Test Drove a DB11 at Gaydon - My REVIEW
Discussion
My DB11 REVIEW
by Nijius Maximus
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Looks
3. Interior
4a. The Drive: Comfort
4b. The Drive: Gearbox
4c. The Drive: Steering + Manoeuvring
4d. The Drive: Power
4e. The Drive: Handling
4f. The Drive: Sound
5. Conclusion
6. Score + Summary
1. INTRODUCTION
So, I went down to Gaydon on Friday to test drive the new DB11… as you do…
We walked around the factory floor as well, there was no one actually working there at the time, but still managed to see various cars in various states of production. Also super cool seeing some iconic cars lined up all the way up to the DB10 before entering the actual factory.
Anyway, recently I’ve watched quite a few video reviews of the DB11 and read a whole lot of written ones. But having now driven the car myself I feel there’s certain details that haven’t been mentioned, comparisons to existing Astons that haven’t been made and certain assertions made that I’ve found myself disagreeing with.
Therefore I decided to write up this quick mini (ahem, nearly 3,500 words) review of my own. Put the coffee in your Aston mug and make yourself cosy in your leather armchair and enjoy…
2. LOOKS
I’ve been lucky in that I’ve seen the DB11 three times now and each time in a different colour. They had various colours of the car available for the test drives at Gaydon. My car was white which didn’t really do it for me to be fair as some of the sharp lines, especially on the bonnet, were hidden by the colour.
Thankfully they had some other colour cars parked up. Two of them were Marron Black and Ultramarine Black. Now these two colours were really interesting in the flesh, especially in the sun, as they looked totally black from some angles and then changed to various shades of brown and blue respectively.
Ultramarine Black:
Marron Black:
They also had a Magnetic Silver colour which you would all recognise from the promotional photos of the car. The amazing thing about this colour (which is one of my favourites) was just how much texture there was on there with all the little flecks of paint. It really brought out the lines and the taut body of the car.
What I found was that the colour chosen makes a massive difference to the car. The black colours from the front and front sides make the car look more like a traditional Aston whereas some of the other colours really bring out the futuristic look of the DB11. Whichever colour chosen though, the back and the sides look nothing like the Astons you’re used to seeing on the road. Which is a good thing.
The DB10 I saw inside stayed in my memory and I was amazed at just how many of the design cues Aston had managed to carry over to the DB11. I swear if you picked the right colour and made a couple of modifications most lay people wouldn’t know the difference…
Anyway the important thing is that it still looked like an Aston albeit a far more modern and futuristic one. The grille and classic lines and proportions were still there which means that the timeless beauty is still there as well. And of course the road presence.
But saying that I still prefer the looks of my Vanquish. In my opinion one of the most beautiful Astons ever made and why I eventually HAD to buy one as you can see in these two photos:
Do cars get better looking than this...
Or this...
3. INTERIOR
You can view all the photos and videos online but there’s nothing like opening the door to a brand new car and breathing in that new leather and seeing and feeling the textures for yourself. No disappointment here as it most definitely feels special and luxurious.
The new style stitching and brogueing on the seats look amazing and my car had the Sahara Tan interior with the High Gloss Chopped Carbon trim. Again you would’ve seen this combination on a lot of the promotional photos. I absolutely love it. It feels really rich and cosy mixed with modernity especially with the stitching on the roof. It definitely beats all the black and dark grey I’ve seen on most (including my own) Astons.
Then there’s the quality of the switchgear. Thank God they FINALLY replaced those damn cheap and light feeling indicator stalks. The nicest thing are the air vent dials. They really feel quality: they’re textured, have a good metallic weight and click reassuringly when turning them. The paddle shifts feel great as do the buttons and dials on the steering wheel. Even the door handles feel better than before.
The buttons on the centre dash have the same haptic feedback as on the latest Astons and the glass switches for gear selection and engine start are thankfully still the same and have a quality feel. The same goes for the seat controls. Aston have said they’re using ‘real’ materials for everything and I believe them.
So onto the new stuff. There’s now a really nice jog wheel, that clicks nicely as you turn it, underneath the new touchpad which have both been taken from the latest Mercedes models. No complaints here as they work really well. We finally have gesture support for entering navigation addresses for example. The new centre screen is bigger than the old one which is really good when viewing maps and the like and the whole interface just seems more modern than before.
I didn’t have that much time to play with it but was impressed with what I saw. The highlight was finally having an overhead 3D camera view which gave you options for both a 180 degree and a 360 degree view if I remember correctly. No more worrying about where exactly that long bonnet finishes when parking or kerbing those diamond cut wheels!
Of course the screen may be great, high quality and have a modern on screen layout but, as many people have said, it still looks like a damn iPad has been stuck on the dash just like on every other Mercedes. Hmmm… wonder if Q Division at Aston Martin can make an automated one which can hide the screen like in the current Astons…
Then on the next big change: the driver’s dashboard. I read a review recently from one of the big UK car magazines where they complained about the low resolution of the screen. Maybe they had an early production model? Because my screen was so sharp it looked like the graphics had been painted on. Kind of like the experience when you first saw a Retina screen on Apple’s iPhone. Very impressive and very responsive: no jerky animations here unlike some other brands.
The rev counter actually changes colour and layout depending on which power mode you have it in with it going totally red in Sport Plus. Very cool. And you can FINALLY see the red line. Rejoice!
