Hopefully your wife is not reading this thread (smile)

 

Ok, I will chime in. I am 61, And have owned a 2007 Vantage and now a 2016 Vantage GT. The Vantage that i currently own is a classic work of art in my opinion.I think the new line of Aston's was a necessary evil in todays market. I was invited to and Aston martin focus group in 2014.
Most of the owners where complaining about the center stack. lack of model identity, better Auto trans, ECT. So think Aston Martin, did was they thought the customer base was asking for. Pus bringing in younger buyers.
The new Vantage is growing on me, after looking at a few at the dealer. I will still hang onto my 2016. For one, 0-60 and 0-100 are nice talking points, But in the real world, it is not worth the higher price of the new cf the Vantage for me. And I like to row mine owner gears.
I don't care that the Auto trans is quicker. For me it is about a normal aspirated motor and a stick shift.
Ron

 

I'm 63 and like Ron, I'm on my second Vantage. I like (not love) the evolution of the new car but I simply do not like the front end of it. I also do not like the sound of the AMG V8 turbo engine. I too am a manual transmission guy and I will probably replace my 2013 Vantage S with the new Vantage S manual if that ever arrives (this assumes that AM evolve the front end to something similar to the new DBS). One thing that I noticed whilst driving the new Vantage is that it handles so much better than the old one... but hopping back into my normally aspirated Vantage S I felt the driving experience (sound and manual shifting) to be so pure. For now, I'll be keeping an eye out for updates and will look to make a change when the 2020 model comes out.

 

Since we are doing ages here I'm 58. First Vantage for me former Porsche guy. My last 911 Turbo was fast as all get out and brutally modified with bigger turbos, semi race suspension, howling exhaust and tuned. It was putting down about 520hp to the wheels. But beside nobody wanting to get into the car with me (no fun as a passenger in that car), it left me wanting. I don't street race, I just like windy roads. I could never use that Porsche even close to its limits and if I tried I probably would have killed myself.

Enter the *slow* Vantage. After the 911TT I wasn't looking for 0-60 record setting, but It is still plenty fast enough that I don't hardly ever get it to its limits and it's way more fun to drive than my Porsche's were. I only bring these things up because I think THE major complaint against our car is it's power. Unless you track it regularly that doesn't matter. I doubt any of us take race bait from the kids out there. I bought this car because it's mostly analogue and it's beauty, it's specialness. IMHO the it was until last year the most beautiful car being built today. And it's a blast.

On to the new Vantage, it answers the upgraded power issue, but so what. It still can't be used at it's extremes. The power is mostly for spec sheet junkies and keeping owners feelings from being bruised compared to other cars. All the reviews from the experts are from a track POV. So effing what? Please raise your hand if you are a track junkie? If so, you've probably thought of getting a different platform than any Aston. I think the new Vantage is a major step backward from an aesthetic design standpoint. Fisker did a wonderful job on the previous version especially the original styling. The new Vantage needs a major facelift and even then I don't know if it's salvageable. I like the looks of the DB11 much more and I don't much care for that car. I'm pretty sure my current Vantage will be my last Aston. I'll be retiring soon and will just hang onto it and give to one of my kids someday. It won't hold its value but It will always hold it's beauty. No regrets.

 

I have noticed on a few DB11's that the panels don't line up perfectly either. The HOODs are the largest issues. Since they are clamshell design they need to line up all around the headlights, the front bumper, the door frame, and the lower side quarters. Thats alot of lining up.

I noticed the hood flares out near the side quarters and due to that they stick out 1/8-1/4 in which makes that corner stick out from the flushness of the door panel. Also near the front bumper on the sides.

What I am noticing is some errors in large number manufacturing. Since AM had started to increase volume hugely from their past, the fit suffers a tiny bit, but I think those errors are in the inspection area. There is likely a gauge they use to say "it'll do" and they move it on. NO ONE but us are even going to notice these issues. For 200k dam if they wont be straight if I bought one. A dealer would hate me when I got done with the purchase.

1. The paint better be absolutely flawless; not ONE scratch or swirl on it (This is almost impossible for them to achieve. The cars do not have enough time at AM to be really paint corrected. There will be buffer trails, pigtails from the orbital wet sander etc....this is absolutely true of any high end manufacturer) Then the dealer prep and washes will input the free DISO option. Dealer Installed Swirl Option. No dealer typically will spend 2-3k to have the paint refined perfectly. (that is if the marks even come out). But again for even a 50k car new, I want the paint to be perfect. Hell its new, so the paint should be also. There is no excuse for this IMO. Its not used, so nothing can be said. Again, this is virtually impossible though. There is NOT one dealer detail shop that IMHO could ever achieve this level of service. They just dont have the experience not tools.

2. Panel Gaps ---- I would measure each and every one to make sure they all line up appropriately. I would not allow a door to stick out further on a corner or on the bottom. The hood better line up for all panels.

3. Glass better be perfect with no acid rain etchings

These are the typical issues I see on most new high end vehicles. They only ones that escape most of the above are ones delivered to the customer immediately upon arrival. Or, they sit in the showroom. IF they are on the lot, then they will have cosmetic issues. A professional Paint Corrector (trained detailer) can mitigate most of these issues but at a 2-4k cost. So most people should prepare if they even care. Most dont, and most would never even notice these issues. So therefore dealers dont spend more money out of thier profit unless its needed.

