency release is it's easy to overcome pump-side and nobody watching will realise. The main problem is the fit of the lid within the aperture, as there can be a build-up of tolerances. The fix is usually adjusting the flap so there is a radial clearance and making sure that the hinge isn't stiff and that the spring works (it's not super strong) and it's all nicely lubed. Mine was failing to open about 25% of the time; investigation showed the lid was too close at the latch side and there was evidence of some paint rub, which the low-force spring could not always overcome. I adjusted the fit to get the lid central in the aperture and it's been faultless ever since.
Other than that, battery. An Aston is more sensitive to failing batteries than most cars and, being an old design, they do have quite high quiescent current drain so will flatten a battery in a few weeks. A battery that has low voltage can send the electronics haywire. When mine's not being used it's always hooked to a battery conditioner; my battery is now 6 years old, seems to be OK but I'll probably have a new one fitted at the annual service in September, just as a precaution.
Buy on condition and get the latest one you can - a later car that has been neglected is a worse bet than an early car that has been lovingly maintained and driven regularly. Being parked up and driven infrequently is not good for Vantages.
So, there's my responses from experience and what knowledge I've acquired - happy to discuss any other points. I doubt you'd find a car that makes you smile quite as much, or look back after you've parked it, but then it depends what your expectations are. Some wealthy guys try an Aston having also had 911's, R8's etc and move on to something else after a couple of years, sometimes feeling slightly disappointed. Others love them for what they are and represent, despite the quirks.
edited to add
I forgot the tracker. Early trackers are known for failing and sending spurious signals up the CAN bus that can (sorry about that
) also drive the electronics crazy. The fix is to get it disconnected and set the car to ignore it via AMDS. Then you can add a new one, if required. Later Cobra trackers (as mine has) are reputed to be better in this regard.I realised I also hadn't answered the headline question in this thread topic - what are they really like? Absolutely epic
Edited by LTP on Thursday 18th March 16:31
Speedraser said:
... I bought mine new. It's a MY09 4.7 Coupe, manual, Sports Pack. I've done 13,500 miles, so it's obviously not my daily, though I use it whenever I can. I LOVE it. It's a superb drive and has been a fantastic car to own. It has been nearly faultless. Here's the entire list of problems: the radio's AM band quit when it was 2 years old. That's the entire list. My car's build quality is truly superb -- the fit and finish is essentially perfect, the paint looks miles deep and has almost no orange peel, there are no squeaks or rattles (and I hate squeaks and rattles), and the whole car feels extremely solid (the torsional rigidity figures confirm that). Yes, there are a few relatively minor issues that may show themselves, but these cars have no major, fundamental potentially catastrophic faults like some competitors (Porsche IMS bearings, BMW rod bearings and rear chassis structures, for example). These are low-production, hand-made cars, so they are not likely to be as flawless as a Toyota, but they are generally very reliable cars. My experience has been wonderful. I've known many owners over the years, and the vast majority have had great experiences and gotten excellent service from their cars. Even after 11+ years, my V8V is a real event.
Mine is a very similar experience, bought it new in 2010, 4.7 coupe, manual, Sports Pack, with literally every option they offered. Now on 12,100 miles, not my daily. I've had one headlight LEDs go, had that repaired for £300, one rear light LEDs, repaired for £280, O2 sensor went, replaced for £58, paint bubbled after 9 years, was repaired FOC under the car's 10 year corrosion warranty. That's it. So, less than £800 of repairs needed in over 10 years of ownership, that is remarkableLTP said:
The one thing that you've not mentioned which is the real Achilles' Heel is the clutch. If you buy one make sure you can always put your hands on about £5k to fix it if it goes. The car should have had the twin-plate clutch the V12 has and there are kits to retro-fit twin-plates to V8s that fix most of the issues.
Thank you for taking the time to write all of that, it was exactly what I was looking for.Edited by LTP on Thursday 18th March 16:31
You're right about the clutch, I was initially put off and ruled out a V8V when I heard about the heavy clutch, when I realised that if it needs replacing I can upgrade to the twin plate the car became an option again, so I'd be happy to set aside money for this.
davek_964 said:
Funny thing is, I think a lot of my posts in this thread said exactly that.
I know I had a little rant when I thought I'd need new door lock modules soon after rear lights - but I'm genuinely surprised that anybody reads this thread and comes away thinking a V8 Vantage would be a bad idea.
Ah good to see you're still around and appreciated your updates.I know I had a little rant when I thought I'd need new door lock modules soon after rear lights - but I'm genuinely surprised that anybody reads this thread and comes away thinking a V8 Vantage would be a bad idea.
