Aston Martin Vanquish (01-07) - Review

Unfortunately, comfort is not a Vanquish strong suit. The cabin is surprisingly cramped, far more so than the later DB9's and even drivers of average height can find their heads brushing the roof while those over 6ft will find both head and legroom lacking. The seats are at least electrically operated, climate control is standard and noise levels are low enough to make this a genuine long distance proposition. New customers had the choice between a pair of virtually useless rear seats so small that even children would struggle to get comfortable or a more practical storage area.

Even if you do choose a model with rear seats, you'll end up using them for luggage when you don't have extra bodies to transport because the boot is tiny. At 220 litres it's a massive 80 litres smaller than that of the current and more compact Aston Vantage. That car has a practical opening hatch but the Vanquish makes do with a conventional saloon-style boot. The opening for the door bins is impractically narrow and suitably only for mobile phones and slim hands. And although parking sensors were optional, they're worth having - visibility when parking isn't Lamborghini bad but this is an intimidating car to park.

Not satisfied with producing a cramped cockpit, Aston Martin made things worse by severely limiting the range of driving positions on offer. There is no seat height adjustment and the steering column barely telescopes at all, forcing the driver into a very unsporting upright position. The paddles operating the semi-automatic gearbox are easy to reach but the racing style fly-off handbrake can be fiddly to use and takes some getting used to. The cabins of the first cars were smartly trimmed but let down by dashboard buttons pinched from contemporary Jaguars that lack flair. S models got a leather covered rather than painted centre console but a much more modern-looking DB9-style centre console was fitted in 2006.