My answer is not much. I write in full support of both Aston and Jaguar for producing beautiful, great-sounding sports cars. What I'm here to ask is--would you really choose the new Vantage over an F-type? For the $150,000+ price, I don't think the Aston is better looking than the F-type, even with the F-type's 2021 refresh. It's racier in some details, such as the side skirts and rear valence. But in terms of style, is it superior to a car that can be had for half the price? (My V6 manual was listed at 75k when I bought it new)





I think the Vantage interior is really bad, too. Great materials and lots of color customization, but the dash is so ugly and cheap looking with all those horrid buttons, economy car-looking dials and chunky vents. I like the Vantage, but I don't think it's twice the car of my F-type. These two cars run in the same league, and after reading reviews extolling the Aston like it's something from outer space, it's not. Now the DBS Superleggera, that's in a totally different dimension and for $300,000 that is the most gorgeous new coupe in the world right now, more so than a Ferrari 812 Superfast. What do you think? I'm just saying--I'm not jealous of Vantage owners.

 

I agree with this 100% the Aston I feel like you're paying more for the quality of the leather/material and the fact a lot of it is "hand-made"
I'd pick a R or SVR over a Vantage though, but like you said...the DBS is a whole other story

 

Yes, the DBS Superleggara is my dream car (in red). I quite like the looks of the vantage which I think looks better than our cars from the side but worse front on and rear on. I'm not a fan of Aston interiors, in particular the DBX with the centre stack that looks like someone is giving birth to a 1980's Akai stereo.

Also the Vantage suffers from the wheezy benz turbo, which if tuned can be made to sound like the new wheezy AMG turbo (which does sound good, but not like a NA or SC car), and that to me is probably the biggest drawback.

 

Depends what your goals are. If it is to show that you have arrived, AM does that much better. As a car, it isn't notably different or better than much cheaper F-type. I often get asked by non-car people if my F-type is one.

 

There is at least one member who has moved from a F-Type to a current gen V8 Vantage. He had nothing but overly positive things to say about his change. I wasn't a huge fan of the color choice for his Vantage but they are fantastic cars.

 

People generally do defend their own choices.
But objectively, or perhaps more objectively, the Vantage is a good copy of the F-Type from the side, not quite as clean in design, but decent. The interior? Well, Astons are traditionally ergonomic disasters, so the Vantage does keep up that tradition - very well indeed. A photo of the interior makes that very clear. They have even retained the awkward pop-up satnav screen (is it still the ancient Volvo system they used previously?). Regarding leather, you might hope that at double the price of the F-Type, the AM interior would be twice as good. But if your F-Type has the full Premium leather trim, the Jaguar leather is every bit as soft and rich as that used in the AM and there might be even more of it. And reviewers complain about the overly plastic interior of the AM Vantage. Jaguar doesn't have a crystal key or start button (actually, that button in the AM is black plastic, I think) nor quite the cachet of the Aston Martin name, that is true. But how much is that worth?
And maintenance costs? probably in line with the purchase price, that is, at least double the cost of maintaining the Jaguar, despite the Mercedes engine (or should that be because of it?).
Would I like to have a Vantage? Sure. But I wouldn't pretend it was value for money.
Oh, performance? Just about the same as the F-Type R....

 

i like the fact that you can get it in manual, its essentially a amg gt in manual... lets not start talking about tunability now... amg gt engine can be tuned for so much power. i really love the interior too. imo its just a better car. i might get one when they are dumpstered by the depreciation hahaha

 

The Vantage is the rich man's (slightly inferior) F-Type.
People buy it for the badge, which is classier than the leaper, allegedly.

 

there are always going to be certain aspects of other cars I like and no car is perfect. Personally, I like the older Aston look a little more than some of the more recent versions but I completely disagree that about the superfast - we all have different tastes and honestly, I will likely never utilize any car to it’s full potential but the 812 superfast is as close to perfection as I have seen; particularly those with aftermarket wheels (factory style rims do not do the car justice) - you can check out versions by companies like Creative Bespoke for reference.

 

I find that Aston Martin interior to be hideous. That alone would keep me from buying that model.

 

Agree. Way, way too busy. F-Type is much cleaner.

 

Last year right before all of the COVID nonsense broke loose, I drove two of the Vantage AMR Twin-Turbo V8's with the manual transmission. I really, really wish that combination existed for the F-Type. However, my appreciation of the combination did not go so far as to want to plunk down almost $200K for them. Fit and finish was less than perfect, and for a hand-built vehicle, I expected better. I also have to admit that I was surprised that the hood was standard clamshell as opposed to tilting forward like the F-Type.

 

When raised, the F-type hood sure looks cool when showing it off to someone, but functionally, it's worse. To replace my engine's idler pulley (a TSB), the tech had to remove the hood (and the front wheel, and the supercharger belt) to get his hands deep into the front of the engine bay. There is very little clearance between the engine and the crash bar on V6 and V8 models. If the hood opened normally, there would have been no need to remove it!

 

I own both. Drive both. Enjoy both.

It's like comparing two children. One is good at some things , the other is good at other things.

 

That's awesome. That means your good taste is doubled.

 

Works the other way around as well.. People are overly critical of things they cannot afford. They justify that they cannot something that is nice by nit picking it.

The Vantage is a great car. Maybe not for everyone. The F-Type has been nit picked just as well. It's not a car for everyone either. Bring this discussion up on an Aston forum, and you'll see them dig up all of the Jaguar skeletons.

If you are a car person, you appreciate what each car brings to the table and don't worry about "measuring them up".

 

Bring the discussion to a Corvette forum and it will go another way.

 

Bring the discussion to a Tesla forum and be prepared to duck and run!

 

I don't like that computer mouse-like gearshift knob. It doesn't look like the top flips open to reveal the red button.

Bond: "An ejector seat ? You must be joking"
Q: "I never joke about my work 007"

 

The gearshift knob in the new XE/F Pace (incl SVR) looks like a mushroom. I cant imagine putting my hands on one, it actually makes me shudder.