Just bought 4.7 vantage,
Discussion
Hi all, I am from Ireland and last thursday i picked up an 08 vantage 4.7 sportshift. Now, being from Ireland there is no oppertunity to test drive a vantage so i bought this car without ever having driven a vantage before and this car was bought without seeing it beforehand. The dealer got it inspected and serviced at aston dealership to give me some comfort that the car was ok before buying. The aston inspection noted that the clutch was “sluggish” but was only changed 8k miles ago so does not need changing. I drove the car back to ireland on thursday so had a good test drive. Im not sure if this is what i was expecting from a v8 vantage. I currently have an 07 jaguar XKR but have always loved astons and this was my dream car. The vantage is much harder and quite harsh on the road compared to the jag, and the sportshift takes some getting used to. When pulling away in first it is sluggish as noted but once moving it is fine through the gears. Reversing it is a pain and moving off from junctions isnt much better. Anyway, by the time i got home i started to think i have made a big mistake buying a vantage. It is just not as comfortable or as easy to drive as the jag. I bought the jag 2 years ago because it looked a bit like an aston martin and always thought that some day i would replace it with the real thing. Now that i have i am feeling some buyers regret.
Anyone else here take time to bond with their car and is the harsh ride and sluggish clutch typical of these cars?
Anyone else here take time to bond with their car and is the harsh ride and sluggish clutch typical of these cars?
I am not sure what you mean by sluggish. I have had a couple of S/S Vantage’s as well as a F430 F1 and all take a little getting used to and you will pick up the technique. To be fair my company BMW is quicker off the mark as I never really accelerate my Vantage very hard from standstill.
As for ride, assuming you have a Sportspack car, it makes the ride firmer but I have never found it a problem. I have not driven a XK for a few years but compared to the latest F Type my car feels much better.
As for ride, assuming you have a Sportspack car, it makes the ride firmer but I have never found it a problem. I have not driven a XK for a few years but compared to the latest F Type my car feels much better.
Am a little surprised you bought into a brand having never driven the car you’re buying...
That said I had a 4.7 Vantage with sports pack as my first and although I didn’t find it hard, my missus didn’t enjoy the firmness of the ride so ultimately it was swapped for a manual DBS. Gearbox wise it was a manual so I’ve never really lived with SS. I’ve driven SS2 on a long drive and although I’m a manual sports car driver through and through, I didn’t mind the SS. i later drove a manual V12 Vantage, a V12S SS3 and a 458 with paddles all back to back and didn’t enjoy the SS3 compared to the slickness of the Ferrari. Ultimately I’ve concluded to stick to manuals!
Having made the commitment, I’d be very interested in hearing how you feel in a month. Get used to the box and the suspension on those Irish roads and see how you feel.....
That said I had a 4.7 Vantage with sports pack as my first and although I didn’t find it hard, my missus didn’t enjoy the firmness of the ride so ultimately it was swapped for a manual DBS. Gearbox wise it was a manual so I’ve never really lived with SS. I’ve driven SS2 on a long drive and although I’m a manual sports car driver through and through, I didn’t mind the SS. i later drove a manual V12 Vantage, a V12S SS3 and a 458 with paddles all back to back and didn’t enjoy the SS3 compared to the slickness of the Ferrari. Ultimately I’ve concluded to stick to manuals!
Having made the commitment, I’d be very interested in hearing how you feel in a month. Get used to the box and the suspension on those Irish roads and see how you feel.....
The two separate issues you refer to, are the firm suspension and the Sportshift gear change.
Which of the two suspension types does your car have? In case you are not sure, the road wheel type is usually the visual clue.
With the gearchange, I can only comment on what I have read here, because my car is a manual.
It does take some getting used to, but there are some techniques which can help. Hopefully someone will explain, but usually people find it easier after a few weeks.
Please post photos, as we always like to see new owners' cars.
I know it sounds strange to buy a car without ever test driving but these cars a very very rare in Ireland and only one for sale in belfast at the moment. The car i bought seemed like great value, 36,000 for a 2008 4.7 with full AM history and recent clutch. It is not a ss model just standard vantage I have been looking for a while and this was best value i found. It does look and sound incredible and maybe I just need to give it time to grow on me, i realy hope it does! 
