Aston Martin Vanquish - An Owner's Perspective

As someone who has owned a first-generation Vanquish for the last 9 years, Matt knows a thing or two about what to expect from the Vanquish nameplate. Does the all-new 2014 Vanquish deliver? We'll find out.

[@michaelcapen4440]

the world needs more cars like this. emotion over numbers every time

[@sloppyjo4560]

numbers for nerds

[@calebnation7797]

The miata is an emotion over numbers car that’s affordable. It’s slow but it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

[@michaelcapen4440]

@@calebnation7797 that’s why I have one

[@w-james9277]

The most beautiful car made this decade

[@Braselton21]

+Will James I still think the 458 is, and then this Aston a close 2nd

[@w-james9277]

Charlie Johnson Its all a matter of opinion. The 458 looks good but in my mind there are better looking cars. I think the 488 looks fantastic.

[@MrAyybee2cold]

W-James pagani Huayra roadster.

[@johnbratmon6385]

"... for the owner who wants to make a statement, and have that statement not include the word 'douchebag'..." Definitely. This car is all about class, refinement and exclusivity. I'd have this car over pretty much every track munching, Italian supercar; just about as cool as you can get...

[@autogefuehl]

Such a beauty. The car, of course.

[@BearCub2049]

He's not half bad to look at either. Just negative points on the smoking. This demonstrates that true appreciation for a car. Thank you for debunking that numbers game BS every KZbinr wants to bring to a car argument. Also that picture perfect break down of the car and the filming just says a lot about how dedicated the crew is.

[@MrAlpinab7]

Thomas here, 7 years ago ! 👍

[@HighSpeedManiaNet]

This car is such a perfection. The sounds, the looks, the interior.. everything's just perfect..

[@TheSmokingTire]

For most owners, it's more important that the transmission works smoothly as an automatic than it shifts in 80 milliseconds or whatever.

[@apollo4657]

Seen one up close....this thing is a rolling piece of art! Absolutely stunning!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Matt, I love your perspective on this review. You're exactly right, this car can only be enjoyed by those that aren't obsessed with numbers or having the fastest car on the road. I agreed with every statement you said. Hopefully one day I'll have a chance to own an Aston Martin Vanquish too. I saw the baby blue one in LA back in January and got butterflies in my stomach because it was so stunning to behold in person. Excellent review! I'd argue that it's your best yet!

[@suu2212]

this Vanquish has The Best Soundtrack of any car i've ever heard...

[@MrAlpinab7]

Any Aston can beat any other car soundwise.

[@UkRambozz]

My favourite british car

[@UkRambozz]

Well they're good but aston martin is the dogs bollocks

[@f0gGenx]

Range Rover, Mclaren, Lotus, Caterham, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls Royce...Yup British cars are great..

[@sarpeg1337]

doobie89 if I happend to be rich I would get a Aston Martin Vanquish, Range Rover Evoque, Lotus Exige and a McLaren Mp4-12C (dont like the 650s, looks to over designed)

[@sarpeg1337]

but for the other cars ;) but you can get the evoque easily up to 60k+ €

[@cat2556]

Caterham Seven.

[@theyoutubechannel4512]

There has never been a more stunning car. If I owned it, I'd have a tough time deciding whether to drive or just stare at it.

[@targaflorio3239]

Watching this, IMO, there are enormous similarities between Aston and Maserati - especially their GT cars. Both beautiful and all about elegant pace and grace.

[@mvrtynas]

forever a sucker for aston martin.

[@targaflorio3239]

"The Rule of Thirds" - There you go. And here I was thinking I knew a little bit about cars. Wonderful insight into Aston's design language. Nice one Matt.

[@VaunShiz]

Perfect review and he knows exactly what astons are for !!!!

[@johnnycincocero]

Rule of thirds...Designers must have been photographers.

[@MartinFlicks]

Golden Ratio is used by all artist. Architects, designers. Well educated ones

[@xFlared]

$280,000? Bitch please. I can't even afford a metro card.

[@EileenTheCr0w]

Damn. It's nice, but it's nowhere near that nice. I could see paying like 80k.. For that price I'll buy a GT-R, Stingray, and 3 lexus's lol.