The right hand side of the display is devoted to going through menus for phone, media and navigation etc. Again a much needed upgrade as you can finally change things quickly without having to use the centre console and take your eyes of the road. But again no time to check out properly.
The rear view mirror is the coolest thing ever. It’s borderless so it actually looks like it’s some futuristic mirror / screen. It ties in nicely with the sharply shaped, DB10 like wing mirrors. Then there’s the button on the centre console which moves the centre storage compartment cover electrically. Completely unnecessary but again cool as hell. See a theme developing here?
A more useful feature is that the steering wheel position is finally electrically adjusted. That means its position gets stored along with the seat and mirror memory settings. There’s also the comfort exit mode where the steering wheel moves out of the way when leaving the car. Very useful. Yes loads of cars have had this feature before, but it’s nice for Aston to sort these little things out with the start of this new generation of cars.
Speaking of which you can now lock the car simply by pressing the door handle inwards rather than outwards. As the key is now wireless it means you never have to take the key out of your pocket. But that sadly means there’s no more slot for you to put the key into to start the car. This piece of Aston startup theatre is no longer with us and that’s something I personally will definitely miss. It made turning the car on, let alone starting the engine, an event. But I know not all of you will agree…
At this point it’s worth saying that the glass key has now been removed as a DB11 option. Yes you couldn’t actually insert it into anything but at least you could still purchase one for something special. Sadly Aston have changed their mind and people who ordered one with their DB11 will be getting a refund no doubt.
On a similar note the handbrake of old has gone. It is now simply a metallic button underneath the driver’s dash. This is of course a lot easier and quicker to use than before… but like the glass key slot it was one of those Aston idiosyncrasies that added to the character of the car. Still you can’t have everything I suppose and at least you won’t have to explain over and over how exactly to operate the handbrake to temporary drivers…(!)
Well, I could’ve spent my time looking into the multitude of options and features of the digital dashboard and the centre dash but I was there to drive the car so let’s get onto the main event…
4a. THE DRIVE: COMFORT
Remember the DB9, which this car replaces, has always been the softest of the Aston lineup and has always been a GT first, sports car second whereas the exact opposite is true of the Vantage models.
Well, comfort does not disappoint I can tell you right now. In fact I’d say there were times where it was actually smoother than my Vanquish. The multiple suspension modes really do make a difference and even in the second handling mode, Sport (more explained below), it’s still very comfortable for your passenger and fun for yourself. Like the Vanquish you could sit in here for hours and effortlessly drive around.
A Vanquish 'floating' in the water:
The seats are actually softer than they appear in the photos which is good cos I’ve always personally had a mixed bag when it’s come to Aston’s leather seats over long drives. Especially as regards to my lower back. This was less than an hour’s drive so it’s hard for me to say what they’d be like for longer periods. But getting a comfortable seating position was not a problem and I had no issues during the test drive.
4b. THE DRIVE: GEARBOX
On my Vanquish there’s no question that the gear changes are relaxed even in Sport mode. But then that’s the kind of car it’s supposed to be: you don’t want violent super quick gear shifts in this epic GT. It’s a relaxed car which makes you relaxed.
But there are times when you’re pushing your car that you wish there was another option, a Sport Plus I suppose, just for the gear changes. And thankfully this is exactly what the DB11 delivers. Gear change speeds are affected directly by the powertrain modes: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus.
That means if you’re using Automatic mode with the powertrain set to Normal then it’s super relaxed and sometimes there’s even a delay before kickdown occurs when you put your foot down in a high gear. That can be annoying but then that’s what Sport and Sport Plus are for. To me Sport seems to be the go to mode for gear changes and they’re in a completely different world to the Vanquish (the 6-speed at least) and another universe to the early DB9 models which I’ve also driven in the past.
I’m impressed with the system because you get fast gear changes without the uncomfort and of course you can still take manual control if wanted. Speaking of which there’s a cool new feature where you can go back to Automatic (Drive) mode without having to press the D button on the dashboard. I can’t remember it exactly but something along the lines of holding down the paddle shift for a couple of seconds I think. The great thing about this is you can keep your hands on the wheel.
Again a small little thing but all these little things really start to add up and I’m glad Aston have thought about them.
4c. THE DRIVE: STEERING + MANOEUVRING
This is the first thing I noticed about the car when leaving our parking bay: just how tight the steering is. With my Vanquish at low speeds it sometimes feels like you’re manoeuvring a mini truck around. It couldn’t be any more different with the DB11. For maneuvers such as parking and three point turns this car is going to be so much better making it a far easier car to live with in towns and cities. Especially in conjunction with the 3D camera system.
Of course this is only possible thanks to the new electric steering system. Oh no! I was hesitant when I’d heard about it as I’ve always preferred heavier steering with a lot of feedback and the hydraulic steering of Astons have always been great. But thankfully this new system is pretty damn good.
As said above for low speeds it feels extremely light but when you’re putting your foot down you can easily feel the difference with extra weight appearing. I was very impressed with it: hell of a lot better than my Vanquish.
Was it better than / equal to my V12 Vantage? That’s a hard one which I can’t answer definitely over a short drive but the important thing is that I was impressed over a range of driving styles how it adapted.
Of further note the electric steering means that you can have the Park Assist option where it parks itself. Perfect for people (*cough* wives and girlfriends *cough*) who may find parking a bit challenging at times…
4d. THE DRIVE: POWER
The torque. That’s what you notice. Not surprising as that’s one of the advantages of a turbocharged engine. But it’s the way the car gets going from such low revs and continues to go in the mid range that sets it apart from the current Astons. Especially the DB9 where you really have to rev the engine to get the most out of it.
