V8 Vantage - what's it really like?
Discussion
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.
macdeb said:
Brave Fart said:
I
The engine and gearbox are very strong, V8 Vantages seem to have fewer than most.
Apologies but I beg to differ, so much so that I doubt I'd ever have another. From my own personal experience anyway. The engine and gearbox are very strong, V8 Vantages seem to have fewer than most.
Brave Fart said:
... 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.
LTP also suggested buying the latest car you can, but I don't think that's necessary. Aston sorted most of the early issues pretty quickly, and most late MY07 and MY08 cars seem to be generally quite reliable. The MY09 intro of the 4.7 was another significant development, and I don't think the early 4.7 cars are more trouble than the later ones. My '09 has been superb. IMO, all 4.7 cars are well-developed, so other factors are more important. Some people prefer the original design, others prefer the facelift that was introduced for the V8VS, then for the standard V8V in MY12.25 (except it standardized the N400 (MY08) sills that became optional in MY10). Of course, the MY12.25 cars got most of the mechanical developments from the S (the most significant of which, if you want a paddle-shift, is the 7-spd SSII 'box). So, if you like the earlier cars, I wouldn't hesitate, and if you prefer the updates from the later cars, I... wouldn't hesitate. If you don't have much of a preference regarding the year, then I'd say condition and history are much more important than getting the latest possible car.AlexNJ89 said:
The conclusion I'm starting to draw is that they are actually very reliable cars but if you do buy a lemon or just get unlucky the repair bills can be eye-watering, which leaves an incredible bad taste in owner's mouths which leads them to be very vocal.
Seems likely - having test driven (but not bought) a Vantage, buying one is likely to be an emotional decision. They look and sound amazing, but they’re not exactly cheap, meaning that you can get something just as fast but more modern for the same price as a used one... That and reading about potential maintenance costs means that (for me at least) my heart would have to have ruled my head. Given that, if it then breaks your heart, you’re going to be vocal about it...
AlexNJ89 said:
The conclusion I'm starting to draw is that they are actually very reliable cars but if you do buy a lemon or just get unlucky the repair bills can be eye-watering, which leaves an incredible bad taste in owner's mouths which leads them to be very vocal.
Same could be said of many other brands to be fair. Percentage wise, however, there seems less with tales of woe in Aston forums than some other examples that shall remain nameless. I also think to a degree, expectations come into things. Many of those vocal about Porsche faults for example have perhaps had a history of Audi or junior porsches. Whereas many Aston owners seem to have come via TVR routes and hence their expectations are somewhat lower when it comes to reliability. DanL said:
eems likely - having test driven (but not bought) a Vantage, buying one is likely to be an emotional decision. They look and sound amazing, but they’re not exactly cheap, meaning that you can get something just as fast but more modern for the same price as a used one... That and reading about potential maintenance costs means that (for me at least) my heart would have to have ruled my head.
Given that, if it then breaks your heart, you’re going to be vocal about it...
I've also thought about this a lot.Given that, if it then breaks your heart, you’re going to be vocal about it...
For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
AlexNJ89 said:
I've also thought about this a lot.
For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
This. I'd have the Aston as a toy, but the BMW if I needed the car every day. For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
Also, expect to lose more money on the BMW in depreciation, offsetting the extra maintenance on the Aston.
Harry Flashman said:
AlexNJ89 said:
I've also thought about this a lot.
For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
This. I'd have the Aston as a toy, but the BMW if I needed the car every day. For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
Also, expect to lose more money on the BMW in depreciation, offsetting the extra maintenance on the Aston.
) ......or, chop in the Cayman and get the newest V8 Vantage I can as my only car (I'd need to commute twice a week in it). I will make sure I've driven the BMW first as I expect as soon as I have a go in the Vantage and hear it start up, that will be decision made!
Just want to add my thanks to all the detailed ownership posts in this thread as well
AlexNJ89 said:
I've also thought about this a lot.
For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
Indeed. Or the most obvious comparable with less risk is the F type. For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
Shnozz said:
Indeed. Or the most obvious comparable with less risk is the F type.
