Auto NSider Review | 2020 Aston Martin Vantage Coupe

The first time I went Skydiving?  Sweaty palms and a thumpin’ heart.

The first time I held my first Grandchild?   Even more sweaty palms and thumpin’ heart.

The first time I slid behind the wheel of an Aston Martin?

Well…not quite in the same league as the other two, but it was still a…let’s call it a reverent moment.

Why?

After all, I’ve driven some of the world’s most acclaimed supercars…as well as 700+  HP race cars that I knew I’d have to pay for, were there any “errors in judgement” on my part.

So why the touch of anxiety?

‘Cause Aston Martin isn’t just a supercar…it’s an icon.   And icons are revered.

Let’s start with the obvious.   James Bond probably did more to advance the image of Aston Martin than any mega million dollar advertising campaign would have ever done.

But hey…Aston Martin’s engineers have done their part…and more.

Compared to other Supercars, Aston Martins have what most consider to be a classic and timeless…almost conservative shape.   I felt a bit like I was driving a two-seat Rolls.

Compared to other Supercars, Aston Martin seems to have a more livable interior.   Softer, more luxurious…easier to enter and exit.   Kinda’ like that that suit or outfit that you paid waaay too much for 10 years ago…and still looks great on you today.

We tested an “entry-level” Aston Martin Vantage.   $150-ish list.   503 HP twin-turbo 4.0 liter V8 that’ll get you to 62 MPG in 3.6 seconds…and up to 195 MPH.

Need more?   Be careful what you ask for.   Their DB11 packs 630 HP and a 208 MPH top end.

Not enough?   OK.   Their DBS Superleggera is good for 211 MPH, thanks to its 715 HP.

And their full-race 1160 HP Valkyrie?   Don’t even ask!

So if you just hit #1 with a bullet on the charts…or were just signed as a top draft choice…and you want people to know it…Aston Martin can help.

But back to my entry-level test Vantage.   Fast enough to challenge the skills of 99.99% of us.   Just punch the pedal and hang on…but make sure that you’re pointed straight ahead.   Otherwise you’re sidewise.   Just fair warning.

What I’m saying is that Aston Martin’s Vantage packs more punch and power than just about any of us can handle.   But with Aston Martin, there’s way more.

Again, that “way more” is pretty much all well-earned cachet.   People wanted to touch this car.   Rub their hands over its curves.  Look…and look some more.   Rather than always chasing the latest and the fastest, this is the kind of vehicle that you can just keep and enjoy and savor for years.

No one asked “How fast will it go?”.   They just seemed to want to soak it all in…except for one thing.

And that one other thing?

I sometimes get a little tired of the automatic stop / start feature that you’ll find on most new vehicles these days.    But not on the Vantage.   In contrast to its elegant and conservative exterior, every time that the Vantage kicked back in and restarted it was sweet sweet music….as close to the sound of a full-race engine as I’ve ever heard.   And those standing within a hundred yards usually gave me a thumbs-up!

As is true for all vehicles of this type, you can easily add a whole new car’s-worth of options to that base price.   The paint, the “Spicy Red Leather” trim, and other tech and comfort additions brought us up to a $184,017 total.

Kinda’ hard for someone who’s still “workin’ for the man” to say “Well worth it”, but yes…in the world of Supercars. Aston Martin’s entry-level Vantage is a bargain.   Much like a Napa Valley cabernet, your Vantage should keep well for the ages.