The power delivery here reminds me of a Bentley at times: you put your foot down and suddenly this surge you don’t expect comes and you get pushed back into your seat. It’s impressive and puts the performance of the DB9 replacement into the next level.
It definitely feels faster than my V12 Vantage and my current 6-speed Vanquish and most of all it feels effortless like a GT should. It’s smooth like a V12 should be. That’s also helped by the fact that there seems to none or, hardly any to notice, turbo lag. It’s more than responsive enough no doubt because the 5.2 litre engine is still pretty damn big relative to other turbocharged cars out there.
This Aston also has three powertrain modes: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. I have to admit that in Normal mode gear changes can be quite lazy and on the odd occasion frustrating if you’re wanting to suddenly push the car. Sport and Sport Plus really make a difference and the middle mode seems to be the sweet spot for everyday driving. They also give you a far better exhaust note than Normal mode, greater response and faster gear changes.
4e. THE DRIVE: HANDLING
This is the thing that surprised me about this car more than anything. I was worried after having read so many reviews that the car would be too soft and have too much body roll. That’s an issue I have with my Vanquish where at time round corners you feel like you’re ‘wafting’ around.
Well, the reviews were wrong. Completely.
The handling is amazing on this car. Seriously. The whole car has such an agility and responsiveness to it, helped in part by the new steering, that you’re amazed that Aston’s softest car in its new line up can feel this good.
The result is that, in spite of it having similar dimensions to the Vanquish, it feels so much smaller and lighter than it. The grip is excellent no doubt thanks to the new torque vectoring system. While the car corners flatly: it feels like you’re driving a Vantage not a DB car.
Like the powertrain, there are three modes for the handling with the same names: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. And again like above I preferred the Sport mode for day to day driving. I tried the various modes over different types of road and you can definitely notice the difference. The best thing is that even in Sport mode your passenger would still be happy with the drive while giving the driver excellent handling performance.
That’s the thing you have to understand: no matter which handling mode the ride comfort itself stays excellent. Aston have done a great job on this front.
4f. THE DRIVE: SOUND
So we’ve talked about power and handling and other features of the car. But for a lot of people the most important feature of an Aston, along with the looks obviously, is the sound. This has a V12 and we all know that V12 Astons sound glorious, growly, menacing and classy all at the same time. Like a wolf in a suit.
So far I’ve loved more or less everything about the new car. I feel that it’s been an improvement over the Astons of the current range in various aspects. I’ve seen the video reviews where the reviewer has said words to the effect of: “The sound? [Puts foot down]. Well I think you’ll all agree there’s nothing to worry about on that front. It sounds just like an Aston should.”
No. No. No. It doesn’t.
One reviewer even said the DB9 never actually sounded that good in the first place and this actually sounds better. Blasphemy!
You want to know what this car sounds like? A mixture of my McLaren 12c and a V12 Vantage with some AMG garnish. Yes that’s a good, if not great, sound. But it’s not the outstanding orchestral genius of the Vanquish.
It lacks the texture, depth, class and ultimately the craziness.
That doesn’t mean you can’t hear it. You hear it all the time even when poodling around a car park. But what you hear behind you, almost as if it’s coming from the back seat, is a more muscle car style noise with that classic turbo charged foundation to it.
When you poodle around in a Vanquish it barks and scares away small creatures. It’s not volume, it’s tone and intent. Little dogs yap loudly. Wolves growl menacingly.
This was only a short drive and I didn’t have the windows open and haven’t heard the car properly from the outside. I hope I’m wrong and that is sounds better when they’re released and when I hear it again but for now there’s just something Aston-like missing from the exhaust note. It might not be a big piece that’s vanished but it’ll be noticed especially by existing Aston owners like myself.
Mind you some videos I’ve seen the sound is far better so let’s keep our fingers crossed when the production models come out...
5. CONCLUSION
Here’s the short conclusion: go buy one.
The long conclusion is that this car is amazing in that it can basically replace three current models in one: the Vanquish, the DB9 and the Vantage.
It can be almost as smooth and relaxed as a Vanquish but with far better handling, it has better performance than a DB9 and it has agility that can be close to a Vantage. There’s little things that they’ve improved and long missing features that they’ve added to really make something that feels fresh and genuinely new.
No more complaints about the sat nav and media interface. Now there's unexpected power, enough mid range torque, a truly different looking Aston model, high quality interior and no damn cheap indicator stalks(!) We have here a car that’s nearly as luxuriousand comfortable as the high end model and nearly as fun to drive and handle as the smaller Aston cars.
The most amazing thing is that if this is how far they’ve come with just their DB9 replacement what on earth are they going to release as the Vantage and Vanquish successors?! It’s an exciting time to be an Aston Martin owner and fan. The DB11 shows us the future of the brand and it’s only just the start...
