2014 Aston Martin V8 Vantage (Manual) Review - The Whole Package?

One of the most surprising cars I've driven in a while.
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[@nlxsteve]

Owner here. You and Kevin are true car nerds and it’s what’s made me follow you through the years. You’re always welcome back to NC!… bc you said good things about my car 😂

[@nlxsteve]

Oh I’ll also note that the later model (2012.75+) Vantages got many of the upgrades from the previous S- brakes, quicker rack, etc. Car also had Velocity AP’s x pipe, exhaust, and their tune.

[@JChavsPorsches]

Which exhaust and tune setup did you add?

[@nlxsteve]

@@JChavsPorsches velocity ap x pipe and sport exhaust

[@lancefitzgiben]

Lightweight flywheel? Or were they lightened up in later years by default.. V8V I drove was unfortunately lethargic due to the crazy heavy flywheel.

[@nlxsteve]

@@lancefitzgiben hm I don’t know if they lightened it for the later years. I know that the v12 flywheel is popular mod for the v8, which my car doesn’t have. Flywheel feels light though. Engine revs up and down nicely.

[@ossBASHA]

One of my absolute favorites. There is absolutely nothing like it.

[@jacksonhui581]

The first V8 vantage you drove was an early 4.3L car. I had one of those and the echoed your first review. The 4.3 had no low end torque, revved slow, and generally sluggish throttle response. The 4.7L addresses these issues and apparently you liked it enough to praise the car. Reliability was surprisingly good as a lot of the hardware were ford, jag, and Volvo components. Surprisingly easy to work on as well thanks to all that room in the engine bay. For the money, it’s an insane amount of car.

[@Zygrene]

Yeah, I was so much more impressed by this 4.7 compared to the 4.3. The totally different roads/conditions had something to do with it, I'm sure.

[@justaddafan]

@jacksonhui581 My 4.3 had the power pack when I bought it so I don't know what the tuning was like without, but what I experienced seemed different from the common complaints that you have listed. Granted, the flywheel did feel heavy and the car was way happier above 4500 RPM which I enjoy anyway. I then did the AMR flywheel/clutch and VAP tune and the engine woke up to an all new level. Revvy, snappy, had eager throughout the rev range. I never thought of the 4.7 again after the changes..

[@rabidrabiesracing]

@@justaddafanI also have the power pack installed on mine and it is much more “alive” than the standard 4.3. I have driven both and it makes a difference! I am looking forward to doing the AMR clutch like you but I will not do it until I wear the original clutch out. Did you feel the AMR clutch gave you more pedal sensation and feel?

[@justaddafan]

@@rabidrabiesracing Don't wait. Consider it a performance upgrade and do it as soon as you can. At first I wasn't happy about the lighter clutch force, but let's face it, the stock clutch pedal is far heavier than most other cars. Once you get used to the new one, the modulation is easier and the take up is more clear. It's much more "normal" in that respect. But the way it changes the eagerness of the engine is totally worth the [high] price. Once you do it, you'll be happy that you didn't spend more time waiting.

[@rabidrabiesracing]

@@justaddafan hahaha. I like how you think. I justified the carbon rear diffuser as a wedding expense.

[@justaddafan]

I'm happy to see that you got another run in a Vantage. I think I commented in the previous video that you didn't get to really drive it hard enough to appreciate it. When I bought mine, I knew the engine would be great but the steering feel and the chassis balance (49F/51R) were the real surprises. Look how far back in the chassis that dry sump V8 sits! I agree, the visibility is the car's weak point, but it's the price to pay for one of cardom's best shapes ever. I'm not sure what reliability stories you heard, but these cars are mostly Ford and subsidiaries. They're actually very robust. It's a magnificent car that's a event every time you get in it.

[@Zygrene]

The reliability issues that the owner of the first 4.3L I reviewed told me about were mostly related to electronics.

[@brandonsever2576]

Sounds like a 6th gen Camaro SS 1LE for people who can afford something a bit more up-market. I mean this in the best way possible. Anybody with Porsche/Mercedes money that instead choose a manual V8 vantage instantly have extra "car guy" credibility in my book, whatever that's worth lol

[@justaddafan]

@@brandonsever2576 I would agree with you except the Camaro is a far bigger car than the Vantage. The Vantage is about the same size as it's contemporary 911 (and smaller than a new one) and is strictly a 2 seater. I don't know that there'd be much cross shopping.

[@justaddafan]

@@Zygrene These cars have some niggles, but no more than any other higher end brand. It's generally no more expensive to own than a Porsche or Jaguar.

