Sorta poll: by your age do you like or dislike the new Vantage
 

I'm curious. It seems very young people I talk to like the new Vantage, not so much with older people. I'll start the poll:

I'm 66 years old - absolutely do NOT like the direction Aston Martin is going with the new Vantage. Keeping my V12S, unless the next generation (after this one) goes back to the traditional 'gentleman's sports car elegance'.

Does 6speed not have a poll option?

I'm 40 years old - Absolutely dislike the new gen cars, including db11. The Merc tech (with even lower output than Mercedes) dilutes the brand, design is missing the fisker touch (in case of the Vantage rather the Fisker WONDER).
The previous cars stunned everyone with first sight, the new gen forces everyone to say: maybe better in person. I'll keep my Vantage and as I call the most beautiful car ever build.

I like the new Vantage. I know I'm one of the few here LOL. I think the DB11 while a big car, is very good looking and beautiful. If you like elegance well good news you can buy a cheaper used aston. Not sure why so many here feel the need to hate on the new ones, they are pretty kick ass cars and will get better with more revisions like they always do. Yes times are changing, cars are getting bigger and faster with more electronic doodads, not a huge deal really to me

Since 2005 I wanted to buy an Aston Martin Vantage and I was able to afford one in 2015. I am 54 yrs old and I find the new Vantage a little too boy toy for me and don't consider it true Aston Martin anymore (Engine, trans, interior...) and if I wanted to buy an AMG I would just go to Mercedes dealership.

It seems to be a challenge to get machine guns under the hood but the grill is large enough for tomahawk missiles...

mid 50's here... like the 2009 version I have now but 10 years from now will likely shop for a nice used version of the new body style

I'm 27, I think the new vantage is much needed for the AM market, but I dislike the car in general

I love that its an AMG sourced engine, it will open up the aftermarket availability. I dislike how the performance especially for a redesign after a decade- still falls short of it's competitors. Why get the new vantage if you're a prospective new to the brand buyer, when your competitors are putting out faster cars? The interior lacks that Aston oomph in my opinion. I always describe Astons to people who ask why i chose the car - it's too sporty to be considered a a luxury car, it's too luxurious to be considered a sportscar. The new Vantage is clearly defined as a sportscar

I love the rear end design, very aggressive and modern. I absolutely dislike the front end - I see the Vulcan influence but it looks like both ends were designed by different designers. This is not going to be a timeless & iconic car like the current outgoing Vantage is going to be - I think AM truly missed a great opportunity with it

It is going to open up the demographic to new customers and broaden Aston's market appeal, right now Aston's only appealed to a certain subset of the exotic demographic- for the bottom line this is great. For brand dilution, not so much. We will deifnitely see a lot more women driving the cars as well, which I think overall is great. Right now, my Aston gets mistaken more often than not as a Maserati (what a shame, but shows how poorly Aston has been with modern marketing in the past decade)

I think Aston is going to realize they missed the mark on this new redesign and we will see a drastic front-end overhaul in the next 2 years. The DBS Superleggera on the other hand, I believe they executed properly 100%

33 and much prefer my Centenary 23 Vantage S to the New Vantage.

I agree that AM needs new blood but it needs to start with where the DBS SL is, not where the Vantage went. The cars in general have gotten much larger than the older ones, and while that is also needed- my conclusion that focus at AM is not only on building the best product possible.

hey man if you want every iteration of the car to look the same just buy Porsches hilarious

as a former and still Porsche guy... they all look alike...👍👎

61 and its not for me, although there is a lot of it I like

happy to wait till the right V12 comes along then following that I think a Vanquish might do nicely

Graze

I'll say that I'm probably on the younger side...

While the performance upgrades are a well needed improvement to compete in the market, I hate everything about the design, including front, rear, side profile, and 50/50 on the interior.

61 - puke..

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...8641bdb2d5.jpg


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...a1b7aed75e.jpg

i never understood why "ASTON MARTIN" had to be tacked on to the back...

I debadge all my cars...just have the wings... that would be take first thing to go...

