Founded in Gaydon in the UK 118 years ago, Aston Martin has risen up as one of the premier sports carmakers of the 20th and 21st centuries. They have a certain aristocratic whiff, personality, and looks to die for that seemingly no other automaker can match.
Like any company, Aston Martin has had their ups and downs, but they are now better than ever. With an amazing lineup of cars and their first-ever SUV, Aston is even more desirable nowadays. One of Aston's most famous offerings is the Vantage, and the current model has been for sale since 2018. It really is a great sports car, but there are a few reasons why you might want something else as well.
10 Why It's Great - It Is Drop Dead Gorgeous
Let's start with the most obvious thing; the looks. It seems like it's absolutely impossible for Aston Martin to mess up the styling on any of their cars, and the Vantage is no exception. Clean lines, perfect proportions and that signature Aston front end.
The grille was criticized when the Vantage was first shown off back in 2017, but nowadays, you can remedy that as Aston offers a more conventional looking grille, which arguably makes it look even better. Even then, the fact remains; this is a gorgeous car, and it's easy to see that it's an Aston Martin.
9 Why We'd Have Something Else - The Interior Could Be Better
Don't get us wrong here, the interior of the new Vantage is absolutely not a bad place to spend time. It has a hand-made feel, and the materials covering all the surfaces are of the highest possible quality, and there are tons of customization options.
Ultimately, if you dig a little deeper, you will find some patchy spots where the quality isn't up to the usual standards. There are also far too many buttons adorning the dashboard, and the infotainment display, which is unceremoniously plonked atop the center control stack, looks like something from the late 2000s, much like these cars.
8 Why It's Great - A Manual Is Available
At launch, the Vantage was available with only one transmission option; an 8-speed ZF unit. However, that would later change.
In 2019 Aston Martin debuted the 2020 model-year Vantage AMR, a limited edition, finessed version of the Vantage with a Graziano-developed 7-speed manual transmission. Back then, it was only available on the limited AMR, but starting with the 2021 model year, the 7-speed manual is now available on the regular car as well. That's the one you want, because it'll be the most desirable when these cars start to age.
7 Why We'd Have Something Else - The Engine
As mentioned previously, Mercedes-AMG, which is entering the plug-in era very soon, supplies the twin-turbo V8 that lives under the hood of the Vantage. It's a 4.0-liter unit, and it's mostly the same as the one you'll find in the Mercedes-AMG GT S, except the Vantage relies on bespoke ECU tune, oil sump, exhaust manifold, and engine firing order. This is why the Vantage V8 doesn’t sound like the MBZ. In the Vantage, the engine develops 503 hp and 505 lb/ft of torque, which is sent to the rear wheel through the aforementioned 8-speed ZF automatic or 7-speed manual, depending on your choice.
Although the Vantage is pretty heavy for a sports car, the powertrain is lively and the stats are very impressive; 0-60 takes 3.6 seconds, and it will carry on to a top speed of 195 mph. If you want the absolute purest driving experience from your Vantage, go for the manual transmission, as it's not only more engaging, it chops off a whopping 140 lbs from the weight.
6 Why We'd Have Something Else - Outdated Infotainment
As mentioned previously, the interior of the Vantage is by no means bad, but it has a few weak spots that upset it ever so slightly. One of the biggest stinkers in this category is undoubtedly the infotainment system, which, from a modern perspective, is slightly outdated.
As part of the powertrain deal with Mercedes-AMG, Aston Martin is also allowed to use Affalterbach's infotainment system, but it has to be the prior generation that Mercedes no longer offers. The Vantage got saddled with the Mercedes COMAND system, which has an Aston Martin coat of paint, and stuff like Apple CarPlay. But, there's no touch screen, and despite the fresh coat of paint, it's difficult to disguise the fact that COMAND is coming up on a decade old.
5 Why It's Great - It's Fabulous To Drive
Obviously, the main reason anyone would buy a car like this is for the driving experience. To say that the Vantage impresses in this department would be quite an understatement, as this is one of the most fun cars in the whole class.
Even though the V8 engine is very much hampered by various emissions control devices, it still feels incredibly lively and produces a wonderful sound. Aston's engineers have worked their magic on the chassis, and if you take your Vantage on a race track, you will have a huge, huge smile on your face. Constantly. Even during the ride home.
4 Why We'd Have Something Else - Rivals Are Faster
503 hp and 505 lb/ft of torque are very healthy numbers, but some rivals somehow manage to achieve more impressive stats with less power. The base-level Porsche 911 Carrera 4S, for example, can do 0-60 mph in around 3.4 seconds.
The competition gets more heated once you start adding options to this car, as even though it starts at a deceivingly low $139,000, option it up, and it can easily grace $200,000. That's deep within Porsche 911 Turbo S and Mercedes-AMG GT R territory, and as Carwow have shown on many occasions, the rear-engine monster can obliterate just about anything in a straight-line drag race.
3 Why It's Great - Tons Of Personalization
Like with so many of its competitors, Aston Martin gives you plenty of options to personalize your Vantage and make it a true reflection of your personality. There are dozens of colors, interior combinations, and styles to choose from, meaning your Vantage can be just that little bit different from any others you encounter.
If you really want to take personalization to the next level, Aston Martin's Q program offers some truly special exterior and interior combinations. So, just in case Aston Martin's "regular" colors and options don't cut the mustard, you can take it to the next level and make your Vantage truly unique.
2 Why We'd Have Something Else - No Manual For The Roadster
For reasons that we seriously can't understand, you can't have the manual transmission with the Vantage Roadster. The 7-speed manual is only available for the Coupe, and Aston hasn't said anything about bringing the manual to the convertible version.
When you think about it, this seems very senseless. The Roadster, if anything, is even more fun than the Coupe, because there's the added drama of top-down fast driving, and the manual would make that whole experience even better. Keeping the Roadster automatic-only seems a little bit bizarre, but we can only hope that it'll be offered soon. Maybe gearbox swaps will begin sooner or later as well.
1 Why It's Great - Prices Are Slowly Dropping
As crazy as it might be to believe, the Aston Martin Vantage has already started appearing on the used market, and the depreciation curve has already began. As said before, the Vantage starts at around $139,000, and with options and Q personalization, this can easily reach $200,000.
However, one peek around the classifieds shows that CPO 2019 model year Vantages with plenty of options and less than 10,000 miles are slowly starting to creep below $120,000. If older Aston Martin models are anything to go by, within a couple of years, these will be less than $100,000, and some may even dip below $90,000, although the AMG involvement might give a different outcome.