6. SCORE + SUMMARY
4.5 out of 5
POSITIVES
+ Futuristic DB10 style looks
+ Excellent handling
+ Modern interior features and interface
+ Impressive power and torque
+ Fast gear changes in Sport / Sport Plus modes
+ Park Assist
+ 3D Camera
+ Electrically adjustable steering column
+ Keyless entry, lock and start
+ Clamshell bonnet design
NEGATIVES
- Ugly looking centre dash screen
- Sound very good not excellent
- No glass key option and no cool key slot
- Rear seats still small and boot could be bigger
The DB11: three cars in one. Thanks for reading!
by Nijius Maximus
CONTENTS
1. Introduction
2. Looks
3. Interior
4a. The Drive: Comfort
4b. The Drive: Gearbox
4c. The Drive: Steering + Manoeuvring
4d. The Drive: Power
4e. The Drive: Handling
4f. The Drive: Sound
5. Conclusion
6. Score + Summary
1. INTRODUCTION
So, I went down to Gaydon on Friday to test drive the new DB11… as you do…
We walked around the factory floor as well, there was no one actually working there at the time, but still managed to see various cars in various states of production. Also super cool seeing some iconic cars lined up all the way up to the DB10 before entering the actual factory.
Anyway, recently I’ve watched quite a few video reviews of the DB11 and read a whole lot of written ones. But having now driven the car myself I feel there’s certain details that haven’t been mentioned, comparisons to existing Astons that haven’t been made and certain assertions made that I’ve found myself disagreeing with.
Therefore I decided to write up this quick mini (ahem, nearly 3,500 words) review of my own. Put the coffee in your Aston mug and make yourself cosy in your leather armchair and enjoy…
2. LOOKS
I’ve been lucky in that I’ve seen the DB11 three times now and each time in a different colour. They had various colours of the car available for the test drives at Gaydon. My car was white which didn’t really do it for me to be fair as some of the sharp lines, especially on the bonnet, were hidden by the colour.
Thankfully they had some other colour cars parked up. Two of them were Marron Black and Ultramarine Black. Now these two colours were really interesting in the flesh, especially in the sun, as they looked totally black from some angles and then changed to various shades of brown and blue respectively.
Ultramarine Black:
Marron Black:
They also had a Magnetic Silver colour which you would all recognise from the promotional photos of the car. The amazing thing about this colour (which is one of my favourites) was just how much texture there was on there with all the little flecks of paint. It really brought out the lines and the taut body of the car.
What I found was that the colour chosen makes a massive difference to the car. The black colours from the front and front sides make the car look more like a traditional Aston whereas some of the other colours really bring out the futuristic look of the DB11. Whichever colour chosen though, the back and the sides look nothing like the Astons you’re used to seeing on the road. Which is a good thing.
The DB10 I saw inside stayed in my memory and I was amazed at just how many of the design cues Aston had managed to carry over to the DB11. I swear if you picked the right colour and made a couple of modifications most lay people wouldn’t know the difference…
Anyway the important thing is that it still looked like an Aston albeit a far more modern and futuristic one. The grille and classic lines and proportions were still there which means that the timeless beauty is still there as well. And of course the road presence.
But saying that I still prefer the looks of my Vanquish. In my opinion one of the most beautiful Astons ever made and why I eventually HAD to buy one as you can see in these two photos:
Do cars get better looking than this...
Or this...
3. INTERIOR
You can view all the photos and videos online but there’s nothing like opening the door to a brand new car and breathing in that new leather and seeing and feeling the textures for yourself. No disappointment here as it most definitely feels special and luxurious.
The new style stitching and brogueing on the seats look amazing and my car had the Sahara Tan interior with the High Gloss Chopped Carbon trim. Again you would’ve seen this combination on a lot of the promotional photos. I absolutely love it. It feels really rich and cosy mixed with modernity especially with the stitching on the roof. It definitely beats all the black and dark grey I’ve seen on most (including my own) Astons.
Then there’s the quality of the switchgear. Thank God they FINALLY replaced those damn cheap and light feeling indicator stalks. The nicest thing are the air vent dials. They really feel quality: they’re textured, have a good metallic weight and click reassuringly when turning them. The paddle shifts feel great as do the buttons and dials on the steering wheel. Even the door handles feel better than before.
The buttons on the centre dash have the same haptic feedback as on the latest Astons and the glass switches for gear selection and engine start are thankfully still the same and have a quality feel. The same goes for the seat controls. Aston have said they’re using ‘real’ materials for everything and I believe them.
So onto the new stuff. There’s now a really nice jog wheel, that clicks nicely as you turn it, underneath the new touchpad which have both been taken from the latest Mercedes models. No complaints here as they work really well. We finally have gesture support for entering navigation addresses for example. The new centre screen is bigger than the old one which is really good when viewing maps and the like and the whole interface just seems more modern than before.
I didn’t have that much time to play with it but was impressed with what I saw. The highlight was finally having an overhead 3D camera view which gave you options for both a 180 degree and a 360 degree view if I remember correctly. No more worrying about where exactly that long bonnet finishes when parking or kerbing those diamond cut wheels!
Of course the screen may be great, high quality and have a modern on screen layout but, as many people have said, it still looks like a damn iPad has been stuck on the dash just like on every other Mercedes. Hmmm… wonder if Q Division at Aston Martin can make an automated one which can hide the screen like in the current Astons…
Then on the next big change: the driver’s dashboard. I read a review recently from one of the big UK car magazines where they complained about the low resolution of the screen. Maybe they had an early production model? Because my screen was so sharp it looked like the graphics had been painted on. Kind of like the experience when you first saw a Retina screen on Apple’s iPhone. Very impressive and very responsive: no jerky animations here unlike some other brands.
The rev counter actually changes colour and layout depending on which power mode you have it in with it going totally red in Sport Plus. Very cool. And you can FINALLY see the red line. Rejoice!
