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2025 Aston Martin Vantage Tested: A Bump in Price, a Bump in Performance

Long live the V8

2025 Aston Martin Vantage picture
  • The Aston Martin Vantage has been thoroughly updated for 2025.
  • New tech, a new interior and a big price bump are all part of the changes.
  • The Mercedes-AMG-derived twin-turbo V8 now makes 656 horsepower.
  • All these updates result in a $40,000 price increase.

I spent a lot of time last year thinking about the Aston Martin Vantage. This generation debuted in 2018 and performed well, but it didn't do anything to stand out in a crowd. It was appealing because it wasn't as common as a Porsche or a Mercedes-AMG, not because it was better. That's changed with the 2025 update. I was impressed with the 2025 model when I drove it last spring, but I always reserve final judgment until I can get behind the wheel of a car back home. Well, Aston Martin delivered, and after putting it through the paces at the Edmunds test track, the Vantage is on my mind more than ever.

Updated for 2025

Aston Martin did a thorough job with the refresh. I was pretty nonplussed by this generation when it debuted in 2019; it felt dated from the get-go. It looked good from the outside, but the interior was drab. The infotainment was plucked from a Mercedes-Benz, but one from a decade ago. The engine was sourced from Germany, too, but it made less power than it did in some AMGs.

The 2025 Vantage as a whole isn't all-new, but it feels like a different car from behind the wheel. Almost the entire interior has been redesigned. The dash, door panels, center console and steering wheel are all new. Together, the changes give the Vantage a more premium feel than the prior car and feel much more befitting of its price. The infotainment uses a new, much more modern user interface and now offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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2025 Aston Martin Vantage dashboard

As before, the Vantage uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, though output is up from 503 horsepower to 656 horsepower thanks to some clever tuning by Aston's engineers. The camshafts have been modified, the turbos have been enlarged, and the designers have improved overall cooling. Torque output is up from 505 lb-ft to 590 lb-ft. There's no longer an option for a manual transmission, but the eight-speed automatic has been recalibrated for quicker shifts and a shorter final drive ratio (3.083:1).

The suspension has been revised and the steering retuned, as well. The front track is wider than before, and the redesigned front end provides better aero and cooling for the brakes and engine. Even the traction and stability control systems have been thoroughly gone through. It feels a little overcomplicated, but there's a 10-way traction control system to help dial in just the right amount of grip.

Hitting the track

If Aston Martin is going to use someone else's engine, it couldn't ask for much better than AMG's 4.0-liter V8. It's related to the same family of AMG engines found in cars like the 2025 Mercedes-AMG GT Pro, a car that's not quite as good to drive as the one it replaced. There's a new launch control system for 2025, helping the Vantage hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, or 3.4 seconds with 1 foot of rollout subtracted. The latter figure matches Aston Martin's own estimate and is a half-second quicker than the last Vantage Edmunds tested.

That's an impressive figure, but the Vantage really comes alive past 60 mph. The Vantage clocked the quarter mile in 11.2 seconds at 130.2 mph. This engine has so much mid- and top-end power, pulling hard from just off idle all the way to the 7,000-rpm redline. The Vantage uses rear-wheel drive, and I suspect the launch control system is limiting torque to prevent the wheels from spinning. The computer is good at managing slip, and I didn't notice any wheelspin on my best runs.

2025 Aston Martin Vantage V8 engine

AMG V8s have the same sort of character as American V8s, with burbly exhaust notes and loads of torque. The engine swells and roars at full throttle. The eight-speed offers quick upshifts, and there's a burble from the exhaust on each downshift.

Braking performance is impressive too. This Vantage is fitted with the optional $14,400 carbon-ceramic brake package. The car's best stop from 60 mph was just 104 feet. That's not quite as good as a Porsche 911 GT3 or Chevrolet Corvette Z06, but it's not far off either. What really impressed me was the car's lack of brake fade. Each run kept getting shorter than the last. The Vantage held up well on our handling circuit, too, with the tires falling off before the brakes.

The Vantage weighed in at 3,881 pounds, which is a middleweight by modern standards. For reference, a 911 Turbo S weighs 3,696 pounds and an AMG GT 63 S a hefty 4,296 pounds. Aston Martin cites a perfect 50:50 weight distribution, and the car we put on our scales was just about on the mark, showing a slight rear bias. Pop the hood on the Vantage and you'll see the engine's pushed all the way behind the front axle.

The balance helps give the car relatively neutral handling, and the Vantage pulled 1.04 g on our 200-foot skidpad. The steering doesn't offer the same level of feedback as a 911 Carrera, but it's weighted well and quick enough that the Vantage isn't work to drive quickly.

2025 Aston Martin Vantage picture

A $40,000 face-lift

The 2025 Vantage starts at $191,000, about $40,000 more than the pre-refresh model. That's hardly nothing, but this is a much better car than it was before the update. Our car had exactly $100,000 in options, including the aforementioned carbon brakes, bringing the as-tested price to a cool $291,000. There's thousands of dollars in carbon-fiber trim that you could pass on and not miss, but don't skip the $10,000 Bowers & Wilkins audio system.

2025 Aston Martin Vantage

Aston Martin Vantage
Edmunds Tested
Base price$191,000
As-tested price$291,000
Engine4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8
Transmissioneight-speed automatic
LayoutFront mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
0-60 mph3.7 sec
Quarter mile11.2 sec @ 130.2 mph
60-0 mph braking104 ft
Skidpad (200 ft)1.04 g
Weight3,881 lbs
Tire compoundMichelin Pilot Sport S 5 AML
Tire size (front)275/35 ZR21 103Y
Tire size (rear)325/30 ZR21 108Y