The Vanquish's interior was a conscious step away from the style of the DB7 and previous Astons. While the circular main dials have a classic look, the centre console was a big departure, even if it did feature some parts bin switches from the Jaguar XK8. It also has push buttons in place of a gear lever, with a large central starter button. The original red starter button was replaced with a backlit glass button as part of the 2004 update.
Sat-nav has come a long way!
As you'd expect, every Vanquish comes lavishly equipped and it took eight full hides to trim the interior, with leather originally from Connolly and latterly Bridge of Weir. One of the key differences between the Vanquish and S models is the S has a leather-covered centre console. For 2006, the Vanquish S was given a DB9-style console and 6.5-inch full colour screen satellite navigation system. Whichever Vanquish you choose, the original sat-nav now looks dated.
All of that leather needs to be cared for and not just the wear-prone outer bolster on the driver's seat. Regular feeding will help guard against the leather shrinking, which is most likely and obvious at the edges of panels.
Many interior parts are shared with the contemporary Jaguar XK8 (XK100 generation), such as door handles, centre console and air conditioning parts, so you can save money buying Jaguar components in place of Aston ones, though compare prices to make sure you are getting the best deal.
A battery charging socket in the boot is needed to keep the battery conditioned when the car is left parked. If the battery drains, it can be very awkward to reach the battery isolator switch if it's been used as it's behind the driver's seat and a flat battery means you cannot slide the electrically-powered seat forward. If you use the isolator switch, be sure to slide the driver's seat forward first. When replacing the battery, make sure the vent pipes are properly re-installed to avoid any potential build-up of gases inside the car.
PHer's view:
"The glovebox didn't shut properly, which I should have noticed before buying, but Aston Martin fixed this free of charge and even picked up and returned the car on a covered truck."
Ross Davidson