When I read your updates, to be totally honest I got the impression you didn't really like the car very much, it seems to stress you out more than be enjoyable.
Especially when you said that you didn't like the thought of taking the Vantage on a euro trip, in fact you would have hated it and preferred to have taken the 360.
AlexNJ89 said:
Ah good to see you're still around and appreciated your updates.
When I read your updates, to be totally honest I got the impression you didn't really like the car very much, it seems to stress you out more than be enjoyable.
Especially when you said that you didn't like the thought of taking the Vantage on a euro trip, in fact you would have hated it and preferred to have taken the 360.
They were different cars that (for me) served different purposes.When I read your updates, to be totally honest I got the impression you didn't really like the car very much, it seems to stress you out more than be enjoyable.
Especially when you said that you didn't like the thought of taking the Vantage on a euro trip, in fact you would have hated it and preferred to have taken the 360.
The Ferrari probably tops my list as the favourite of all the cars I've owned. It was brilliant, and even after 6 years I would have a smile on my face after a blast in it, even if I'd started out in a bad mood. It was very much a fun car - and it was a LOT of fun. Taking it down to Italy - especially through the mountain passes - was something I'll always remember.
The Vantage was a different kind of car for me. Something that I was happy to use mostly daily, which is what I bought it for. It was very enjoyable, but not fun in the same way the Ferrari was. In fact, on a twisty road I initially found it disappointing - there was simply no 'urge' as you accelerated out of a bend - but that's not really want I bought it, and it ceased to bother me.
It felt very special to drive, sounded great and looked fabulous.
I didn't really want to take it on the Italy trip because it just didn't suit the kind of journey I was planning. (For various reasons, I wasn't in a particularly positive frame of mind at that time either, and hence using the Ferrari - that usually cheered me up - was quite important).
There were things that annoyed me about the Vantage, and the part prices was one. Some of them were silly.
But overall, I liked it very much and I do expect to own another one.
AlexNJ89 said:
Thank you for taking the time to write all of that, it was exactly what I was looking for.
You're welcomeAlexNJ89 said:
You're right about the clutch, I was initially put off and ruled out a V8V when I heard about the heavy clutch, when I realised that if it needs replacing I can upgrade to the twin plate the car became an option again, so I'd be happy to set aside money for this.
The car I eventually bought was a non-S 4.7 Coupe with SportShift II. I tried various cars before I bought to eliminate what I did and didn't want. I didn't find the clutch particularly heavy, but the bite point is high, it can be tricky to modulate cleanly and many people bork their clutches because they rest the foot, slur the change too much or apply power before the clutch has fully engaged. I was happy driving the manual and actually had a deposit on a manual 4.7 at a main dealer but in the end the SSII's I'd driven on more than one occasion intrigued me to the point of taking my deposit back and buying a different car.Edited by LTP on Thursday 18th March 19:11
AlexNJ89 said:
LTP said:
The one thing that you've not mentioned which is the real Achilles' Heel is the clutch. If you buy one make sure you can always put your hands on about £5k to fix it if it goes. The car should have had the twin-plate clutch the V12 has and there are kits to retro-fit twin-plates to V8s that fix most of the issues.
Thank you for taking the time to write all of that, it was exactly what I was looking for.Edited by LTP on Thursday 18th March 16:31
You're right about the clutch, I was initially put off and ruled out a V8V when I heard about the heavy clutch, when I realised that if it needs replacing I can upgrade to the twin plate the car became an option again, so I'd be happy to set aside money for this.
I have just bought a 2015 Vantage V8. It has had the Bamford Rose twin plate clutch and lightweight flywheel fitted by the previous owner. Of course, I don't have the original to compare it to, but I find the clutch nicely weighted and easy to use.
I do wonder whether smaller companies like Aston rely on their customers to do final testing! It seems that it wasn't until 2012 that they had ironed out the faults on the Vantage V8, which is why I bought a late one.
Regrettably after eight years and 30,000 wonderful miles I’ve sold my Vantage (back to the dealer I bought it from). In all that time during which we toured 10 European countries it never let me down. The clutch never failed, the paintwork didn’t bubble, the headlights never misted up and the brakes didn’t squeal. The few minor issues were all dealt with quickly under warranty.
I was concerned when purchasing about reliability, particularly as it was Sportshift but I needn’t have worried- every mile a smile 😊 regards, Dave
I was concerned when purchasing about reliability, particularly as it was Sportshift but I needn’t have worried- every mile a smile 😊 regards, Dave
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff