Thinking about a v8 vantage.

Where did you hear that? I have never heard that at all. Though any exotic being made in such small batches compared to regular cars, can't be as reliable due to the lack of repetition - amongst other factors, I believe they aren't bad at all from what I all heard. My friend has one and will probably chime in. Everything I've read leads me to conclude that they aren't a model to shy away from.

 

A modern Vantage from the 2006 era till new are BULLET PROOF!
That's all you need to know, bang for the buck and owning a pair of wings is the best kept secret.
The v8 is bullet proof and the old fashion stick is just a great bonus in todays times.
GTJOEY1314

 

I have owned a 2007 V8 Vantage for two years now and it's been an absolute pleasure to own. The V8 when even sort of properly maintained is as bulletproof an engine that you'll find in any exotic car. The manual transmission is better than the "Sportshift" auto-manual. The car is absolutely masterfully crafted and in my opinion the prettiest modern car. It does have it's ergonomic oddities and quirks but who wants a boring car?

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Spectacular! Love Met sliver 2009!

SV

 

+1 Go for a manual for both driver involvement and clutch longevity. The nice thing about an Aston is that roadsters are as available coupes - nice choice to have. Interiors are well crafted and the exhaust note is sublime. Not an investment, but can't go wrong in terms of personal satisfaction...

 

Beautiful colors on your Vantage, Jeff.

 

Before you begin reading: English is not my first language, so expect some errors

I bought a 2008 Vantage 2 years ago. And it has been a fun 2 years.

As others have said already: they are more or less bulletproof. Weak things are:

- the sportshift, which can wear very fast if not driven properly. Just like in an F355 or a 360, when you learn how to drive it, and drive carefully, it can last a very long time. But when drive like a race driver all the time, it will wear very fast. It's also a bit jerky.

- foggy headlights

- the car can give weird malfunctions when the battery is weak, so a trickle charger is a must have

- with some models, the passenger door will not lock when you press 'close' on the remote.

- the fuel cap sometimes will not open. But that's no big deal, because there is a manual release in the trunk, and it only takes 10 seconds to open it manually.

On the Aston Martin website (AMOC) people recommend the later versions (late 2007 till 2008) of the 4.3. Or, when you have the budget, go for the 4.7, or even the 4.7 Vantage S.

The early models (2006-2007, the ones with the antenna on the roof) can be bought very cheap though !

Keep in mind that the 4.3 is not *that* fast. When you're into speed, numbers, and acceleration, this is NOT the car for you. It's not a Ferrari. They aren't slow either, i reckon you can compare them to an early 997 Carrera.

The do however have a fantastic soundtrack, and in my opinion (but maybe i'm biased), the 4.3 with fuse 22 removed, sounds better than the 4.7.

I don't know if you speak dutch, but here is an article on the vantage reliability:

https://www.autoblog.nl/nieuws/aston-martin-v8-vantage-2005-2017-occasion-video-aankoopadvies-97662

 

I had the first V8 Vantage when they came out and it was amazing. The looks. The sound. Someone offered more than I paid, and down the road it went.

The big service item is the clutch. It's $9K! Half the car has to come apart.

 

Ageless car. One of the best looking cars ever made and wonderfully crafted. The paint finish on my current N430 is immaculate. Glass like finish (zero defects in paint finish). I chose Lightning Silver. Great colour.

Very robust car. No reliability problems at all. Have abandoned Porsche as a brand due to the appallingly bad unreliability. Nothing ever gone wrong with the Astons I have had other than:

• bluetooth unit failed on my first Vantage. Replaced on warranty.

• passenger door on first car wouldn’t lock. Defective latch. Replaced on warranty.

• perished rubber seal on thermostat leading to over cooling of engine. This was on second Aston. Fixed on warranty.

That’s about it. Current car is unbreakable. My daily driver for getting around London.

If you have an older car without a switchable exhaust you can get the switch retro fitted at Aston Martin Works in the UK. Doesn’t cost any meaningful money so must have if you don’t have switchable exhaust and want this solution. Much more flexible solution than removing fuse 22 - with the switch you have the choice and no fault codes. You also avoid the risk of seizing up the valves.

Sound is epic and cultured at the same time.

Steering feel and overall chassis balance is fantastic. Not the most technically advanced car and not an engineering dream, but certainly generates emotional bond and has great character. Great subjective rewards. Ignore the objective measurements which trail behind competitors in terms of performance. Irrelevant in real world, but character and soul really present in every detail and can’t be measured.

 

+1 Well said...

 

My clutch and flywheel were replaced last year for under $6000. Still a lot of money, but if you are paying $9k that's FAR more than even a dealer charges.

 

i had 2008 vantage for about two years, it felt really well put together, like tank, fit and finish was on par with any other exotic car. not so fast off the line as lets say
a 458 or california. but a very capable cruiser. the handing is above par for the course. id say try 2009 and above , as the interior is improved. but it is really a fun and cool car. and yes the 9k clutch job hurts ,, but it is a 15-20k miles intervals. but for 45-50k it is really the most affordable true modern exotic. BTW
went from a mas coupe ,to v8 vantage, to porsche 911 cabriolet, to cali30. of all 4 the Aston was on par with the rest. no regrets.

 

They are great cars. I had a 2007 Roadster with a paint issue but other than that flawless then got rid of it for a 2008 roadstser which I kept for 3 years and loved every minute of it. As others have said, not really fast compared to ferrari or other brands but a elegant sophisticated car that has timeless beauty. I still miss mine even though I have a 458, 488 spider, and continental GT. If I had space I'd grab one in stick for sure.

Believe me, you won't regret it for the price.

 

That's a hell of a lot better than what I was quoted!

 

I am still upset the current V8 is called a Vantage, that moniker should be reserved only for the absolute top of the line Astons like the cars from the 70s, 80s and Virage from the 90s.