V8 Vantage - what's it really like?
Discussion
I am toying with the idea of selling my 996 turbo - in fact, I put it up for sale on Thursday but decided I may regret it and withdrew the ad on Friday. However, I have been browsing the Vantage ads for a while now, and that is a car I'd be tempted by.
Looking at prices, it looks like a 2005 / 2006 with circa 40k miles is probably in the ballpark for what my turbo is worth.
But, I am nervous about their reliability. Stuff does break on the turbo but it's generally pretty reliable. I also have a 360 which seems fairly solid and my first Ferrari (348) made me realise that they weren't as delicate as I'd expected.
Will I get a shock if I went from 996 turbo to V8 Vantage? Somebody told me recently that you "learn which warning lights matter" and that made me worry a bit!
Looking at prices, it looks like a 2005 / 2006 with circa 40k miles is probably in the ballpark for what my turbo is worth.
But, I am nervous about their reliability. Stuff does break on the turbo but it's generally pretty reliable. I also have a 360 which seems fairly solid and my first Ferrari (348) made me realise that they weren't as delicate as I'd expected.
Will I get a shock if I went from 996 turbo to V8 Vantage? Somebody told me recently that you "learn which warning lights matter" and that made me worry a bit!
Thanks for all the comments. Must admit, I'm surprised at the comments saying you have to push it to get going - I wasn't expecting that, but it proves I need to drive one. I'd be looking for manual and I know the clutch is an expensive job but actually I see that as a positive. If people are concerned about the potential big clutch bill, it means big service bills are probably not the norm.
Captain Greg said:
AM will always be special, I doubt you will regret owning one. May i suggest you buy the Aston to own and love and keep the porker to drive Hard!
Nice idea, but unfortunately the reason I'm thinking of selling the turbo is because it doesn't have that role even now. I have a 360 too and that is a blast to drive hard! (If I ever come to sell it and somebody finds this thread, my 360 has never been driven above 2000rpm / 40mph and has an oil and filter change every 100 miles - honest!).renmure said:
Similarish situation here. I sold my 996 Turbo S purely because it did nothing other than go ballistically fast. I didn't get any sense of drama or feel any great prestige (ok, call me vain!!) in doing that in the Porsche. As a subtle and understated weapon it was probably ideal and I can appreciate why they are the perfect single car for many people.
The Vantage is different. Rapid enough if you want it to be, but you are aware it is a heavier car, but fast or slow you feel like you are part of an event when driving it. The noise is addictive and it just looks far more special than the Turbo.
Having a Ferrari in the garage is great because there is a real contrast between the 2 cars and you can get a sense of enjoyment and drama in either of them without feeling the need to drive at go-to-jail speeds to get the thrill. Gets my vote
Yep - I've seen posts from you before which made me think your view of the turbo was similar to mine - although I've kept mine longer! As a daily, mine was great but it doesn't really make it as a fun car for me.The Vantage is different. Rapid enough if you want it to be, but you are aware it is a heavier car, but fast or slow you feel like you are part of an event when driving it. The noise is addictive and it just looks far more special than the Turbo.
Having a Ferrari in the garage is great because there is a real contrast between the 2 cars and you can get a sense of enjoyment and drama in either of them without feeling the need to drive at go-to-jail speeds to get the thrill. Gets my vote
Jockman said:
The Corsa doesn't need a Tracker. Indeed, I'd quite happily pay you to steal it.
HTH
Actually, that's an interesting point.HTH
My turbo does have tracker. My 360 doesn't but that's because it's garaged - if I kept it on the drive, then the insurers would insist on tracker. And the AM would be on the drive - so if it didn't already have it, it would probably need it.
snuffy said:
davek_964 said:
Neil1300r said:
Yes. The Vantage will feel slow in a straight line compared to the 996 Turbo.
That I can live with, since the turbo is overkill for the roads anyway (especially since mine is mapped).OK, thanks - that looks like it's probably similar to my turbo. I tend to assume that averages around £2k a year including tyres which is probably roughly right - sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less so I think that's about the average.
Will take a look at that book - looks like it would be useful.
Will take a look at that book - looks like it would be useful.
Well, today has been interesting.
I had the morning free, so looked up whether there were any local V8Vs I could go and browse. I must admit I am a little surprised by the used Aston market. Main dealers seem to stock newer / more expensive than I want, and private sales seem quite rare. Some of the dealer ads don't inspire me with confidence.
But, I decided to go and see a black car at Sterling Performance to see what my money might get me.
