Just Purchased 4.3 Vantage absolutely bloody LOVE IT, it Looks like nothing else on the road even today and its 11 years old, it drives amazing and it sounds flipping AWESOME.
The key to keeping repair costs in line with an Aston according to Matt Farah is finding a good independent shop and then check which parts are the same as a Ford, just with different part numbers.
@@JayEmmOnCars Fully agree, some homework is needed. They still are far more affordable than Ferrari and even Maseratis, especially the cars built/designed under Ford ownership. Ford actually made Aston a better company, they frankly would not exist today without their support. Look at Lambo, a fabulous looking car that actually starts (thanks Volkswagen!); Huge improvement in quality.
I'll always remember the Clarkson review on Top Gear (IIRC) when these were new! He said something along the lines of "you wouldn't need to phone the missus to stick the kettle on...she'd hear you coming from about two miles away" and that resonated with me, the noise these things make is immense.
I have a 2007, and they respond remarkably well to exhaust mods. Headers, cats and the like wake up the engine considerably. Torque especially is improved.
Coming up to 12 months ownership of a 2007 4.3 Manual in Onyx Black after buying mine through the Approved “Timeless” Pre Owned scheme last year. The car had previously only covered circa 28k miles in 11 years, but I’ve loved driving it so much I’ve added 8k in 11 months! By all accounts driving them regularly is key to keeping the car in good order. Warranty has covered a faulty headlight jet washer, LED headlight strip failure and worn door jams. Other than that it’s been faultless. Agree there’s just enough performance to avoid license losing speeds, and the sound with the fuse removed is epic. One word of caution, if the fuse isn’t reinstalled for a while, the valves effectively fuse (no pun intended!) themselves and stop working. Not a major issue if you never want to re-install the fuse, but worth looking out for if you do. You mentioned in the video, the car was circa £80k new, obviously worth taking into consideration inflation. Mine was £91k with options in 2007, which factoring in inflation takes it up to circa £124k in today’s money, much the same as the new Vantage. If you consider the new price in that context, the running costs don’t seem extreme by any stretch. Sure it’s not cheap to run, although on a long run at steady speeds, 23-25mpg is achievable, around town you’re looking at mid teens. However, I just renewed my insurance for 12 months for example, and fully comprehensive, with protected no claims, came in at £321 which I thought was great value for a 31 year old man, and freed up funds for the £570 or so tax bill! Just had the car serviced by the main dealer in Bristol, and came in at circa £770 for the annual service. Not Fiesta cheap, but not horrendous either, and only a couple of hundred quid more than an annual service on my 2.0 diesel Land Rover. Echo your thoughts on the manual, the clutch can be quite heavy around town, but working your way through the gears (and revs) suits the analogue nature of the car much more than an automated manual. Above all I love the character of the car, and it seems the general public enjoy seeing (and hearing it!) as well. You can sometimes face a degree of animosity with a Porsche’s or M BMW, but most people seem to appreciate an Aston. I think it treads the line nicely between being a relatively modern and useable car, but with a hint of being a classic. It’s not perfect by any stretch, the key is from a Ford Orion, the sat nav from a first generation XC90 and you’ll spend more time in petrol stations than Alan Partridge, but on a country road on a sunny day, second gear, windows down, it just makes you smile. Finally it’s also absolutely gorgeous...
found one for 48,000 with 11,000 miles (middling to fair deal). west coast car, never driven in the rain. the very next day i put gas in it and started a 6000 mile trip. combined city/highway... 23mpg (with defective thermostat that didn't close properly). fixed the thermostat issue afterward for 15 dollars and an afternoon's work.
Just bought one of these, a 2008 Sportshift with relatively high miles, but well taken care of. I'm thrilled with the car. I've owned a few other supercars in the past (Lotus Esprit, Ferrari 348) as well as more pedestrian sports cars, and this is by far my favorite purchase ever. It's unbelievably enjoyable to drive. It looks great and sounds great, and I got it for a very reasonable price. People who don't know cars assume it's easily $200k because of the Aston badge and the looks. And people who do know cars understand what a good value it represents. Two things -- first, I actually enjoy the Sportshift. Yes it has its issues and if this was my daily driver it would not be practical. But I enjoy it for the theater of it. It lets you know that you're not driving something ordinary. I'm not trying to have the fastests shifts down to the millisecond or navigate parking lots at 1mph. I want something different and entertaining, and that's what it is. And when it comes time to replace the clutch, I'm going to have my existing components rebuilt and the friction disc relined with Kevlar -- thus saving about three grand in parts AND giving me a clutch that I'll basically never have to worry about again. Yes, service costs are huge. I took my car for its first major service at a specialist indy shortly after buying it, and did all the fluids, spark plugs, accessory belt and pulleys, some minor deferred maintenance and replaced a wheel bearing/hub, and it cost nearly $6000 all-in. That's part of the deal. I don't expect to spend that sum too frequently though. If the car costs me $2k a year to operate, I'll be very happy. One thing I will say I also noticed was that the mileage is better than expected. When I got my car fuse 22 was already pulled. I was expecting 13mpg tops based on everything I read before purchase, and while I never did an actual calculation, my mental math says I must be getting far better than that.
Well balanced review. Really enjoying your content. Keep up the good work. Ps, in answer to your question as to why people spend £30-40k on a fast hatch instead of an Aston is largely because most new cars are bought on some sort of finance plan. Sure you could get private finance on a used Aston, but the monthlies would be much higher and it wouldn’t come with warranty. I’m sure if you gave most petrolheads £30k cash to spend on a car, 9 of 10 times it’d be something interesting and used.
Wow this was like my life story, I went through the maths and convinced myself and the car I bought is almost identical to this video.... Onyx black, manual, mine does not have the Sat Nav and I bought it with the equivalent of 15,000 miles given we live with Kms.... 2 years later it now has 23,000 miles, running cost including service much less than my old Audi S6 (try a new gearbox at 40,000 miles for 10,000 pounds). The Astons are very robust, I have a factory sports exhaust and the fuses out and it sounds even better than this video if that is at all possible. The early cars, like the video, are also prettier as they do not have the later side body mouldings under the doors, which detract a little in the styling, they were standard on the V12 (look at pictures of both if you doubt me). Add to this that the current market value for mine is more than I paid, and I can happily say it is the best car I have owned. I do regret a decade on selling my 911sc convertible and a few year back my 968cs, both better appreciating cars in hindsight, but my Aston will never go down from here, particularly as AML is being pushed further upmarket, this will help residuals (all things I took into consideration when I bought it). So all in all if you think you might want one go for it, just find one with perfect service at AD, and if you can get one without a SatNav as it only dates the car. No they are not super fast, but handle perfectly, but who cares when driving down the high street sounding like you all calling up the devil in first gear!!!! By the way 12 years on you will be happy that this car was built when Ford owned, they made it reliable and many parts are interchangeable with the ford/volvo empire.
oh come on stop buying cars as money investments. It wasn't a mistake for selling the Porsches "too early" sometimes you don't have to think like you're in Wall Street you know?
The engine is based on the 4.2L V8 from a 2006 XK but they're bullet proof. Early Jags were built with plastic chain tensioners and a water pump impeller i believe which of course fell apart. Once these two weaknesses were fixed, the engine became highly reliable. A common low cost fix was the throttle body position sensor so you just replaced the whole thing with a cheap scrap yard copy. and that's about it. I drove one of these when i lived in Vegas and for most roads in Scotland to where I returned, the HP of these cars is plenty. My supercharged XKR of the same period has better low down grunt and a flatter torque curve which make driving effortless but for most urban/rural driving, anything over 400HP is sort of wasted. Lastly, a car like this looks desirable because it's gorgeous. Porsche may well build "better" cars but not one of them looks or sounds better than this Vantage. Thanks for making these in depth reviews.
Nice video. It is really speaking to me right now. I have been away from being a car guy for the last 7 years and have recently gotten the itch back. Especially since I got my old job back and my finances have recovered and then some. I started looking at older “sporty” cars, but then started realizing what I could afford. I went from, “I’ll get an old XK8”, to “why not get a XKR, a second gen XKR, a DB7, a DB7 Vantage, a DB9”. Now that I am doing some serious research, I am finding that V8 Vantage is actually affordable, and more of a sports car like my Vette was than a slightly bigger grand tourer. I am seeing people get the same old Mustangs, Corvettes, and Jeeps that cost more and appreciate fast. Yes, I could get a car that has an edge on the track, but I want something with a little more elegance and sophistication, and also something a little more exotic. I want to have the Aston Martin experience. This video was the last gram that pushed me over. So my plan is get a XKR (X150) for a couple of years and try that experience, pay it off, then go for Aston. I’m going British! Thanks again for this video!
