2012 Lamborghini Aventador Review
2012 Lamborghini Aventador Review





+47
Used Aventador for sale
Appraise This CarSee Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Vicious acceleration
- sublime steering
- unmatched visual presence
- surprisingly spacious cabin.
Cons
- Ride can be intolerable at times
- poor outward visibility
- tough to maneuver in tight places
- awkward-shifting transmission
- limited cargo space.
What’s new
The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador is all new.
Edmunds says
The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador is pure bull-inspired awesomeness. What, you thought we weren't going to like it?
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 2dr Coupe AWD (6.5L 12cyl 7AM) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.92 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$358/mo for Aventador LP 700-4
Aventador LP 700-4
vs
$170/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
Vehicle overview
The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador is intimidating. It's not the wild paint or the razor-sharp styling. It's not the 690-horsepower V12 lurking behind your shoulder or the Lamborghini lore of punishing overzealous drivers. It's not even the sky-high price. No, it's the indisputably alien nature of the Aventador.
One must maneuver around the scissor door into the low-slung cockpit. The windshield is raked to an absurd degree. The side windows are dominated by angular, wide mirrors mounted to tall stalks and the view rearward is like spying on someone through an air vent. The car is enormously wide, which makes the visibility all the more intimidating. The starter button is hidden under a little red panel as if it launches a bomb; the paddle shifters look like a ninja's weapon. The Aventador isn't so much a car as it is an alien spacecraft.
Lamborghini wanted it this way as a means to produce a car that leapfrogged past its long-running Murcielago. For starters, the Aventador is lighter (by about 200 pounds) thanks to a new carbon-fiber chassis. The 6.5-liter V12 is all new, as is the racecar-inspired pushrod suspension. All-wheel drive is standard, as is a seven-speed automated manual gearbox. Zero to 60 mph is said to take just 2.8 seconds. To haul the Aventador down from speed, Lamborghini equipped it with massive carbon-ceramic disc brakes.
Once you acclimate to the Starship Aventador, you'll realize this is one of this world's most incredible cars. Its handling capabilities are truly extraordinary, and the V12 produces the sort of thrust that once resulted in the words "the Eagle has landed." As incredible as you'd imagine the ultimate Lamborghini would be to drive, it's even better, and you don't have to drive it to its sky-high limits to appreciate its talents. It's also not the scary, punishing beast of its forbearers.
There are downsides, of course. The Aventador's ride is punishing on anything but the most pristine roads, and its cargo space is very limited. As such, it would be difficult to go very far in this Lamborghini. We're also not sure if many drivers will be able to discern and appreciate the performance differences the Aventador affords versus significantly cheaper V8 exotics like the 2012 Ferrari 458 Italia and 2012 McLaren MC4-12C.
Then again, those cars don't come close to having that quintessential intimidation factor and alien nature of the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador.
Performance & mpg
The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 features a 6.5-liter V12 that produces 690 hp and 509 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel drive is standard along with a seven-speed automated manual gearbox that features five different operating modes: three manual (Strada, Sport and Corsa) and two automatic (Strada-auto and Sport-auto). Launch control and hill-start assist are also standard.
Lamborghini estimates that the Aventador will go from zero to 60 mph in about 2.8 seconds; it doesn't get much quicker than that. Estimated fuel economy is 11 mpg city/17 mpg highway and 13 mpg combined. You'd be hard-pressed to find something much thirstier than that.
Safety
Standard safety equipment includes traction and stability control, antilock carbon-ceramic disc brakes, knee airbags and side airbags that cover the head and thorax.
Driving
At low speeds, the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador is pretty disappointing. The transmission is jerky, the ride borders on intolerable and the engine emits a rather unimpressive, whiny mechanical drone. But this is a Lamborghini -- what on Earth are you doing driving it slowly?
Lay into the throttle and the V12 comes alive with a raucous symphony. When the road ceases being straight, the Aventador dive bombs into corners thanks to its precise steering. Unlike some other big exotic cars, however, the Aventador never feels smaller than it actually is. Due to the car's wide girth and poor outward visibility, it can be hard for the driver to build up confidence on a demanding road or racetrack.
