New Vantage ownership experiences
Discussion
I'd definitely go aftermarket. I asked AM Nottingham about a retrofit and they said it would be very difficult and not worth it. They had priced up the individual components needed which sounded like it far exceeded the original option cost, then there's all the trim removal. The premium system is also fairly rubbish (my car has the standard, my brother has premium so I've heard both side by side properly). As far as we can tell, the premium basically adds a sub, which is overpowering and doesn't feel matched to the rest of the system.
Shrimpvende said:
I'd definitely go aftermarket. I asked AM Nottingham about a retrofit and they said it would be very difficult and not worth it. They had priced up the individual components needed which sounded like it far exceeded the original option cost, then there's all the trim removal. The premium system is also fairly rubbish (my car has the standard, my brother has premium so I've heard both side by side properly). As far as we can tell, the premium basically adds a sub, which is overpowering and doesn't feel matched to the rest of the system.
Thanks for that I got mine from AM Leeds and was going to ask about a retrofit, but regardless of the cost it would appear that its not really an improvement so I wont bother.I will look at after market upgrade options but don’t fancy somebody with no experience of the car pulling off trim and panels.
Neil
AlexT said:
Wow, that makes for poor reading. Another nail in the coffin for the new Vantage for me, great audio is essential to my enjoyment of my current Astons.Previously of course there were 3 levels, std, premium and B&O. It sounds like a bit of marketing, drop to 2 levels and rename the std to premium, even if in reality it looks like it performs more like the old std system.
I hope they don't use anything from Benz. I tested out the an AMG GT and a C63 with the top-end Burmester and came away questioning how this could find its way into top-end Benz's!
You would think it quite straightforward for a bespoke car manufacturer like Aston Martin to give an option for an amp and a few speakers of super high quality!
You would think it quite straightforward for a bespoke car manufacturer like Aston Martin to give an option for an amp and a few speakers of super high quality!
the premium stereo system in my lowly 2007 4.3l vantage is excellent. and for those that don't like the bose surround sound's highs or lows there's a built-in equalizer customize it to one's liking. the only complaint is that the radio reception is as bad as the rest of the system is good. 
i suspect that the excellent sound deadening in the cabin has a major impact on the quality i'm getting.
i suspect that the excellent sound deadening in the cabin has a major impact on the quality i'm getting.
AdamV12V said:
Wow, that makes for poor reading. Another nail in the coffin for the new Vantage for me, great audio is essential to my enjoyment of my current Astons.
Previously of course there were 3 levels, std, premium and B&O. It sounds like a bit of marketing, drop to 2 levels and rename the std to premium, even if in reality it looks like it performs more like the old std system.
What really! Previously of course there were 3 levels, std, premium and B&O. It sounds like a bit of marketing, drop to 2 levels and rename the std to premium, even if in reality it looks like it performs more like the old std system.
Are you a Aston enthusiast or a hi-fi lover, personally when I drive mine its the experience I’m enjoying not what’s playing on the radio…unless of course you enjoy driving past bus stops with the latest dong rap blaring out lol. This is all said with a smile on my face by the way!
NeilAMV said:
Just like to add to this thread, I have had one for 3 months now and it is my first ever Aston. I have to say I think it is absolutely stunning and in another league completely to anything I have ever had. The last car was a Nissan GTR, technically it is not as fast but imo it handles and drives a lot better, albeit I am not a racing driver and so not qualified to give a proper opinion.
I really like the interior - I am a fan of buttons and switches rather than having to work your way through menus! The sat NAV and infotainment may be a little bit clunky but it is fine for my needs.
So far it has been an absolute pleasure to own and drive. I must admit that it is obviously a different looking car to the classic Aston shape but for me that was its main selling point. It was a lot of money for me (£98k for a December 19 model with 4K miles) but after having the GTR for 12 years I wanted something a bit more modern - albeit I have to admit I do really like the earlier models as well.