[@oscoe]

Owner here. You nailed it re balance. My car is 485bhp, and it handles beautifully…..and yes great steering feel. It IS a real drivers car. Equally happy cruising as a GT.

[@jumpman83]

The steering feel & weight of these is the best I've experienced. One of my favorite aspects of the car.

[@patricsteele]

Nice Review ! Great car ! Challenge The Road channel has made a pedal kit to facilitate heel/toe as well as a short shifter.

[@tommyfreckmann6857]

I had my 4.3 for 4 years and tuned it, exhaust, and dyno with 360whp. On the track is absolutely sublime... this is where reviews don't do the car justice. I was lapping Road Atlanta faster than the new C8 and GT350s. Of course driver skill comes into play, but I absolutely adore the Vantage.

[@nlxsteve]

You know… I never thought this car actually had it in it, but this chassis is awesome. It’s such an underrated “sports car.”

[@tommyfreckmann6857]

@nlxsteve totally understand! That's why I chose the Vantage platform... For the money, it is the best bang for buck. I was looking at a few Ferraris, Porsches, etc. But, the Vantage won out for quality. DD capability, reliability, dry sump engine that loves to rev, great sound system, etc. I could go on all day. It is so neutral when pushed and the fact this car has faster lap times than the cars it competed with at the time despite having slower acceleration times.

[@KRBY555]

The owner commenting above says the opposite. Shit on track

[@CTP1111]

Car is actually surprisingly reliable if you buy a face lifted model (post 2009) I had mine for 5 years, great car and I miss it dearly!

[@alexkean8245]

Great review! These cars deserve all the praise you gave, I have an early 4.3 car and the 4.7 is just that much better. On the reliability front, I think most of the owners will agree that these are extremely reliable. There was recently one in the UK for sale with 189k on the clock. And super nitpicky: but the big piece of piano black isnt plastic, it's a large piece of wood. When you open the (very dated) Nav Screen you can see the edge of the wood and the grain.

[@Zygrene]

Piano black wood? Didn't know that was possible, thanks for sharing

[@MostlyHuman]

@@Zygrene Well... that is how many pianos are built and finished (black lacquer) hence the term. The automotive problem is using glossy-black scratchable plastic to pretend to be piano black lacquer. Great vid BTW, and yes the V8 Vantage is one of the prettiest designs ever.

[@mrmonday42]

Lets be real, these aren't $50k cars anymore. A 2014 manual is going to cost you at least $70k

[@soloryderrr]

Beautiful machine. Definitely a gentleman's sports car

[@rabidrabiesracing]

Vantage owner for the past 10 years here. Great GT car. Gorgeous and wife’s favorite car of mine because it is so comfortable. Very reliable as long as it was built right and maintained correctly. I have an ‘07 and since new only maintenance + wear and tear items was needed. No horror stories at all. You have to keep in mind these are hand built engines so it seems to be hit or miss. On the secondary market you should have no problem sorting out the good from the bad examples. Very mechanically reliable. Awkward heel toe even with a wider accelerator pedal, clutch has no sensory feel and steering turn on isn’t as on point as a lighter true sports car. Great for the street. Not the car I take to the track.

[@zrzzezolo7134]

The VH Platform on which all Astons from this era are built, was originally developed by Lotus. They’re known for building some of the best handling chassis ever made. Weight distribution is even and you find double wishbone suspension in all four corners. (The new double wish bone front axle is something the new 992 GT3 gets praised for currently as no 911 ever had it before). This superior chassis is the reason why Aston Martin won everything in the early 2000‘s in long distance racing including Le Mans also besing Porsches. On Top Gear the DBS went around the track quicker then the Zonda. Never underestimate the performance of an Aston. They’re beautiful, luxurious AND capable.

[@nlxsteve]

Hm, so I believe you but the updates to the platform through the years make it a much better sports car than what you might have. My clutch has a ton of feel (engages a little high for my liking though) and steering is a true highlight (good on center/off center feel, good road feel and weighting, and good loading/unloading). 2011.75 give the better brakes and quicker rack from the S model also.

[@AFXSnares]

Love your reviews since you actually drive the damn cars instead of cruising around at 1500 rpm, only thing you could add is exhaust note and startup from the exterior.

[@AmilThaha]

Great video! Watching this made me lust after these cars even more.

[@BorisBidjanSaberi11]

These never get old

[@bogosian.]

there is a huge difference between earlier 4.3 vs later 4.7 suspension, obvious torque to name a couple and then cars after 2012.25 have more upgrades like quicker steering rack

[@josephbonfa]

Will buy one the end of this year. Cannot wait.