The right hand side of the display is devoted to going through menus for phone, media and navigation etc. Again a much needed upgrade as you can finally change things quickly without having to use the centre console and take your eyes of the road. But again no time to check out properly.
The rear view mirror is the coolest thing ever. It’s borderless so it actually looks like it’s some futuristic mirror / screen. It ties in nicely with the sharply shaped, DB10 like wing mirrors. Then there’s the button on the centre console which moves the centre storage compartment cover electrically. Completely unnecessary but again cool as hell. See a theme developing here?
A more useful feature is that the steering wheel position is finally electrically adjusted. That means its position gets stored along with the seat and mirror memory settings. There’s also the comfort exit mode where the steering wheel moves out of the way when leaving the car. Very useful. Yes loads of cars have had this feature before, but it’s nice for Aston to sort these little things out with the start of this new generation of cars.
Speaking of which you can now lock the car simply by pressing the door handle inwards rather than outwards. As the key is now wireless it means you never have to take the key out of your pocket. But that sadly means there’s no more slot for you to put the key into to start the car. This piece of Aston startup theatre is no longer with us and that’s something I personally will definitely miss. It made turning the car on, let alone starting the engine, an event. But I know not all of you will agree…
At this point it’s worth saying that the glass key has now been removed as a DB11 option. Yes you couldn’t actually insert it into anything but at least you could still purchase one for something special. Sadly Aston have changed their mind and people who ordered one with their DB11 will be getting a refund no doubt.
On a similar note the handbrake of old has gone. It is now simply a metallic button underneath the driver’s dash. This is of course a lot easier and quicker to use than before… but like the glass key slot it was one of those Aston idiosyncrasies that added to the character of the car. Still you can’t have everything I suppose and at least you won’t have to explain over and over how exactly to operate the handbrake to temporary drivers…(!)
Well, I could’ve spent my time looking into the multitude of options and features of the digital dashboard and the centre dash but I was there to drive the car so let’s get onto the main event…
4a. THE DRIVE: COMFORT
Remember the DB9, which this car replaces, has always been the softest of the Aston lineup and has always been a GT first, sports car second whereas the exact opposite is true of the Vantage models.
Well, comfort does not disappoint I can tell you right now. In fact I’d say there were times where it was actually smoother than my Vanquish. The multiple suspension modes really do make a difference and even in the second handling mode, Sport (more explained below), it’s still very comfortable for your passenger and fun for yourself. Like the Vanquish you could sit in here for hours and effortlessly drive around.
A Vanquish 'floating' in the water:
The seats are actually softer than they appear in the photos which is good cos I’ve always personally had a mixed bag when it’s come to Aston’s leather seats over long drives. Especially as regards to my lower back. This was less than an hour’s drive so it’s hard for me to say what they’d be like for longer periods. But getting a comfortable seating position was not a problem and I had no issues during the test drive.
4b. THE DRIVE: GEARBOX
On my Vanquish there’s no question that the gear changes are relaxed even in Sport mode. But then that’s the kind of car it’s supposed to be: you don’t want violent super quick gear shifts in this epic GT. It’s a relaxed car which makes you relaxed.
But there are times when you’re pushing your car that you wish there was another option, a Sport Plus I suppose, just for the gear changes. And thankfully this is exactly what the DB11 delivers. Gear change speeds are affected directly by the powertrain modes: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus.
That means if you’re using Automatic mode with the powertrain set to Normal then it’s super relaxed and sometimes there’s even a delay before kickdown occurs when you put your foot down in a high gear. That can be annoying but then that’s what Sport and Sport Plus are for. To me Sport seems to be the go to mode for gear changes and they’re in a completely different world to the Vanquish (the 6-speed at least) and another universe to the early DB9 models which I’ve also driven in the past.
I’m impressed with the system because you get fast gear changes without the uncomfort and of course you can still take manual control if wanted. Speaking of which there’s a cool new feature where you can go back to Automatic (Drive) mode without having to press the D button on the dashboard. I can’t remember it exactly but something along the lines of holding down the paddle shift for a couple of seconds I think. The great thing about this is you can keep your hands on the wheel.
Again a small little thing but all these little things really start to add up and I’m glad Aston have thought about them.
4c. THE DRIVE: STEERING + MANOEUVRING
This is the first thing I noticed about the car when leaving our parking bay: just how tight the steering is. With my Vanquish at low speeds it sometimes feels like you’re manoeuvring a mini truck around. It couldn’t be any more different with the DB11. For maneuvers such as parking and three point turns this car is going to be so much better making it a far easier car to live with in towns and cities. Especially in conjunction with the 3D camera system.
Of course this is only possible thanks to the new electric steering system. Oh no! I was hesitant when I’d heard about it as I’ve always preferred heavier steering with a lot of feedback and the hydraulic steering of Astons have always been great. But thankfully this new system is pretty damn good.
As said above for low speeds it feels extremely light but when you’re putting your foot down you can easily feel the difference with extra weight appearing. I was very impressed with it: hell of a lot better than my Vanquish.
Was it better than / equal to my V12 Vantage? That’s a hard one which I can’t answer definitely over a short drive but the important thing is that I was impressed over a range of driving styles how it adapted.
Of further note the electric steering means that you can have the Park Assist option where it parks itself. Perfect for people (*cough* wives and girlfriends *cough*) who may find parking a bit challenging at times…
4d. THE DRIVE: POWER
The torque. That’s what you notice. Not surprising as that’s one of the advantages of a turbocharged engine. But it’s the way the car gets going from such low revs and continues to go in the mid range that sets it apart from the current Astons. Especially the DB9 where you really have to rev the engine to get the most out of it.
