When I was a kid, Aston Martin was known for big, beautiful grand-tourers with striking looks and silky smooth naturally aspirated V12 engines. Whether we’re talking about the Vanquish, the DB9, the DBS, the Vantage, the short-lived Virage, or the four-door Rapide, all came available with a V12 engine free of forced induction.
That all changed in 2017 when Aston Martin revealed its replacement for the long-running DB9, the DB11. It wasn’t called the DB10 because that name went to a concept vehicle used in the James Bond movie Spectre, though I’ve always wondered whether Aston skipped the name to avoid putting the number “10” on the back of the car, which might’ve convinced onlookers the car used a V10, and not a V12. This is why the company went from DB7 to DB9, after all, according to Top Gear. It couldn’t have people thinking the DB9 had a measly V8.
The DB11 was an important car for Aston because it was the first turbocharged production vehicle introduced by the brand. It was also supremely expensive, starting at over $214,000 when new. Now, though, thanks to the miracle of depreciation, you can pick up used examples for cheaper than a brand-new Chevy Corvette.
Big Power, Delivered
This era of Aston Martin marked the beginning of its partnership with Mercedes-Benz, which took a minority stake in the brand starting in 2013 to work together on engine development (that stake was upped to 20% back in 2020). The DB11 was the first vehicle to appear under this partnership, getting a Mercedes-based infotainment system update that the brand desperately needed to keep up with the competition.
Mercedes helped with the engine, too. Aston’s aging, Ford-based V12 wasn’t going to cut it any longer; it needed something with headlight-grabbing power and gobs of torque. And the company found both in its new 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12. Rated at 600 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, it was more powerful than the twin-turbo flat-six in the Porsche 911 Turbo, the twin-turbo V8 in the Ferrari California T, and the twin-turbo W12 found in the Bentley Continental GT.
The DB11 also ushered in a new design era for the brand. Gone were the simplistic, perfectly proportioned lines of the DB9 and DBS, replaced by something more bulky and muscular. Just as important were the upgrades to the interior, which came as a major upgrade from the over-decade-old layout found in the old cars.
Performance from that V12 was mighty. Car and Driver managed to squeeze a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds from the car in testing, while Aston claimed a top speed of no less than 200 mph. Curb weight is a not-insignficant 4,222 pounds, but the car was still a nice thing to wheel, at least according to C/D’s first drive:
The DB11 is built on Aston Martin’s new bonded and riveted aluminum structure that will eventually supplant the company’s aging VH architecture. Bolted to that aluminum structure is an elastic suspension that never abuses the driver, even if he or she selects the firmest of the suspension’s three modes. Quick-ratio steering offers real feel, with minute, tactile tugs pulsing through the wheel.
Unlike cars from brands like Ferrari and Lamborghini, which seem to be mostly immune to huge depreciation hits, Aston Martins are not. And in 2026, that means deals aplenty.
We’re Talking Base Corvette Money, Here
The 2017 Aston Martin DB11 carried a starting price of $214,820, including destination. Accounting for inflation, that’s about $282,000 in today’s money. Now, though? You can find used examples for under $70,000.
Truthfully, I could only find one example listed for under the $70,000 mark at the time of this writing, listed in California with 50,000 miles on the clock. The Cars.com listing says there’s no history of accidents, and that the dealer has lowered the price by $17,000 since first listing it for sale back in September.
If you don’t mind spending a few more bucks, there are a handful of used options in the mid-$70,000 range, including this beautiful blue example with 38,000 miles on the clock, listed in Chicago, and this all-white model in California with 34,000 miles. As with any car, cooler colors demand a price premium.
If you’d rather have the Mercedes-sourced twin-turbo V8 offered later in the DB11’s life, those are pretty cheap, too–but not as cheap. On average, you’re looking at about a $10,000-$15,000 delta between the cheapest V12- and V8-powered cars. The cheapest one without any accidents disclosed in the listing is this silver example with 32,000 miles, yours for just under $85,000.
Why are the V8-powered DB11s more expensive? Well, in addition to being newer and lighter, most people think they’re better to drive than the V12 cars. From Top Gear’s 2018 review:
It’s a much crisper, more confidence inspiring car to drive. The steering is more positive on turn in and you get a much better sense of what the tyres are doing. It doesn’t lurch into roll as abruptly, so carves a smoother line; and when you come out the other side of the corner, you can actually use the torque without the back axle getting jumpy. The V8 is a much more together, tauter and rewarding car to drive. I don’t think it’s any slower, either.
MotorTrend echoed a similar sentiment in its first drive:
The V-12 DB11 is a good grand tourer, but aspects of its on-road personality don’t always feel settled. Its 600-horsepower twin-turbo V-12 is hugely impressive in a straight line, but the chassis doesn’t feel neutral or confidence inspiring to me. Meanwhile, the transmission felt incongruous with the level of refinement Aston sought to deliver; shifts felt like an old-school single-clutch gearbox, and the paddle-shift actuation itself felt like it took too long. The V-8 model solves those issues, and then some. It’s a great grand tourer for a long road trip, and it can also stop at a racetrack along the way and hold its own in terms of performance.
Having driven neither, I’m not in any place to recommend one car over the other. But like any aging, fast-depreciating exotic, you have to go into owning a used DB11 expecting to spend big bucks on maintenance and repairs, no matter the engine under the hood.
While there haven’t been any major reports of drivetrain issues, Car Magazine reported interior quality and software issues in its 10-month-long-term test of a DB11 back in 2021. These problems, as well as other software- and interior-related issues, have been documented on the AstonMartinLife.com forum. Stuff like leather separating from the dashboard, transmission malfunctions, and blind spot monitoring faults. Nothing crazy, but stuff that’s probably pretty pricey to fix at an Aston dealer now that these cars are out of warranty.
So while yes, you can get a hand-built British grand touring car with supercar performance from a twin-turbocharged V12 for less than the price of a new Corvette, you have to maintain realistic expectations about upkeep costs and reliability. Even considering that, I know I’d still take the Aston every time.
Top graphic image: Aston Martin; DepositPhotos.com
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