2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster Road Test and Review

Is it possible to write a review of the 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster without mentioning James Bond? No, it isn’t, so let’s just get it out of the way. The 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster makes you feel like James Bond.

The brand’s relationship with 007 dates back to the mid-1960s and continues today, as the fictional British spy will once again drive his silver Aston Martin DB5 in the latest Bond flick due out this year. It is, after all, the most famous movie car in history. In many ways, the Vantage Roadster is a spiritual successor to that sexy classic, with its eye-popping beauty, front-engine/rear-wheel drive chassis, and spectacular performance. Built in the United Kingdom, the new 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is the convertible version of the Vantage Coupe, which debuted in 2019. The two-seater competes in the elite luxury convertible sports car segment, which also includes the Porsche 911, Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster, and Audi R8 Spyder.

The Vantage is Aston’s entry-level model, and the Vantage Roadster is its most affordable convertible. But it doesn’t come cheap. This year Aston has actually sliced its prices a bit, increasing the sports car’s value factor, but its base price is still high enough to keep out the riff-raff. Include its $3,086 destination fee and the Aston’s base price is $150,086. That’s $8,000 more than the Vantage Coupe, and it’s right in line with many of its German rivals.

Like Porsche, Aston offers an incredibly long list of pricy options so buyers can basically customize nearly every aspect of the Vantage. Our test car was equipped with $53,000 worth of extras, including its $5,000 Yellow Tang paint job, $15,000 worth of exterior carbon-fiber trim, $3,100 “Snowflake” wheels, a $2,300 premium audio system, and a $300 umbrella. Price as tested was $203,886.

Before we get to the Aston’s power and speed, let’s discuss its beauty. Aston Martin doesn’t do ugly. It never has. And everyone notices this car. Everyone. Moms, dads, kids, teenagers, senior citizens, hipsters, rich people, poor people, even dogs seem to notice it. You know you’re driving a cool car when guys driving Ferraris give you the thumbs-up.

The Vantage is small at just 175.8 inches long, but it delivers big visual impact. It’s curvaceous and voluptuous, but also aggressive and masculine, with perfect proportions, a low, muscular stance, broad shoulders, a beautifully integrated rear spoiler, and cool details like flush door handles, oversized fender vents, and huge exhaust pipes. Its forms harken back to Astons of the past, including Bond’s DB5, but it’s also modern and more elegant than so many current designs. It’s striking from any angle, especially with the top down. Speaking of the top, it drops in just 6.7 seconds, which makes it the quickest-folding soft top in the world, according to Aston. It can go up or down while you’re driving at speeds up to 31 mph.

All Aston Martins are powered by Mercedes engines. This started a few years ago when Mercedes invested in the brand. Under the hood of every Vantage is a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, which is also used in the Mercedes-AMG C63 S and the GLC63 S. This engine is also standard in the more expensive Aston Martin DB11, but a Mercedes-sourced twin-turbo V12 is optional in that model.

In the Vantage, the V8 is rated to produce 503 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and an equally impressive 505 pound-feet of torque at just 2,000 rpm. It’s one of the best V8s in the world, rewarding the Aston’s driver with a snarling exhaust note, a 7,000-rpm redline, and power to spare. In the Roadster, it’s paired exclusively with a sharp shifting eight-speed automatic. Although Porsche and Audi offer all-wheel drive in this class, every Vantage is rear-wheel drive, and the Roadster is one of the quickest and the fastest Astons ever. The company says it hits 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a top speed of 190 mph. It’s a blast to drive.

On the road, the 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster delivers a wonderful mix of sports car response and performance, with the civility of a luxury grand tourer. It’s just as fun in the hills as it is in the city, and it’s more than happy to road-trip. My daughter and I spent a full day in the Vantage, covering more than 350 miles, in total comfort. Most of the trip was with Aston’s top folded away, and the warm southern California coastal breezes messing up our hair. Wind control is excellent, the interior is impressively quiet with the top up, and the Aston’s chassis feels solid, which isn’t always the case with a convertible.