My wife never really liked driving the GTR but loves the vantage so that is a big plus and hopefully we can do some decent road trips in it - we have a 300 mile trip to Wales planned for next weekend.
In short it is all a matter of personal opinion and also if you can afford it - I am 56 and could have either paid my mortgage off or bought the car outright - the mortgage can wait. You only live once and who knows what is around the corner.
One query I have is about the stereo - I have the standard one which I am not over enamoured with (I had had a very good after market upgrade in the GTR). Can anybody give an opinion if the B&O option is much better as I may see if I can get this retro fitted or alternatively would you suggest a completely different aftermarket upgrade, albeit I would be wary of letting anybody loose on the car if they hadn’t worked on one before. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
SnapI really like the interior - I am a fan of buttons and switches rather than having to work your way through menus! The sat NAV and infotainment may be a little bit clunky but it is fine for my needs.
So far it has been an absolute pleasure to own and drive. I must admit that it is obviously a different looking car to the classic Aston shape but for me that was its main selling point. It was a lot of money for me (£98k for a December 19 model with 4K miles) but after having the GTR for 12 years I wanted something a bit more modern - albeit I have to admit I do really like the earlier models as well.
My wife never really liked driving the GTR but loves the vantage so that is a big plus and hopefully we can do some decent road trips in it - we have a 300 mile trip to Wales planned for next weekend.
In short it is all a matter of personal opinion and also if you can afford it - I am 56 and could have either paid my mortgage off or bought the car outright - the mortgage can wait. You only live once and who knows what is around the corner.
One query I have is about the stereo - I have the standard one which I am not over enamoured with (I had had a very good after market upgrade in the GTR). Can anybody give an opinion if the B&O option is much better as I may see if I can get this retro fitted or alternatively would you suggest a completely different aftermarket upgrade, albeit I would be wary of letting anybody loose on the car if they hadn’t worked on one before. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Has anyone got a Vantage F1 on order? I'm mildly interested as it represents decent value being only marginally more expensive than the standard model and introduces suspension, steering and power upgrades amongst other cosmetics.
However it doesn't appear that you can customise the car much at all (I much prefer full leather and no spoiler for example). It begs the question as to what is the point of the F1 as it goes against the grain of AM being a bespoke manufacturer. In which case will AM introduce a Vantage 'S' instead? Or will that be the V12....
(As an aside, I do hope they follow Bentley and not price the V12 excessively over the V8).
Testers appear to really enjoy the improved F1's handling on track.... initial F1 reviews coming through do appear to be rather good.
However it doesn't appear that you can customise the car much at all (I much prefer full leather and no spoiler for example). It begs the question as to what is the point of the F1 as it goes against the grain of AM being a bespoke manufacturer. In which case will AM introduce a Vantage 'S' instead? Or will that be the V12....
(As an aside, I do hope they follow Bentley and not price the V12 excessively over the V8).
Testers appear to really enjoy the improved F1's handling on track.... initial F1 reviews coming through do appear to be rather good.
Just thought I would put my two cents in.
I’ve owned a Vantage for a little over a year. It’s been a fine car and filled my need for a larger, more comfortable, non-SUV summer road trip car. Ok...yeah, I know that’s a niche market, LOL.
It’s pretty comfortable on highway trips but does have some road noise so the stereo issue is somewhat moot for me. I bought my car second hand so had to pick what options were important to me. I had to go for the base stereo. It’s not great but was surprisingly better, IMO, in a side by side test with my Cayman Bose system.
The Vantage is pretty decent in trunk space, although once again, I would say the storage in my Boxster and Cayman are better. Different geometry helps with some things.
I prefer my Cayman and Boxster for twisty backroad fun. Feels like the Vantage needs to be going above 70mph to really come alive. Some people have more sweeping backroads, mine are very tight. I hate driving the Boxster with the top up. It’s like driving a tent. So if it’s too cold, too wet, too hot, too anything, the Boxster stays home.