The power delivery here reminds me of a Bentley at times: you put your foot down and suddenly this surge you don’t expect comes and you get pushed back into your seat. It’s impressive and puts the performance of the DB9 replacement into the next level.
It definitely feels faster than my V12 Vantage and my current 6-speed Vanquish and most of all it feels effortless like a GT should. It’s smooth like a V12 should be. That’s also helped by the fact that there seems to none or, hardly any to notice, turbo lag. It’s more than responsive enough no doubt because the 5.2 litre engine is still pretty damn big relative to other turbocharged cars out there.
This Aston also has three powertrain modes: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. I have to admit that in Normal mode gear changes can be quite lazy and on the odd occasion frustrating if you’re wanting to suddenly push the car. Sport and Sport Plus really make a difference and the middle mode seems to be the sweet spot for everyday driving. They also give you a far better exhaust note than Normal mode, greater response and faster gear changes.
4e. THE DRIVE: HANDLING
This is the thing that surprised me about this car more than anything. I was worried after having read so many reviews that the car would be too soft and have too much body roll. That’s an issue I have with my Vanquish where at time round corners you feel like you’re ‘wafting’ around.
Well, the reviews were wrong. Completely.
The handling is amazing on this car. Seriously. The whole car has such an agility and responsiveness to it, helped in part by the new steering, that you’re amazed that Aston’s softest car in its new line up can feel this good.
The result is that, in spite of it having similar dimensions to the Vanquish, it feels so much smaller and lighter than it. The grip is excellent no doubt thanks to the new torque vectoring system. While the car corners flatly: it feels like you’re driving a Vantage not a DB car.
Like the powertrain, there are three modes for the handling with the same names: Normal, Sport and Sport Plus. And again like above I preferred the Sport mode for day to day driving. I tried the various modes over different types of road and you can definitely notice the difference. The best thing is that even in Sport mode your passenger would still be happy with the drive while giving the driver excellent handling performance.
That’s the thing you have to understand: no matter which handling mode the ride comfort itself stays excellent. Aston have done a great job on this front.
4f. THE DRIVE: SOUND
So we’ve talked about power and handling and other features of the car. But for a lot of people the most important feature of an Aston, along with the looks obviously, is the sound. This has a V12 and we all know that V12 Astons sound glorious, growly, menacing and classy all at the same time. Like a wolf in a suit.
So far I’ve loved more or less everything about the new car. I feel that it’s been an improvement over the Astons of the current range in various aspects. I’ve seen the video reviews where the reviewer has said words to the effect of: “The sound? [Puts foot down]. Well I think you’ll all agree there’s nothing to worry about on that front. It sounds just like an Aston should.”
No. No. No. It doesn’t.
One reviewer even said the DB9 never actually sounded that good in the first place and this actually sounds better. Blasphemy!
You want to know what this car sounds like? A mixture of my McLaren 12c and a V12 Vantage with some AMG garnish. Yes that’s a good, if not great, sound. But it’s not the outstanding orchestral genius of the Vanquish.
It lacks the texture, depth, class and ultimately the craziness.
That doesn’t mean you can’t hear it. You hear it all the time even when poodling around a car park. But what you hear behind you, almost as if it’s coming from the back seat, is a more muscle car style noise with that classic turbo charged foundation to it.
When you poodle around in a Vanquish it barks and scares away small creatures. It’s not volume, it’s tone and intent. Little dogs yap loudly. Wolves growl menacingly.
This was only a short drive and I didn’t have the windows open and haven’t heard the car properly from the outside. I hope I’m wrong and that is sounds better when they’re released and when I hear it again but for now there’s just something Aston-like missing from the exhaust note. It might not be a big piece that’s vanished but it’ll be noticed especially by existing Aston owners like myself.
Mind you some videos I’ve seen the sound is far better so let’s keep our fingers crossed when the production models come out...
5. CONCLUSION
Here’s the short conclusion: go buy one.
The long conclusion is that this car is amazing in that it can basically replace three current models in one: the Vanquish, the DB9 and the Vantage.
It can be almost as smooth and relaxed as a Vanquish but with far better handling, it has better performance than a DB9 and it has agility that can be close to a Vantage. There’s little things that they’ve improved and long missing features that they’ve added to really make something that feels fresh and genuinely new.
No more complaints about the sat nav and media interface. Now there's unexpected power, enough mid range torque, a truly different looking Aston model, high quality interior and no damn cheap indicator stalks(!) We have here a car that’s nearly as luxuriousand comfortable as the high end model and nearly as fun to drive and handle as the smaller Aston cars.
The most amazing thing is that if this is how far they’ve come with just their DB9 replacement what on earth are they going to release as the Vantage and Vanquish successors?! It’s an exciting time to be an Aston Martin owner and fan. The DB11 shows us the future of the brand and it’s only just the start...
6. SCORE + SUMMARY
4.5 out of 5
POSITIVES
+ Futuristic DB10 style looks
+ Excellent handling
+ Modern interior features and interface
+ Impressive power and torque
+ Fast gear changes in Sport / Sport Plus modes
+ Park Assist
+ 3D Camera
+ Electrically adjustable steering column
+ Keyless entry, lock and start
+ Clamshell bonnet design
NEGATIVES
- Ugly looking centre dash screen
- Sound very good not excellent
- No glass key option and no cool key slot
- Rear seats still small and boot could be bigger
The DB11: three cars in one. Thanks for reading!
