Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2006 Porsche 911 VS 2006 Aston Martin Near Scottsdale, AZ

The V8 Vantage cannot safely hold a rear facing infant safety seat, the only safe, legal way to transport babies from birth to one year old. Because the V8 Vantage has no rear seats, the only unoccupied seat faces the passenger side airbag, which can injure or kill a baby in a rear facing safety seat. The 911’s rear seat is safe for a rear facing infant safety seat.

The 911 offers all wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The V8 Vantage doesn’t offer all wheel drive.

Both the 911 and the V8 Vantage have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

The 911 comes with a full 4 year/50,000 mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The V8 Vantage’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 V8 Vantage.

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.

As tested in Road & Track the 911 S is faster than the Aston Martin V8 Vantage (manual transmissions tested):

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the 911 lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability. The V8 Vantage doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

The 911 stops much shorter than the V8 Vantage:

The 911’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) which provides a stiffer sidewall than the V8 Vantage’s standard 45 series front tires. The 911 S’ 235/35R19 front and 295/30R19 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the V8 Vantage’s optional 40 series front and 35 series rear tires.

The 911 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The V8 Vantage’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The 911 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The V8 Vantage’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The 911 S handles at .98 G’s, while the V8 Vantage pulls only .96 G’s of cornering force in a Road & Track skidpad test.

The 911 S goes through Road & Track’s slalom 3.1 MPH faster than the V8 Vantage (71.7 vs. 68.6 MPH).

The Porsche 911 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 400 pounds less than the Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

The 911 has standard seating for 4 passengers; the V8 Vantage can only carry 2.

When four different drivers share the 911, the optional memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all four. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the seat position and outside mirror positions. The V8 Vantage 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 V8 Vantage does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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 V8 Vantage don’t raise automatically.

To help keep the driver’s hands on the wheel, the 911 offers optional steering wheel controls for the radio. The V8 Vantage doesn’t offer steering wheel audio controls.