59

I just inspected the 3 sitting at FCKAM after the thread talking about the huge panel gaps, which aren't. The clamshell gaps on all 3 were consistent except the china gray had 1/8" on one side and 1/4" on the other. What I did find was panel fitment issues, like doors out of line. Flush at the top but proud at the bottom pooched out from the rear quarter, and this - this isn't going to fly on $184,000 cars except with a great salesman and the "they're handmade" line.

http://www.ibanezrules.com/images/va...029_135948.jpg

But to the point of the thread, the more I looked at the 3 cars the more I started to dislike them again. I didn't like the pictures, the first personal look it grew on me a little, the second was the test drive and I did that comparison photo shoot against mine, and I still thought it was OK, absolutely LOVED the drive, but we're talking strictly about aesthetics here, and the more I looked at the 3 of them the more I started reverting back to, bleh. Especially with the Vanquish sitting 3 spots away.

I'm with Gene G. I have driven the DB11 and think it retains the historic lines of the classic Aston brand. However, the looks of the new Vantage are sadly a disappointment when compared to my 09 Vantage. Perhaps it's because I am an old school 75 year old. However, I believe classic beauty in automotive design is appreciated by all ages. The new Vantage does not seem to have captured that.

New Vantage
 

I agree, it looks like an algae eater with Miata headlights. I am 62 and most modern car design seems to lend itself to the "transformer generation" with louvers, slots and wings. Even the new 911s are going here. Not for me.

The new Vantage is the least attractive of AM's offers in the last few years, but it's still pretty cool to me. There looks to be a lot room to evolve the new design and my hunch is that effort is underway or has already been done.

34, drive a 2010 V8. I prefer the elegance over the race inspiration, which has been creeping in since the lipstick and the stripes.
I think the DB11 retains the elegance and has almost the best-designed Aston wheels of the last decade. But its lacking the manual transmission.
I haven't driven the new Vantage yet. Its performance may well be next-gen, but thats not in my top 5 reasons for wanting to drive an Aston.
Look, sound, feel, manual, marque (then probably performance)

I'm 47 and I'm genuinely struggling, I have to admit some of the pictures, colours and angles look good though. the new DBS however is simply stunning especially in person, so I definite have hope for the brand for guys like me yet.

It's worth adding, I travel to China regularly, the Boss's all LOVE the new Vantage.. and I mean really really love it. These are factory owners who pay for cars with suitcases, like we pay for dinners. Not one of then could drive a manual for sh*t either..

I am 62. What I don't about the new Vantage or actually hate is the new front grille. If the car had the same grille as the DB 10 it would be a great looking car. Having said that I still like the look of the old Vantage and DB9 better. A friend of mine has a current Vantage and a new one on order so I will see them side by side and will have a better perspective.

I am 73 years old but I know good design when I see it, and the new Vantage’s design is a hot mess.The review’s high rear lights are actually not horrible; however the confluence of bits around the exhaust pipes and the confusing rear diffuser attachment leaves me depressed.The side view is at least pretty good and is the best part of the car.Any design credentials left by Aston was thrown out the window when they designed the front of the car. My guess is that they were so infatuated by the Vulcan that they literally lost their minds.They forgot one of the tenants of design, that is, scale and proportions.To illustrate, I have again attached two photographs of the Vantage and the Ford GT.The Ford Gt is arguably the best looking car in the world. Look closely, the Vantage’s grill and lights look somewhat like the Ford’s, except for the proportions.Where the Ford’s front end, lights and grill are perfectly proportioned, the Vantages’ grill is vastly out of proportion with its lights and the overall size of the front end.Someone mentioned that China loves this car.That about says it all. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...652d9183f6.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...807b59e657.jpg

There is definitely something about the proportions of that aggressive front design. Just hold your finger across your field of view. Take off the bottom half of the grill and the headlights look OK, but if you block the top half it just accentuates the relative scale of the grill in the overall design. Contemporary no doubt, and somewhat dates the outgoing Vantage, but time will tell if the new design wears as well as the undeniable classic lines of its predecessor. (61 bought mine new at 57)

I'm 48, NOT a fan at all. the only part that I like is the rear end, the rest of the car is fugly, totally out of proportions & interior is so busy, that make me dizzy when I look for more than 10 seconds. I can stare at my Vantage for hours....

I'm 47 years old - Dislike the new gen cars, including db11.
My "old" Vantage is the most beautiful car ever build.
Except the Vanquish ;-) !

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
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...404e87a15f.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...7ef2d8e373.jpg

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.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.6sp...a481c4dee3.png

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.