Edited by Ray4901 on Tuesday 20th February 00:31
That’s a great car at a great price. Drive the Sportshift box like a traditional manual. Back off the accelerator a little as you change gear. Don’t drive it in D. Reverse is a bit of a pain, so just don’t drive it backwards. 😀
Remove fuse 15 or 22 to keep the exhaust flaps open and it will sound even better - if it hasn’t already been done. Someone on here will tell you the correct one for the model year.
Give it a few weeks and you’ll be very happy I’d say.
Remove fuse 15 or 22 to keep the exhaust flaps open and it will sound even better - if it hasn’t already been done. Someone on here will tell you the correct one for the model year.
Give it a few weeks and you’ll be very happy I’d say.
Hi, brave man to buy a 'keenly' priced Aston without ever driving it 
!
I have a 2009 SS Sport Pack 4.7 and find the suspension is firm but certainly not harsh at all. The clutch? Lift off very slightly as you pull the trigger and do a clutch learn everytime you start it. (AC off, foot on brake, start car, keep foot on brake until you here a positive click from the back then good to go.) Smooth as smooth thing when you get it right, slow and jerky if you don't!
Best of luck and welcome to the forum and Aston - they are both brilliant!
!I have a 2009 SS Sport Pack 4.7 and find the suspension is firm but certainly not harsh at all. The clutch? Lift off very slightly as you pull the trigger and do a clutch learn everytime you start it. (AC off, foot on brake, start car, keep foot on brake until you here a positive click from the back then good to go.) Smooth as smooth thing when you get it right, slow and jerky if you don't!
Best of luck and welcome to the forum and Aston - they are both brilliant!
I bought my car without having seen it or driven an Aston so you are not alone lol. I found the ride very different from the bmw I had before. I was a little concerned at the outset that something was wrong so I took it to a dealer, they took me for a test drive and declared it 100% correct. The technician then put the car on the ramps and showed me the underside workings and explained how the suspension was bolted to the sub frame etc. As soon as I understood the setup the car felt so much better. I think you just need some time to gel with the car and build a bond with it, it took me a few drives, good luck.
Jon39 said:
Ray4901 said:
It is not a ss model just standard vantage ...
Possible confusion here. Might be a manual.
If manual, perhaps OP is referring to the notchy 1st to 2nd gearchange, following a cold start.
I do not understand what is meant by, ' the clutch was “sluggish” '.
OP - your car has sportspack alloys, but might not be the full sportpack (which includes suspension upgrade) - if you dont have any record of the spec, then AM Customer service will be able to tell you from the VIN. I found my previous non-sportspack 2009 car to have fairly hard suspension; the sportpack option on my later car is more compliant. I think the reality is that you're going to find it quite a bit harder than an XK, which is more of a gentle cruiser / less sporty.
I can toffer any tips on the sportshift - I drove it once and it pushed me towards paying a bit extra for a manual, but some owners really like them, and as you're coming from an XK you must be comfortable with auto (or auto 'type') boxes anyway. Hope it grows on you soon - the 'soft' clutch doesnt sound right.
Your car looked like a great deal - it's amazing how much you get for your money when the miles start to creep up - still low mileage compared to most 2009 cars, and they're pretty bulletproof engines.
I have a V8S SS2 and I know what you mean about sluggish pulling away. If you want to get away sharpish you really have to give a good stamp on the throttle but this is just the way the throttle is mapped not anything wrong with the car. Even in sports mode with the sharper throttle response there is still a fair dead spot on the first few percent of throttle travel.
The power delivery will be very different from an XKR which is a 500BHP+ supercharged engine. My mother in law has an XKR which I've driven a bit and it's a very, very quick car which the Vantages 400 odd NA BHP will never match.
I haven't driven my Vantage a huge amount yet but so far I'd call it a 6/10th's car. At normal road speeds it feels a fairly quick car and is a lovely place to be sitting while cruising around. Push on and it actually becomes a very good sports car, it has very good front end grip, the steering is very responsive and when revving the engine is lovely with excellent throttle response. Push on harder 8/10ths plus and it starts to lose it's composure a bit, the SS2 starts to struggle and you'd prefer to be in a 911 GT3.