An F-Type is on my shortlist.I've done my research on them and they're not without their big bills either. They have a design flaw in the differential which causes them to overheat and require a full replacement.
That's not to mention they're a much more complicate engine, with electronics which all run through the infotainment and heater fans which rise up and down which often get stuck.
doogle83 said:
This is actually an option I'm considering as my next upgrade. Keep my manual, 2.9 2009 Cayman (for fun) and add an M2 DCT at about £30k for more daily / family duties (+ fun! ) ......or, chop in the Cayman and get the newest V8 Vantage I can as my only car (I'd need to commute twice a week in it).
I will make sure I've driven the BMW first as I expect as soon as I have a go in the Vantage and hear it start up, that will be decision made!
Just want to add my thanks to all the detailed ownership posts in this thread as well
You already have an excellent sports car. I’d be adding a £30k vantage alongside the cayman as a GT car. That’s the role mine plays, it’s no back road sports car. Hoping to add an S3 exige to fulfil that purpose. ) ......or, chop in the Cayman and get the newest V8 Vantage I can as my only car (I'd need to commute twice a week in it). I will make sure I've driven the BMW first as I expect as soon as I have a go in the Vantage and hear it start up, that will be decision made!
Just want to add my thanks to all the detailed ownership posts in this thread as well
But I regularly do Yorkshire>Hampshire and back in the vantage and it’s just wonderful for those jaunts.
If 'fast' is important, then the Vantage may not be for you (at least, not the 4.3). They're not slow, but the power delivery makes them feel pretty sluggish.
For me, stuff like M2s aren't something that compare - they may be functionally better at lots of things, but they're missing something esoteric that the Aston has.
The 996 turbo I had before the Aston was better at lots of things, including being much faster and using almost half as much petrol. Bloody dull though - whatever 'character' or 'soul' is for cars, it had zero while the Aston had loads.
For me, stuff like M2s aren't something that compare - they may be functionally better at lots of things, but they're missing something esoteric that the Aston has.
The 996 turbo I had before the Aston was better at lots of things, including being much faster and using almost half as much petrol. Bloody dull though - whatever 'character' or 'soul' is for cars, it had zero while the Aston had loads.
Shnozz said:
You already have an excellent sports car. I’d be adding a £30k vantage alongside the cayman as a GT car. That’s the role mine plays, it’s no back road sports car. Hoping to add an S3 exige to fulfil that purpose.
But I regularly do Yorkshire>Hampshire and back in the vantage and it’s just wonderful for those jaunts.
I like that way of thinking about it... not sure the Mrs would understand why I needed 2x 2 seat cars but she hates the Porsche brand and seems to have a soft spot for Aston so probably better to ask for forgiveness and all that! But I regularly do Yorkshire>Hampshire and back in the vantage and it’s just wonderful for those jaunts.
davek_964 said:
If 'fast' is important, then the Vantage may not be for you (at least, not the 4.3). They're not slow, but the power delivery makes them feel pretty sluggish.
For me, stuff like M2s aren't something that compare - they may be functionally better at lots of things, but they're missing something esoteric that the Aston has.
The 996 turbo I had before the Aston was better at lots of things, including being much faster and using almost half as much petrol. Bloody dull though - whatever 'character' or 'soul' is for cars, it had zero while the Aston had loads.
For me, out and out speed isn't that important. I bought a base Cayman so I could get more out of it before getting into licence losing territory. I love the feedback from the hydraulic steering, interaction with the manual gearbox and noise from the flat 6 going at full tilt right behind my head. I'm lucky to not have to commute for hours on end 5 days a week any more so driving is much more about fun and the immersive experience of the whole thing which makes me think that a Vantage might fit in quite nicely ...I'm just not done with the Cayman quite yet to make it my only car but hadn't really looked at £30k Vantages, I was more in the N430 bracket.For me, stuff like M2s aren't something that compare - they may be functionally better at lots of things, but they're missing something esoteric that the Aston has.
The 996 turbo I had before the Aston was better at lots of things, including being much faster and using almost half as much petrol. Bloody dull though - whatever 'character' or 'soul' is for cars, it had zero while the Aston had loads.
