Aston Martin just revealed the new Vantage, replacing a model that had been on the market for over a decade. This new AMG-powered Vantage is a much needed improvement and while its looks have polarized opinion, the new Vantage will definitely shake up the GT segment. We like the mix of comfort and sportiness that you get with an Aston Martin, but most people can't afford the $149,995 base price for the brand's "entry" model. So we have found a few cheaper used GT cars, all with V8s, as decent alternatives.
The new Vantage receives a huge bump in power over the old model thanks to a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 borrowed from AMG. However, if you wanted a grand touring car with AMG power, why not just save a little money and buy it right from the source? A new AMG GT starts at $111,200, but the base model only produces 452 hp. The AMG GT S may have seven less horsepower than the new Vantage, but it's also around $20,000 less. We searched the used market, and we were surprised to find several AMG GT S examples for under $100,000 with a CPO warranty. The AMG GT also has a stunning interior, but we think that the styling is a bit less polarizing than the new Vantage.
Depending on how much pain you are willing to endure, it can be incredibly affordable to buy a used Aston Martin. The used market is littered with pretty low mileage Vantage models that can be bought for less than $40,000. Of course, the prices can go way up from here as the cars get newer and add cylinders. It's hard to find a V12 Vantage for less than around $110,000, but it does make more power than the new car's AMG V8. The old Vantage has a very dated interior, but if you can live with some old technology, you can save yourself a ton of money over a new car.
Fans of European cars may hate to admit it, but the latest C7 Corvette works very well as a GT car. The C7 Z06 is a performance bargain with its 650 hp supercharged V8. Used examples of the Z06 can now be found for less than $70,000, which is an absolute steal. The Z06 has a bit of a stiff ride, but the interior of the C7 has nice materials and an insane amount of storage in the rear hatch. The new Vantage is a very quick car, but the Z06 is able to crush most cars in a similar price category with its insane power. If you don't care about having an exquisite interior, the Z06 could be the perfect car for you.
People who are in the market for an Aston Martin may not like the raw nature of the Corvette. For them we propose the refined Jaguar XKR-S. Jaguar introduced the 4.2-liter XKR-S as a 2008 model, but we recommend the newer 5.0-liter model, which was sold in 2012. The XKR-S is powered by a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 with 550 hp. The XK still looks modern even today, but the interior is a bit outdated. We found examples of the XKR-S, which also came as a convertible, for as low as $60,000.
While Aston Martin makes some beautiful cars, reliability has never been a strong point for the British brand. That's why we've included one of our favorite grand touring cars, the Lexus RC F. People may mock the RC F for being heavy and not great on track, but as a road car it is simply fantastic. We love the wail of the RC F's 5.0-liter V8, and the quality of the interior. Even though Lexus has a great track record of low depreciation, we did find a few RC F examples for less than $50,000. The RC F is a phenomenal used car for less than $50,000, and should have a much lower cost of ownership than other cars on this list.