I own an 07 Vantage. This car is truly a joy to drive. I use it as my daily driver and have just gone over 80k miles on it. It is beginning to act like an old man gettin out of bed if I let it sit awhile. But, once I get it rolling, it loostens up nicely. It really needs to be driven regularly to stay in shape. My mechanic/dealership says its the best of the old Astons they service and has the most miles. As for service costs, well.....you need alot of extra cash compared to other cars. I expect to pay $1500 to $2000 every six months. That includes 10000k service, complete check-up, and average of fix-its, tires, breaks, etc. Intereresting is that Im still using the original rotors. Thats going to hurt for its next visit to the shop. Best long wear tires have been the Contenental's. They have outlived the protenza's and pirelli's tires x2.
You should hear it with a supercharger and sport cats, thats what i did to mine and it was awesome. Servicing was fine at £700 a pop and in 15000 supercharged mls it never needed anything doing apart from a regular 12 month service.
@@ow7224 there's a system that restricts exhaust noise, it would be illegal to modify the system on purpose, so of course the fuse to that particular system just so happens to have accidentally fallen out...
drove one of these at a track alongside a 360, 911, and a little lambo, it was the slowest of the 4 by some distance, but still more than powerful enough for road driving and the only one of those 4 that I would consider using everyday.
Dough DeMuro. He’s a popular yT car guy. He had an Aston with nothing but problems. Good thing he had a bumper to bumper warranty. Ultimately he sold it to another yT car guy by the name of Tavares.
If you go into a pub car park and there's a Porsche, my immediate thought is who's the tw@t with the Porsche. If there's an Vantage V8 in the car park, I think "whoa, that's cool"....
Loved the Video- spot on! Yea-well done. And exactly why I bought nearly the identical car over a Porsche (Street sighting ratio in my town Porsche VS AM is like 100/1). I've had it 3 years now and 15K. Built like a Ferret APC. Once sorted a bit it has asked for very little. A new clutch looms but ok. Plenty fast for day -to-day and yes, the drive and handling is the best fun, a true GT sports. What else, still one of the best looking auto designs I've ever seen.
I wouldn't go for this OR a Porsche. Far better value for money is the XK in my opinion. Extremely low mileage 12 plates available for £25k as I type (Jan 2020)
In the States , these beautiful cars just about fly under the radar unless you are wealthy and most likely buying a brand new Aston Martin. For me currently in the process to purchase a Vantage 4.3 (6-speed) is a dream come true! Love the heritage of Aston Martin ( and Norton motorcycles 😉 ) so when you consider dollar / pound cost for what you are able to experience , it's a dream. Then add some personal touch customization , a $30 - 50K Vantage will look like a $160K+ car to any normal person other than a purist.
it absolutley is! the new Vantage by Mercedes Benz :D is just no where near as gorgeous looking as this early 2000's model, and this Aston/Jag V8 sounds so much more sonorous
At a supercar experience trackday last year, which was a terrible experience I wouldn't recommend, I drove one of these V8s but the 4.7 in Manual and it completely changed my mind about Astons. Yes, they look nice but I always expected them to be wallowy and not handle fantastically. I also drove a Ferrari California which was kinda meh.. and an Audi R8 which I was greatly looking forward to. It was unfortunately an Auto and not their highly regarded Manual but nevertheless it felt so vague in steering feel and so boring. It was just like driving a bigger 4wd Golf with loads of power. In short, the Aston surprisingly came up best for me and ever since then, I've always thought that is the car I'd consider in future, should my budget allow.
@@bouncycastles1214 this particular one was bad as the company I experienced didn't seem to care about anything other than taking your money. They are not cheap days out whatsoever and on the track you have an instructor with you, understandably, yet from the off in the Ferrari I was getting told off for not doing exactly as he asked to the book. Bearing in mind I'd never been on a track before at this point in my life. I consider myself a decent driver and used to driving performance cars having had a few of my own but was made to feel like an idiot and warned that if I didn't listen I'd be kicked off with no refund. I hadn't even done anything terrible. Anyway, that set the tone. In the R8, the instructor was much better and never shouted but they make you change gear before 4000 rpm, which even in supercars is quite ridiculous if you're used to driving anything performance orientated with some gusto. The instructor in the Aston was much better and probably why I enjoyed that a bit more as well as having the Manual gearbox. But at the end of the day, I was booked to have a passenger ride in an Ariel Atom. Instead they put me in a V8 M3 as they "ran out of time". Which was no fault of my own, I queued up and waited for my turns like everybody else. Now the driver of the M3 took me and my girlfriend of the time out and he was a very impressive pilot but an M3 is hardly a once in a lifetime experience. My ex girlfriend drove them herself as her brother owned a garage. I was ripped off and disappointed and with having to change gear on these supercars so early and ruin the fun, I only thought to myself how I'd much, much rather be driving my own car around that track. Unless you are someone who is not used to driving any performance cars or never drives fast, I would say it's a complete waste of time and money. At least it was on that occasion any way.
The one you own is the one you enjoy the most. If you can only afford a cheaper older one, then buy a nicer older one or one that needs some love and give it love. Personally I love my '07 XKR coupe, paid $11.5k and needed some inexpensive repairs so $13k into a ton of fun.
I have an xkr and im swapping to a aston for the reason every man and dog have xkr its a jag middle class car that isnt fun on country roads but an aston is far more stylish. Its better class like wearing ck pull up anywhere in an aston you will get looks pull up in a jag xkr noones interested because its dated badly and its a jag
Wonder how much money do you make and what car do you have if 380HP is not fast at all. Sure I got my licence not that long ago, but my 230HP C30 T5 feels more than enough at the moment...
Sounds to be beautifully built, not a squeak or rattle to be heard. £30k is a bloody bargain. It’s not got turbos, fancy gearboxes or carbon brakes to spend £££ on either.
I like this guy, obviously not an Aston lover but objective. One thing I will say is that nobody who really wants an Aston would buy a porsche, they'd save a bit more for a DB9
Hi, i'm new to finding your channel and videos. I've watched a few 'car youtubers' and i've felt they've changed to advertising the brand their driving. But your video for me a back to basics driving experience and something i can aim for - i drive a 330D BMW, so not supercar but a good family car with a bit of shift when i 'need' it. - you've got another sub!
You did well in comparison to Jaguar XK-R. When I picked my next euro hot rod, I could have went Aston. But absolutely went used Jaguar because it is equally beautiful, less expensive, easier and far cheaper to service, and I have an obscene amount of power 500+HP that I rarely use. Oh, I don't need to remove a fuse in the Jag to make it sound good. Just push the dynamic button.. In the US, not a daily driver.
But its a jag. Everyday middle run of the mill boring auto doesnt turn heads. I have one and my aston turns heads 100 times better and sounds better and goes better with the manual
“3x” greater maintenance than a 911. Same for similar Maserati. Yikes. Thank you. I’ll rent ‘em for short trips and keep my 911 in top shape. That way I can retire at 80 (laughter)
The statement on maintenance costs of a Maserati of the same era is totally misleading. I used to own a 4.3 Vantage for 2 years, a Vantage 4.7 Sportshift for 1.5 years and stayed with a Maserati Granturismo S 4.7 with the awesome MC gearbox (much sportier experience than with the auto box, aka Automatica) for the last 6 years. Not only is the MC gearbox (do not confuse it with the old 4200 MC gearbox) not as jearky as Aston's Sportshift (popular with the 4.7), Audi R8's R-Tronic or BMW's SMG and SMG2, it is very fast (switches gears in 60ms) and does not kill the clutch like the other single clutch robotized manuals do. Why? Because the clutch is from the Ferrari 599, a V12 with more torque than any of these V8s and BMW V10. That is, the clutch is built to last longer and can easily take the beating of a V8, especially when in sport mode. Generally speaking, the key to a long lasting clutch with any of the aforementioned gearboxes is to prevent unnecessary crawling. Note that Aston's Sportshift clutch is not fully enganged till a speed of roughly 7 km/h (around 4.4 miles/h). I did 40 thousand miles on the Maserati and the clutch has a consumption of 28% only. But let's get back to overall maintenance costs: The AM Vantage V8 needs servicing once per year, the Maserati Granturismo S / Sport only every 2nd year. That results in quite a huge saving.