Edited by Nijius Maximus on Wednesday 17th August 06:04
Excellent write-up, thanks for doing it
I know it's a small thing but I'm so relieved that it sounds like they've reaced the indicator stalks. It's the one thing I've hated on both the db9 and the Rapide, and it's one of the things you encounter every time you drive the car
Wonder if the new ones can be retro fitted?
I know it's a small thing but I'm so relieved that it sounds like they've reaced the indicator stalks. It's the one thing I've hated on both the db9 and the Rapide, and it's one of the things you encounter every time you drive the car
Wonder if the new ones can be retro fitted?
RobDown said:
Excellent write-up, thanks for doing it
I know it's a small thing but I'm so relieved that it sounds like they've reaced the indicator stalks. It's the one thing I've hated on both the db9 and the Rapide, and it's one of the things you encounter every time you drive the car
Wonder if the new ones can be retro fitted?
Agree completely - they felt so Ford like! In fact the stalk on my Vanquish has already part broken - no more full beam lights for me! I know it's a small thing but I'm so relieved that it sounds like they've reaced the indicator stalks. It's the one thing I've hated on both the db9 and the Rapide, and it's one of the things you encounter every time you drive the car
Wonder if the new ones can be retro fitted?
Super effort mate. Thanks.
I liked the: 'you can FINALLY see the red line' bit (the reason I don't use 'sport mode' as I want to read the road not squint and vaguely guess where its red lined today)!
Also seems to me it sounds like an AMG Merc - all bass and no fizz. One SL AMG gave it the beans past me in Nice the other day and it sounded like a submarine with a cough LOL Awful but he 'won' - in town...
In conclusion its a bit more wieldy than any current DB9 - so is it half way between a current stiff Vantage S and a current 'GT' DB9 but without all the full time 'skateboard' sporty drawbacks (I can say that as I have a 'land yacht' LOL ) WHAT a proposition...
I liked the: 'you can FINALLY see the red line' bit (the reason I don't use 'sport mode' as I want to read the road not squint and vaguely guess where its red lined today)!
Also seems to me it sounds like an AMG Merc - all bass and no fizz. One SL AMG gave it the beans past me in Nice the other day and it sounded like a submarine with a cough LOL
Awful but he 'won' - in town... In conclusion its a bit more wieldy than any current DB9 - so is it half way between a current stiff Vantage S and a current 'GT' DB9 but without all the full time 'skateboard' sporty drawbacks (I can say that as I have a 'land yacht' LOL
) WHAT a proposition...
Excellent report Nijius. I was at Gaydon the day before you and the black one came past me near the Heritage Centre. He kindly gave it an enthusiastic get away from the traffic lights. The car had a huge amount of presence on the road, far better than the pictures I had seen, and sounded pretty good, but not as good as the V12VR that was in front of me
IanV12VR said:
Excellent report Nijius. I was at Gaydon the day before you and the black one came past me near the Heritage Centre. He kindly gave it an enthusiastic get away from the traffic lights. The car had a huge amount of presence on the road, far better than the pictures I had seen, and sounded pretty good, but not as good as the V12VR that was in front of me
Nijius,
I wish I had the time to applaud your excellent efforts, you hit some real gems there, especially about:
Current indicator stalks
Getting Q to re-engineer the iPad
The noise - the aftermarket world will rejoice
A really good insight especially on how buttons work and stuff feels.
If I give you my spec, then when you've finished with it in three years time (when you get the Vanqish III), I'll be in the queue.
Keep up the good work,
Sean
I wish I had the time to applaud your excellent efforts, you hit some real gems there, especially about:
Current indicator stalks
Getting Q to re-engineer the iPad
The noise - the aftermarket world will rejoice
A really good insight especially on how buttons work and stuff feels.
If I give you my spec, then when you've finished with it in three years time (when you get the Vanqish III), I'll be in the queue.
Keep up the good work,
Sean
BlackV8 said:
Excellent write up thank you for posting
thank you for posting El Toro said:
Great insights and write up from a true enthusiast.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Quarterly said:
Easily the best review I've read. 
drac said:
Many thanks Nijius Maximus,
a very good read. The perspective of an owner is interesting and highlights completely different areas to the hacks.
a very good read. The perspective of an owner is interesting and highlights completely different areas to the hacks.
abanks said:
Excellent write up - thank you for sharing your experience. I was able to see one at Grange Motors in Brentwood at their launch event so was able to sit in it etc, but it's good to get a first hand view of the driving experience.
SimC said:
Great write up ! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you guys! I knew that you lot would be interested in how the DB11 fares from the perspective of a current and past Aston owner and wanted to share. IanV12VR said:
Excellent report Nijius. I was at Gaydon the day before you and the black one came past me near the Heritage Centre. He kindly gave it an enthusiastic get away from the traffic lights. The car had a huge amount of presence on the road, far better than the pictures I had seen, and sounded pretty good, but not as good as the V12VR that was in front of me
Ha, nothing can beat a non-turbocharged V12... The main problem with test driving one is that you don't actually get to see it from the outside yourself! A black one also pulled up next to mine as we were entering the car park at the end and I got to see how cool it looked from the different angles as it drove past.
Ken Figenus said:
Super effort mate. Thanks.
