Old v New

[maybe someday]

Apologies if this has been asked previously, but I’ve had a good look around and not seen opinions on this yet. I’ve just read the thread on the new Vantage depreciation after the deals that Aston were offering to move new Vantages and the possible future values in the next couple of years.
The questions are, has anyone gone from old Vantage to the new Vantage and has regretted it or vice versa?; and,
without taking further depreciation into account would it be better to spend say 60k on an old Vantage, or use that plus finance the difference to get into a new Vantage?

I appreciate that looks and styling are subjective, but would like to hear the thoughts of you guys on here.

Thanks in advance.

[V8V Pete]

I have what is, for me, my perfect spec "old Vantage": V8S, manual, Lightweight seats, BR exhaust/clutch/flywheel/geo, Ceramic grey. It is great to look at and drive and perfectly fast enough for the road.

I wanted to like the New Vantage but it just doesn't do it for me. I have driven it and did not detect the huge step up in dynamic ability that I was told I should (maybe because mine is so good in its enhanced state). The test drive did not make me want to change my car at all.

But ..... I don't change my car very often. I like an analogue, manual sports car. I love the styling of the old Vantage and the new one (particularly its interior) does little for me. I could cope with the MB engine but the interior/tech bits are not welcome. So I'm totally biassed but have at least driven both.

At the end of the day the decision is totally yours. Drive, look at and sit in both then decide.

[bogie]

"better" is subjective as to what you are looking for.

I bought a 4.3 in 2007, it was a dream at the time, and have had a 4.7 Roadster since 2015. Not in a rush to change it unless I come into some money and can find a manual V12 Roadster perhaps.

I have had a ride in a new Vantage, as a standalone experience its an impressive sports GT, I just dont love the styling enough to make me aspire to own one, id sooner stay with the earlier generation.

I had a Lotus Elise for quite some years and there were many purists who loved the series 1 Elise and had spent a fortune refreshing them as new, a theme which continues to this day. I think the Vantage is an enthusiasts car and will end up the same, with first gen owners who love that shape keeping them...

If you like the styling on the new Vantage it has a lot to offer, its bang up to date with gizmos, handling, power....so wait until they are 3 years old and pick one up half price, take the sting out of the depreciation .

[Jon39]

I think your question was mostly asking about the future financial prospects.

Very few people on here have moved from old to new.
Compare that to the previous generation model, where it was commonplace for many owners to move from V8 to perhaps V8S or V12 Vantage.
It was an era of considerable multiple and/or repeat buying of various Aston Martin models.

Unfortunately for AML, many existing Vantage owners are either now retaining their present cars, or some have moved away to other makes.
Sales of the new model are just a fraction compared to the original.

This gives you an outline of the different levels of demand, and presumably that imbalace will continue into used market depreciation.
For the sum of money you mention, I would be looking for a V12 Vantage (six speed manual).
Future demand for that is expected to remain quite strong, so values might hold up well.
What a machine. A unique car, which will never be made again.

[maybe someday]

V8V Pete said:

I have what is, for me, my perfect spec "old Vantage": V8S, manual, Lightweight seats, BR exhaust/clutch/flywheel/geo, Ceramic grey. It is great to look at and drive and perfectly fast enough for the road.

I wanted to like the New Vantage but it just doesn't do it for me. I have driven it and did not detect the huge step up in dynamic ability that I was told I should (maybe because mine is so good in its enhanced state). The test drive did not make me want to change my car at all.

But ..... I don't change my car very often. I like an analogue, manual sports car. I love the styling of the old Vantage and the new one (particularly its interior) does little for me. I could cope with the MB engine but the interior/tech bits are not welcome. So I'm totally biassed but have at least driven both.

At the end of the day the decision is totally yours. Drive, look at and sit in both then decide.

Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated. I’ve driven a 4.3 and will look to drive a 4.7 and if possible a V12.
I’m a bit torn, but the styling of the older model for me is a thing of beauty and at the same time, the rear aspect of the new Vantage is in my opinion, stunning.

[maybe someday]

bogie said:

"better" is subjective as to what you are looking for.

I bought a 4.3 in 2007, it was a dream at the time, and have had a 4.7 Roadster since 2015. Not in a rush to change it unless I come into some money and can find a manual V12 Roadster perhaps.

I have had a ride in a new Vantage, as a standalone experience its an impressive sports GT, I just dont love the styling enough to make me aspire to own one, id sooner stay with the earlier generation.

I had a Lotus Elise for quite some years and there were many purists who loved the series 1 Elise and had spent a fortune refreshing them as new, a theme which continues to this day. I think the Vantage is an enthusiasts car and will end up the same, with first gen owners who love that shape keeping them...

If you like the styling on the new Vantage it has a lot to offer, its bang up to date with gizmos, handling, power....so wait until they are 3 years old and pick one up half price, take the sting out of the depreciation .

