Car Statistics: Aston Martin - V8 Vantage Series 05 (4 stars)

Styling (5 stars)

Another gorgeous car from Aston - more purposeful than the DB9 or Vanquish. Park one of these on the drive and the neighbours will be salivating with jealousy, whether it's a coupe or a Roadster

Handling (4 stars)

Direct steering, minimal body-roll and clean-handling make for excellent back-roads blasting - and that applies equally to the impressively rigid Roadster

Comfort (4 stars)

The driving position offers plenty of adjustment, but it's spoiled by ache-inducing offset pedals. Road noise is often a problem too, but otherwise both versions are civilised, the Roadster's all-electric being excellent

Quality (4 stars)

Excellent paint and an aura of solidity bode well, and teh interior is lavishly finished, even if some minor switchgear looks ordinary.

Performance (4 stars)

It doesn't match the BMW M6 for outright pace, but the Vantage's jack-hammer snarl is invigorating, and the V8 hardly short of pace. The optional Sportshift paddle gearbox can shudder in traffic, but makes excellent shifts on the move.

Roominess (3 stars)

Decent room for both occupants, although practicality is knocked by the lack of rear seats in either version. Boot is surprisingly spacious for an Aston, and certainly viable for a weekend's luggage.

Costs (2 stars)

Slightly less scary than bigger Astons, if only because the lower price means that depreciation will be (slightly) less of an issue. But you still need to be seriously rich to contemplate running one.

Value (3 stars)

The Vantage offers the exclusivity of the Aston brand to an entirely new area of the market - but it still looks pricey compared to key rivals like the Porsche 911.

Stereo (4 stars)

Stereo produces solid, crisp sound and is easy to operate, in contrast to a fiddly opitonal sat nave that should be standard.