So use Brave? It's a great browser. You can use Vanadium AND Brave, that's allowed too.
Vanadium is designed for security. Too many read that and don't understand what that means. It doesn't mean it's the best browser across the board and it doesn't mean other browsers aren't secure enough for all or nearly all of your tasks. It means it's better than others, as far as security is concerned, if we are keeping score.
People often forget that software, and tech in general, are just tools. Different tools are designed for different jobs.
Brave is a very secure, open-source, privacy focused chromium based browser. Its an excellent all-arounder. It loses points on security compared to Vanadium due to extra attack surface (like all the extra Brave features). But as you've said, some of those attack surfaces include useful features like Brave Shields that blocks ads and trackers.
Don't fall into the privacy or security rabbit holes. Unless your threat model necessitates it, the extremes are just a masochist act of pointlessness.