[@theways1234]

vexx506 Its a 6.0 V12...it's not going to be sold for $80k

[@Sp1keon3]

haha

[@mattgoeswheelin]

vexx506 80k? Shut your broke ass up.

[@thomascampr]

You go girl !!!!

[@quigley61]

I love my astons, as specially the DB9( wasn't fond on the DBS) but this beat it. Every shape, every line, the flow of the car is amazing. It is the best looking car i've ever seen. When i've got my millions, my garage will be 99% astons. You just can't beat them. They aren't the quickest, or the biggest, or have the best times. They're just perfection.

[@figifister]

you can't hate the person who drives an Aston. I feel the same about the R8. both are gentleman's sports cars.

[@bilalsyed5310]

+figifister lol not the R8

[@gmansplit]

I think that is the case for Jaguar, Aston, and Maserati. As well as older cars.

[@dimik3855]

The gentleman from whom I purchased my '77 AMV8 now owns an R8.

[@andylin7841]

Until this day, I've seen sunglasses that you can barely see through, completely reflection; but ain't nothing is like this cloudy mirror. Cool

[@RohanIyer]

That fucking grin at 0:04 gets me every time 😂

[@mustange550]

The Aston Martin front end has a similar Front end look to my 2013 Fusion and it also has very similar looking rims.. Ha no wonder the fusion is such a great looking!

[@sleepcult]

Because Ford owns part of Aston... unfortunately.

[@mustange550]

Tyler McGowan Yup they did. I guess you don't like Ford. everyone has an opinion so to each their own...I for one love ford for a lot of reasons and one of those reason is, they are the only one out of the big 3 sorry big 2 that did not have to get bail out money.

[@sleepcult]

mustange550 Good point. I dislike Ford because they got away with building garbage through the 90's and earlier 2000. Now these days they're getting away with copying designs, ideas and technology and they're profiting from it. But hey whatever works. To each their own I guess.

[@mustange550]

Sure, They owned the company so, they can use it as they see fit, you can't hate a company for being smart about how they make their profits.... Any company will copy in some form another companies product... It allows companies to be more competitive, they take another design and put their own spin on it....as far the 90's I agree like most cars from most of the big 3 at the time, their styles sucked, I did like the Mustang, Thunderbird and cougar they had good design IMO.

[@sleepcult]

mustange550 I'm not hating in any way, just explaining why I won't buy a Ford. It's just the past few years it seems like Ford was always waiting in the back until another manufacturer redesigned a model, or released a new one, and they'd jump on it, and release something that appears to just be one-upping the other car. With the redesign of the Canyon and Colorado trucks from GM, I'll bet anything the Ranger is going to make a return. Sure I agree it's a smart idea, but I just don't have any respect for that kind of business.

[@peterschiller2451]

Such a beautiful car. And the sound is like good music. perfect. I dream, that one day I could drive this piece of art in Hammerhead Silver. But as I am part time janitor, it will remain just a dream.

[@TheSmokingTire]

We're using a sendheiser studio mic with a wind buffer attachment. We've tried several setups, and this works the best. We consistently offer exhaust audio here at The Smoking Tire that is better than what we hear on any TV show, including from US Top Gear.

[@bluestudio67]

What's with the ripped headliner?? Curbing is expensive, but that looks even more expensive.

[@GlossaME]

Nice car, but that steering wheel and the black indicator stalk...big no-no!

[@timcoe82]

Brilliant review Matt. I was at the Aston Martin factory only yesterday. Saw loads of these, and DB9s, Vantages, Rapides, V8s, V12s and everything else that all made my eyes go pop and my heart race. The coolest car brand out there. You summed up the ownership perfectly. great job. "Just look at it," as you said at the start.

[@ahmetyasar9256]

proudly owned a 911 for 2 years. that was the boss style experience. However, I really loved how Matt reviewed Vanquish. I also see how Matt improved his video review skill during years. Congrats Brother. You really look The Boss in that car.