I recall getting a 2007/8 courtesy car - Ford Fiesta with about a 1 litre engine... Filled it 4x that week and combined it returned 22.1mpg UK. That's how I drive and my old Cayenne 4.5 V8 averages 16-18 so I've no complaints and my next car will be an Aston... I'm torn between a db9 and Vantage (£30k circa)
Great video. I'm tormented now though, do I press ahead with the DB9 - a car I've always wanted or consider - again - the Vantage. Oh the decision.....lol
Jay is spot on that this is a great car - I’ve owned the 4.3, an N420 and an N430 and they are all great. The larger torque of the 4.7 is worth it but all are lovely sports cars. One criticism is the throwaway comment about servicing costs - but a decent one with plenty of history and the costs are the same as my friend’s Boxster. The chain driven V8 is solid and reliable (hence the not great outputs), the gearbox solid and clutches can easily last 50-60k miles. Compare it to a similar Porsche and you are left waiting for the big bills to fly in. Servicing costs may seem higher as a lot of owners tend to buy through the authorised network dealers and buy warranty packages with servicing included. V12 is awesome but a completely different kettle of fish and much higher costs but depreciation doesn’t exist!
It's a real sod to try and find a video on UA-cam of a 'proper' Aston Martin V8 Vantage i.e. the 5.3 litre car from the '70s & '80s. I always end up with this car... but as you're reviewing this one. I'll watch it. [ Edit: 19th video down... ua-cam.com/video/1hv_DEwnJTQ/v-deo.html ] [ BTW, the 4.3 engine for this WAS designed by Jaguar Cars as I was working in that department at the time it was being done, it is different though. It has titanium conrods IIRC ! ]
@@type4968 Not quite. This is a DBS that you've posted. It's the slightly revised front end of the post David-Brown car that I try and search for. These are the best videos I've found so far: ua-cam.com/video/TptFG_92New/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/i6_083S-CyA/v-deo.html
just bought a 2007 manual w/11,000 miles on it. it even had the original tires and buggered thermostat. next day without so much as a look see at the mechanics, i started out on a 5,000 mile round trip from san francisco to ohio and completed it without issue, although i spent an inordinate amount of time on the roadside reading through the awkwardly sized manual trying to determine whether or not the latest warning light on the dash held any real significance. they didn't. none of them.
The car is starting to be appreciated now that the market has transitioned to boring transportation "pods" that drive themselves. For those of us that actually like to drive rather than play with the infotainment system, the normally aspirated, beautifully designed 2006- 2016 Astons will be the keepers.
Stunningly beautiful automobile! The Aston’s for the last 15 years or so have been the most beautiful cars on the road. And then, there’s that sound!😍 unfortunately, it’s one of those things that, “if you have to ask how much it cost to maintain, you can’t afford it“. But oh that sound!!!
Think the 4.3L V8s is the prettiest of all the modern Astons.Later Vantages (4.7 and V12s) and all later models had skirts, and other aero mods making them look more "boy racer-ish".
20mpg isn't bad considering my Jeep dealers years ago gave me a European Ford Fiesta with a 1.0 or 1.1 litre 4 pot banger and it barely scraped 22mpg (imperial) real world. Filled it 3 times in a week and best was 22.1mpg. Nice video and personally I don't frown at my V8 Cayenne mpg in the mid to late teens (city) 24-28mpg (motorway/highway). Just enjoy what you drive!
Going from a V8 Vantage 4.7 to a V8 Vantage S I always thought the non-S was the better car, like you say the suspension on the S is pretty awful. As they were both paddleshifts though the move to SS2 was MUCH improved vs. the SS1 box. Even considering the V12 I'd probably say a manual, 4.3 or 4.7 V8, non-S is probably the sweet spot - the 4.3 makes a better noise, the 4.7 has a nicer dash and a bit more poke. Servicing on the V12 Vantage S (2nd year service, granted, still a new car) was bloody reasonable though - £670 including collection and return in a covered trailer!
Agree completely on all comments. I probably have the slowest car in our club, but as a 4.3 with factory sports exhaust as well as fuses out it sounds better than anything else. V12 is a much quicker car, but a step in cost all around.
Number of laps we did of Hockenheim: 0 Number of bumps we drove over where the Vantage S would rattle around in a matter totally unbecoming of an Aston Martin: About 99 billion
Really enjoyed this review. Thank you. Didn’t realise how much taking the fuse out was going to affect fuel consumption so thanks for that (although i will not be able to resist taking that fuse out 😂)
I remember driving the then new 4”3 Vantage when it first came out. I loved how it looked (still do) and really wanted one (still do) but was really unimpressed at how that engine managed to produce such epic sound and fury with so little forward go. It felt like it would struggle to keep up with an E46 M3. I’m very interested in what Bamford and Rose do, mind you. I’m seriously thinking about an N430 or a car that gets treated to the full B+R works.
yeh.. I have a 4.3 and I dont think its much faster then my 2013 toyota 86. But its an Aston and it makes very nice noises and looks amazing :) Although, if you ring its neck it does get a move on pretty good. Id imagine an N430 would be pretty damn good in all regards, you should pursue that
Great vid thanks. Similar thoughts to you I had a 911 and wanted something different so went for an onyx black 08 vantage with only 30k on the clock, had it a year and been reliable. Didn’t know about the fuel consumption reduction with the fuse out, thanks. Even so I will still leave it out!! I will check out the clutch and light flywheel mod thanks.
Fixing these are far more expensive for people who don't understand that so much of this car is Volvo. Some parts are expensive, but get the Volvo part.....its the same part.
I bought a 2010 manual... the difference in torque and interior finish is well worth the extra money, amazing cars though the build quality is fantastic and you see that when working on them and good luck getting a Porsche 911 for under 40k USD it would have to be some god awful 928 or other wierd thing as people have pretty much lost their minds with porsche 911 resale values (here across the pond at least)
Just bought a 981...... but did consider the Aston, along with similar priced Jags, Maseratis, even the GTR and the R8. Will see how I get on, might come back to the Aston in a year or two.
If you’re looking for an AM V8, I would recommend one with the 4.7 engine. Even better MY 12.25 and later. The 4.3 engine is really underperforming. But of course it is the cheapest way to drive an Aston Martin.
remember aston martin were owned by ford at the time and shared alot of parts so repairs and servicing arnt too bad, if you seach the part numbers up and order from parts shops rather than going to the dealers to be ripped off!
Why, they drive well, and I have had 911's, fast Audi's etc... If you really like driving my old car was better still a Renault 200RS, you could drive it close to max more of the time.
Yes they have come down in price but they are very expensive to keep ,insurance,tax ,services and maintenance not to mention MPH apart from that I would love one
What most people don't seem to appreciate is that the bills come with lack of use, and the more sophisticated the car the more lack of use costs. Most mechanics will tell you the cars in regular use are the ones that require the least maintenance. It's counter-intuitive, but cars are made to drive, not sit in garages as works of art. Think of a car like a human being. If it goes for a run every day it typically works better, is happier, healthier, and has greater longevity, etc. Sure, manual clutches and F1-style gearboxes with clutches are weak points. They are for all cars; the more powerful the car, the more strain the gearbox is under. Sure, the more exotic cars often aren't designed for ease of maintenance; often the likes of belts and clutches are engine-out jobs. These are the things you really need to research, as these are the real budget busters. If you are on a budget, beware of such cars. 40,000 miles on a clutch isn't that bad. That was once typical for your average car. What wasn't typical is the cost. Performance cars have very big clutches. Low-volume cars often have very expensive parts prices. And as already stated, poor design can mean astronomical labour costs. However, a V12 isn't necessarily going to cost more to run than a V8. If well-maintained, the engines are typically the cars strongest points. Fuel costs are the big issue. Typically the older cars are horrendous in this regard with 10 mpg around town and 20mpg on a run typically being optimistic. But then there are some V8 and V12 cars for which close to 20 and 30 is realistic if you drive gently. For instance, in the last 15-20 years, the Jags and Mercs with big engines have generally been significantly more economical than the Astons and Maseratis. Again, poor design and packaging compromises are what can cost you. Clogged-up drainage channels, electrics where water can settle, and hugely expensive dashboard-out jobs. The keys to buying these cars used are: full service history, pre-purchase inspection, making sure expensive scheduled maintenance has recently been done and/or taking imminent costs into account, and research so you know what to expect and can afford the ongoing maintenance. There are also two main types of buyer: 1) people who change their cars every year or two or three, and 2) people who have no plans to replace in the foreseeable future. With this type of car, there are also those who will use regularly, and sadly those who won't who risk higher maintenance costs as a result. These different types of buyers will likely differently view a car's service history. The upcoming need for a big cost maintenance item will be viewed differently depending on how much you intend to use the car and how long you intend to keep it. Obviously, the worst kind of costs are the unexpected kind. Generally speaking, it's best to pay a little more for a car that has recently had all or most of the big cost maintenance items replaced or serviced. If the car has a manual gearbox, single-clutch F1-style, or double-clutch gearbox, then after full service history, clutch/es is probably consideration number one. Then there's belts/chains, hoses, brakes, tyres, suspension, differential, air conditioning, etc. And then any other known weak spots for any given car. So, if a car has recently had new clutch, belts, brakes, suspension parts, tyres, heater matrix, etc, then the car has to be worth that few thousand more, and the peace of mind is priceless. And 3-5,000 miles a year are good healty numbers. IMO, cars that have done less than a thousand miles a year, either overall or in recent years, should be approached with greater caution than a car that has done 10K miles a year and been appropriately maintained! Ignore the extended oil change intervals. Change the oil and filter every 6 months if using weekly or more, otherwise every 12 months. Preferably change all fluids every two years, certainly every three. Check all hoses annually. Change all belts according to the manufacturer's recommendations (or more often if your specialist so recommends). But ignore the manufacturer and your specialist if they say you don't need to change the oil because modern oils are so great. It's not worth the saving. And low mileage and hard driving = extreme conditions for which manufactuers greatly reduce the service intervals! Good luck and drive your car regularly. Change the oil. Get it up to temperature before driving it hard, then give it a decent run. If it's getting on a bit, be a little more gentle. It's almost impossible to keep every component up to full spec.
