AutoTrader Find of the Week: 2007 Aston Martin Vantage is Bond on a Budget

Fantasy car shopping can be dangerous.

Sure, it’s all in good fun to scroll through lists of the most desirable models and do the mental gymnastics of how you might be able to own something most consider out of reach. 

The danger comes in when something that was previously thought to be unobtainable starts to drop into a price range that feels scarily obtainable. European luxury cars and exotics can depreciate to the point where you could seriously consider purchasing one.

For example, scroll through the AutoTrader marketplace right now, and you'll find plenty of examples of proper Aston Martin sports cars for sale for about the price of a new Mustang GT.

These aren’t obscure Astons from the 1980s that you have to be the most unbearable kind of car trivia nerd to recognize, either. We’re talking V8 Vantages, DB9s, and even the occasional Vanquish from the early 2000s to the early teens. You know, the really, really good-looking and iconic ones. The ones that instantly call modern James Bond to mind.

In particular, the V8 Vantage has become abundant on the used market. This well-appointed 2007 model for sale on AutoTrader through SG Motors in Richmond, B.C., can be had for cheaper than a 2025 Mustang GT with the optional performance pack, less than $60,000.

In 2007, the car would have retailed for around $150,000 CAD — about $214,000 in today’s money.

Yeah, it’s kind of a bummer and a sign of the times that you can cross-shop a Ford Mustang and an Aston Martin, but here we are. Mind you, they are both two-door, rear-wheel-drive grand touring coupes equipped with V8 engines — and the 4.3L found in the Vantage was even built in a dedicated Aston-only building at Ford’s Cologne facility (Aston was owned by Ford at the time).

At any rate, who can complain about having to decide between cosplaying as James Bond or Frank Bullitt? 

This particular V8 Vantage has just under 50,000 km on the clock and is finished in the desirable Mercury Silver exterior paint with Kestrel Tan leather interior. Crucially, this unit is optioned with a proper six-speed manual. More than twice as many customers opted for the new “Sportshift” automatic over the manual for the V8 Vantage coupe, so it’s a good deal more difficult to find.

The car comes with aftermarket Rotiform forged wheels and Continental tires, though SG Motors will include the factory rims as well.

It sounds like a great deal. But the big question — and where that danger comes in — is will you be eaten alive by maintenance costs?

Now, you might think that because Aston was owned by Ford at the time, that you can maintain your Vantage with Ford parts. Well, sorry, but the only continuation parts Ford Motorcraft stocks for the V8 Vantage are the battery and windshield wipers. So you’re out of luck there. 

And before you ask, no, you can’t service your Aston at a Ford dealer. You have to go to your local Aston Martin dealer, which means you’re paying Aston Martin prices.

Do some poking around, and you’ll find most Aston V8 Vantage owners report an annual maintenance ownership cost of about $2,500. Aston Martin recommends bringing your car in every 16,000 km for an all-point inspection and scheduled upkeep — and these scheduled maintenance points are reported by owners to have cost between $1,500 and $3,000. 

On the plus side, I did find insurance lower for the Aston than a brand new Mustang GT, with my lowest Aston quote at $213 a month, compared to $302 for the 2025 Mustang.

Running this car will likely cost you at least $5,000 a year, which, unfortunately, isn’t exactly abnormal when it comes to the world of sports cars these days, or really any car if you factor in depreciation and interest.

Whether that’s something you're comfortable with is up to you. My hope is that it doesn’t turn you off buying one of the most interesting and beautiful GT coupes ever. 

But if you do need to do those mental car enthusiast gymnastics to justify it to yourself, it's worth noting that the V8 Vantage is very much in a depreciation valley, and it may only be a matter of time until that valley starts to climb back up.