Hi, it’s funny that you should mention the Lotus as I had actually thought the same having known someone who had one for years.
I’m in no rush and I’ll take a look and see where values go in the next 12-24 months. Thanks for your feedback.

[maybe someday]

Jon39 said:

I think your question was mostly asking about the future financial prospects.

Very few people on here have moved from old to new.
Compare that to the previous generation model, where it was commonplace for many owners to move from V8 to perhaps V8S or V12 Vantage.
It was an era of considerable multiple and/or repeat buying of various Aston Martin models.

Unfortunately for AML, many existing Vantage owners are either now retaining their present cars, or some have moved away to other makes.
Sales of the new model are just a fraction compared to the original.

This gives you an outline of the different levels of demand, and presumably that imbalace will continue into used market depreciation.
For the sum of money you mention, I would be looking for a V12 Vantage (six speed manual).
Future demand for that is expected to remain quite strong, so values might hold up well.
What a machine. A unique car, which will never be made again.

HI, thanks for your feedback. I’ve been following the vales of the V12 manual recently, which I will continue to do so. I’m looking to buy to keep for a while and a manual V12 would be a great buy, if I can find one at the right cost, but I’d be happy to spend the money for the right one that’s for sure!

Edited by maybe someday on Saturday 20th February 21:23

[AstonV]

maybe someday said:

HI, thanks for your feedback. I’ve been following the vales of the V12 manual recently, which I will continue to do so. I’m looking to buy to keep for a while and a manual V12 would be a great buy, if I can find one at the right cost, but I’d be happy to spend the money for the right one that’s for sure!

Edited by maybe someday on Saturday 20th February 21:23

I don't believe the new Vantage will hold much value over the years. It's not beautiful or special like its predecessor. It's more of an oddity.

[Octavarium]

The overwhelming bias on this forum is most definitely a massive thumbs up to the old. PHers on here love them to bits and for the most part would not consider changing for love nor money. Once you understand that, then you can either go with the flow, or you can make up your own mind. There is no right answer.

For what it's worth, I was nosing around outside of the AM Wilmslow dealership this morning, and parked outside next to one another was an (onyx ?) black N430 and a (magnetic ?) silver new Vantage. They both looked very nice. The N430 is very beautiful, has curves in all the right places and is exceedingly pretty. The new Vantage, in my opinion, looked spectacular and beautiful. It's undeniably more aggressive in stance, and altogether looks somewhat more purposeful. All personal taste of course. It's mainly the front end of new Vantage that many people cannot agree with. A combination of large unbroken bonnet, shut lines, small headlights, and the ahem ... grille, are a challenge to many. The rear end is gorgeous - modern, distinctive and erm.. gorgeous. The old Vantage rear I think now looks dated. Still nice though, but is too similar to DB9 and Rapide to make a real distinction.

A stare through the side windows shows two very different interiors. I prefer the look of the waterfall of the old Vantage, but prefer the digital display in the new Vantage, which is the same as in my DB11; the analog speedo in the old Vantage is nice to look at, but is completely useless to be of any help. You might find the number of buttons in the new model to be a bit fussy, and the layout not to be as clean looking as the old, but I dare say one would quite easily get used to it.

Previously, I owned a manual V8 Vantage SP10, which was a seriously nice car to drive (until a catastrophic engine failure after 14k miles). I've only spent a half hour or so hooning around in a new Vantage, but the difference I felt was immediately apparent - it was seriously quick and ultra-responsive, both with the throttle and the steering. You really need to try them all to get a true objective viewpoint - a V8 NA, a V12 NA and the V8 TT.

As a previous poster said, if you are considering new Vantage, then waiting 3 years for the main portion of depreciation to take effect is a good idea. Whatever you choose will be a great car. Just make sure you try them all.

[Jon39]

Octavarium said:

The overwhelming bias on this forum is most definitely a massive thumbs up to the old. PHers on here love them to bits and for the most part would not consider changing for love nor money. Once you understand that, then you can either go with the flow, or you can make up your own mind. There is no right answer. ......

...... Previously, I owned a manual V8 Vantage SP10, which was a seriously nice car to drive (until a catastrophic engine failure after 14k miles). I've only spent a half hour or so hooning around in a new Vantage, but the difference I felt was immediately apparent - it was seriously quick and ultra-responsive, both with the throttle and the steering.

You really need to try them all to get a true objective viewpoint - a V8 NA, a V12 NA and the V8 TT.

Sorry to read about your engine failure Octavarium. You say 'previously', so I wondered if you now have different Aston Martin?

There was no need for me to drive before buying. In my own mind, I had already bought my VH Vantage, even before driving it. Such beautuful appearance both outside and inside won me over. I presumed it might be quick, but was not really concerned about how it drove.

