I've been lusting after a Vantage for several years now and finally have a slot in my garage I'm trying to fill where it might fit the objective, but I'm not sure. The only Vantage I have driven so far was a 2007 4.3l Sport Shift about five years ago, and being someone elses car, I did not go nuts in it. The spec I would be looking for in a Vantage is 4.7l, manual, coupe.

So here is what I'm trying to figure out before I go too deep down this path. My weekend car is a Gallardo LP550 which I'll be keeping, prior to that a modded 996 Turbo. These are great cars, but I have to really be hitting some high scores on the speedo to feel the fun in the driving experience. Does the Vantage give the sensations of feeling like you're doing something at a lower speed or will I still need to really be pushing it to feel like I'm doing something?

Believe it or not, I'm cross shopping with a 2019 Miata. I test drove one and the fun factor was huge, but I'm a little concerned about going to a car much lower in power than I'm used to in a daily driver.

 

If you want fun get a helicopter .... you obviously have the cash, I love driving to the airport in Vantage but no car gives one the three dimensions of flight.
of course the chicks can’t really see you if that’s a issue?
As for fun I have different fun in different cars or bikes, the vantage is not brutal in performance it’s refined A gentleman’s car and looks out of place screaming in a car park or smoke pouring off its rear wheels .... a school bus can go to the supermarket but for that a Honda Civic is better suited, for fun get a doge demon it will eat the Lambo and smoke it’s wheels at the slightest hint of fun.

The place in your garage will be augmented by the vantage .... mine just sits there and it looks great, but I’m not sure I will be having much fun if it gets eaten by a new golf GTI ....just saying

 

The Miata comment is interesting as a lot of folks here like the S2000 driving experience. The best answer for you is to drive the exact mechanical spec under consideration. I personally find the Vantage fun factor very accessible w/o having to bury the tach or constantly stressing at speed about the law. I doubt I have actually used 6th gear more than a handful of times in almost six years of Vantage ownership. It’s a well balanced performer but in some ways I think it is more like what Rolls would produce if they went down the “sporty” path, rather than anything resembling a Stuttgart machine.

 

Another important question: do the seats have good adjustability for short people? My wife is only 5'2". I had to get her a thick cushion to use as a booster seat so she could try out the Gallardo, so I want to make sure whatever car I choose she will also be able to get a comfortable enough position and able to see over the steering wheel.

 

TBH I can't imagine driving a Vantage at 5'2". The size and slope of the front end would be problematic and you sit quite low relative to the side window sills.

 

Driving for your wife should be possible with a cushion.
Make sure you get memory seats, seat re-adjustments can be frustrating.

However, the Vantage is initially difficult to drive in tight spaces due to difficult visibility front and rear - a rear view camera helps a lot for parking.
For the front it helps trying in an empty carpark with a second person marking the offside corner...

 

Lotus Elise - If you're looking at a Miata because you like the control and toss-ability. The Elise is the same thing but with even less weight, better power/weight and mid engine dynamics. I have both and as much as I love my Miata, the Elise is so much better. People like to chase numbers like power or acceleration, but those things don't matter when you are driving a car for fun.

 

My wife at 5'3" drives my Vantage like a beast. Our Vantage is driven hard and put away wet on a regular basis. It's a daily for me. No heavy traffic though.

I have the stick shift coupe with 4.7L and some mods. Hit the fun button (Traction control) and she can more than excite you. Yet give you more confidence than the Miata. Go for the Vanatage S model so you get upgraded brakes and exhaust and front bumper. I was so determined to get a stick shift, I compromised and went with a non S with sport pack and have regretted it a little since. I think it's a great daily. Not the fastest, not the best handling, but good enough at everything with comfort and style.

 

@sinKing Perhaps the V12 Vantage is more your speed? 4.7 is fun and all that, but it's the tree blurring rush you might be looking for.

 

A Vantage and a Miata are totally different cars and the driving dynamics will be very different. If the driving experience of the Miata is what you want, you aren't going to get that with a Vantage. The Vantage offers a different experience so you need to drive one like other folks said and see if that's what you want. If the Miata is really it then the Elise or even an Evora would be worth looking at too.

 

just looked at a miata RF for my wife, still keeping vantage... sold my boxster a few years ago and my wife was wanting a nice roadster...

it was 'ok' but not quite boxster and not what my wife wanted... so considering another boxster... likely 2013 to 2016...

just more upscale, great handling, balanced...

 

Yep, different cars for sure. Unfortunately going and driving a Vantage in even just the mechanical spec I'd be interested in is easier said that done when considering scarcity and coronavirus.

Both cars have a strong appeal to me for some different reason. Both cars have some pros and cons, the Vantage having stronger pros, but also stronger cons.

 

Compared to most cars from the last decade, particularly those with electric power steering, including non GT Porsches, yes.

Compared to an earlier Miata (haven't driven the latest version), no.

Compared to an Elise, Exige or Evora, hell no.

 

My wife is 5'2" and drives our 07 4.3 manual fine. We also have a 10AE Miata with a few mods that she used to track day, but I also enjoy taking it out. Both are fun cars in a different way.

 

I'd call the Vantage a medium weight car. Similar to the AWD 911's and Gallardos. About 50% heavier than a Miata. Since you have plenty of experience driving a car that is actually lightweight, would you say the Vantage wears its weight well, or do you feel every pound in tight curvy roads?