Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2004 Porsche 911 VS 2004 Aston Martin Near Phoenix, AZ

The 911 has standard front seat tall, head-protecting side-impact airbags, which act as a forgiving barrier between the passengers and the door. Combined with high-strength steel door beams this system increases protection from broadside collisions. The Vanquish doesn’t offer side-impact airbags.

The 911 has all wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Vanquish doesn’t offer all wheel drive.

The 911 offers optional Porsche Stability Management (PSM), which uses the antilock brake hardware along with powerful software and additional sensors to detect the beginning of a skid. PSM then intervenes by automatically applying the brake at one appropriate wheel, preventing a skid. The Vanquish doesn’t offer skid prevention.

The 911 offers an optional Park Assistance to help warn drivers about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind their vehicle. This collision warning system uses radar to detect obstacles behind the rear bumper. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a rear collision sensor.

Both the 911 and the Vanquish have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, four wheel antilock brakes and available traction control.

The 911 comes with a full 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Vanquish’s 3 year basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

The 911 comes with free roadside assistance for 4 years 50,000 miles. Porsche will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Aston Martin doesn’t give free roadside assistance for the Vanquish.

The 911’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Vanquish’s (10 vs. 3 years).

There are over 16 times as many Porsche dealers as there are Aston Martin dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the 911’s warranty.

The 911 Turbo’s standard 3.6 turbo DOHC 6 cyl. produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 400) than the Vanquish’s 5.9 DOHC V12. The GT2’s standard 3.6 turbo DOHC 6 cyl. produces 17 more horsepower (477 vs. 460) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (463 vs. 400) than the Vanquish’s 5.9 DOHC V12.

As tested in Road & Track the 911 Turbo is faster than the Aston Martin Vanquish (manual transmissions tested):

For more instantaneous acceleration and better engine flexibility in any gear, the 911’s engines produce their peak torque at lower RPM’s than the Vanquish:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the 911 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The 911 automatic gets better fuel mileage than the Vanquish (18 city/26 hwy vs. 12 city/19 hwy).

The 911 stops much shorter than the Vanquish:

The 911’s optional 285/30R18 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 30 series profile (height to width ratio) which provides a stiffer sidewall than the Vanquish’s 40 series tires.

The 911 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Vanquish’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The GT2 handles at 1.02 G’s, while the Vanquish 2+2 pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Road & Track skidpad test.

The GT2 goes through Road & Track’s slalom 3 MPH faster than the Vanquish 2+2 (68.7 vs. 65.7 MPH).

For better maneuverability the 911’s turning circle is 3.6 feet tighter than the Vanquish’s (34.8 vs. 38.4 feet).

The Porsche 911 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 1100 pounds less than the Aston Martin Vanquish.

The 911 is 9.2 inches shorter than the Vanquish, making the 911 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The 911 is 5.2 inches narrower on average than the Vanquish, making the 911 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

As tested by Road & Track while under full throttle, the interior of the 911 Cabriolet is quieter than the Vanquish 2+2 (79 vs. 83 dB).

The 911 Cabriolet has 11 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Vanquish (64 vs. 53). The 911 has 17 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Vanquish (70 vs. 53).

The 911’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Vanquish has two small spoke buttons. These buttons can be hard to reach in an emergency.

When four different drivers share the 911, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all four. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the seat position and outside mirror positions. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a memory system.

The 911’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge – which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Vanquish does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The 911’s power windows have a one touch automatic up and down feature (with pinch protection), especially convenient at tollbooths or drive-up windows. Aston Martin does not offer a one-touch feature on the Vanquish. The switch must be held the entire time to lower or raise the windows completely.

The 911’s outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Vanquish doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.