Its ride is firm but absolutely comfortable, and its steering isn’t as heavy as you may expect. It’s a sports car, so you sit low in a firm, well-bolstered bucket seat and forward visibility is compromised by its low roofline and thick pillars. In the mountains on twisty two-lanes, the Aston is exceptional. Few cars are as fast, fun, and forgiving, thanks to excellent balance and superb steering feel. The Roadster’s 20-inch tires seem to be suction-cupped to the road, and its well-sorted chassis never feels like it’s on a knife’s edge. Make a mistake and the Vantage doesn’t bite back. The driver can also choose between three suspension settings and three Drive Modes. Flick it into Sport+ or Track mode and the response of its engine and transmission increase significantly.

For its class, the Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is also quite fuel-efficient, with EPA estimates of 18 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. Plus, its start/stop technology shuts off the engine at idle to conserve fuel. During our road trip — which included some mountain driving, some stop-and-go, and quite a bit of highway — we averaged 18.5 mpg. That’s not bad considering its power and performance.

For comparison, we recently averaged 18.4 mpg in a Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, 17.0 mpg in a supercharged Jaguar F-TYPE SVR, 15.8 mpg in a Lamborghini Huracan Evo, and 16.6 mpg in an Audi R8 Spyder. And the last time we tested a Mercedes-AMG C63 S sedan, which is powered by the same V8 as the Aston, we averaged 21 mpg in mixed driving, which probably included less time in the mountains than the others.

We were also pleasantly surprised by the Aston’s interior space. Some sports cars can feel a little claustrophobic, but the Vantage doesn’t. It isn’t cramped inside, despite its low roof, wide console, and high cowl. Even tall drivers should find its legroom to be sufficient. The driver’s seat is height-adjustable and there’s a power tilting and telescopic steering wheel.

Although the quality of the Aston’s interior materials and its overall fit and finish isn’t up to its German rivals, its cabin doesn’t feel cheap either. On the plus side are its clean gauges, which include a center-mounted tachometer; large metal paddle shifters; and the unique design of its push-button shifter. Don’t let that shifter scare you; you’ll get used to it quickly. And the same goes for its unusual squared-off steering wheel. Soft, high-quality leather is everywhere, and our test car’s yellow stitching looked great on the black hides. Mercedes also supplies the Aston’s infotainment system. It’s easy enough to use, but its 8-inch screen seems small for this price point.

With just 7 cubic feet of trunk space, you’re not going to use the 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster to move your kid into college. But its trunk size is about average for its class, and it’s big enough for a long weekend’s worth of luggage for two. The trunk of the Mercedes-AMG GT Roadster is smaller. A power trunklid is standard.

There’s also just enough storage inside. The console bin is useful, as are the Aston’s leather-lined door pockets. And this sports car has two real cupholders, which is something you just don’t get in a Porsche 911.

Aston offers a few valuable active safety systems on the Vantage Roadster, but not as many as you may expect considering the sports car’s big price tag. In fact, the Aston’s list of driver aid systems is painfully short. If you’re looking for a car that does the driving for you, an autonomous machine, the Vantage Roadster isn’t it. Our test car featured front and rear parking sensors, an excellent stability control system, blind-spot monitoring (which is an option), and a launch control system that maximizes traction off the line.

Unfortunately, other technologies like a lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency braking are not available.

If you’re looking for a high-performance luxury sports car, the 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster is a very desirable choice. It’s quick, comfortable, fun to drive, and simply drop-dead gorgeous. Although Porsche’s 911 models offer more ultimate performance than the Vantage, and other sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Jaguar F-TYPE cost considerably less, Aston ownership is about more than speed and money. It always has been, and the Vantage Roadster is for an exclusive club of enthusiasts that value the art of the machine as much as its ability to defy physics.

Plus, it makes you feel like James Bond.