BTW, I trust nobody thinks an old Porsche is cheap to run. Relatively maybe. But again they are generally used by their owners, and, as said above, that makes a big difference. Jags are also relatively cheap to run, but yet again they generally get plenty of use. If you want a super sports car on a budget and want new technology and lower running costs, then the Jag XK 5.0L is well worth a look. But if you want an old school manual super sports car, a 911 is probably the sensible way to go, but you should still keep five grand in the bank as a repair fund. And you must accept how common they are. Cheaper to buy alternatives to the Aston V8 Vantage that offer a similar vibe and are available with manual gearboxes include the Maserati 3200 GT and 4200. Considering all that, if you like the way the Aston looks, drives and sounds, have the money to buy, buy a good one, and can keep five grand aside at all times for repairs, I think it's a pretty compelling package, and the current market reflects that when you consider a DB9 can easily be found for less.
@@JayEmmOnCars Thanks for that - shame, but certainly worth the sound! Brilliant videos by the way. You and Harry's Garage are my 'go-to' car channels.
@@jamesdavies8982 I have a 2006 Vantage and the dealer here in Perth, Australia gives you the option to fit a nice factory looking switch in the tray next to the lighter in the centre console that allows you to open or close the valves without removing the fuse 👍
what I'm amazed at is that most of the car reviewers are OK with the styling of the new Vantage, for fear of upsetting AM & not getting their drives etc .. - especially those front lights ?! looks like a mazda - what's your view ?
Thanks a lot for this vid. Was saving money to buy a 2016/2017 Vantage S with Sportshift 2 in 3 or 4 years. I am leaving this idear 😞. Keep my Plus 4 💪
Give me the XKR 4.2 or 5.0. 2005 to 2015. You have to rev crap out of these and parts are insane as you said. I used to be a huge Aston fan till I drove quite a few. Honestly quite disappointed. I did not drive any V-12 Porsche, lotus, Jag, Ferrari and Benz then bimmer for me.
Nice simple honest review! Love it... would have been good to know the owners average mpg out of curiousity. The cars are barely faster than an HR 350Z but again you get the looks...although you do also...get the costs.lol
Both nice the Aston is more unique the Jag more modern in particular in interior, same designer so not much on outside. Jag a little quicker Aston sounds better. Jag will still depreciate Aston won't.
Craig Moy The Aston may depreciate less rapidly than a Jaguar, but the Aston will depreciate, hence this version is approximately £30,000, it's lost 66% of its original value over the last eleven years. Only time will tell how much further its value will drop with time. Personally if I were looking to buy a second hand Aston then I would aim to save enough to go after the V12 Vantage.
I agree there has been no decline in Vantage prices in the 2 years since I bought mine. Yes like all cars they take a drop in the first 5 years then flatten out. 911's are much the same.
I never understood how they managed to make it so heavy, the v12 version is the same weight as a db9, which is just bizarre..1800kg and probably lucky to get 340bhp (has anyone dyno'd one at 380??) and your keeping this car honest with a £6k 645ci... I know its a beautiful car, stunning and has prestige but they are disappointing when you mash the peddle... They were aimed at the 911 and came no where close... Came in too expensive, too heavy and too slow.
Have an Evora 400 and a V12 Vantage S. Thus far the Evora has done 1800 miles this year and the Vantage has done...... 0. The Evora is just a better car to drive, more practical (can put the dog in the back), and in the wet or low temperatures the V12 is just scary, the tyres don't work below about 7c. The Vantage will get some summer use because it is just gorgeous and the noise is sublime. In terms of fuel, real world the V8 Vantage S my dad had could just about do 24mpg, V12S will MAYBE hit 20mpg on a motorway cruise at 70mph, Evora can easily do 30mpg+.
Just Purchased 4.3 Vantage absolutely bloody LOVE IT, it Looks like nothing else on the road even today and its 11 years old, it drives amazing and it sounds flipping AWESOME.
Good for you dude
Great car. I ran a vantage for 30k miles. Every day car. Loved it.
Flipping?
Is that you Moss? ua-cam.com/video/TwJheWwW7rw/v-deo.html
Yup gone mine in November O8. 10 yes 10,000 miles on it. Have you removed fuse 22 yet? If not why not!
@@eleveneleven572 yes its me
The key to keeping repair costs in line with an Aston according to Matt Farah is finding a good independent shop and then check which parts are the same as a Ford, just with different part numbers.
Very good advice. Applies also for Lotus, TVR and a few others
@@JayEmmOnCars Fully agree, some homework is needed. They still are far more affordable than Ferrari and even Maseratis, especially the cars built/designed under Ford ownership. Ford actually made Aston a better company, they frankly would not exist today without their support. Look at Lambo, a fabulous looking car that actually starts (thanks Volkswagen!); Huge improvement in quality.
I'll always remember the Clarkson review on Top Gear (IIRC) when these were new! He said something along the lines of "you wouldn't need to phone the missus to stick the kettle on...she'd hear you coming from about two miles away" and that resonated with me, the noise these things make is immense.
Amen to that. All about that deep angry V8 growl
One of the best engine noises in my opinion. Cold start... glorious.
One of the prettiest modern cars ever made
SashaUAE2020 I would agree. They look so nice in person as well.
Beside the Maserati GT and Alfa 8C... That would be a 3 car dream garage
Artikel 13 Bot I agree besides the Maserati it has good looks but that’s where the positives stops
Pi_turnin Good lucks and comfort though.. but yeah performance per price is poor
I have the new vantage, but i really like the old one too
I love these Astons their so timeless this one looks like came off the showroom floor today
Exactly. British car designer really deserves a raise . You can buy an aston martin from 20 years ago and it will still look good today.
I have a 2007, and they respond remarkably well to exhaust mods. Headers, cats and the like wake up the engine considerably. Torque especially is improved.
I concur
Coming up to 12 months ownership of a 2007 4.3 Manual in Onyx Black after buying mine through the Approved “Timeless” Pre Owned scheme last year. The car had previously only covered circa 28k miles in 11 years, but I’ve loved driving it so much I’ve added 8k in 11 months! By all accounts driving them regularly is key to keeping the car in good order. Warranty has covered a faulty headlight jet washer, LED headlight strip failure and worn door jams. Other than that it’s been faultless.
Agree there’s just enough performance to avoid license losing speeds, and the sound with the fuse removed is epic. One word of caution, if the fuse isn’t reinstalled for a while, the valves effectively fuse (no pun intended!) themselves and stop working. Not a major issue if you never want to re-install the fuse, but worth looking out for if you do.
You mentioned in the video, the car was circa £80k new, obviously worth taking into consideration inflation. Mine was £91k with options in 2007, which factoring in inflation takes it up to circa £124k in today’s money, much the same as the new Vantage. If you consider the new price in that context, the running costs don’t seem extreme by any stretch. Sure it’s not cheap to run, although on a long run at steady speeds, 23-25mpg is achievable, around town you’re looking at mid teens. However, I just renewed my insurance for 12 months for example, and fully comprehensive, with protected no claims, came in at £321 which I thought was great value for a 31 year old man, and freed up funds for the £570 or so tax bill! Just had the car serviced by the main dealer in Bristol, and came in at circa £770 for the annual service. Not Fiesta cheap, but not horrendous either, and only a couple of hundred quid more than an annual service on my 2.0 diesel Land Rover.
Echo your thoughts on the manual, the clutch can be quite heavy around town, but working your way through the gears (and revs) suits the analogue nature of the car much more than an automated manual.
