Used Aston Martin Vanquish 2001 - 2007 review

In S trim, the Aston Martin Vanquish has a 520bhp V12 that makes it one of the fastest road cars Aston has ever produced. Thanks to a top speed of 200mph, it's almost capable of going three times quicker than the national speed limit. The 'ordinary' 460bhp V12 is only marginally slower. Both sound superb and feel monstrously fast.

Happily, the Vanquish has excellent brakes and a chassis that can deal with all that power - provided you know what you are doing behind the wheel. However, there's much more to this car than just sharp handling. It's as much a driver-oriented grand tourer as a sports car. It has an excellent ride and can cross continents not only quickly, but also comfortably.

Inside, the car has a cosy feel and all but the tallest drivers should have enough room. When new, customers could choose between additional rear luggage space or two occasional-use child-size seats, so check what you're buying.

If you keep your bank account in Switzerland, you probably won't have too much to worry about. For the majority of us, a car like this is not going to be cheap to run.

It won't be cheap to buy, either. When the Vanquish first appeared there was a two-year waiting list and only 30% of the 300 built each year were destined for the UK market. Prices remain strong, so your problems won't be over once you have tracked down the ideal car on a dealer's forecourt.

Both cars are hideously thirsty. Officially, the V12 returns 16mpg and the S 14mpg; but use either in anger and that fuel figure will slide all too easily down into single figures. The short fuel range between refills is a pain, too. Servicing and group 50 insurance ratings inflict further financial hurt.

Do you go for the high-performance version or the even-higher-performance version? When the Aston Martin Vanquish was launched in 2001 – with a fanfare of James Bond publicity – it came with a 460bhp, 400lb ft V12 engine. With a 190mph top speed and 0-60mph in a mere 4.8sec, you would have thought that performance could not have got any better.

The S version came along in 2004. It used the same glorious-sounding 5932cc V12 engine, but this time with an extra 60bhp, raising the output to 520bhp. Pulling power was up to 425lb ft, while the top speed increased to 200mph. Aston Martin managed to shave a little off the 0-60mph time, at just 4.6sec.

Both models use the same racing-style paddle-shift gearbox and are reasonably well equipped. On the 'in for a penny, in for a pound' philosophy, we'd opt for the full-bore S.

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