[@user-yo3kf9fl5d]

Mine is a V8VS, so the steering is a bit tighter, ride is a bit tighter too. I love it!

[@geraint8989]

Great review - good detail, conveying the experience really well. Good job! P.S. Still possible to discern speed from needle position, despite the blurring 😉

[@ebwerksinc.2767]

I have owned multiple Porsche cars including the GTs and I purchased a Vantage ~6 years ago. My Porsche friends rally when I tell them the Vantage is the most amazing overall car I have driven. Keyword, overall! I still have my Porsches and I love Porsche. As for the Vantage and repairs. I have had no issues. It is no surprise to me. I never have issues with any of my cars. What I have learned in life, someone talks and rumors spread like wildfire, and then it is hard to undo. Therefore, I don’t listen to the status quo, and I march at my beat and make my own path.

[@jacksonrapaich2179]

Awesome review. I have a similarly modded 4.7L + wider wheels and am local to you in the Bay Area. Happy to let you have a go on familiar roads if you want

[@Zygrene]

Yes please! Shoot me a quick email at [e-mail]

[@2ZZGE100]

Man, Aston Martin hit it out of th4e park with that car.

[@UnrelatedNonsense]

These Aston’s were at one point really affordable! Around like $30000. Now I believe Doug Demuro and Tavarish showed just how easy to maintain and reliable the vantage is which caused prices to go up.

[@augustortiz]

That engine is just perfection

[@QuickNick1985]

....and now it's time to review the Vantage V12! 🙂

[@Random415510]

I owned a 09 V8 Vantage for about four years from 23k miles to 38k miles and had zero issues with the car.

[@GlennsCarCollection]

Great video. I think the only V8 Vantage you can get for $50k is the 2006-2008 model with the 4.3L V8. The 4.7L V8 cars, which debuted in model year 2009, are much higher unless you want the automatic transmission. I would love a manual 4.7 but they made very few.

[@big-R]

08:20 nuff said (the downshifting and sound action). If it sounds like that on a video, what's it like IRL? :D

[@MaxSpeedMike]

An amazing car! If you haven't already, drive a manual DBS (v12). Absolutely incredible experience

[@Unicornpirate]

V12 Vantage with a 6 speed manual...chef's kiss

[@Soyblackpower]

This seems to be a more emotional experience bit on paper i find it hard to justify it over a C6 or C7

[@flat6croc]

Nice video. Very appealing cars. I just know that the finer points of the driving experience on tight twisty roads would ultimately frustrate. Incidentally, I thought these cars were meant to be pretty reliable.

[@ApexClubRacer]

Great review! This or an Evora GT… tough choice for sure

[@Zygrene]

Evora GT for hard driving. V8 Vantage for engine sound and generally feeling like a badass.

[@ApexClubRacer]

Then Evora GT it is!

[@Birmingham_racing]

I didn't think you would like it this much but you need to try the s version

[@tomaszpaluch9688]

How do you find it in comparison to e92 m3?

[@schunkelperser1794]

This one rocks

[@QuantumBlu9x]

More Aston ❤

[@alphabeta8403]

6:55 Great sound and feeling 9:00 4.7 V8, 3500 LBS 10:00 Looks great, but reliability issues might make ownership a disaster long term

[@sfmchris123]

I think ur getting confused with the 4.3 litre Vantage being 50k. No way in hell are you finding a 6spd 4.7 for under 65k

[@dallasstang2818]

I would do the 2008-2012 Aston DBS and preferably the 2009 Manual DBS.

[@samueldowney2806]

Someone is a little smitten ;) So, what we really need to know is, would you take one of these over an S2000?! ;) With that amazing;y well judged exhaust, it does seem a very, very lovely thing.

[@r.k.2401]

❤Great Automobile❤great representation❤Thank you very much❤Aston has character ❤

[@silv3rArrow]

"Very nice but there are few touch points that feel quite dated: piano black plastics..." - All the Mercedes current lineup just got wrecked ahah

[@S25117]

Did u drove an Audi RS4 b7?

[@thedrivechannel83]

I've had my 07 Vantage for 6 years now. I'm not sure what reliability issues you are mentioning. I've had zero. Not one. The V12s have some issues I have heard.

[@dreamdrivedrift]

Wow! Would you sell your NSX for this?

[@churchofbrap876]

Clever camera placement so Speedo not visible ;-)

[@oscoe]

This is weird. I took my Vantage out yesterday and said to myself…this is a lot like my old e39 M5! You’re right! And that’s all good….

[@york-fabianraabe902]

The center slope is not plastic but metal 😉 Only the little part with the buttons is plastic. I find it fascinating how we are bombarded with shiny plastic trying to mimic more valuable materials in other cars and how this makes it difficult to realize valuable materials when they are in a car....