I think what started the designers off in an unpopular direction with the new Vantage, was APs insistence that it must look different from the other models. They had not received criticism about the Vulcan, so must have assumed that front appearance would be a winner second time around. That single unfortunate decision, must have cost AML millions. There is clearly a big difference when selling cars, between road cars with historic traditions, and a one off track car. We can also remember, that not all 24 Vulcans sold quickly.

When people talk to me about the Vantage, there is occasionally that stupid question about fuel consumption (reply - "I dont know, but I last bought petrol for it four months ago"), but no one has yet said, "What a pity that the back looks like a DB9".

[maybe someday]

AstonV said:

maybe someday said:

HI, thanks for your feedback. I’ve been following the vales of the V12 manual recently, which I will continue to do so. I’m looking to buy to keep for a while and a manual V12 would be a great buy, if I can find one at the right cost, but I’d be happy to spend the money for the right one that’s for sure!

Edited by maybe someday on Saturday 20th February 21:23

I don't believe the new Vantage will hold much value over the years. It's not beautiful or special like its predecessor. It's more of an oddity.

That’s pretty much my gut feeling too. The old model has always looked stunning from every angle whereas the new Vantage from the front?

[maybe someday]

Octavarium said:

The overwhelming bias on this forum is most definitely a massive thumbs up to the old. PHers on here love them to bits and for the most part would not consider changing for love nor money. Once you understand that, then you can either go with the flow, or you can make up your own mind. There is no right answer.

For what it's worth, I was nosing around outside of the AM Wilmslow dealership this morning, and parked outside next to one another was an (onyx ?) black N430 and a (magnetic ?) silver new Vantage. They both looked very nice. The N430 is very beautiful, has curves in all the right places and is exceedingly pretty. The new Vantage, in my opinion, looked spectacular and beautiful. It's undeniably more aggressive in stance, and altogether looks somewhat more purposeful. All personal taste of course. It's mainly the front end of new Vantage that many people cannot agree with. A combination of large unbroken bonnet, shut lines, small headlights, and the ahem ... grille, are a challenge to many. The rear end is gorgeous - modern, distinctive and erm.. gorgeous. The old Vantage rear I think now looks dated. Still nice though, but is too similar to DB9 and Rapide to make a real distinction.

A stare through the side windows shows two very different interiors. I prefer the look of the waterfall of the old Vantage, but prefer the digital display in the new Vantage, which is the same as in my DB11; the analog speedo in the old Vantage is nice to look at, but is completely useless to be of any help. You might find the number of buttons in the new model to be a bit fussy, and the layout not to be as clean looking as the old, but I dare say one would quite easily get used to it.

Previously, I owned a manual V8 Vantage SP10, which was a seriously nice car to drive (until a catastrophic engine failure after 14k miles). I've only spent a half hour or so hooning around in a new Vantage, but the difference I felt was immediately apparent - it was seriously quick and ultra-responsive, both with the throttle and the steering. You really need to try them all to get a true objective viewpoint - a V8 NA, a V12 NA and the V8 TT.

As a previous poster said, if you are considering new Vantage, then waiting 3 years for the main portion of depreciation to take effect is a good idea. Whatever you choose will be a great car. Just make sure you try them all.

Great post, thank you. You hit the nail on the head with your thoughts on the look of the new Vantage and matched my thoughts exactly.
I’ll drive as many as I can to get an idea and feel for them, and how they make me feel driving them. My thinking is that if I go for the old model then it would probably be a V12 Vantage, but if I go for the new I would look for one around the 3-4 year old mark.
Thanks.

[Octavarium]

Jon39 said:

Sorry to read about your engine failure Octavarium. You say 'previously', so I wondered if you now have different Aston Martin?

There was no need for me to drive before buying. In my own mind, I had already bought my VH Vantage, even before driving it. Such beautuful appearance both outside and inside won me over. I presumed it might be quick, but was not really concerned about how it drove.

I think what started the designers off in an unpopular direction with the new Vantage, was APs insistence that it must look different from the other models. They had not received criticism about the Vulcan, so must have assumed that front appearance would be a winner second time around. That single unfortunate decision, must have cost AML millions. There is clearly a big difference when selling cars, between road cars with historic traditions, and a one off track car. We can also remember, that not all 24 Vulcans sold quickly.

When people talk to me about the Vantage, there is occasionally that stupid question about fuel consumption (reply - "I dont know, but I last bought petrol for it four months ago"), but no one has yet said, "What a pity that the back looks like a DB9".

I now have a DB11 - see previous paragraph of my original post. The SP10 was still under warranty when the engine failed, and AM immediately replaced it. I didn't have quite the same love and affection for it after that, so traded it in for a DB9.