It wasn't exactly a prestige showroom - basically a warehouse stuffed full of exotic cars. Didn't speak to anybody - they seemed busy with a BMW - but the car did look pretty stunning in black. Didn't have a serious look but was happy with what the budget would get. However, I did come away thinking that I'm not sure I want the hassle of changing cars and I should just be happy with the turbo.
At lunchtime, I had a call from a local vantage owner who'd said he would chat to me about ownership and take me out in his. And that was the real surprise.
He took me out for a blast and I was really impressed. The interior was pure quality and has aged very well - looked almost new despite being about 9 years old. Sounded lovely (better than my turbo) and felt pretty quick. Suspension was harder than I expected and it clearly goes around corners.
I came away pretty much sold. I still wonder how many "good" cars are out there in my price range, and I do generally find car buying is a pain with lots of wasted trips. Oh, and I'll miss having a sunroof.
But I want one, ideally black / black. Turbo will need to go back up for sale!
Thanks again to Simon - was really good to meet you.
I had the morning free, so looked up whether there were any local V8Vs I could go and browse. I must admit I am a little surprised by the used Aston market. Main dealers seem to stock newer / more expensive than I want, and private sales seem quite rare. Some of the dealer ads don't inspire me with confidence.
But, I decided to go and see a black car at Sterling Performance to see what my money might get me.
It wasn't exactly a prestige showroom - basically a warehouse stuffed full of exotic cars. Didn't speak to anybody - they seemed busy with a BMW - but the car did look pretty stunning in black. Didn't have a serious look but was happy with what the budget would get. However, I did come away thinking that I'm not sure I want the hassle of changing cars and I should just be happy with the turbo.
At lunchtime, I had a call from a local vantage owner who'd said he would chat to me about ownership and take me out in his. And that was the real surprise.
He took me out for a blast and I was really impressed. The interior was pure quality and has aged very well - looked almost new despite being about 9 years old. Sounded lovely (better than my turbo) and felt pretty quick. Suspension was harder than I expected and it clearly goes around corners.
I came away pretty much sold. I still wonder how many "good" cars are out there in my price range, and I do generally find car buying is a pain with lots of wasted trips. Oh, and I'll miss having a sunroof.
But I want one, ideally black / black. Turbo will need to go back up for sale!
Thanks again to Simon - was really good to meet you.
justin220 said:
For me, it doesn't do one thing brilliantly. For example, it won't be phenomenally quick (like the 911TT), nor does it handle as good as some rivals (Lotus).
Funny you say that. The common complaint about 911s including the turbo is that they do everything very well and therefore lack a bit of soul. I wouldn't want my turbo as a weekend car - driving it isn't enough of an event. Sounds like you might find the same with your vantage. Mind you, if it's black / black perhaps we should swap! Well, I did it.
I debated whether to go for an earlier car, or pay more for something a bit later with an AM warranty. I know it's always "buy the latest you can afford" but I decided I'd really just be paying for future depreciation - plus the scary cost is the clutch which a warranty doesn't pay for anyway.
So I concentrated on the earlier cars and at the weekend saw a 56 plate car. It didn't tick evey box - there were a few nice to haves I wanted which it didn't have - and in fact when I was driving to view it, my feeling was that it probably wasn't the car for me. But it was a very good example - immaculate condition, current owner 6 years, 35k miles, just serviced (full AMSH), new tyres, recent brakes.
I slept on it, and agreed a price today. A tad more than I wanted to pay, but not by too much and hopefully I'll be glad of the decision I made!
Collect it on Saturday.
I debated whether to go for an earlier car, or pay more for something a bit later with an AM warranty. I know it's always "buy the latest you can afford" but I decided I'd really just be paying for future depreciation - plus the scary cost is the clutch which a warranty doesn't pay for anyway.
So I concentrated on the earlier cars and at the weekend saw a 56 plate car. It didn't tick evey box - there were a few nice to haves I wanted which it didn't have - and in fact when I was driving to view it, my feeling was that it probably wasn't the car for me. But it was a very good example - immaculate condition, current owner 6 years, 35k miles, just serviced (full AMSH), new tyres, recent brakes.
I slept on it, and agreed a price today. A tad more than I wanted to pay, but not by too much and hopefully I'll be glad of the decision I made!
Collect it on Saturday.
So here it is - collected yesterday morning from a fellow PH-er :
First impressions :
Driving back on the motorway was great - clutch wasn't as heavy as I remembered and it's definitely an excellent car for long journeys in comfort.