Interior
The 2012 Aventador has the most flamboyantly styled interior ever to be found in a Lamborghini, but thanks to a full helping of Audi electronics, it also has the most user-friendly interior as well. The Aventador gets essentially the same electronics interface as the Audi A4, featuring a knob, surrounding menu buttons and a corresponding large screen. It works well, though given the concentration required to drive the Aventador, simple tasks like changing a radio station are probably a little too complicated.
Space in the Aventador is what you'd expect in today's generation of supercars. A 6-foot-3 driver found sufficient headroom and just enough legroom, though there's certainly a claustrophobic feel that goes along with its low-slung windows and limited visibility. Storage is also practically nonexistent, making the prospects of a road trip rather remote. Sure, no one's making the family summer trek to Mt. Rushmore in an Aventador, but even a weekend trip with your spouse would be far more pleasant in an Aston Martin DBS.
2012 Lamborghini Aventador models
The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador is a two-passenger exotic supercar available in a single trim level. Standard features include 19-inch front wheels, 20-inch rear wheels, high-performance tires, carbon ceramic brakes, an adjustable-height suspension, hill-start assist, automatic bi-xenon headlights, LED running lights, heated and power-folding mirrors, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, a tilt steering wheel, LCD gauge cluster, the Lamborghini version of Audi's Multi Media Interface, a navigation system, real-time traffic, Bluetooth, an iPod interface and a sound system.
Optional equipment includes a transparent engine cover, a carbon-fiber engine cover, the Parking Assist package (front and rear parking sensors and a rearview camera), heated power seats, a multifunction steering wheel (in smooth leather, perforated leather or suede) and an upgraded sound system. There is also an extensive customization program available.
2012 Aventador Highlights
Base MSRP | $387,000 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 13 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $358/month |
Seating | 2 seats |
Drivetrain | all wheel drive |
People who viewed this also viewed
Starting at $213,597 |
Starting at $229,268 |
Related Used 2012 Lamborghini Aventador info
Vehicle reviews of used models
- Cadillac CT4 2021 Review
- Cadillac CT5 2020 Review
- Buick Regal Sportback 2020 Review
- Cadillac CT4 2020 Review
- Buick Regal Tourx 2020 Review
Shop similar models
- Aston-martin V12-vantage-s 2017
- Mclaren 570S-Spider 2020
- Chevrolet Corvette 2024
- Mazda Mx-5-miata-rf 2023
- Fiat 124-Spider 2020
Shop used vehicles in your area
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2015
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2013
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2020
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2014
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2017
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2019
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2016
- Used Lamborghini Aventador 2012
Popular new car reviews and ratings
- Fisker Ocean
- 850I BMW Coupe
- Chevy Equinox Ev
- Celestiq
- Fiskerpear
- SUV Chevy Trailblazer
- 2025 Cadillac Optiq News
- BMW M2 BMW
- Ferrari Portofino For Sale
- Chevrolet Silverado
Research recent models from same make
- Lambo Sto
- Lamborghini Urus 2022
- 2023 Lamborghini Huracan
- 2022 Huracan
- 2022 Lamborghini Huracan
- 2023 Huracan STO
- Lamborghini Lamborghini Urus
- Car Lamborghini Huracan
- Lamborghini Aventador Car Price
Research similar vehicles
- 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Coupe
- M8 Competition Gran Coupe
- 2024 BMW 8 Series
- 2022 TT
- 2023 Z
- 2023 8 Series Gran Coupe
- 2022 BMW ALPINA B8 Gran Coupe
- MC Laren 720S
- Lexus RC 300 2022
- 2023 Porsche Cayenne Coupe
Other models
- New Toyota BZ4X for Sale in Hickory, NC
- New Nissan Maxima for Sale in Huntington, NY
- Used Saab 9-5 in Findlay, OH
- New BMW 2-Series-Gran-Coupe for Sale in Rock Springs, WY
- New Subaru Ascent for Sale in West Plains, MO
- Used Ford Transit-Connect-Cargo-Van in Azle, TX
- New Genesis G90 for Sale in Dublin, GA
- Used Buick Lucerne in Clermont, FL
- Used GMC Sierra-2500Hd-Classic in Riverdale, MD
- Used Nissan Murano-Crosscabriolet in Redding, CA