[@dolebiscuit]

I think you nailed it with this review, which is exactly what is drawing me to the Aston Martin--specifically a DB9 or Vanquish. It's not going to make people look at you and say, "Oh what a douche" like a Lambo or Ferrari. It's not the flashiest or the fastest. But it's beautiful. It stands out by being subtle. It doesn't scream for attention, but draws it because of it's style and elegance. And you don't see one all the time like you do with a Ferrari, Lambo or Porsche. The only other car in this class that can say the same is the Maserati Gran Turismo--and honestly, I think the Aston Martin looks better.

[@Gohot229]

+dolebiscuit Frankly I don't care what the armchair plebs think, Lambo's and Ferrari's are Fast, and that's the point, lets go fast.... effortly. These who hate. F em, they will never have anything but a loud big mouth, probably full of BS

[@dolebiscuit]

+Gohot229 The thing is, if you just want to go fast, you can build your own car that can compete with a Lambo or Ferrari, and you'll probably enjoy it more because of your connection with it. If I want a straight up race car, I'll build a race car. I don't want to buy a race car. I'd much rather buy an R34 Skyline and build it up to 1000HP. But an Aston--that's something different altogether, because it ISN'T a race car. It's a work of beauty from the ground up, and there's not a Lambo or Ferrari on the market that looks better, in my opinion.

[@arnolduribe2209]

I fuckin love the aston martin cars

[@auke9286]

Wow, I'd forgotten just how good this review is.. Keep coming back to it. Thank you Matt, and keep up the great work!

[@TheSmokingTire]

there are two choices of steering wheel. This is the standard wheel that comes in the Rapide and Vantage models, and you can get the One-77's "Square" wheel too. I haven't used the square wheel but people who have said it's really cool.

[@jaguarmgbgt2551]

That car takes my breath away. No doubt about it... Win lottery - Buy Vanquish. I don't care if a Ferrari F12 is a better car or a better investment. The Vanquish has my heart. I've thought that the V12 Vantage was the one for me. But if you think about it, The Vantage was designed around the V8 engine. It's superb with the V8. The V12 adds lushous sound and fury. But, as Colin Chapman said, if you want a car to go faster in a straight line, add power. If you want a car to do "everything" better, add lightness.

[@MrAndymayor11]

This is how you review a car. By far the best review video I have seen so far. And what a sexy car!

[@FuuuWhatYouThink]

You're my favorite car show host with your chill & humorous demeanor, yet very informative & non biased reviews. YOU are the person they need on Top Gear

[@TheSmokingTire]

It really depends on the car. Most Lambo's aren't comfortable for me at all, but the 430, 458, 599, all the Astons, the SLS, the Jag's, R8's etc, I fit in just fine.

[@ThePepe969]

It's the most beautiful Aston Martin, not even a doubt about it

[@chadhansen1142]

Got to love that ford v12

[@datkillaboy5997]

GETT OUUTTT!!! NOOWW!!

[@Telexic]

hahahaha yes thank you, so fucking true!

[@ArtByAusup]

That allegory about being a conductor was very inspired. Your reviews keep getting better and better without losing that core honesty you've always given us. Great job as usual, Matt =]

[@williamsepan2608]

WOW, I don't know if you read comments, but either way I wanted to thank you for seizing and describing the different aspects of this exquisite car in such a unique and moving way!

[@THEfromkentucky]

I love Aston Martins, especially the styling, but good god do they have the ugliest and most boring steering wheels since Saturn.

[@rombierto]

+fromkentucky They have always had bland steering wheels. I don't understand it either.

[@beatsByZlaja]

Elegance is often found in simplicity

[@THEfromkentucky]

Yeah, but so is blandness.

[@reggier2343]

what exactly should the steering wheel look like?

[@stratoholic706]

Check out the one77 steering wheel which is optional for the vanquish. Looks awesome in my opinion.

[@DIYProjectX]

Some time ago, I commented on this video. I said that this ancient, slow to respond gearbox doens´t do the Vanquish justice. I got trashed (even from SmokingTire themselves for missing the point of the car and rubbish like that) and my comment removed. And look what happened now! Aston Martin has replaced this old six speed with a modern, fast shifting transaxle ZF eight speed, because they realised, it will transform the Vanquish into both - better cruiser and better sport car, just as I was saying. So SUCK IT, Smoking Tire !! LOL

[@GenericSpoon77]

And the 0-60(who gives a shit in a GT anyways but pretty cool nonetheless) was dropped by nearly half a second and it cracks 200 mph now.