To be honest the 6-8/10ths bit is what I want the car for so it suits me and I'm more than happy with the performance. The ride is a bit jittery (but I've certainly had a lot harsher cars) but the car is running the OEM Bridgestones which will shortly be changed to Michelin PS4S's and from my experience with other cars they ride a whole lot better on the Michelin rubber.
The power delivery will be very different from an XKR which is a 500BHP+ supercharged engine. My mother in law has an XKR which I've driven a bit and it's a very, very quick car which the Vantages 400 odd NA BHP will never match.
I haven't driven my Vantage a huge amount yet but so far I'd call it a 6/10th's car. At normal road speeds it feels a fairly quick car and is a lovely place to be sitting while cruising around. Push on and it actually becomes a very good sports car, it has very good front end grip, the steering is very responsive and when revving the engine is lovely with excellent throttle response. Push on harder 8/10ths plus and it starts to lose it's composure a bit, the SS2 starts to struggle and you'd prefer to be in a 911 GT3.
To be honest the 6-8/10ths bit is what I want the car for so it suits me and I'm more than happy with the performance. The ride is a bit jittery (but I've certainly had a lot harsher cars) but the car is running the OEM Bridgestones which will shortly be changed to Michelin PS4S's and from my experience with other cars they ride a whole lot better on the Michelin rubber.
thanks everyone for your comments, so I am not the only one to buy unseen! I just need to live with the car for a while and get used to it. it really does handle very well and steering is very direct, the xkr can be vague and jittery but that is the result of softer suspension i suppose.
the car has sportpack wheels but is standard suspension. again, thanks for your comments and feedback, it helps to know that others have experienced similar characteristics and it is not just my car. i do not have any other cars to compare against and can only go by what I read on this forum for info. Ray
the car has sportpack wheels but is standard suspension. again, thanks for your comments and feedback, it helps to know that others have experienced similar characteristics and it is not just my car. i do not have any other cars to compare against and can only go by what I read on this forum for info. Ray
Ray4901 said:
thanks everyone for your comments, so I am not the only one to buy unseen! I just need to live with the car for a while and get used to it. it really does handle very well and steering is very direct, the xkr can be vague and jittery but that is the result of softer suspension i suppose.
the car has sportpack wheels but is standard suspension. again, thanks for your comments and feedback, it helps to know that others have experienced similar characteristics and it is not just my car. i do not have any other cars to compare against and can only go by what I read on this forum for info. Ray
Mentioned above, Sportshift boxes are an acquired taste. I don't mind mine (2012 V8VS SSII) but it takes some getting used to if you're more familiar with silky smooth TC autos or dual clutch manuals. So long as you allow the clutch learn procedure to happen before you set off (the light will blink a few times then become solid), and allow it time to warm up (only needs a few miles to reach temp), it's a good transmission - it makes more sense when driven harder. As noted above, full throttle gear changes aren't an option as you'll headbutt the steering wheel, but light blending out of the throttle during the change works fine. You might find it makes some gnarly grinding noises while pulling away from a standstill, that's not unusual though. the car has sportpack wheels but is standard suspension. again, thanks for your comments and feedback, it helps to know that others have experienced similar characteristics and it is not just my car. i do not have any other cars to compare against and can only go by what I read on this forum for info. Ray
Just to add to the mix, you can't really compare a V8V with an XKR in my opinion (DB9 to XKR yes), they're two very different machines, so if you're basing you first impressions on your XKR experience then they're certainly going to be different. Obviously the Vantage is a sports car, not a cruiser (which is where I'd peg the XKR), so suspension and ride are always going to be firmer.
Just get out there and get used to it and i'm sure you'll grow to love it. Ireland has lots of lovely EU funded smooth tarmac, so take full advantage
Just get out there and get used to it and i'm sure you'll grow to love it. Ireland has lots of lovely EU funded smooth tarmac, so take full advantage
steveway said:
I did exactly the same, 7 hour train ride to Harrogate, purchased car and drove it back, the garage sent me loads of photographs and a video before purchase. The garage still calls me to find out if the car is still ok after a year which I think is good.
Who was the garage, I'd like service like that.Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff