2025 Aston Martin Vantage Review: Great Expectations, Even Better in the Flesh

A more compact footprint sufficiently differentiates the Vantage from the larger DB12 grand tourer and Vanquish flagship. Both those stellar models serve their purpose, but the smallest Aston in the lineup caters to driving enthusiasts with a dynamic and nimble chassis.

That chassis now houses a twin-turbo AMG V8 massaged by Aston to pump out an unbelievable 656 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The simultaneously svelte, sinewy, and muscular exterior lines give way to a stunning interior, which might just serve as the Vantage’s highlight.

Altogether, tech allows the Vantage to inhabit a newly luxurious, smooth, and powerful role in the lineup. Somehow more exotic, more powerful, and more affordable than a Porsche 911 Turbo S, the Vantage quite possibly represents the most attractive deal in the six-figure sports car realm.

In short: Sublime to look at, the 2025 Aston Martin Vantage is equally as engaging to drive. The new face-lifted model year lacks a V12 engine option, sure. But, the twin-turbo 4.0L engine’s low-end torque and high-end horsepower provide gobstopping performance.

Adjustable exhaust, suspension, steering, and transmission shifting complement the powertrain, proving once again that the new Aston under Lawrence Stroll’s leadership continues to improve year over year by consistently adding new knockouts to the lineup. The engine, design, interior, ride quality, and price all combine perfectly to set the Vantage atop many lists of dream cars.

2025 Aston Martin Vantage Review

Before I received this 2025 Vantage loaner, the design caught my eye both in pics and in person. But I always take automotive “first drive” reviews, typically conducted under tightly monitored conditions, with a grain of salt. In other words, the Vantage arrived in Los Angeles with tough shoes to fill, but I still harbored some skepticism.

Same Powertrain, More Power

The engine, still built by AMG but now “tuned by Aston Martin,” undoubtedly hits the nail on the head. How can the same 4.0 L now put out 156 more horsepower than the “normal” outgoing Vantage — and even 128 horsepower more than the older car’s most powerful F1 variant?

Taming that unbelievable power, a ubiquitous ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox mounts in a “transaxle” location between the rear wheels. But I soon learned that, to my surprise, this transmission is not a dual-clutch, as on the Vanquish. And that’s a bummer, because the Vanquish’s DCT might possibly live up to Porsche’s PDK standards.

Still, the traditional torque converter automatic allows the Vantage to shift more smoothly. Plus, modern electronically adjustable shock dampers further contribute to a shockingly wide range of uses for the new Vantage.

I set everything to the softest drive modes and cruised around the roughest roads of Los Angeles in comfort. Only the worst ruts and speed bumps caused any jolting in the cabin, and the relatively high ride height (compared to other supercars) never required a front-axle lift system.

In the softest mode, the Vantage’s engine settles into a mellow idle, thoroughly thumping out torque at low revs. The deep rumble just pleads for release into higher RPMs, though. So soon enough, I headed out to Malibu to set the Vantage loose.

Getting serious meant switching over first into Sport mode, and then Sport+ to open up the exhaust valving, stiffen up the dampers, and tighten the steering to provide a hint more feedback.

Handling

Rocketing out onto straightaways, the 4.0L V8’s high-end output probably matters less than the deep wells of torque on reserve. Hence the decision to skip a DCT, perhaps, since second and third gear suffice for just about any (legal) use on public roads. Then again, I kept popping down a gear just to hear more turbo blowoff and the pops and bangs of overrun.

The transaxle layout helps with handling in many ways, but perhaps best by providing a bit of a rear bias when punching hard on the brakes. Setting the Vantage’s nose via those carbon ceramics (a $14,400 option) requires just a smidge of toe pressure. Then the front tires hook up, ready to rip around the tightest corners without as much squiggle from the rear end, which a more typical transmission attached to the engine might create.

While cornering, the transaxle then provides better weight distribution to keep the outside tires planted. This allows Aston to use slightly softer suspension damping, creating a bit of compliance and comfort to help mask a curb weight that tops out above 3,800 pounds. But the tires still stayed simply glued to the tarmac.

Until, that is, I started to feather in some power. With the front wheels at even a mild angle, the rears just love to step out. But each moment of oversteer left me impressed, given the ease with which I caught on to holding throttle input and leaning into the slide.

On a misty morning in town, I also discovered that in wet conditions, the Vantage will happily drift even with traction and stability control fully on. The quick steering, precise but lacking in some feedback as typical of electrically assisted systems, helps make such shenanigans a little less scary, given the prodigious price tag.

Comfort & Tech

Meanwhile, ripping around Malibu or through traffic in L.A., I fit just fine at 6’1” with long limbs. The standard seats kept me snugged into place without the discomfort of racier buckets.

CarPlay connected promptly each time, too. But most importantly, Aston’s new center console design features a perfect design, highlighted by textured metal dials for most touchpoints.

The screens might be on the smaller end of the spectrum, at just 10.25 inches for both the infotainment and gauges. But as I learned on the Vanquish, the point is just to get in and drive, focusing on the road, not a bunch of digital readouts.

Pricing & Competition

Unlike that $600,000-plus Vanquish, though, somehow Aston priced the new Vantage lower than a Porsche 911 Turbo — and significantly below a Turbo S (which starts at $230,000 before tacking on Porsche’s infamous options, which tally up even quicker than Aston’s). That Turbo S puts out 640 horsepower currently, which explains why Aston upped the AMG engine’s output to 656 ponies.

The 2025 Vantage starts at $191,000. My review vehicle has a sticker price of $287,400. Skip some of the less important options, like the $13,600 for this gaudy Cosmopolitan Yellow paint, and all of a sudden, the 2025 Vantage seems surprisingly attainable. For an Aston Martin, anyhow.

2025 Vantage Review: Conclusions

I handed back the keys to my Vantage almost in a funk. Few cars ever manage to live up to expectations so well, even in the six-figure price range. Aston wrote a big check with the updated exterior design, and cashed in with a spectacular ride that can serve equally as a daily driver — it’s a hatchback, after all — or a hard-charging canyon carver.

In fact, the Vantage boils down everything great about Aston Martin into one perfect character: Stylish, sporty, comfortable, and now more powerful than ever. Calling any car with almost $100,000 in options affordable can certainly sound absurd, and yet compared to the competition the Vantage sure looks like a screaming deal.

Despite being clearly out of reach for the 99%, this true aspirational car legitimately left me debating my life choices. It’s just that good.