[@MRTWINTURBO88]

Makes me proud to see you driving in my home town.. always loved driving my Mustang on PV Drive(before they fixed it) and Paseo Del Mar.

[@Raritytuber]

I just rewatched this one. Really good presentation IMO. I really do miss these old, awesome car review videos of TheSmokingTire. My all time favourite is the red RS5 with it's mega blipps on downshifts up and down The Snake. \o/ Gotta say this red Vanquish truly is a beaut!

[@rbeygarcia]

07:20 ANSWER: They designed the car for a slim person, and you're...well...SUPER SIZED. AMERICAN GRADE. You're not their target demographic.

[@johnshirk6626]

What car you drive and see the front wheel?

[@shoutatthedevil189]

+John Shirk Caterham seven.

[@PB42189]

+John Shirk i was bout to say the same shit

[@alexcockerill]

Matt, you do an awesome job on these videos! I leave the video with a feeling. Your 10 minute video is as strong as a half hour show or even a 2 hour movie

[@TheSmokingTire]

there are two steering wheel options with the Vanquish this one (which, yes, has been in use since the DB9 came out in 2005), and the "square" one from the One-77, which we imagine will be the more popular option.

[@radb94]

Matt keeps mentioning how people in other sports cars like Ferraris are seen as douchbags but I never understood that. If I see some guy drive by me in a Ferrari, I am going to be impressed...not envious and full of hate/jealousy. If anything, it'll be more motivation for me even though I'll probably never earn that kind of money lol.

[@stillsearching1284]

I love Ferraris and Aston Martins. Fingers crossed, I may own one one day.

[@amapolishplummer]

183mph? Isn't it 201mph?

[@Oogbooga117]

in GTA.

[@TheSmokingTire]

I was just talking to Chris Harris about doing the conversion, and I was worried about it hurting the resale value (not that I have any plans to sell it). He said that in the UK, a converted car sells for $10-15k more than a standard paddle car, so you don't fully throw the money down the drain either.

[@EGMedia1]

Well put. Love the cinematic camera angles.

[@markcarter9476]

I have never had the problem of rubbing against the electric seat controls in my DB9. Perhaps my body shape is slimmer than yours.

[@kevinmsft]

I can't even see the Aston... all I can see is your sunglasses, Sir. =)

[@respectfulremixer]

they were cool werent they?

[@CombatSquash]

I remember watching the behind the scenes video on this car. It is so cool to see the behind the scenes stuff and now see how it comes together into a nicely produced video. Very cool and great review.

[@NEOJAKE]

Wow, really well put! Don’t ever stop reviewing Astons my man!!

[@aryaahmadi4029]

Golden Ratio

[@styx85]

Nope. Rule of thirds is simply 1:2. Golden ratio is 1:1.618

[@OviWanKeno9i]

If I had many millions and the Pagani Huayra wouldn't exist, this is the car I would get.

[@OviWanKeno9i]

***** Hehe, be that as it may, I will be happy with my 400hp 2013 WRX STI with redone interior. Might eventually replace the STI with a GT-R if they do something to make the front looks nicer. I actually told the guys that changed my interior to get inspiration from Astons.(diamond stitching, padded leather and Alcantara, etc) I'm eyeing a used Bentley Continental GT Speed (no way in hell I'd pay 300+K, but under 100K is justifiable) as the second daily driver. I'd rather have 2 nice cars to drive every day than one that sits in the garage until the weekend. This summer it's a café racer Sportster motorbike so no money for Bentley yet for the next couple of years but I already picked it. :) Huayra is obviously unattainable, and even if it were, I would not spend my hard-earned money on it. In all truth, if I had a crazy amount of money, I would start an engineering company to help people in need get water, electricity, food, etc.

[@TheoldSouth]

why would you get a Pagani when you can get a Koenigsegg?

[@kristiaan1]

I'd want this over Huayra all the way.

[@CAPOFAME]

Harrison Conyers they are simply ugly, the doors going 90 degrees UP is awkward .... in my humble opinion

[@mrman17]

If you had many millions, why not buy both...

