Not a roadster but I had a V8 Vantage coupe for 8.5yrs and traded it for the GT.
The single main factor in that decision was the number of seats. I have a young family now and 2 seats was meaning the Aston was being left in the garage more often than it deserved.
To answer/counter some comments above...
- the 4.3 is not underpowered. Yes, it has 10% less than than the 4.7, but in a car that weighs over 1,600kg 40bhp isn't the be all and end all and 99% of people will be no quicker point to point in the 4.7.
What the 4.7 does have is better torque spread, which makes it feel a lot quicker. You don't have to use the gearbox as much to keep it on the boil. There used to be a time when people in the UK laughed at US cars because they weren't "drivers'" cars and didn't need working hard. How things change
There is absolutely nothing wrong with working a smaller capacity engine hard, especially when you realise how they sound in their upper reaches.
- build quality...very early V8s had lots of issues. A couple of years in most were fixed. 4 or 5yrs in and pretty much all were sorted (except for paint! Don't get me started on paint quality). In the first year I had quite a few warranty fixes (parts/design issues that were still being ironed out), but beyond that it was a very reliable car and never, ever left me stranded. One of few "non-typical service" parts that needed changing was an O2 sensor...which is no big deal and great in 8.5yrs and 55k miles IMO.
- mine didn't cost any more to run than other similar marques. I'm expecting the GT to be similar too over a reasonable period.
- interior. They are a very lovely place to be with alcantara all over the place and great quality leather on most surfaces (and where there isn't it's usually good quality ali etc). My GT has a lot of alcantara in it too, and plenty of carbon...I wish it had an alcantara roof lining. More typical GTs do not feel as nice inside as a Vantage IMO. That's not to say they are bad. They are just not as good.
The tech in my 07 car wasn't up to much, but by 2008-2010 Vantages were a match for what the GT can offer. Even the latest cars aren't top end on tech though.
Space wise I'm 6'4" and never felt cramped. You do have to spend time getting the seat position right though. And you need to remember it's a 2 seater!
- gearshift. Just like a poster above noted, my 5'4" wife loved driving the Aston, and loved the weight of all controls. Anyone complaining about these aspects ought to have a word with themselves or get to the gym
Sports cars aren't meant to be over assisted blobs. The one thing I disliked a lot about the 355 I had prior to the Aston was the over assisted steering. Awful.
- sound. Out of the factory they are not as good as the GT. Not even close. Removing fuse 22 (note 22 Dicky
) helps. As does removing the parcel shelf (n/a for the roadster). But neither will get it sounding as good as the GT. Mine had a Tubi exhaust fitted which got it very close to the GT in terms of sound, but still not quite there. (NB The startup sound can be a double edged sword if you need to be stealthy at 5am!).
- handling. The Aston is still a GT car really. Yes, it can be chucked about a bit more than the GT. But it's still not a razor sharp sports car. It will be quicker point to point than a GT.
The key thing is, do you need 4 seats? Even occasionally? If you do, then you have to forget the Aston.
If you don't, I'd probably question why you have a GT in the first place
But an Aston would be well worth trying. They are incredibly good cars and great value at present. That I owned mine for so long after it replaced an F355 (still the greatest sports car ever produced IMHO) is great testimony to them.