Twisty roads didn't seem to suit it quite as much - it just seems to lack any sense of urgency as you accelerate out of bends, even if it's revved. But that's not really what I bought it for, and is probably because I'm used to doing that in quicker cars.
Steering is lovely with a really nice weight to it. I think the brakes have the nicest feel of all my cars.
Petrol has half gone in just 100 miles which is disappointing. I knew they were thirsty but was hoping for a greater tank range.
It will be interesting to see what my use of it is over the next few months. The intention is that it replaces my 996 turbo, which I mostly use as a summer daily car. With the turbo I do often find I just take the Cayenne because in rush hour it's not like I can open the turbo up. But I think that will not be the case with the vantage - I'll enjoy a classier drive into work.
The turbo is currently having a couple of things fixed - while that's being done, I'll decide if I really do want to sell it.
Thanks to everybody who offered advice on this thread - very happy with the conclusion!
First impressions :
Driving back on the motorway was great - clutch wasn't as heavy as I remembered and it's definitely an excellent car for long journeys in comfort.
Twisty roads didn't seem to suit it quite as much - it just seems to lack any sense of urgency as you accelerate out of bends, even if it's revved. But that's not really what I bought it for, and is probably because I'm used to doing that in quicker cars.
Steering is lovely with a really nice weight to it. I think the brakes have the nicest feel of all my cars.
Petrol has half gone in just 100 miles which is disappointing. I knew they were thirsty but was hoping for a greater tank range.
It will be interesting to see what my use of it is over the next few months. The intention is that it replaces my 996 turbo, which I mostly use as a summer daily car. With the turbo I do often find I just take the Cayenne because in rush hour it's not like I can open the turbo up. But I think that will not be the case with the vantage - I'll enjoy a classier drive into work.
The turbo is currently having a couple of things fixed - while that's being done, I'll decide if I really do want to sell it.
Thanks to everybody who offered advice on this thread - very happy with the conclusion!
I started this thread because I was considering buying a V8V - now I own one, i thought I'd give an update since I'm sure future prospective owners will ask the same kind of question.
I've only owned it for 2 weeks, so it's still the honeymoon period - will update again in future and let's see if my views change!
My first impressions were that it drank too much fuel and wasn't very quick. I still don't really get why it uses quite so much petrol given its size and performance but it is at least quite a lot better on longish journeys. For performance, I didn't buy it as a fast car - it is quick enough and driving it is about far more than speed. Having said that, I've seen threads on the porsche forum from people who've moved to a vantage and been disappointed. If speed is your thing, this is the wrong car.
Handling is OK, but mine feels like it has noticeable understeer. A search suggests this is not a common problem so I need to get my alignment done.
The car looks stunning, both inside and out. It attracts far more attention than I expected, and I'm surprised at how many people I know who have apparently always wanted an Aston. Having owned a couple of 911s and a couple of Ferraris over the last few years, I'd never heard that comment about any of those cars.
The interior is in a whole different league to my other cars - the inside of my 996 turbo is practically Kia by comparison. Having said that, the fuel flap release button looks like it was done by the work experience lad when they realised they'd missed something out. Oh, and the space in the glove compartment and interior cubby holes.... Wouldn't it be nice to have some? I've never had a car before where I've wondered where I'm supposed to store my iPod!
Love the brakes - in my opinion, nicer than my 996 turbo and 360. Think weight over the front wheels helps.
The premium sound system wasn't an option I cared about, but mine has it - and I'm very glad it does. It sounds absolutely stunning, way better than any car stereo system I've had before.
Exhaust sound isn't too bad either!
Overall, I'm very happy with it. Time will tell how reliable it turns out to be - mine showed a fault within 5 days of ownership, but it looks like a simple cheap fix. I don't generally like things being broke on my cars so I will get annoyed if it happens often. It does feel like a solid well put together car though, so we'll see.
I've only owned it for 2 weeks, so it's still the honeymoon period - will update again in future and let's see if my views change!
My first impressions were that it drank too much fuel and wasn't very quick. I still don't really get why it uses quite so much petrol given its size and performance but it is at least quite a lot better on longish journeys. For performance, I didn't buy it as a fast car - it is quick enough and driving it is about far more than speed. Having said that, I've seen threads on the porsche forum from people who've moved to a vantage and been disappointed. If speed is your thing, this is the wrong car.
Handling is OK, but mine feels like it has noticeable understeer. A search suggests this is not a common problem so I need to get my alignment done.