Above all I love the character of the car, and it seems the general public enjoy seeing (and hearing it!) as well. You can sometimes face a degree of animosity with a Porsche’s or M BMW, but most people seem to appreciate an Aston. I think it treads the line nicely between being a relatively modern and useable car, but with a hint of being a classic. It’s not perfect by any stretch, the key is from a Ford Orion, the sat nav from a first generation XC90 and you’ll spend more time in petrol stations than Alan Partridge, but on a country road on a sunny day, second gear, windows down, it just makes you smile.
Finally it’s also absolutely gorgeous...
found one for 48,000 with 11,000 miles (middling to fair deal). west coast car, never driven in the rain. the very next day i put gas in it and started a 6000 mile trip. combined city/highway... 23mpg (with defective thermostat that didn't close properly). fixed the thermostat issue afterward for 15 dollars and an afternoon's work.
Just bought one of these, a 2008 Sportshift with relatively high miles, but well taken care of. I'm thrilled with the car. I've owned a few other supercars in the past (Lotus Esprit, Ferrari 348) as well as more pedestrian sports cars, and this is by far my favorite purchase ever. It's unbelievably enjoyable to drive. It looks great and sounds great, and I got it for a very reasonable price. People who don't know cars assume it's easily $200k because of the Aston badge and the looks. And people who do know cars understand what a good value it represents.
Two things -- first, I actually enjoy the Sportshift. Yes it has its issues and if this was my daily driver it would not be practical. But I enjoy it for the theater of it. It lets you know that you're not driving something ordinary. I'm not trying to have the fastests shifts down to the millisecond or navigate parking lots at 1mph. I want something different and entertaining, and that's what it is. And when it comes time to replace the clutch, I'm going to have my existing components rebuilt and the friction disc relined with Kevlar -- thus saving about three grand in parts AND giving me a clutch that I'll basically never have to worry about again.
Yes, service costs are huge. I took my car for its first major service at a specialist indy shortly after buying it, and did all the fluids, spark plugs, accessory belt and pulleys, some minor deferred maintenance and replaced a wheel bearing/hub, and it cost nearly $6000 all-in. That's part of the deal. I don't expect to spend that sum too frequently though. If the car costs me $2k a year to operate, I'll be very happy.
One thing I will say I also noticed was that the mileage is better than expected. When I got my car fuse 22 was already pulled. I was expecting 13mpg tops based on everything I read before purchase, and while I never did an actual calculation, my mental math says I must be getting far better than that.
Awesome car. Bad shirt.
Len Martin no u
That could literally be this channel’s tagline.
Understandable if you think a Jag looks better than an Aston.
That's his trademark
Well balanced review. Really enjoying your content. Keep up the good work.
Ps, in answer to your question as to why people spend £30-40k on a fast hatch instead of an Aston is largely because most new cars are bought on some sort of finance plan. Sure you could get private finance on a used Aston, but the monthlies would be much higher and it wouldn’t come with warranty. I’m sure if you gave most petrolheads £30k cash to spend on a car, 9 of 10 times it’d be something interesting and used.
These early Vantage’s are really beautiful cars, and keep up the Great Content, This is one of the best Channels on the site! Keep it up Guys!
Another top notch review. Thanks very much.
Wow this was like my life story, I went through the maths and convinced myself and the car I bought is almost identical to this video.... Onyx black, manual, mine does not have the Sat Nav and I bought it with the equivalent of 15,000 miles given we live with Kms.... 2 years later it now has 23,000 miles, running cost including service much less than my old Audi S6 (try a new gearbox at 40,000 miles for 10,000 pounds). The Astons are very robust, I have a factory sports exhaust and the fuses out and it sounds even better than this video if that is at all possible. The early cars, like the video, are also prettier as they do not have the later side body mouldings under the doors, which detract a little in the styling, they were standard on the V12 (look at pictures of both if you doubt me). Add to this that the current market value for mine is more than I paid, and I can happily say it is the best car I have owned. I do regret a decade on selling my 911sc convertible and a few year back my 968cs, both better appreciating cars in hindsight, but my Aston will never go down from here, particularly as AML is being pushed further upmarket, this will help residuals (all things I took into consideration when I bought it). So all in all if you think you might want one go for it, just find one with perfect service at AD, and if you can get one without a SatNav as it only dates the car. No they are not super fast, but handle perfectly, but who cares when driving down the high street sounding like you all calling up the devil in first gear!!!! By the way 12 years on you will be happy that this car was built when Ford owned, they made it reliable and many parts are interchangeable with the ford/volvo empire.
oh come on stop buying cars as money investments. It wasn't a mistake for selling the Porsches "too early" sometimes you don't have to think like you're in Wall Street you know?
The engine is based on the 4.2L V8 from a 2006 XK but they're bullet proof. Early Jags were built with plastic chain tensioners and a water pump impeller i believe which of course fell apart. Once these two weaknesses were fixed, the engine became highly reliable. A common low cost fix was the throttle body position sensor so you just replaced the whole thing with a cheap scrap yard copy. and that's about it. I drove one of these when i lived in Vegas and for most roads in Scotland to where I returned, the HP of these cars is plenty. My supercharged XKR of the same period has better low down grunt and a flatter torque curve which make driving effortless but for most urban/rural driving, anything over 400HP is sort of wasted. Lastly, a car like this looks desirable because it's gorgeous. Porsche may well build "better" cars but not one of them looks or sounds better than this Vantage. Thanks for making these in depth reviews.
My 4.3 Vantage has 127k miles on it (not km) and is a bulletproof car
Nice video. It is really speaking to me right now. I have been away from being a car guy for the last 7 years and have recently gotten the itch back. Especially since I got my old job back and my finances have recovered and then some. I started looking at older “sporty” cars, but then started realizing what I could afford. I went from, “I’ll get an old XK8”, to “why not get a XKR, a second gen XKR, a DB7, a DB7 Vantage, a DB9”. Now that I am doing some serious research, I am finding that V8 Vantage is actually affordable, and more of a sports car like my Vette was than a slightly bigger grand tourer. I am seeing people get the same old Mustangs, Corvettes, and Jeeps that cost more and appreciate fast. Yes, I could get a car that has an edge on the track, but I want something with a little more elegance and sophistication, and also something a little more exotic. I want to have the Aston Martin experience. This video was the last gram that pushed me over. So my plan is get a XKR (X150) for a couple of years and try that experience, pay it off, then go for Aston. I’m going British! Thanks again for this video!
My pleasure
I own an 07 Vantage. This car is truly a joy to drive. I use it as my daily driver and have just gone over 80k miles on it. It is beginning to act like an old man gettin out of bed if I let it sit awhile. But, once I get it rolling, it loostens up nicely. It really needs to be driven regularly to stay in shape. My mechanic/dealership says its the best of the old Astons they service and has the most miles. As for service costs, well.....you need alot of extra cash compared to other cars. I expect to pay $1500 to $2000 every six months. That includes 10000k service, complete check-up, and average of fix-its, tires, breaks, etc. Intereresting is that Im still using the original rotors. Thats going to hurt for its next visit to the shop. Best long wear tires have been the Contenental's. They have outlived the protenza's and pirelli's tires x2.
Are you going to an Aston dealership, or a regular mechanic for your maintenance?
Agree, my current Contis are treating me well!
@@burtdemill9393 It Breaks?
Had the pleasure of driving one of these today and it was absolutely brilliant! Definitely on my dream car list.
You should hear it with a supercharger and sport cats, thats what i did to mine and it was awesome.
Servicing was fine at £700 a pop and in 15000 supercharged mls it never needed anything doing apart from a regular 12 month service.
How much extra was the insurance after adding the supercharger? How much was it to get the supercharger fitted?
5:56 This episode has been brought to you by a random hay seller.
Bob's Hay Shack, just off the Interstate
"this car of course has a fuse that's fallen out"
XD
Can someone explain this😂
@@ow7224 there's a system that restricts exhaust noise, it would be illegal to modify the system on purpose, so of course the fuse to that particular system just so happens to have accidentally fallen out...
Christopher O'Grady 😂😂Thanks for the explanation 2 years later
drove one of these at a track alongside a 360, 911, and a little lambo, it was the slowest of the 4 by some distance, but still more than powerful enough for road driving and the only one of those 4 that I would consider using everyday.
Where are we with a bumper-to-bumper warranty on the Aston?
Who is this Doug fellow anyway? :-D
Dough DeMuro. He’s a popular yT car guy. He had an Aston with nothing but problems. Good thing he had a bumper to bumper warranty. Ultimately he sold it to another yT car guy by the name of Tavares.
@@kevinl6231 oooooooh ok now I know. 😑
Modern classic car. That will only appreciate in value. Great balanced review Jay. Pleasure to watch.
"I'd rather just go around doing this."
Agreed. 👍
If you go into a pub car park and there's a Porsche, my immediate thought is who's the tw@t with the Porsche. If there's an Vantage V8 in the car park, I think "whoa, that's cool"....