[@TheSmokingTire]

Yes, we are still making them, but because I have three jobs right now, I've had to take a bit of a break from Tuned in order to find the proper balance between the three jobs so I have a little bit less stress in my life.

[@TheSmokingTire]

Interested to hear about your experiences with it. I hated the QP and first-gen coupe, the Gran Turismo was better but the electronics weren't up to snuff for a GT car. How's the MC?

[@Ladco77]

Everyone should drive a V12 at least once before all the petrol is gone.

[@BackhandURmother]

Probably the best looking car on the road, but like he pointed out "price vs. performance" is just beyond way off. I love it, but I simply do not see a little over a quarter million dollars in it. In all honesty it seems like it belong in the price range of a Maserati GranTurismo. 125-140k price range. Not 280k.

[@yasserlee]

if i have a lot of millions surely i would buy it but is it the best car you get for the money you pay?? hell no

[@ryangilbert5104]

Keep in mind it is "hand made", so the price is going to pretty much sky rocket to compensate for the labor.

[@calebhu6383]

It's quite a bit faster than the Maserati.

[@M3Conv]

This thing is all carbon fibre, see how much Ferrari or Porsche charge for their all carbon models

[@yasserlee]

M3Conv but to be honest porsche and ferrari are way superior in terms of performance and technology

[@dude2106]

Brilliant. A review that doesn't just take the point of the car into account in a footnote in the credits. You actually reviewed the car, all the way through, by what the car is meant to do. I like that. A really good, and meaningful review.

[@tjohanson]

I can't stop looking at that tear in the headliner.

[@Pauldottkomm]

I create this perfect Car!....no its a joke this car is a dream!

[@Fishfingers232]

Does this have a torque converter auto? Anyway this and the DB9 are the Rolls-Royces of performance cars: not the fastest, not the best equipped and not the most reliable, but by god they have such charisma, appeal and class.

[@TheSmokingTire]

they didn't react to anything specific. They liked the video very much, and reposted it on their official Facebook and Twitter feeds, as well as sent it to all the dealerships for the salesmen to use as a tool.

[@Darkmark454]

Matt. By far the best vanquish review on youtube. Everyone else just seems to focus on the specs. Thats what I love about your reviews.You tell us how the car drives and feels. We viewers can just google the figures. The reason I watch these videos is because, Im sure like the majority of the other viewers, I dont have access to cars like these. So I watch these videos to try and imagine what it would be like to drive them. I want to know how the car drives, feels, and how it makes you feel. Txs

[@AdamKyleAnderson]

Needs a manual box.

[@GameBoyBeachBum]

So fucking true man. Although it sounds good. It would sound better with a manual

[@N0TThatCrazy]

Absolutely, or at least the option of. If an AM is all about appealing to the senses and not lap times the manual box would be more enjoyable.

[@AdamKyleAnderson]

***** Actually it is not a manual box. It is semi auto. Huge difference between the two. And no, Aston MArtin do not offer the option of " stick shift " in this model.

[@JasonWMorningwood]

***** As RCR once said "NO CLUTCH, NO MANUAL!!!!!!!!!!!"

[@AdamKyleAnderson]

***** You're missing the point.

[@dmravi13]

Am I the only person bothered by the shoddy stitching at 8:03 - 8:07? If my Aston had been like that I would have returned it. I mean what the fuck am I paying half a million dollars for if they can't even get the stitching perfect?

[@TwistedLifestyle]

Big respect for covering your own car and being honest too with everything. I've always been torn with Aston but the new Vanquish is something special. I'd have loved to know more about long term reliability as this is something I'm looking at. Also thank you for showing that doing and working does pay off. That's important too. Doing what you love, working hard and reaping the rewards. Great video

[@Blue03GT]

Im in love with that exhaust note.

[@Haenki]

how anybody can spec a beige interior is beyond me

[@phillipberk5767]

I know this needs a black with red contrast or white or even just red would look mild's better.

[@phillipberk5767]

+Phillip Berk Miles*

[@85MasterV]

Not a 3 pedal car? I don't car if a paddle shifts faster, FAIL

[@Beer_Dad1975]

Sadly in the Aston, the paddles don't even shift faster - the transmissions in them are terrible - not sure about this one, but older models also have a tendency to overheat badly in traffic. Still beautiful though.