I liked the: 'you can FINALLY see the red line' bit (the reason I don't use 'sport mode' as I want to read the road not squint and vaguely guess where its red lined today)!
Also seems to me it sounds like an AMG Merc - all bass and no fizz. One SL AMG gave it the beans past me in Nice the other day and it sounded like a submarine with a cough LOL Awful but he 'won' - in town...
In conclusion its a bit more wieldy than any current DB9 - so is it half way between a current stiff Vantage S and a current 'GT' DB9 but without all the full time 'skateboard' sporty drawbacks (I can say that as I have a 'land yacht' LOL ) WHAT a proposition...
Thank you mate. I always find turbocharged cars lack something in the details but on the flipside they do tend to sound more muscle car-esque, i.e. AMG like as you said. And yep you've got it in one: it's a great combination of a car the new DB11 is.I liked the: 'you can FINALLY see the red line' bit (the reason I don't use 'sport mode' as I want to read the road not squint and vaguely guess where its red lined today)!
Also seems to me it sounds like an AMG Merc - all bass and no fizz. One SL AMG gave it the beans past me in Nice the other day and it sounded like a submarine with a cough LOL
Awful but he 'won' - in town... In conclusion its a bit more wieldy than any current DB9 - so is it half way between a current stiff Vantage S and a current 'GT' DB9 but without all the full time 'skateboard' sporty drawbacks (I can say that as I have a 'land yacht' LOL
) WHAT a proposition...Bincenzo said:
Excellent write up NM, really enjoyed reading that. I too was there a couple of Friday's ago and saw someone going for a test drive, wonder if it was you? Anyhow, glad you enjoyed it, have you put an order in as it sounds as though it has eclipsed your Vanquish?
Were you test driving one as well? There was a guy in a black DB11 with his wife in the backseat (they clearly have improved the space at the back then!) when I was driving mine: was that you? It's eclipsed the Vanquish in many ways but not in the looks, road presence and sound departments...
As for an order... I heard earliest delivery mid / third quarter of 2017. If you order now. If you ordered earlier...
cayman-black said:
Superb write up Nijius. You must have more spare time than me! Better than Autocars review,lol.
Proper enthusiast is our Nijius, glad you liked it.
Thank you my friend. The joke is I should be doing more work. Haha. But I HAD to share my experience with the Aston PH community. I actually remember reading the Autocar review. I found it so short. That goes for a lot of the other reviews and YouTube videos from the major car magazines. They get given the car for ages (from all the manufacturers not just Aston) and that's all they come up with? Never understood it... as I barely had my car for an hour. Proper enthusiast is our Nijius, glad you liked it.
Rappa said:
Nijius,
I wish I had the time to applaud your excellent efforts, you hit some real gems there, especially about:
Current indicator stalks
Getting Q to re-engineer the iPad
The noise - the aftermarket world will rejoice
A really good insight especially on how buttons work and stuff feels.
If I give you my spec, then when you've finished with it in three years time (when you get the Vanqish III), I'll be in the queue.
Keep up the good work,
Sean
Thank you my friend! A lot of the details are hard to ascertain until you actually physically sit in the car and have a good play around with it!I wish I had the time to applaud your excellent efforts, you hit some real gems there, especially about:
Current indicator stalks
Getting Q to re-engineer the iPad
The noise - the aftermarket world will rejoice
A really good insight especially on how buttons work and stuff feels.
If I give you my spec, then when you've finished with it in three years time (when you get the Vanqish III), I'll be in the queue.
Keep up the good work,
Sean
Three years?? Have you seen how quickly I go through cars on this forum...
Edited by Nijius Maximus on Wednesday 17th August 03:00
Fantastic write up NM reading the reviews on my sun lounger in Bali yours is easily the best.
I only throw this in to plug Bobby at Dialaflight as he has put together a 5 star trip.
Yes Ed I did make it out of hospital just in time.
I foresee see a new blog arising here for real owners!
Interested to hear more on the ultra marine black as that is the colour of my GT8 due For build October.
Enjoy your drive out next week look forward to joining the next one.
Graham
I only throw this in to plug Bobby at Dialaflight as he has put together a 5 star trip.
Yes Ed I did make it out of hospital just in time.
I foresee see a new blog arising here for real owners!
Interested to hear more on the ultra marine black as that is the colour of my GT8 due For build October.
Enjoy your drive out next week look forward to joining the next one.
Graham
V8Staffie said:
Fantastic write up NM reading the reviews on my sun lounger in Bali yours is easily the best.
I only throw this in to plug Bobby at Dialaflight as he has put together a 5 star trip.
Yes Ed I did make it out of hospital just in time.
I foresee see a new blog arising here for real owners!
Interested to hear more on the ultra marine black as that is the colour of my GT8 due For build October.
Enjoy your drive out next week look forward to joining the next one.
Graham
Wow Graham, THAT'S the way to read my review and I encourage everyone to hop on a flight to Bali and do the same... I only throw this in to plug Bobby at Dialaflight as he has put together a 5 star trip.
Yes Ed I did make it out of hospital just in time.
I foresee see a new blog arising here for real owners!
Interested to hear more on the ultra marine black as that is the colour of my GT8 due For build October.
Enjoy your drive out next week look forward to joining the next one.
Graham
Was this an auctioned trip from Burghley??
Ultramarine Black is a cracking colour choice. It really does look like something special in the light. The colour can change so much yet at all times the blue is subtle enough to still look classy with the black being prominent. You haven't made a bad decision...both in car and colour!
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