Looks so much better than the new one.
There's someone that lives just up the road from me that always has one of these, and multiple MG Z cars on the drive.
I feel we would get along.....
Just took delivery of a 6 Speed, Merlot Red, 4.3L, Roadster. ❤❤❤
For some reason i actually prefer the 4.3 than the 4.7 Vantage
Loved the Video- spot on! Yea-well done. And exactly why I bought nearly the identical car over a Porsche (Street sighting ratio in my town Porsche VS AM is like 100/1). I've had it 3 years now and 15K. Built like a Ferret APC. Once sorted a bit it has asked for very little. A new clutch looms but ok. Plenty fast for day -to-day and yes, the drive and handling is the best fun, a true GT sports. What else, still one of the best looking auto designs I've ever seen.
2020 anyone?
As of today 31st December 2019, there are plenty of these on Autotrader, around £25k, including one low 40k miler.
Yep seen them bargain
I wouldn't go for this OR a Porsche. Far better value for money is the XK in my opinion. Extremely low mileage 12 plates available for £25k as I type (Jan 2020)
@@BibTheBoulderTheOriginalOne no manual option mate more fun that way
Bib The Boulder XK is a GT car it can’t attack the road like a Porsche or Vantage.
Great video ! Still a magnificient car 5 years later. Did the price really almost double ? I cant find anything under 60k 😢
In the States , these beautiful cars just about fly under the radar unless you are wealthy and most likely buying a brand new Aston Martin. For me currently in the process to purchase a Vantage 4.3 (6-speed) is a dream come true! Love the heritage of Aston Martin ( and Norton motorcycles 😉 ) so when you consider dollar / pound cost for what you are able to experience , it's a dream. Then add some personal touch customization , a $30 - 50K Vantage will look like a $160K+ car to any normal person other than a purist.
Thanks for the detailed overview, you brought out important details people like me are after.
it absolutley is! the new Vantage by Mercedes Benz :D is just no where near as gorgeous looking as this early 2000's model, and this Aston/Jag V8 sounds so much more sonorous
At a supercar experience trackday last year, which was a terrible experience I wouldn't recommend, I drove one of these V8s but the 4.7 in Manual and it completely changed my mind about Astons. Yes, they look nice but I always expected them to be wallowy and not handle fantastically. I also drove a Ferrari California which was kinda meh.. and an Audi R8 which I was greatly looking forward to. It was unfortunately an Auto and not their highly regarded Manual but nevertheless it felt so vague in steering feel and so boring. It was just like driving a bigger 4wd Golf with loads of power. In short, the Aston surprisingly came up best for me and ever since then, I've always thought that is the car I'd consider in future, should my budget allow.
Why was the supercar experience bad? I ask as I've been considering buying for a friend.
@@bouncycastles1214 this particular one was bad as the company I experienced didn't seem to care about anything other than taking your money. They are not cheap days out whatsoever and on the track you have an instructor with you, understandably, yet from the off in the Ferrari I was getting told off for not doing exactly as he asked to the book. Bearing in mind I'd never been on a track before at this point in my life. I consider myself a decent driver and used to driving performance cars having had a few of my own but was made to feel like an idiot and warned that if I didn't listen I'd be kicked off with no refund. I hadn't even done anything terrible. Anyway, that set the tone. In the R8, the instructor was much better and never shouted but they make you change gear before 4000 rpm, which even in supercars is quite ridiculous if you're used to driving anything performance orientated with some gusto. The instructor in the Aston was much better and probably why I enjoyed that a bit more as well as having the Manual gearbox. But at the end of the day, I was booked to have a passenger ride in an Ariel Atom. Instead they put me in a V8 M3 as they "ran out of time". Which was no fault of my own, I queued up and waited for my turns like everybody else. Now the driver of the M3 took me and my girlfriend of the time out and he was a very impressive pilot but an M3 is hardly a once in a lifetime experience. My ex girlfriend drove them herself as her brother owned a garage. I was ripped off and disappointed and with having to change gear on these supercars so early and ruin the fun, I only thought to myself how I'd much, much rather be driving my own car around that track. Unless you are someone who is not used to driving any performance cars or never drives fast, I would say it's a complete waste of time and money. At least it was on that occasion any way.
The one you own is the one you enjoy the most. If you can only afford a cheaper older one, then buy a nicer older one or one that needs some love and give it love. Personally I love my '07 XKR coupe, paid $11.5k and needed some inexpensive repairs so $13k into a ton of fun.
I have an xkr and im swapping to a aston for the reason every man and dog have xkr its a jag middle class car that isnt fun on country roads but an aston is far more stylish. Its better class like wearing ck pull up anywhere in an aston you will get looks pull up in a jag xkr noones interested because its dated badly and its a jag
Had a ride in a 4.3 vantage - awesome! But not fast... then you dont care when you feel like james bond.
Exactly
It isn't a case of going fast. It's about leaping over continents and feeling as fresh at your destination as you did when you started.
If 380 hp isn't fast to you.. then you've become numb
Wonder how much money do you make and what car do you have if 380HP is not fast at all. Sure I got my licence not that long ago, but my 230HP C30 T5 feels more than enough at the moment...
Sounds to be beautifully built, not a squeak or rattle to be heard. £30k is a bloody bargain. It’s not got turbos, fancy gearboxes or carbon brakes to spend £££ on either.
If you get a 55 plate (alot rarer) it's £315 a year for road tax :)
In Italy you can add a zero to that figure :-(
I like this guy, obviously not an Aston lover but objective. One thing I will say is that nobody who really wants an Aston would buy a porsche, they'd save a bit more for a DB9
Hi, i'm new to finding your channel and videos. I've watched a few 'car youtubers' and i've felt they've changed to advertising the brand their driving. But your video for me a back to basics driving experience and something i can aim for - i drive a 330D BMW, so not supercar but a good family car with a bit of shift when i 'need' it. - you've got another sub!
Thanks Keith- yes as channels grow sponsorship and deals inevitably happen so the great challenge is keeping honest as you can.
My Infiniti already only gets 17 miles a gallon so might as well get one of these
You did well in comparison to Jaguar XK-R. When I picked my next euro hot rod, I could have went Aston. But absolutely went used Jaguar because it is equally beautiful, less expensive, easier and far cheaper to service, and I have an obscene amount of power 500+HP that I rarely use. Oh, I don't need to remove a fuse in the Jag to make it sound good. Just push the dynamic button.. In the US, not a daily driver.
But its a jag. Everyday middle run of the mill boring auto doesnt turn heads. I have one and my aston turns heads 100 times better and sounds better and goes better with the manual
@@icemanstripperyou’re so insecure man, every comment you make is about getting looks.. so desperate for attention you sound mentally ill
“3x” greater maintenance than a 911. Same for similar Maserati. Yikes. Thank you. I’ll rent ‘em for short trips and keep my 911 in top shape. That way I can retire at 80 (laughter)
In a stealership!!
The statement on maintenance costs of a Maserati of the same era is totally misleading. I used to own a 4.3 Vantage for 2 years, a Vantage 4.7 Sportshift for 1.5 years and stayed with a Maserati Granturismo S 4.7 with the awesome MC gearbox (much sportier experience than with the auto box, aka Automatica) for the last 6 years. Not only is the MC gearbox (do not confuse it with the old 4200 MC gearbox) not as jearky as Aston's Sportshift (popular with the 4.7), Audi R8's R-Tronic or BMW's SMG and SMG2, it is very fast (switches gears in 60ms) and does not kill the clutch like the other single clutch robotized manuals do. Why? Because the clutch is from the Ferrari 599, a V12 with more torque than any of these V8s and BMW V10. That is, the clutch is built to last longer and can easily take the beating of a V8, especially when in sport mode. Generally speaking, the key to a long lasting clutch with any of the aforementioned gearboxes is to prevent unnecessary crawling. Note that Aston's Sportshift clutch is not fully enganged till a speed of roughly 7 km/h (around 4.4 miles/h). I did 40 thousand miles on the Maserati and the clutch has a consumption of 28% only. But let's get back to overall maintenance costs: The AM Vantage V8 needs servicing once per year, the Maserati Granturismo S / Sport only every 2nd year. That results in quite a huge saving.
I recall getting a 2007/8 courtesy car - Ford Fiesta with about a 1 litre engine... Filled it 4x that week and combined it returned 22.1mpg UK. That's how I drive and my old Cayenne 4.5 V8 averages 16-18 so I've no complaints and my next car will be an Aston... I'm torn between a db9 and Vantage (£30k circa)
Great video.
I'm tormented now though, do I press ahead with the DB9 - a car I've always wanted or consider - again - the Vantage.