[@NDEEZMiata]

Camaro SS 1LE is maybe the closest competitor for the money? It loses the beauty contest though …and it’s more track oriented Love to try a v12 manual with a good exhaust. Bet that’s heavenly

[@Zygrene]

SS 1LE has similar driving dynamics, but it's desirable in a totally different way IMO. I would buy it purely to serve its purpose as a track car, whereas the Aston appeals to emotion.

[@NDEEZMiata]

@@Zygrene makes sense, that’s what you would want from an exotic There’s not too many V8 manuals around these days…

[@alfista-yr2sr]

Why do you talk so much about reliability of the V8 Vantage? That car is by far the most popular and most-built AM of all time, there are countless of them on the roads here in Britain, and the car (especially the engine) is bulletproof. Easily the most reliable AM of all time, but objectively a very reliable, very easy to maintain and very long-lived car. It does not have a reputation for being unreliable at all, indeed it's measurably more reliable (JD Powers and other surveyors) than a Porsche 911! Is it because it's British and therefore suspect? The V8 Vantage is a better quality car than the ubiquitous and much-loved 911, that's a fact. And FWIW, a close friend of mine has 2 AMs (a classic and a V8V) and is a lifetime member of AMOC in the UK, his V8V is the only car in his collection (which extends beyond AM) to never have a reliability problem nor break-the-bank maintenance surprise in the 10 years he's owned it.

[@navyrotc2012]

I’ve seen reliability comments as the low hanging fruit when you’re running out of things to say. It’s done on every alfa review like a modern Giulia is the same as a 80s gtv

[@Mr335iBMW]

How would you compare this to an E9X M3?

[@Zygrene]

The Aston feels more special on the road, but I'd be a lot more comfortable taking an E9X M3 on track.

[@925vincent]

"The third gear factor" 😁

[@ronsavenor1]

A wonderful car had a 2013 but sold it for a 2017 V12s vantage with a manual dog leg Simply an epic car Reach out and you can do a review on my 1 of 100 Vantage!

[@Zygrene]

Sounds epic. Can you shoot me a quick email? [e-mail]

[@craigyirush3492]

Finishes video, starts searching for used Astons!

[@maximus9401]

In your experience having driven so many cars, what comes thr closest to this experience and overall package? Essentially what is the poor man's Aston Martin Vantage? 😅

[@orest395]

For a 100k car, you would think it would have more power at the wheels, this from the factory has as much horsepower as a terminator cobra

[@Tracertme]

Old school car needs an old school driver as this car does not have modern electronics and nanny state driving aids. ❤😂 a real drivers car.

[@tonymcflattie2450]

If it doesn’t have auto blipper, then I don’t want it

[@gregpapagno5683]

English cars and bikes awesome

[@andybroer651]

Those throws are so short! Try driving a 1970s or 1980s ALFA and you'll experience loooong throws! 🙂

[@billnorblat4047]

Great looking car but a "GT" car for me must have a moonroof.

[@appletv1157]

What are you talking about? They are more reliable than Porsches and BMWs. Wait until you try a late model like an AMR. Sadly it didn’t make it to the US but a GTS sport will do. The car you drove had a crap sound compared to a sport backbox with cat deletes. They are one of the greatest analogue sports cars ever. Your one sounds very average and it’s going to be a bit floaty compared to the later tunes. Also try a new Vantage. So much better than a 992. You will be blown away. I traded my M2CS on one. It’s in another realm. So i have two now. Can’t imagine a better garage.

[@umamidaddy7243]

Aston Martin or a civic...... choices

[@Zygrene]

VTEC always wins

[@rabidrabiesracing]

Why not both???

[@umamidaddy7243]

@@rabidrabiesracingcause that's 100 grand

[@rabidrabiesracing]

@@umamidaddy7243 nope. You can get one for $40k ish.

[@andybroer651]

If you don't have data on reliability, please don't cast shade on them. I have a friend that used one daily and had a very reliable car experience. I have the same 'perception' problem with my Maserati 4.7 GranTurismo. Never had a major issue with it, but people - who've never owned one always comment on their reliability in a negative manner, again with no data. Just don't do that please. If you don't have data or first hand knowledge, then don't make negative comments. Please.

[@kgthegreatone943]

Very very expensive car

[@MrXerxes]

"This sounds better than an E39 M5 engine..." You bite your tongue, good sir! No Blasphemy against the mighty S62 will be tolerated! Disagreements aside, nice review !

[@gpajic1987]

$160k AUD 😢