So now that I've had ample time to experience the car, I wanted to post a follow up on my experience, in no particular order.

Negatives:

1. The brake squeals are killing me and is such an embarrassment! Here I am coming to a busy intersection and have all these people ooh'ing and ahh'ing and then "SCREECH!" I've tried bedding them, and the squeals seem to always come back. I'll need to visit the dealer soon to get the shims put on.
2. The alarm/door locking mechanism is a major you disappointment. Having to be 20 feet or closer for the key fob to work is sometimes a drag. But even more so is that the passenger door almost never locks when I click the lock button on my key fob. I'll also have the dealer fix this on my next visit.
3. The amount of brake dust is insane! I have to clean the wheels almost every other day. I'll be buying a few bottles of Armor All Wheel Protectant soon.
4. The buttons on the center console requires me to really press them for them to respond. i.e. I'll casually press the navigation dial and the screen won't come up.
5. The navigation can often times "get lost". The menu and features are also extremely dated. When comparing to an Acura for example, it's got so many more bells and whistles and the UI looks so much more current.
6. As many have stated, the low-end torque can be improved. However, I have no major gripes about the performance and think it's at par with what I expect from a super car/exotic.
7. I wish there was an area to put my wallet and/or phone in that is closer to the front.
8. I don't understand why it can't be a keyless ignition.
9. I don't understand why it comes standard with rear parking sensors but not the front.
10. The e-brake, while is nice with the leather and stitching, seems dated. Most newer cars now come with an electronic e-brake. I'm not sure if they work well with a manual transmission, but it's more forward thinking.
11. Wish the head lamps had an automatic setting.
12. Radio reception is kind of bad.
13. I wish the gap between the fender and tire was less.
14. The interior lighting is a bit dim and I will be looking to replace them with LEDs.

Positives:

1. I'm absolutely in love with the exhaust note!! As soon as it was delivered, I removed fuse 22 and haven't reverted back. I find myself revving much higher just so I can hear the exhaust and make sure other drivers hear it too.
2. The body lines are to die for! No matter what angle you view it from, it looks gorgeous! I can't tell you how many compliments I receive from people that say the exact same thing. The V8V is by far one of the best designed vehicles period.
3. Additionally, the interior is flawless and oozes class and sexiness. The stitching is brilliant and really makes the interior. I'm not totally fond of the the buttons, but overall, it was really well designed.
4. Handling is very responsive, not too stiff as a DD, and handles like it's on rails!
5. The LED head lamps are a nice touch.
6. The door handles are also a nice touch.
7. The doors opening at an angle are also a nice touch.
8. I really like all of the plaques such as the door sills and engine bay.

Overall:

Overall, I'm very happy and impressed with this car. It feels very solid when driving and everything was thought through when designing the car. While I would have preferred an 09, I don't regret purchasing an 07. And while I can't make a true comparison (since I've only driven an 09 once), the 07 is still an incredible car and is an absolute joy to drive.

 

1. The shims completely fix this problem

3/4. The nav sucks. I never use it and I'd rather not even have it.

8. I prefer the manual e-brake. On a sports car, the newer electronic e-brakes seem hokey and take out the ability to use the e-brake on the track.

9. I agree

10. I never have had a problem with this. Do you have the antenna on the back?

11. It can be, if you get aftermarket springs.

 

Yes, my antenna is to the back of the roof. I believe the 09's integrated the antenna in the windshield. I'm not sure if it's just mine, although it's a new antenna, or the antenna in general.

 

nice review....very good info and yes the vantage v8 is one of the best designed car out there.

 

I'm not sure how headlights work on the '07, but in my '08 if I leave the headlight switch on, they automatically go off when I turn the ignition off, and come back on when the ignition is turned on.

 

My preference I guess would be that it detect the amount of sunlight and turn off the headlights during the day and turn them on during the night. Not a biggie for me though.

 

Haha your 'Negatives' list is almost twice as long as your 'Positives' list. Being in the market (no pun intended), this is very good information to know. Why exactly do you prefer the '09? Is it that drastically different? By chance does anyone know what year they began to integrate the ipod connection?

 

Ipod in '08

'09 they went to the 4.7.

