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

The 911 has standard tall side airbags which act as a forgiving barrier between the driver and passenger’s upper bodies and the window and pillars. Combined with high-strength steel door beams and lower side airbags this system increases head protection in broadside collisions. The Aston Martin DB7 doesn’t offer side airbag protection for the head.

The 911 has all wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Aston Martin DB7 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 Aston Martin DB7 doesn’t offer skid prevention.

Both the 911 and the Aston Martin DB7 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 DB7’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 DB7.

The 911’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Aston Martin DB7’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 Aston Martin DB7’s 5.9 DOHC V12. The GT2’s standard 3.6 turbo DOHC 6 cyl. produces 57 more horsepower (477 vs. 420) and 63 lbs.-ft. more torque (463 vs. 400) than the Aston Martin DB7’s 5.9 DOHC V12.

As tested in Car and Driver the 911 Turbo is faster than the Aston Martin DB7 (manual transmissions tested):

As tested in Car and Driver the 911 Turbo is faster than the Aston Martin DB7 (automatics 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 Aston Martin DB7:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the 911 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability. The Aston Martin DB7 doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The Porsche 911 gets better fuel mileage than the Aston Martin DB7:

The GT2’s brakes have 24% more swept area (the area covered by the brake pads) than the Aston Martin DB7 (717 vs. 578 square inches).

The 911 stops much shorter than the Aston Martin DB7:

For better traction and acceleration, the 911 has larger standard rear tires than the Aston Martin DB7 (255/40R17 vs. 245/40R18). The GT2’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Aston Martin DB7 (315/30R18 vs. 265/35R18).

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 Aston Martin DB7 Vantage’s 35 series rear tires.

The 911 Carrera 4 handles at .95 G’s, while the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Coupe pulls only .85 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The 911 goes through Motor Trend’s slalom 1.2 MPH faster than the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Coupe (68.7 vs. 67.5 MPH).

The 911 Cabriolet goes through Road & Track’s slalom 4.7 MPH faster than the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Volante (67.5 vs. 62.8 MPH).

For better maneuverability the 911’s turning circle is 5.7 feet tighter than the Aston Martin DB7’s (34.8 vs. 40.5 feet).

The Porsche 911 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 650 to 950 pounds less than the Aston Martin DB7.

The 911 is 9.2 inches shorter than the Aston Martin DB7, making the 911 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by AutoWeek while at idle, the interior of the 911 is quieter than the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Volante (48 vs. 58 dB).

The 911 has 3 inches more front headroom and 1.5 inches more rear headroom than the Aston Martin DB7 Coupe.

The 911’s power windows raise and lower automatically with one touch, especially convenient at tollbooths or drive-up windows. The power windows on the Aston Martin DB7 don’t raise automatically.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the 911 Coupe offers an optional rear wiper. The Aston Martin DB7 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The 911 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Aston Martin DB7 doesn’t offer headlight washers.