The car looks stunning, both inside and out. It attracts far more attention than I expected, and I'm surprised at how many people I know who have apparently always wanted an Aston. Having owned a couple of 911s and a couple of Ferraris over the last few years, I'd never heard that comment about any of those cars.
The interior is in a whole different league to my other cars - the inside of my 996 turbo is practically Kia by comparison. Having said that, the fuel flap release button looks like it was done by the work experience lad when they realised they'd missed something out. Oh, and the space in the glove compartment and interior cubby holes.... Wouldn't it be nice to have some? I've never had a car before where I've wondered where I'm supposed to store my iPod!
Love the brakes - in my opinion, nicer than my 996 turbo and 360. Think weight over the front wheels helps.
The premium sound system wasn't an option I cared about, but mine has it - and I'm very glad it does. It sounds absolutely stunning, way better than any car stereo system I've had before.
Exhaust sound isn't too bad either!
Overall, I'm very happy with it. Time will tell how reliable it turns out to be - mine showed a fault within 5 days of ownership, but it looks like a simple cheap fix. I don't generally like things being broke on my cars so I will get annoyed if it happens often. It does feel like a solid well put together car though, so we'll see.
Jon39 said:
Glad you are enjoying your Aston 'experience', davek.
Instead of being just transport, every trip is certainly an occasion.
It seems that you are missing extra power.
Perhaps in a year or so, just have a little drive in a V12 Vantage. -
I certainly wouldn't rule that out as a future possibility. I intentionally bought towards the bottom of depreciation curve to see how I get on with it.Instead of being just transport, every trip is certainly an occasion.
It seems that you are missing extra power.
Perhaps in a year or so, just have a little drive in a V12 Vantage. -
If I do really like it, I could see a newer faster one replacing it in a couple of years.
Wozy68 said:
Thanks for the update on your ownership of the Vantage.
I am also trying to decide if I want to move over to an AM from a 911. Interesting what you say about performance, I really fancy the AM but not if it is/feels too slow. I want an AM for full on performance. It does seem from what one reads however that the 4.3 doesn't deliver which would be a shame. I also hadn't realised just how heavy the Vantage is, so I'm guessing you can't chuck it around like you can a 911.
Though fuel per gallon isn't such an issue as the car would be used rarely, range is as the car would be used for long fast trips around the Pyrenees, and I wouldn't want to be stopping every 200 miles to fill her up to get there.
Still love the look of it though and has that sense of occasion when you start her up and drive as it would be a third car so used rarely. Performance wise, I have seen a Prodrive one for sale and maybe that's the route to take, 40BHP more by all accounts.
No way I can afford a 4.7 at the moment.
On long journeys tank range is on - I had half a tank left after 150 miles.I am also trying to decide if I want to move over to an AM from a 911. Interesting what you say about performance, I really fancy the AM but not if it is/feels too slow. I want an AM for full on performance. It does seem from what one reads however that the 4.3 doesn't deliver which would be a shame. I also hadn't realised just how heavy the Vantage is, so I'm guessing you can't chuck it around like you can a 911.
Though fuel per gallon isn't such an issue as the car would be used rarely, range is as the car would be used for long fast trips around the Pyrenees, and I wouldn't want to be stopping every 200 miles to fill her up to get there.
Still love the look of it though and has that sense of occasion when you start her up and drive as it would be a third car so used rarely. Performance wise, I have seen a Prodrive one for sale and maybe that's the route to take, 40BHP more by all accounts.
No way I can afford a 4.7 at the moment.
Edited by Wozy68 on Saturday 23 May 08:30
snuffy said:
davek_964 said:
My first impressions were that it drank too much fuel and wasn't very quick. I still don't really get why it uses quite so much petrol given its size and performance but it is at least quite a lot better on longish journeys. For performance, I didn't buy it as a fast car - it is quick enough and driving it is about far more than speed. Having said that, I've seen threads on the porsche forum from people who've moved to a vantage and been disappointed. If speed is your thing, this is the wrong car.
You sound just like me there. When I got my 4.3 V8V, I was forever trying to convince myself that the speed and power were "fine" and it was "all right really". But it isn't. I found I liked everything about the car about from it's performance, which was a pity really. 18 months later it was gone.rev-erend said:
How do you owners find the clutch weight on the vantage 4.3.
I had a test drive yesterday and found the clutch much heavier that that of my TVR v8
and thought that it would not be any fun on a crowded M25 or any other traffic jam for that
matter.
Is a heavy clutch a sign of a new clutch being needed soon ?