In my defence, when I said "Buy on condition and get the latest one you can" I should have qualified it to say that, in my opinion, you get the improvements and upgrades, like better infotainment, better brakes, improved shock absorbers, better ride, SSII vs SSI, 4.7 vs 4.3 (although that may be moot for the guys who like the VTEC-like nature of the 4.3) etc. etc. and I did say "a later car that has been neglected is a worse bet than an early car that has been lovingly maintained and driven regularly."
One other comment - a couple of the reasons a Vantage can feel sluggish, apart from the torque curve being "peaky", are the relatively heavy flywheel, (so it doesn't spin up readily in neutral; this can only be fixed by mechanical changes) and the long throw throttle. Coming to the car, and Astons in general as I've driven a few, I found the throttle requires quite a long prod to open the taps. This has the advantage of making the car easy to drive for the unwary as it requires a deliberate action to generate torque but can make the car feel slow. I now drive mine permanently in "Sport", which improves the situation considerably as it remaps the throttle response and alters the shift speed; luckily the (post 12.25MY?) changes mean that the "Sport always on" option can be selected in the car's menu.
edited to add
I had a quick look at the graphs at the back of my handbook and my non-S 4.7 produces peak torque of 468Nm at 5000 rpm; it also produces about 360 Nm, or 77% of peak torque at 1500 rpm.
One other comment - a couple of the reasons a Vantage can feel sluggish, apart from the torque curve being "peaky", are the relatively heavy flywheel, (so it doesn't spin up readily in neutral; this can only be fixed by mechanical changes) and the long throw throttle. Coming to the car, and Astons in general as I've driven a few, I found the throttle requires quite a long prod to open the taps. This has the advantage of making the car easy to drive for the unwary as it requires a deliberate action to generate torque but can make the car feel slow. I now drive mine permanently in "Sport", which improves the situation considerably as it remaps the throttle response and alters the shift speed; luckily the (post 12.25MY?) changes mean that the "Sport always on" option can be selected in the car's menu.
edited to add
I had a quick look at the graphs at the back of my handbook and my non-S 4.7 produces peak torque of 468Nm at 5000 rpm; it also produces about 360 Nm, or 77% of peak torque at 1500 rpm.
Edited by LTP on Friday 19th March 10:59
davek_964 said:
If 'fast' is important, then the Vantage may not be for you (at least, not the 4.3). They're not slow, but the power delivery makes them feel pretty sluggish.
For me, stuff like M2s aren't something that compare - they may be functionally better at lots of things, but they're missing something esoteric that the Aston has.
The 996 turbo I had before the Aston was better at lots of things, including being much faster and using almost half as much petrol. Bloody dull though - whatever 'character' or 'soul' is for cars, it had zero while the Aston had loads.
I drove a BMW M2 (the first one, not the Competition version) and it felt like many modern high performance cars: a bit dull until you get to speeds that will get you banned or worse. 99% of the time it felt like any other modern BMW. Oh and the steering was strange with little feel.For me, stuff like M2s aren't something that compare - they may be functionally better at lots of things, but they're missing something esoteric that the Aston has.
The 996 turbo I had before the Aston was better at lots of things, including being much faster and using almost half as much petrol. Bloody dull though - whatever 'character' or 'soul' is for cars, it had zero while the Aston had loads.
When it comes to how fast a car is, much depends on where you live and how much respect you have for speed limits. I live near Southampton and driving "fast" around here is nigh on impossible. There's just too much traffic and speed limits are everywhere, so in reality a McLaren is no faster than a Toyota Aygo. Sure the McLaren will disappear up the road but the Aygo will catch up when the "fast" car is stuck at YET ANOTHER traffic light which infest the roads around here.
Which is why I quite like the Aston - it's fun to drive at modest speed, it's beautiful and it's analogue. Unlike a BMW M2. Just my opinion you understand!
Brave Fart said:
I drove a BMW M2 (the first one, not the Competition version) and it felt like many modern high performance cars: a bit dull until you get to speeds that will get you banned or worse. 99% of the time it felt like any other modern BMW. Oh and the steering was strange with little feel.