 

 

 

Rohnin: I had a 2015 GT (Andy Palmer era) - tons of issues in the two years I owned it - about $20K of warranty work vs. the previous 8 years of having two' Ford era' Vantages with hardly any issues. It would have been interesting to see the evolution under a different leadership. That said, the fit and finish on my 2015 V12S is pretty good with zero issues so far. The GT and GTS were somewhat price leaders - maybe the inspection was not as good. Also I went to look at the Aston clothing line (I used to like to buy Aston shirts, hats, etc), but the latest offering looks like cheap crap. Not sure what's happening there.

 

I understand completely. I never noticed any issues with the Vanquish's. Never saw a paint blemish. Now I only get, LOL, black or dark grey cars from the dealer to paint correct. Just so happens that way. So any blemish is easily seen typically. I found a small blemish on the hood of a DB11 today. Dime size and 95% of the people would never notice it. But was a clear coat blemish blob that likely could have just been block sanded and looked fine, but I dont get paid for that.

"That'll do" is somewhat the British way. But wish these high-end manufacturer would not brag about the intense inspections they do, some even say any worker can pull a car out of line at any time if they find a blemish or flaw. .........Then the car is delivered, dealer initial inspection and prep is where they can find blemishes and complain and Aston will pay to have them fixed, but the yahoos typically in the back dont know to look for them, dont care as much, or dont have the training to even evaluate it. Glue seams showing, clear coat pushed back on rocker panels, polish from AM factory polishing really stuck in creases that are almost impossible to get out.

A dealer point of view in only 5% of people will even complain. Most say "wow" its so shiny and new. Then they never wash them, so they dont see the flaws.

 

My 2010 has deep sanding scratches in aluminum in the top of the hatch just off the ducktail, and a thumbprint in the base coat on the top of the passenger front wing. The hatch is slightly out of alignment that my mechanic pointed out, but the panel alignment on my car I would call very good. It's stalled 4 times since the new engine so while it's FAR better it is not cured.

 

I purchased my new 2014 V8V from the Washington, DC area Aston dealer. It is Volcano red with Obsidian interior.
The paint, panel fit and interior quality are as perfect as I have ever seen on an automobile.
Perhaps I simply got lucky.

 

This is any automotive plant today, even the ones building your $15,000 Ford Fiesta. They don't physically lift it off the line (that would actually be a really big deal), but they do push it off into a quarantine area after a certain breakpoint in the line to get repaired. The operator flags his supervisor, supervisor reviews and tags, and life moves on. If it's something that can be done after the car is finished (like a paint blemish), they'll assemble the whole car and then drive it into the rework area.

 

I have been a Porsche club member since 1978 and have owned a number of Porsche's over the years, as I am not known for keeping my cars for very long. Among those have been twelve 911's. Obviously, I have loved these cars. About three years ago, I was perusing a local import dealer's website and came across my 2007 Tungsten Silver Vantage. The photos alone nearly sold the car as I couldn't get over the beauty of the car.

The next morning, I drove my 2007 Porsche 997 to look at and drive the car. I drove the Vantage home about two hours later. Three years for me is a long time to keep a car but I feel my Vantage is the best car I have ever owned. I love the exterior and interior design, the fact that it has a manual transmission, and the glorious sound of that engine when 4,000 RPM arrives. In my eyes, it is a classic design that will age well. Plus, it is has been extremely reliable. I do my own work on my cars and the only thing I have had to do, besides normal maintenance, is to replace the thermostat.

As for the new Vantage, it is way out of my price range (there are some benefits to the Vantage's depreciation) so I will not be buying one even if I liked it. I have only seen photos so far but am not impressed. My particular beef is the nose, as it does not have an Aston Martin "look".

I am 72 and am pretty sure, if I were in my forties (I vaguely remember those years!), I would still prefer my car to the new one.

 

Obviously, I like the look of the new Vantage, or I would not have bought it.

Overall my 2015 Vantage was a good car. I did have some issues, but not any big ones (stalling in reverse, Moisture in a tail light, standard Vantage stuff) the biggest things for me, were that the electronics in the car are antiquated, the old Volvo stuff was at least 10 years old with nary an update. I hated the Bluetooth, little to no noise canceling, and static to the point that If I was on a call in the car everyone was asking me to repeat and saying that I should roll the window up. In the end, I just unpaired the phone and would put it on speaker, that worked better. The other issue is that it did not look like a new car. Yes it's a beautiful design, and in 2006 it was drop dead gorgeous, but in 2018 / 2019 it was looking very dated.

The new Vantage is a big departure from the old car. It looks modern, all the electronics inside work. and best of all, I still get all the benefits of the Handmade Aston Martin brand, but a greatly updated and with a very usable interior. In every area, change is always disruptive and forces people to take a fresh look at something, not everyone likes change. I have to admit that I'm a "New" addict. I'm always an early adopter for technology and new designs. I'm in my early 50s and like the new Vantage and DB11.