I too get questioned about fuel consumption in the DB11 when at the petrol pump. "I bet that's a hefty guzzler," they say. My reply is that It depends how you drive it. A trip last year from the NW up to Scotland returned an average of 31.2 mpg. Not bad for a V8 TT.

As new Vantage owners have said on other threads, they get nothing but compliments when parking up or re-fuelling. Maybe that's because many people genuinely like the car. I bet no-one has said to them, 'What a pity that the front looks like a fish."

[maybe someday]

Jon39 said:

Octavarium said:

The overwhelming bias on this forum is most definitely a massive thumbs up to the old. PHers on here love them to bits and for the most part would not consider changing for love nor money. Once you understand that, then you can either go with the flow, or you can make up your own mind. There is no right answer. ......

...... Previously, I owned a manual V8 Vantage SP10, which was a seriously nice car to drive (until a catastrophic engine failure after 14k miles). I've only spent a half hour or so hooning around in a new Vantage, but the difference I felt was immediately apparent - it was seriously quick and ultra-responsive, both with the throttle and the steering.

You really need to try them all to get a true objective viewpoint - a V8 NA, a V12 NA and the V8 TT.

Sorry to read about your engine failure Octavarium. You say 'previously', so I wondered if you now have different Aston Martin?

There was no need for me to drive before buying. In my own mind, I had already bought my VH Vantage, even before driving it. Such beautuful appearance both outside and inside won me over. I presumed it might be quick, but was not really concerned about how it drove.

I think what started the designers off in an unpopular direction with the new Vantage, was APs insistence that it must look different from the other models. They had not received criticism about the Vulcan, so must have assumed that front appearance would be a winner second time around. That single unfortunate decision, must have cost AML millions. There is clearly a big difference when selling cars, between road cars with historic traditions, and a one off track car. We can also remember, that not all 24 Vulcans sold quickly.

When people talk to me about the Vantage, there is occasionally that stupid question about fuel consumption (reply - "I dont know, but I last bought petrol for it four months ago"), but no one has yet said, "What a pity that the back looks like a DB9".

I do wonder if AML will significantly update the front of the new Vantage as that seems to be the main talking point and I for one, would prefer to see something different that would compliment the aggressive rear stance of the new model.
Got to admit that when I read the fuel consumption question, I don’t quite get it. I personally would buy the car on looks and reliability with fuel consumption not being a concern of mine.

[LTP]

maybe someday said:

I do wonder if AML will significantly update the front of the new Vantage as that seems to be the main talking point and I for one, would prefer to see something different that would compliment the aggressive rear stance of the new model.

Are you aware that AML introduced a slightly more conventional vaned nose with the Roadster and that this is now available as an option on the Coupe? If your pockets are really deep you can even have the new nose retrofitted to an early car.

[Jon39]

Octavarium said:

...... I bet no-one has said to them, 'What a pity that the front looks like a fish."

You have just reminded me of the new Top Gear.

I don't know how I came to see this excerpt, because the humour and comeraderie between the original Top Gear trio cannot be replicated, so I don't watch the show any more.

When they reviewed the new Vantage, one of the presenters had the audacity to hold up a big fish beside the car.

Hope AML have cut off their car supply, for being so impudent.

[bogie]

The new front on the Roadster is definitely an improvement and looks great. Still not quite a V12 Vantage Roadster though

[Jon39]

maybe someday said:

Got to admit that when I read the fuel consumption question, I don’t quite get it. I personally would buy the car on looks and reliability with fuel consumption not being a concern of mine.

That question always comes from non-car enthusiasts.
The motor industry keep pushing the subject of fuel consumption, and love motorists who becime obsessed by it.
That tactic is used, to distract owners away from the main motoring cost - depreciation.

It becomes even more ridiculous, because many AMs cover quite low annual mileages.
During a year, the fuel used and pollution created, would for many Astin Martin owners, be far less than that of a Ford Fiesta, covering say 10 000 miles.

Consequently, justifying £550 per year road tax as being linked to pollution, does not calculate.
On principle, they don't obtain that amount from me though. Zilch during the winter.

[maybe someday]

LTP said:

maybe someday said:

I do wonder if AML will significantly update the front of the new Vantage as that seems to be the main talking point and I for one, would prefer to see something different that would compliment the aggressive rear stance of the new model.

Are you aware that AML introduced a slightly more conventional vaned nose with the Roadster and that this is now available as an option on the Coupe? If your pockets are really deep you can even have the new nose retrofitted to an early car.

That does look a bit better and would look for that on a coupe should I go for the new Vantage when the time comes.

[maybe someday]

bogie said:

The new front on the Roadster is definitely an improvement and looks great. Still not quite a V12 Vantage Roadster though

V12 Vantage Roadster is a gorgeous looking car in my opinion, but a Roadster in Scotland? I’d get the roof down about 5 or 6 times a year :-)