[@alexharringtonmusic]

***** A manual haha

[@MEA508]

I saw one while I was coming home from work the other day; insanely good looking car in person. Great review.

[@TheSmokingTire]

I put it in a couple of really old Garage419 videos we made. But yeah, I don't really talk about it.

[@mr120pop]

you have nailed it its amazing to see someone who exactly knows the type of car an aston martin is its not meant to be aggressive and in your face its meant to be elegant and a work of art really its an outstanding piece of machinery and is one of the best cars out their and will forever hold that reputation i just hope in the future i can become an aston martin owner!!! you really killed it good job man!

[@TheSmokingTire]

The matte finish was pioneered by Dillon Optics, as their background is making anti-glare lenses for sniper rifles. The technology translates fantastically to sunglasses.

[@jofo05]

This is one of my favorite reviews ever! And my other favorite car besides the V12 Vantage. I wanna see a video of your Vanquish, Matt!

[@PS91195]

Awesome review! Really something new, in my opinion this is not just one Vanquish review, it is THE Vanquish review!

[@Ducatista189]

This is by far and away your finest video to date.

[@jgsanti918]

What a great video, really great job in explaining the car and everything!

[@dj2000lbs]

well done video! Matt does a great job at making car talk sense.. That V12 Engine noise is really something.

[@TheSmokingTire]

It's held up well. All the major stuff works, all the time. But when even a small thing does go wrong, its ludicrously expensive to fix.

[@Zippersaurus1337]

Thank you Matt for understanding what an Aston is truly about... class

[@AustenARW]

Nice review, you have me some of the sensation of what it's like to drive, how it makes one feel and the type of driving environment it feels most accustomed in. Nice shots too, found myself having to pause the video a few times just to take it in. Austen

[@Alexhoning]

I absolutely love your honesty of curbing that wheel, I know the feeling, reminiscent of sitting in a mustang maybe? If I'm honest with ya Matt, and I've been watching you for years and really respect the route you've carved for yourself to now reviewing astons, but I used to not actually love you that much as a host! But fret not, I love your character and style these days, you seem to have grown in every way into a humble and excellent journalist, bravo sir. Would love to meet you one day.

[@MrSidhu3]

simply amazing video, really gives you a whole new feel for the brand and ownership experience

[@TheSmokingTire]

I was in Munich 2 weeks ago!

[@TheSmokingTire]

Standard maintenance isn't much. And overall, it's been very reliable. But when things do break, they are very expensive to fix.

[@Japanrocks]

My beautiful hometown! I know exactly where each shots are lol Great choice for shooting location Matt.

[@the1mdriver]

Excellent! Very well said, the sound is great and the shot angles definitely convey the incredible strength and beauty of this spectacular design! God Damn, I would do most anything if I was promised one of these in payment...

[@DionysisX]

Finally, a test drive of the Vanquish that expresses it's true charisma! Excellent! Can't wait for the test drive of the Vanquish Volante!

[@Vettejocke]

Hey cool it has been almost 3 years since I saw a video from the Smoking Tire. I thought you guys were gone, its good to see you all back.

[@TheSmokingTire]

they are made by Dillon Optics, and you can get them using the banner link on our web site. If you order a pair, we'll send you a free TST shirt!

[@TheSmokingTire]

I said transaxle not transmission. The Vanquish's transaxle is mounted in the rear of the car for better balance. The M5's is right on the engine.

[@27Ctrojans]

Nice hypnotic music you got going and what a car. Great points and video

[@MisterPeetBull]

God Astons are so beautiful. Every car they make is a work of art. There are no bad angles on an Aston, no matter where you look at them. You've got a cool job man, I've always wanted to get into automotive journalism.

[@TheSmokingTire]

It's possible, but a very small percentage of Aston's total sales are in England, so they really should be paying close attention to left-hand drive ergonomics.

[@cgwsc]

It is amazing how Aston continues to walk the line between looking classy and sporty, with a look that is instantly recognizable across the line up. You just know it is special.