Aston Martin Vantage R

Once you’re engaged, the Aston responds neurally: steering is sharp in either the Comfort or Sport modes, and it’s easy to make smooth transitions in corners and through lanes.

The Vantage is glued, and transitions in lanes and curves feel seamless. Braking is smooth and deep. It’s a sumptuous life inside the Aston Vantage cabin. Leather swaddles the interior, where foot room and head room are par for the class. With a long list of standard features, the Aston Vantage leaves plenty of leeway for customization.

The base Coupe is priced from $119,000. Standard features include power leather seating; a 160-watt audio system with a six-CD/MP3 player and integrated iPod connector and USB; and automatic climate control. Options on the test car included a Bluetooth kit that paired more quickly than any car we've tested; a navigation system that’s not easy to use with the controls provided; satellite radio; and memory and heated seats. With those options and custom trim, the Vantage tested here came to a total of $152,465.