Considering buying a Vantage 4.0.

Really like the Alcantara interior but I’m guessing it’s a nightmare to keep looking good?

Also interested in how it wears as I plan to keep this car for the foreseeable.

Thanks

 

Alcantara steering wheel is hard to keep clean, but everything else holds up well.
Alcantara dash doesn't have the shrinkage problem that nearly every full leather dash has.

 

The steering wheel is leather. The seat centres and dash are Alcantara.

Looks a lot better than the leather imo.

Never considered leather shrinkage. Its wet and grey for 90% of the year in Manchester, so it isn’t something I’ve seen.

 

Having lived many years in hot weather cities such as Miami and Las Vegas, I've always steered away from black leather interiors. Is black Alcantara any less heat absorbent than black leather? And on a somewhat related matter since I'm unfamiliar with Alcantara interiors, is it looked upon as a cheaper option by Aston Martin and car owners, or is it considered equivalent to leather?

 

How does Alcantara handle a small water spill? Does Alcantara cost more than leather as an option?

 

I don't think so. Certainly more in line with pure sports car kind of decor. It's lighter than the leather, holds you in the seat well, looks nice, and not supposed to shrink. Plenty to like. Never owned or had to care for a car with Alcantara. So many Vantage's on the market with Alcantara for some reason.

 

My ‘18 AMR has the alcantara dash, steering wheel, seat inserts, then leather or carbon fibre everywhere else. It holds up very well in Sydney which can be quite hot at times. It still all looks brand new. Alcantara usually goes on the sporty models as it is, well, you know racing car. I’m a fan.

 

As I understand it, the full Alcantara dash/interior is the "base" option for the Vantage. As mentioned, the AMR cars have a leather & Alcantara split due to the motorsport connection to the material. It is harder wearing and has more grip when on seats, but high contact points like steering wheels need some maintenance . There are special brushes to "fluff" the nap when it gets a bit flat and you can treat it with Scotchguard like products.

 

I have the full alcantara option (I specifically waited to find one) as I prefer the look over the leather. To me it looks more exotic and feels nicer than leather but it's truly personal preference. I have owned the car for a yer now and so far no signs of any wear. I also have the leather steering wheel which will be changed out for alcantara but I believe that is truly the most "wearable" part of the interior if you had to choose.

 

Another thing to consider is that leather dashes do tend to suffer from shrinking. An alcantera dash is probably less prone to this. I must say that I prefer a leather steering wheel as the alcantera gets matted down and becomes a bit slick after a while. It is possible to bring it back to life with careful cleaning. I also read that it is lighter than leather if considering weight.