I prefer the tech and instrumentation in Porsche although I have no issue visually with the Vantage screen on the dashboard.
I love the looks of the new Aston, hunter grill and all. Interior materials are very nice and the “ aviation” cockpit is cozy. After a couple hours in the car, all the buttons are easy to use. Like the flat bottom wheel although with the power seats not so critical. ( I usually order my cars with manual seats for less weight and faster adjustment...flat bottom wheel is welcome there). I bought my Aston within 24 hrs of checking it out I was so smitten by the design.
Although not really a fair comparison given price and size difference, next to the Cayman, the Vantage seems much more heavily built. Very solid, if not a bit overbuilt. You can definitely feel the weight of the car when driving.
My only real gripe with the Aston is the lack of a DIY universe. Great thing about Porsches are you can always find somebody who has done some work and posted the process online. I like doing my own maintenance and small repairs but not necessarily keen on having to fumble along without some guidance.
Aston gets a lot of attention and compliments. It’s cinnabar orange. Never an issue for me. My Cayman is yellow.. That gets some attention and compliments too but not as much as the Vantage.
I don’t think my wife has warmed to the Aston. Maybe the driving position and high doors make her feel too much like in a refrigerator box. She loves the Boxster..and it’s an MT to boot while the Vantage is a ZF. Maybe the Vantage is too much car for her driving habits. Definitely has a muscle car edge She’s had the Boxster for over 15 years and still comes home and declares her love of that car every time she takes it out.
I’ve owned a Vantage for a little over a year. It’s been a fine car and filled my need for a larger, more comfortable, non-SUV summer road trip car. Ok...yeah, I know that’s a niche market, LOL.
It’s pretty comfortable on highway trips but does have some road noise so the stereo issue is somewhat moot for me. I bought my car second hand so had to pick what options were important to me. I had to go for the base stereo. It’s not great but was surprisingly better, IMO, in a side by side test with my Cayman Bose system.
The Vantage is pretty decent in trunk space, although once again, I would say the storage in my Boxster and Cayman are better. Different geometry helps with some things.
I prefer my Cayman and Boxster for twisty backroad fun. Feels like the Vantage needs to be going above 70mph to really come alive. Some people have more sweeping backroads, mine are very tight. I hate driving the Boxster with the top up. It’s like driving a tent. So if it’s too cold, too wet, too hot, too anything, the Boxster stays home.
I prefer the tech and instrumentation in Porsche although I have no issue visually with the Vantage screen on the dashboard.
I love the looks of the new Aston, hunter grill and all. Interior materials are very nice and the “ aviation” cockpit is cozy. After a couple hours in the car, all the buttons are easy to use. Like the flat bottom wheel although with the power seats not so critical. ( I usually order my cars with manual seats for less weight and faster adjustment...flat bottom wheel is welcome there). I bought my Aston within 24 hrs of checking it out I was so smitten by the design.
Although not really a fair comparison given price and size difference, next to the Cayman, the Vantage seems much more heavily built. Very solid, if not a bit overbuilt. You can definitely feel the weight of the car when driving.
My only real gripe with the Aston is the lack of a DIY universe. Great thing about Porsches are you can always find somebody who has done some work and posted the process online. I like doing my own maintenance and small repairs but not necessarily keen on having to fumble along without some guidance.
Aston gets a lot of attention and compliments. It’s cinnabar orange. Never an issue for me. My Cayman is yellow.. That gets some attention and compliments too but not as much as the Vantage.
I don’t think my wife has warmed to the Aston. Maybe the driving position and high doors make her feel too much like in a refrigerator box. She loves the Boxster..and it’s an MT to boot while the Vantage is a ZF. Maybe the Vantage is too much car for her driving habits. Definitely has a muscle car edge She’s had the Boxster for over 15 years and still comes home and declares her love of that car every time she takes it out.
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