Forget about mileage, but I'm seeing fully optioned 2019 Vantages with sticker prices of $225k selling in the 130's.

For the life of me, apart from getting a car built to one's precise specification, I can't see why someone would do a custom build on this car.

 

It does feel like they got the marketplace wrong as there are tons of cars on dealer lots waiting.... The current global situation can't be helping and I agree why would you order one and pay close to top dollar when you can get one off the shelf for a discount? For the record, I own a manual version of the new Vantage and love the car but have to say it shouldn't have a price point anywhere above a 911S. I bargained very hard to get the price to a point where I felt comfortable. It's not a GT3 level or Turbo level competitor (though I prefer the Vantage). In a world where Audi can't move the R8 and Acura can't move the NSX it's hard to imagine the Vantage bursting out of niche territory. I'm happy to see the redesign of the nose and if Aston could figure out world class (no excuses) tech kit, ultra high end finishes and could bump the horsepower numbers into the 550 range they'd have a car I'd happily pay extra for.

My vantage is an absolute kick to drive and I don't care too much about the slight deficiencies but the competition is fierce. If Aston could up the car to differentiate it from this current crop and rationalize production I'm sure they could put a higher floor under the price.... but at what cost I don't know as the math on volume vs price could be tricky.

 

Despite the hate on this board, I love driving my 19 vantage. As noted above, the MSRP of the car is way too high. It’s maybe a 150-160k car based on the competition and selling in the 130’s make sense to me as the car falls in line price wise with the market. The market sets the price.

 

I think Aston's problem is not necessarily the new Vantage - which sacrificed 'elegance' for bad-boy racer aura, but the fact they should have separated into a new model series with the Mercedes drive train and the rework of the AMG Interior which is what they did. Then they should have limited production and had only one or two for the dealers to commit. Flooding the market with a product at the price point of the Vantage and not promoting order customization was a terrible mistake as well as abandoning the sheer beauty and elegance of the previous Vantage - for that Andy Palmer should have immediately been fired and replaced with another CEO. What Palmer should do, is evolve the previous V12S - don't change anything, but refine the car and continue on the same path of Porsche - evolution with updates and slow changes. The new Aston Martin interiors are a convoluted mess. You can get a $50K Mercedes with an interior that's elegant and well thought out - pay $300K more and you get a confusing interior designed as if 10 people were not talking to each other - that's ALL current Aston models. The I-Pod screen screams - cheap. At lest the DBX does not replicate the design flaw. Interiors are getting modern and simple - look at the latest from Porsche - or the incredible cockpit of the Roma. The ski-slope of the old vantage should have been kept - was elegant but it should have been hi-tech and updated. The entire waterfall could have been a curved screen that came alive when started - similar to the large Tesla screen but just one panel when dormant or when opening the door took on the desired texture of the customer - Carbon, wood, etc. The dials of the older Astons made the car special - none of the new digital displays are all that special, and they actually look somewhat cheap for some reason. The older analog dials were super special - why abandon them? The old V12 and V8's were Aston engines - making most of the cars with Mercedes V8's instead of Aston V12's are a huge mistake. If the old V12's could not meet new regulations, at least put the new V12's in the cars - this goes for the DB11 also which plenty you cold get for pennies on the dollar off the showrooms. Aston as a company needs to get their act together and go back to what made them special - a brand that produces the worlds most beautiful cars with 'elegance'. Since Palmer took over the only car that comes close is the DBS, and even that has an interior somewhat of a mess. They need to halt production of what's not selling (pretty much all cars), and if the DBX is not selling shut that line down. Update and evolve the old vantage and make people custom order most of their line - just like the old days. When I bought my 2007 Vantage new - they did not make the dealers preorder 30 cars - it was special to select the colors and materials - an event in which every day of the 3 months I waited was one day closer to getting that new Vantage. Now they expect someone to layout $220K (the typical DBX price) to have the showroom colors and options for them because Aston wanted to show the world how well the DBX was selling, again forcing dealers to preorder an absurd number of cars. Andy Palmer tried to re-invent what Aston was coming from Nissan, a company of ugly and cheap crap - at every step he's missed the point, so I cannot understand why he's still making any decisions, any company he'd be long gone. Nothing wrong with the new Vantage for those that want what it offers - it rides a bit better than my V12S, but it's nowhere near as special or elegant as the previous model. Aston has to out-do the new Roma at $220K, 620HP and incredibly Elegant with the latest electronics that's going to be impossible if they don't immediately retool and reinvent. The DBX from what I hear is getting some real orders, but it does not work Aston's done with and someone will pick up the pieces at pennies on the dollar and need to reinvent the company as has been done so many times in the past.

 

All very good points

 

I agree with many of your points, but paragraphs man, paragraphs!

 

To survive Aston needs to maintain a global market position and stay current with technology, performance and style. I agree with much of above but I also represent a "conquest" as I have been a very long term, multiple 911 owner. In order to keep alive and current Aston needs to make an appealing product at a competitive price. We can disagree about the exterior styling (which I like) but also agree about the tech and rather unimpressive interior as the nav screen is terrible, the car doesn't have auto dim headlights, the top of the line stereo isn't impressive and things feel a bit slapdash inside. Still the car does feel very special and when I get in and start to drive I have a smile on my face.

I like the Roma interior. But am I going to trust that car as a daily driver in Southern California? No. Do I trust my new Vantage? Yes & that's a very good thing for Aston as I think they need more consumers who enjoy and trust their cars. The new 992 interior feels like an iPhone to me and if you look at the new VW GTI interior the family resemblance is way too similar. Bespoke is tough to do but if done right the pricing will follow. Bentley and Rolls have survived in large part due to their huge corporate connections. I can't see how Aston will without a connection to MB. This isn't to say they cannot still put out more bespoke versions ( and charge accordingly).

 

If I could build one to my own spec for like 120k I'd do it, but most of these dealers have awful taste and have literally no clue what options I'd want so it would be a massive chore to find the right one and negotiate and all that crap and I don't really feel like shelling out a ton of money for something that is a chore

 

I had an interesting conversation with a GM of a Texas Aston dealer last week who came to Aston after being a GM at a Ferrari dealer - he said the Astons are far superior quality (made)... since I know nothing of Ferrari, I suppose many of you have experience between the two - any comments?

 

Not personally but I have many friends who have owned both Astons and Ferraris and from what I’ve heard Ferraris tend to be a headache. I’ve seen and heard about being stranded. Same goes for MacLaren and Lamborghini. From my experience so far the Aston seems pretty solid and I don’t mind the MB underpinnings. For what it’s worth my later Porsche 911 cars were all Toyota-like in terms of reliability. 996-997-991 and 991.2. I know that’s not everyone’s experience.

 

My dealer is likes to stock Vantages like the Ford Model T. "We have it any color you like as long as it's black." Did I mention they have black?

 

I have two friends with newer Ferrari's (California and 458) and both have spent much less on service than I have on either Aston I have owned. Ferrari service is also like $40-50 cheaper an hour with many more shops to choose from in my locale. Heck, even my AM dealer does Ferrari service for significantly less than AM with better parts pricing.

 

I like the elegant mechanical look of the instrument cluster as well... I'm a combination analog and digital guy...I have an ultra smart house with touch screens in practically every room, use voice control but like analog elegant mechanical watches...

 

I gave up half way through...got lost.