When it comes to how fast a car is, much depends on where you live and how much respect you have for speed limits. I live near Southampton and driving "fast" around here is nigh on impossible. There's just too much traffic and speed limits are everywhere, so in reality a McLaren is no faster than a Toyota Aygo. Sure the McLaren will disappear up the road but the Aygo will catch up when the "fast" car is stuck at YET ANOTHER traffic light which infest the roads around here.
Which is why I quite like the Aston - it's fun to drive at modest speed, it's beautiful and it's analogue. Unlike a BMW M2. Just my opinion you understand!
I test drove a BMW M2 and was actually very underwhelmed, I couldn't understand the hype. It felt like a 440i to me.When it comes to how fast a car is, much depends on where you live and how much respect you have for speed limits. I live near Southampton and driving "fast" around here is nigh on impossible. There's just too much traffic and speed limits are everywhere, so in reality a McLaren is no faster than a Toyota Aygo. Sure the McLaren will disappear up the road but the Aygo will catch up when the "fast" car is stuck at YET ANOTHER traffic light which infest the roads around here.
Which is why I quite like the Aston - it's fun to drive at modest speed, it's beautiful and it's analogue. Unlike a BMW M2. Just my opinion you understand!
I'm wondering if I drove a manual version I'd have enjoyed it more.
My shortlist is Vantage, 981 Cayman, Evora and F-Type.
AlexNJ89 said:
I test drove a BMW M2 and was actually very underwhelmed, I couldn't understand the hype. It felt like a 440i to me.
I'm wondering if I drove a manual version I'd have enjoyed it more.
My shortlist is Vantage, 981 Cayman, Evora and F-Type.
Really enjoyed my Evora before the Vantage and pleased I experienced it. Great cars but not easy to source with them being rare and if you were to need parts, have heard of some lengthy delays. Does seem to apply more to non-consumables though rather than the serviced items. I'm wondering if I drove a manual version I'd have enjoyed it more.
My shortlist is Vantage, 981 Cayman, Evora and F-Type.
AlexNJ89 said:
I've also thought about this a lot.
For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
I was comparing an M6 against the Aston - ended up with a 650 rather than the M6 as running costs, etc. were much lower for close to similar everyday performance (obviously M6 is better/faster, but 650 more than enough for me on the roads!). The car would have been my daily driver.For example a BMW M2 is the same price. It's faster, lighter, cheaper to run, better mpg, and could even be argued a better drive. It has had 15 years development since the V8V.
So the reason you'd go Aston is purely on looks and sound.
I’d have lost less money in depreciation on the Aston (and probably the M6), but c’est la vie.
Shnozz said:
doogle83 said:
This is actually an option I'm considering as my next upgrade. Keep my manual, 2.9 2009 Cayman (for fun) and add an M2 DCT at about £30k for more daily / family duties (+ fun! ) ......or, chop in the Cayman and get the newest V8 Vantage I can as my only car (I'd need to commute twice a week in it).
I will make sure I've driven the BMW first as I expect as soon as I have a go in the Vantage and hear it start up, that will be decision made!
Just want to add my thanks to all the detailed ownership posts in this thread as well
You already have an excellent sports car. I’d be adding a £30k vantage alongside the cayman as a GT car. That’s the role mine plays, it’s no back road sports car. Hoping to add an S3 exige to fulfil that purpose. ) ......or, chop in the Cayman and get the newest V8 Vantage I can as my only car (I'd need to commute twice a week in it). I will make sure I've driven the BMW first as I expect as soon as I have a go in the Vantage and hear it start up, that will be decision made!
Just want to add my thanks to all the detailed ownership posts in this thread as well
But I regularly do Yorkshire>Hampshire and back in the vantage and it’s just wonderful for those jaunts.
The M2 does the numbers, but an Aston is a completely different experience. Aside from that, the M2 fakes its engine sound through the speakers (like all (or nearly) recent BMWs except, perhaps, the CS?). SHAMEFUL. Rules it out immediately for me.
LTP, no need to defend yourself
Edited by Speedraser on Saturday 20th March 02:31
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