Oh the decision.....lol
Jay is spot on that this is a great car - I’ve owned the 4.3, an N420 and an N430 and they are all great. The larger torque of the 4.7 is worth it but all are lovely sports cars. One criticism is the throwaway comment about servicing costs - but a decent one with plenty of history and the costs are the same as my friend’s Boxster. The chain driven V8 is solid and reliable (hence the not great outputs), the gearbox solid and clutches can easily last 50-60k miles. Compare it to a similar Porsche and you are left waiting for the big bills to fly in. Servicing costs may seem higher as a lot of owners tend to buy through the authorised network dealers and buy warranty packages with servicing included. V12 is awesome but a completely different kettle of fish and much higher costs but depreciation doesn’t exist!
This is what keeps the Aston special. Even at a cheap price, only people that can afford it buy it.
This is why they remain exotic cars
It's a real sod to try and find a video on UA-cam of a 'proper' Aston Martin V8 Vantage i.e. the 5.3 litre car from the '70s & '80s. I always end up with this car... but as you're reviewing this one. I'll watch it.
[ Edit: 19th video down... ua-cam.com/video/1hv_DEwnJTQ/v-deo.html ]
[ BTW, the 4.3 engine for this WAS designed by Jaguar Cars as I was working in that department at the time it was being done, it is different though. It has titanium conrods IIRC ! ]
ua-cam.com/video/guaO8uvUHR4/v-deo.html&ab_channel=Chicane Here's one!!!
@@type4968
Not quite.
This is a DBS that you've posted.
It's the slightly revised front end of the post David-Brown car that I try and search for.
These are the best videos I've found so far:
ua-cam.com/video/TptFG_92New/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/i6_083S-CyA/v-deo.html
@@lewis72 Look at the other Chicane vids then, there's a 6.3 v8 in there somewhere👍
just bought a 2007 manual w/11,000 miles on it. it even had the original tires and buggered thermostat. next day without so much as a look see at the mechanics, i started out on a 5,000 mile round trip from san francisco to ohio and completed it without issue, although i spent an inordinate amount of time on the roadside reading through the awkwardly sized manual trying to determine whether or not the latest warning light on the dash held any real significance. they didn't. none of them.
I made the massive mistake of trading mine in for a DB9 Volante. BIG mistake. Hopefully, getting another Vantage next year.
The car is starting to be appreciated now that the market has transitioned to boring transportation "pods" that drive themselves. For those of us that actually like to drive rather than play with the infotainment system, the normally aspirated, beautifully designed 2006- 2016 Astons will be the keepers.
Sit in a Porsche 997 then sit in a Vantage V8 and unless you are a confirmed Porschephile you will instantly want the Aston. No comparison.
Stunningly beautiful automobile! The Aston’s for the last 15 years or so have been the most beautiful cars on the road. And then, there’s that sound!😍 unfortunately, it’s one of those things that, “if you have to ask how much it cost to maintain, you can’t afford it“. But oh that sound!!!
Think the 4.3L V8s is the prettiest of all the modern Astons.Later Vantages (4.7 and V12s) and all later models had skirts, and other aero mods making them look more "boy racer-ish".
20mpg isn't bad considering my Jeep dealers years ago gave me a European Ford Fiesta with a 1.0 or 1.1 litre 4 pot banger and it barely scraped 22mpg (imperial) real world. Filled it 3 times in a week and best was 22.1mpg.
Nice video and personally I don't frown at my V8 Cayenne mpg in the mid to late teens (city) 24-28mpg (motorway/highway).
Just enjoy what you drive!
Going from a V8 Vantage 4.7 to a V8 Vantage S I always thought the non-S was the better car, like you say the suspension on the S is pretty awful. As they were both paddleshifts though the move to SS2 was MUCH improved vs. the SS1 box.
Even considering the V12 I'd probably say a manual, 4.3 or 4.7 V8, non-S is probably the sweet spot - the 4.3 makes a better noise, the 4.7 has a nicer dash and a bit more poke.
Servicing on the V12 Vantage S (2nd year service, granted, still a new car) was bloody reasonable though - £670 including collection and return in a covered trailer!
Agree completely on all comments. I probably have the slowest car in our club, but as a 4.3 with factory sports exhaust as well as fuses out it sounds better than anything else. V12 is a much quicker car, but a step in cost all around.
James Thorburn But the S is 2 seconds faster at Hockenheim than the non S. 😂
Number of laps we did of Hockenheim: 0
Number of bumps we drove over where the Vantage S would rattle around in a matter totally unbecoming of an Aston Martin: About 99 billion
Really enjoyed this review. Thank you. Didn’t realise how much taking the fuse out was going to affect fuel consumption so thanks for that (although i will not be able to resist taking that fuse out 😂)
I remember driving the then new 4”3 Vantage when it first came out. I loved how it looked (still do) and really wanted one (still do) but was really unimpressed at how that engine managed to produce such epic sound and fury with so little forward go. It felt like it would struggle to keep up with an E46 M3. I’m very interested in what Bamford and Rose do, mind you. I’m seriously thinking about an N430 or a car that gets treated to the full B+R works.
yeh.. I have a 4.3 and I dont think its much faster then my 2013 toyota 86. But its an Aston and it makes very nice noises and looks amazing :) Although, if you ring its neck it does get a move on pretty good. Id imagine an N430 would be pretty damn good in all regards, you should pursue that
You've got a real talent in presenting. I honestly think servicing cost will be comparable to porsche if done by independent specialist.
Great vid thanks. Similar thoughts to you I had a 911 and wanted something different so went for an onyx black 08 vantage with only 30k on the clock, had it a year and been reliable. Didn’t know about the fuel consumption reduction with the fuse out, thanks. Even so I will still leave it out!! I will check out the clutch and light flywheel mod thanks.
I made an error it's worse mpg with the fuse out
My mistake I meant fuel reduction with the fuse in, either way it’s staying out for now, like the roar too much.
Fixing these are far more expensive for people who don't understand that so much of this car is Volvo. Some parts are expensive, but get the Volvo part.....its the same part.
Yawn, the clutch is the most expensive part and it's not a Volvo and it's going every 40k if you drive carefully
These cars are still the most beautiful sounding to me
What a glorious sound that car makes.
I bought a 2010 manual... the difference in torque and interior finish is well worth the extra money, amazing cars though the build quality is fantastic and you see that when working on them and good luck getting a Porsche 911 for under 40k USD it would have to be some god awful 928 or other wierd thing as people have pretty much lost their minds with porsche 911 resale values (here across the pond at least)
Just purchased 4.3 v8 one week ago, sold 996 c4 3.4.. what a thing of beauty! Can anybody recommend a specialist around West Midlands.
Bamford Rose.
You are a smart guy. With Almost Undesrtandable English for non Eng spoken people
Imagination⁉️ I'm the kind of person who actually enjoys watching Clovis and yourself, do you honestly expect me to have an imagination⁉️🤪🤪🤪
Just bought a 981...... but did consider the Aston, along with similar priced Jags, Maseratis, even the GTR and the R8. Will see how I get on, might come back to the Aston in a year or two.
Brilliant car the 981
Absolute modern classic it's aging so well!
If you’re looking for an AM V8, I would recommend one with the 4.7 engine. Even better MY 12.25 and later. The 4.3 engine is really underperforming. But of course it is the cheapest way to drive an Aston Martin.
I'd take an AM over a Porsche any day! I can't see the comparison, myself. I love Aston Martins, and have done since I was a kid.
Favourite car ever. Hate current Astons.
Great video Jay enjoyed that. Beautiful machine.
remember aston martin were owned by ford at the time and shared alot of parts so repairs and servicing arnt too bad, if you seach the part numbers up and order from parts shops rather than going to the dealers to be ripped off!
Absolutely beautiful!
nice vid.. considering one of these for 12 cars...but I fear that like the Maser I won't much like actually driving it
Number27 you also wouldn't like the constant bills either.
Why, they drive well, and I have had 911's, fast Audi's etc... If you really like driving my old car was better still a Renault 200RS, you could drive it close to max more of the time.
Seriously considering one of these as a daily
Good review on an interesting car, keep up the good work.
Thanks!
Yes they have come down in price but they are very expensive to keep ,insurance,tax ,services and maintenance not to mention MPH apart from that I would love one
What most people don't seem to appreciate is that the bills come with lack of use, and the more sophisticated the car the more lack of use costs. Most mechanics will tell you the cars in regular use are the ones that require the least maintenance. It's counter-intuitive, but cars are made to drive, not sit in garages as works of art. Think of a car like a human being. If it goes for a run every day it typically works better, is happier, healthier, and has greater longevity, etc.
Sure, manual clutches and F1-style gearboxes with clutches are weak points. They are for all cars; the more powerful the car, the more strain the gearbox is under.