 

Allen121 - Your '07 comments are just like mine when I bought it new - then I made some changes from "stock". I made several after market adjustments (brake pads, interior bulbs, springs, ECU, exhaust, cats, sat radio, mats, and probably a few more - GPS sucks in a 2011 too - just not an AM thing). BTW - about same mods I have done on countless other stock sports cars. I have never quit liking this car and am approaching 4 yrs ! Just a blast to drive and own !!! If you have any more questions feel free to shoot me a PM - kinda learned thru trying different parts.
Only car I love more ... V12 Vantage ... but not for another $120k ...

 

I think that even in 08 a lot of these issues were resolved. I can tell you one thing, my stereo was great in fact I got the same one in the V12 over the B&O that was offered. The brakes on mine didn't squeak and the unlocking mech wasn't as sensitive as other cars but I think it is a function of the cars angles. When I had the top down it seemed to work much better so maybe the signal is a line of sight thing. Brake dust was definitely a pain. I love the e-brake; both location and function. It's kind of an AM tradition. My pet peeve was the gas lid release. From what I understand, it's a problem with all of them. Even the V12 has this little trick but the dealer can fix it easily. I will say that the Nav is much better in the V12. It's still no where near as good as others but it is more responsive and a step up from the old one. I too would opt out if I could.

 

Another weird thing about the car you should be aware of is that the high beams do not turn off automatically when you park and turn the car off. I learn this the hard way when I came back and found the battery drained and the car totally dead. The regular headlights do turn off automatically, yet not the high beams. When the car is dead you also cannot access the glovebox, so it is a good idea to keep the owners manual tucked under the passenger seat so that you can figure out how to jump start the car-- preferentially trickle charge it for 12-24 hrs to allow you to bring it back to life. I was a slow learner-- I did it 3-4 times before I finally got in the habit of turning off the high beams as I turn into my driveway.

 

'08, hmm.....are there ipod integration kits that can be installed into the '07?

Yeah, I know of the power upgrade in the '09, but most of his issues were unrelated to performance; I was just wondering if there were major interior changes.

 

Yes but the iPod retrofit is very expensive...there are threads on this but I remember it being close to $2K.

The '09s have a whole new center console.

 

Good review ... I too share some of your concerns but I feel I may have stumbled onto some solutions.

1. Will be upgrading rotors & pads very soon. I will report back if the squeal has completely stopped but I am anxious to try out these Carbotech 1521 pads as I have heard amazing things about them.

2. yes this is really annoying and their doesn't appear to be a remedy other than replacing the latch mechanism (which even then is not a garentee). remember ... it is a british car so take that with a grain of salt

3. Carbotech pads should eliminate dust all together but I will report back as soon as I have a long term test. I HIGHLY recommend using "Nu-finish" on the wheels. its an old detailers trick and its FAR more durable than any typical wheel wax. Its a very strong polymer that can last up to a year if applied properly. Usually I apply 2-3 coats and it lasts for minimum of 6-12 months. Just make sure you don't take it to a car wash that uses industrial soaps. I only use carnuba car wash solutions (meguires) and that will ensure the nu-finish stays on and the added benefits of wax helps.

4. I never have this issue on my 07 but I new OEM nav wasn't really worth it so I avoided it all together.

6. This is a big one, but I got a few things up my sleeve ... I will report back shortly as I feel like I have a few things that haven't been tried before

9. I agree 100%, rear sensors make sense but front sensors are far more crucial. I guess aston assumed the car would always be backed into its spot as if every parking space was at the Monte-Carlo Casino .

10. I actually love the E-brake, it is classic british sports car. Even the old Lotus Esprit V8 TTs had an identical system. The only annoying thing about it is occasionally my pants leg gets caught on it coming out, but other then that I love it ... adds to the character of the car.

12. My reception is great, but I have 07 w/ rear roof antenna, I don't mind it, I actually like it. On those with newer models with antenna integrated into the glass, be very careful what kind of tint you get. Some aftermarket tints cannot be used with these types of windshields as the metallic component of the tint will cause interference. You have to use a much higher grade 100% ceramic tint usually to ensure no interference occurs. Double check that in your case.

13. simple suspension drop, or wider wheels will reduce the appearance of the gap. With that said, I like stock ride height b/c I NEVER scrape, so to me its worth it, but to each his own.

14. Keep us updated with this one. I too think its dim, a super bright LED solution would be nice. Try www.autolumination.com


Most of these issues can be resolved and to me that's half the fun. I always like improving on little things here and there. With that said its a great starting platform and there is plenty you can do to improve on most of these areas.
________
Avandia class action lawsuit