I just spent a weekend on a rally with Aston-Martin Owner's Group driving and riding in a 2007 Vantage.
Of course I could not help but compare the experience to my base '07 Cayman that I use as a daily driver. Fair warning - these thoughts are not scientific and are very subjective.
Vantage
Good: Bags of torque; fine leather interior just screams quality; great (outstanding) exhaust note; best stereo I have heard in a car; excellent fit and finish; high degree of exclusivity;
Questionable: Front end lightened up and seemed to wander slightly at triple digit speeds; shifter in the wrong place (had to reach back from the wheel); shifter was just a tad vague when hunting for the 3-4 vs. 5-6 gate; after 250 miles in the driver's seat the thigh bolsters that felt so good initially felt too tight and made my legs tired; accelerator pedal seemed just a bit too close to the brake (a couple of times I hit the brake and accelerator)
Cayman 2.7
Good: The Cayman seemed like a pure driver's car; the shifter was in exactly the right place (your hand drops from the wheel to the shifter); shifting was just plain easy and natural; Seats are snug but comfortable; It is glued to the road even at triple digit speeds; road feel and handling is impecable; pedals spaced exactly right
Questionable: Not nearly as exclusive as the Aston; Stereo (Bose) sucks; In base form (lightly optioned as mine is) the Cayman "experience" does not stroke your ego nearly as much as the Aston "experience".
- Which car would I rather have (money no object)? Vantage, as long as I could have a second car
- Which car would I want to drive at the track? Cayman
- If I could only have one car (and use it as a daily driver)? Cayman (surprise here - I just would not feel right about leaving the Aston sitting out at work)
All-in-all, I was surprised when I got back in my Cayman how little the Cayman gave up to the Aston, purely from a driving and handling standpoint. I expected to get back in the Cayman and be disappointed. I will happily drive my base Cayman and enjoy it tremendously, knowing that in many ways it compares well to much a more exclusive and expensive autombile.