Sure, the more exotic cars often aren't designed for ease of maintenance; often the likes of belts and clutches are engine-out jobs. These are the things you really need to research, as these are the real budget busters. If you are on a budget, beware of such cars.
40,000 miles on a clutch isn't that bad. That was once typical for your average car. What wasn't typical is the cost. Performance cars have very big clutches. Low-volume cars often have very expensive parts prices. And as already stated, poor design can mean astronomical labour costs.
However, a V12 isn't necessarily going to cost more to run than a V8. If well-maintained, the engines are typically the cars strongest points. Fuel costs are the big issue. Typically the older cars are horrendous in this regard with 10 mpg around town and 20mpg on a run typically being optimistic. But then there are some V8 and V12 cars for which close to 20 and 30 is realistic if you drive gently. For instance, in the last 15-20 years, the Jags and Mercs with big engines have generally been significantly more economical than the Astons and Maseratis.
Again, poor design and packaging compromises are what can cost you. Clogged-up drainage channels, electrics where water can settle, and hugely expensive dashboard-out jobs.
The keys to buying these cars used are: full service history, pre-purchase inspection, making sure expensive scheduled maintenance has recently been done and/or taking imminent costs into account, and research so you know what to expect and can afford the ongoing maintenance.
There are also two main types of buyer: 1) people who change their cars every year or two or three, and 2) people who have no plans to replace in the foreseeable future. With this type of car, there are also those who will use regularly, and sadly those who won't who risk higher maintenance costs as a result. These different types of buyers will likely differently view a car's service history.
The upcoming need for a big cost maintenance item will be viewed differently depending on how much you intend to use the car and how long you intend to keep it.
Obviously, the worst kind of costs are the unexpected kind.
Generally speaking, it's best to pay a little more for a car that has recently had all or most of the big cost maintenance items replaced or serviced.
If the car has a manual gearbox, single-clutch F1-style, or double-clutch gearbox, then after full service history, clutch/es is probably consideration number one. Then there's belts/chains, hoses, brakes, tyres, suspension, differential, air conditioning, etc. And then any other known weak spots for any given car.
So, if a car has recently had new clutch, belts, brakes, suspension parts, tyres, heater matrix, etc, then the car has to be worth that few thousand more, and the peace of mind is priceless.
And 3-5,000 miles a year are good healty numbers.
IMO, cars that have done less than a thousand miles a year, either overall or in recent years, should be approached with greater caution than a car that has done 10K miles a year and been appropriately maintained!
Ignore the extended oil change intervals. Change the oil and filter every 6 months if using weekly or more, otherwise every 12 months. Preferably change all fluids every two years, certainly every three. Check all hoses annually. Change all belts according to the manufacturer's recommendations (or more often if your specialist so recommends).
But ignore the manufacturer and your specialist if they say you don't need to change the oil because modern oils are so great. It's not worth the saving. And low mileage and hard driving = extreme conditions for which manufactuers greatly reduce the service intervals!
Good luck and drive your car regularly. Change the oil. Get it up to temperature before driving it hard, then give it a decent run. If it's getting on a bit, be a little more gentle. It's almost impossible to keep every component up to full spec.
You are very right about cars that are laid up being troublesome
BTW, I trust nobody thinks an old Porsche is cheap to run. Relatively maybe. But again they are generally used by their owners, and, as said above, that makes a big difference. Jags are also relatively cheap to run, but yet again they generally get plenty of use. If you want a super sports car on a budget and want new technology and lower running costs, then the Jag XK 5.0L is well worth a look. But if you want an old school manual super sports car, a 911 is probably the sensible way to go, but you should still keep five grand in the bank as a repair fund. And you must accept how common they are. Cheaper to buy alternatives to the Aston V8 Vantage that offer a similar vibe and are available with manual gearboxes include the Maserati 3200 GT and 4200. Considering all that, if you like the way the Aston looks, drives and sounds, have the money to buy, buy a good one, and can keep five grand aside at all times for repairs, I think it's a pretty compelling package, and the current market reflects that when you consider a DB9 can easily be found for less.
Great video! - so to be clear, does fuel consumption go up or down by taking fuse 22 out? not that I will be leaving it in!
I made a mistake with my words, economy goes down with fuse 22 out
@@JayEmmOnCars Thanks for that - shame, but certainly worth the sound! Brilliant videos by the way. You and Harry's Garage are my 'go-to' car channels.
@@jamesdavies8982 I have a 2006 Vantage and the dealer here in Perth, Australia gives you the option to fit a nice factory looking switch in the tray next to the lighter in the centre console that allows you to open or close the valves without removing the fuse 👍
great timing for this vid ... buying one this summer - likely to go for the 4.7 (Bluetooth, gearbox, efficiency etc)
Just get a manual!
what I'm amazed at is that most of the car reviewers are OK with the styling of the new Vantage, for fear of upsetting AM & not getting their drives etc .. - especially those front lights ?! looks like a mazda - what's your view ?
& merc engine & nasty interior ... looks like they went to Halfords ... I'm not a traditionalist but it would have been so easy to get this right.
I haven't seen one in the flesh yet but from the front it looks wrong
It takes no imagination to want this over a Porsche. I'd prefer this over a house!
Thanks a lot for this vid. Was saving money to buy a 2016/2017 Vantage S with Sportshift 2 in 3 or 4 years. I am leaving this idear 😞. Keep my Plus 4 💪
Have you noticed that all the videos are filmed on open roads without traffic. This one has some real world driving but no traffic jams.
Lovely sound...sounded supercharged in the sound clip at the start?!
They do, but it isn't!
Lovely car the AMV8
It’s good value too 👍
Running costs a little expensive thou
Digging your vids mate, stay cool
Glad you like them!
I test drove this car and was shocked how slow it was. Mind you I had a jag at the time.
06:45 Don't you mean removing fuse 22 increases fuel consumption, not reduces it? You could say it reduces mpg though.
Yes that is what I meant
You're welcome:-)
Give me the XKR 4.2 or 5.0. 2005 to 2015. You have to rev crap out of these and parts are insane as you said. I used to be a huge Aston fan till I drove quite a few. Honestly quite disappointed. I did not drive any V-12 Porsche, lotus, Jag, Ferrari and Benz then bimmer for me.
Although i prefer 2 + 2 seater its still beautiful 👌
Nice simple honest review! Love it... would have been good to know the owners average mpg out of curiousity. The cars are barely faster than an HR 350Z but again you get the looks...although you do also...get the costs.lol
Would be interesting to know how this stacks up against a F-type as i think they are similar at price and style
Both nice the Aston is more unique the Jag more modern in particular in interior, same designer so not much on outside. Jag a little quicker Aston sounds better. Jag will still depreciate Aston won't.
Craig Moy
The Aston may depreciate less rapidly than a Jaguar, but the Aston will depreciate, hence this version is approximately £30,000, it's lost 66% of its original value over the last eleven years. Only time will tell how much further its value will drop with time.
Personally if I were looking to buy a second hand Aston then I would aim to save enough to go after the V12 Vantage.
The Astons have remained steady at 30k for a long time
I agree there has been no decline in Vantage prices in the 2 years since I bought mine. Yes like all cars they take a drop in the first 5 years then flatten out. 911's are much the same.
Taranisify f type has further to fall in depreciation
I might buy one when I am 60 :-)
I never understood how they managed to make it so heavy, the v12 version is the same weight as a db9, which is just bizarre..1800kg and probably lucky to get 340bhp (has anyone dyno'd one at 380??) and your keeping this car honest with a £6k 645ci... I know its a beautiful car, stunning and has prestige but they are disappointing when you mash the peddle... They were aimed at the 911 and came no where close... Came in too expensive, too heavy and too slow.
What do youblike better the vantage or the maserati gran sport
AM vantage manual. Buy only manuals.
Bit of a bargain these days and if it were down to this or an Evora for £30k...I'd be a VERY torn man. Ignoring your obvious bias, thoughts? ;)
Looks and noise - Aston
Driving Experience- Lotus
Noise - vantage
Running costs - lotus :P
These Astons are know to be dodgy at best. I'd stay well away from an older one.
Have an Evora 400 and a V12 Vantage S. Thus far the Evora has done 1800 miles this year and the Vantage has done...... 0.
The Evora is just a better car to drive, more practical (can put the dog in the back), and in the wet or low temperatures the V12 is just scary, the tyres don't work below about 7c.
The Vantage will get some summer use because it is just gorgeous and the noise is sublime.
In terms of fuel, real world the V8 Vantage S my dad had could just about do 24mpg, V12S will MAYBE hit 20mpg on a motorway cruise at 70mph, Evora can easily do 30mpg+.
You fancy letting me have a go in the Vantage? :)