Mine is heavy.I had a test drive yesterday and found the clutch much heavier that that of my TVR v8
and thought that it would not be any fun on a crowded M25 or any other traffic jam for that
matter.
Is a heavy clutch a sign of a new clutch being needed soon ?
I know that on old Porsches heavy clutch means worn - and I know my clutch hasn't been changed in 35k miles. And I've seen a thread from somebody saying a new vantage clutch was much lighter.
I did get used to mine so I hardly noticed it - until I used one of my other cars and the clutch on that felt like it has no resistance at all! Swapping back to the vantage was a shock but I'm sure I'll get used to it again in a day or so. If a new one really is lighter I may go clutch shopping at some point.
In a couple of days I will have owned my car for 6 weeks, so time for an update. It feels less like the honeymoon period now and more like it's my 'normal' car.
I mentioned before that I had a fault show up after about 4 days of ownership (emergency brake assist failure). Within the next 10 days it happened about half a dozen times in total - with increasing frequency - so I ordered a new sensor for the bottom of the master cylinder. And... It's never logged the fault since I placed that order. So I've got the part if I need it, but it seems all you really need to do to fix problems on a Vantage is to buy the part. Saves on labour costs I suppose.
Mine is black, which means I spend as much time washing it as driving it!
People really do seem to have a soft spot for them - everybody really does seem to love Aston Martin cars.
I've done nearly 1k miles now and apart from the self fixing brake issue not had any other problems. I get about 200 miles out of a tank of petrol with mostly short journeys.
Still think the premium audio is stunning, and still think the brakes are the best of all my cars (360 and Cayenne).
I love some of the 'detail' that the car has. For example, when I washed the car earlier I noticed the passenger door wasn't properly shut and the window hadn't raised. I opened the door to close it properly buy the alarm was armed so it went off.
Next time I used the car, the digital display tells me the alarm sounded and I should check the car. I know some alarms flash the indicators / lights differently or beep when disarmed if they triggered, which is essentially the same. But seeing the message displayed is a much nicer touch.
I've noticed I don't have the towing eye so will need to order one.
Driving the car is still an event - it feels special, and I don't think that will change.
I miss having iPod connectivity but not enough that I've bought Dension yet. I'm sure I will at some point.
I am even considering getting the car professionally detailed. I've never been able to convince myself that's a sensible us of money before - but bringing the paint finish back to perfection on a black AM Vantage is very tempting indeed.
So far, still no regrets - I love it.
I mentioned before that I had a fault show up after about 4 days of ownership (emergency brake assist failure). Within the next 10 days it happened about half a dozen times in total - with increasing frequency - so I ordered a new sensor for the bottom of the master cylinder. And... It's never logged the fault since I placed that order. So I've got the part if I need it, but it seems all you really need to do to fix problems on a Vantage is to buy the part. Saves on labour costs I suppose.
Mine is black, which means I spend as much time washing it as driving it!
People really do seem to have a soft spot for them - everybody really does seem to love Aston Martin cars.
I've done nearly 1k miles now and apart from the self fixing brake issue not had any other problems. I get about 200 miles out of a tank of petrol with mostly short journeys.
Still think the premium audio is stunning, and still think the brakes are the best of all my cars (360 and Cayenne).
I love some of the 'detail' that the car has. For example, when I washed the car earlier I noticed the passenger door wasn't properly shut and the window hadn't raised. I opened the door to close it properly buy the alarm was armed so it went off.
Next time I used the car, the digital display tells me the alarm sounded and I should check the car. I know some alarms flash the indicators / lights differently or beep when disarmed if they triggered, which is essentially the same. But seeing the message displayed is a much nicer touch.
I've noticed I don't have the towing eye so will need to order one.
Driving the car is still an event - it feels special, and I don't think that will change.
I miss having iPod connectivity but not enough that I've bought Dension yet. I'm sure I will at some point.
I am even considering getting the car professionally detailed. I've never been able to convince myself that's a sensible us of money before - but bringing the paint finish back to perfection on a black AM Vantage is very tempting indeed.
So far, still no regrets - I love it.
Edited by davek_964 on Thursday 18th June 21:14
Rappa said:
Good write up. How did you find out about the towing eye? Another thing for me to check when I pick up mine tomorrow. The longest night of restless lack of sleep is about to happen.
Sean
It should be with the 'tool kit' - which is one screw driver, a couple of spare bulbs and the towing eye. Lift the parcel shelf behind the rear seats and they should be under there (passenger side).Sean
Love the colour of yours - very similar to the 996 turbo I had before the Vantage.
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