2009 Aston Martin DB9

Review

The 2009 Aston Martin DB9 is just loaded with oxymorons. The DB9 is an understated exotic, a tame high-performance machine, and a daily driver sports car. No other exotic has accomplished the seemingly contradictory list of traits that the 2009 DB9 boasts. The DB9 will get you from 0-60 in 4.6 seconds, but it will also get you to and from work in peace and comfort. The DB9 seethes exotic sports car power, but it has the understated styling of a much more refined vehicle. Aside from the small backseat, we can’t seem to find much wrong with the 2009 DB9. Read our review for the full results of our road test of the Aston Martin DB9.

Improvements from the 2008 Aston Martin DB9

Thanks to a 20-horsepower boost to the 6.0-liter V12 engine, the 2009 DB9 is a tad more powerful than last year’s model. Aston Martin has also revised the tuning of the suspension for a more comfortable ride and given the automatic transmission smoother, faster shifts. On the 2009 Volante convertible, torsional rigidity has increased.

Performance

You have to drive the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 to appreciate how easy it is to maneuver. The steering is accurate but light, and the braking is responsive and powerful. Critics love the smooth-shifting automatic transmission, and call the 2009 DB9 both exhilarating and comfortable to drive. This is one of the few exotic sports cars you could actually take on a long road trip without regretting it 60 miles later. The rear-wheel-drive DB9 is propelled by a 6.0-liter V12 with 470 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. In the coupe with either a manual or automatic transmission, the 2009 DB9 sprints from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. The Volante convertible is just a tad slower.

Exterior Features

Once you see photos of the 2009 DB9, you’ll understand why car reviews rave about its sophisticated, understated elegance. In many car segments, you stand out from the pack by going overboard with outlandish styling. In the exotic-car segment, exactly the opposite is true—subtlety is sorely lacking in this group, but not with the DB9. Critics call it a work of art and applaud its sleek, aluminum body. Standard exterior equipment includes HID headlamps, 19-inch alloy wheels, a wind deflector on the Volante, and power-folding exterior mirrors. The 2009 Aston Martin DB9 is available as either a coupe or the Volante convertible.

Interior Features

Auto reviews commonly gripe about the rather useless backseat in the Aston Martin DB9, but other than that, it’s pretty difficult to find a single thing wrong with this car’s cabin. The number of comfort and convenience features will overwhelm you, as will the luxury embellishments. Everywhere you turn, your senses will be delighted with soft, shiny materials and omnipresent leather. The 2009 DB9 is supposed to seat four, but that is wishful thinking when you consider the inadequacy of the backseat. The front seats are delightfully comfortable, and offer plenty of headroom for tall drivers. Standard interior equipment on the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 includes automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, power, heated front seats with memory, satellite radio, iPod control, Bluetooth, a hard-drive-based navigation system, and an “emotion control unit,” also known as a $1,000 key fob that lights up red when plugged into the DB9’s dashboard.

Safety and Specifications

Because the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 qualifies as an exotic car, the government and the car insurance industry do not perform crash tests on it. This could mean abnormally high insurance costs, but you can always search around for cheap auto insurance. Still, buyers can have faith in the safety of the 2009 DB9, which comes standard with car safety equipment like Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, rear parking sensors, Dynamic Stability Control, anti-lock brakes, dual-stage airbags, crumple zones, rollover sensors, and twin roll-hoops in the Volante convertible. A synopsis of the 2009 Aston Martin DB9’s specs is outlined below.

• Car pricing: $182,450 MSRP for base coupe; $195,950 MSRP for Volante convertible; no invoice data available
• Engine: 6.0-liter, 470-hp V-12
• Transmission: six-speed manual standard; six-speed automatic with paddle shifters optional
• Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds with manual or automatic transmission

Upgrade Options

On the DB9 coupe, options include lightweight 19-inch wheels and firmer suspension tuning. In terms of customization options, the choices are endless. DB9 buyers can request any exterior paint color that Aston Martin or any other automaker has ever used. Even better, you can have the color of your 2009 DB9 matched to any color sample, meaning you can even match your Aston Martin to your favorite outfit if the spirit moves you. Finally, most of the DB9’s cabin leather surfaces can be made to order.

How the Aston Martin DB9 Compares to Other Exotic Sports Cars

Despite its $200,000 price point, the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 is relatively affordable for an exotic sports car. Although flashier exotics may be quicker than the Aston Martin, none handles as magnificently as the 2009 DB9. Fuel economy is respectable for an exotic, with the 2009 DB9 achieving a city/highway rating of 12/19 mpg with the automatic transmission.

New car guide sites have no information published on the Aston Martin DB9’s Intellichoice 5 year cost of ownership because of its status as an exotic. Ownership costs are likely to be high, though, owing to maintenance, fuel costs, and other expenses. No data exist on the 2009 DB9’s J.D. Power Quality Ratings for predicted reliability either because of its low-volume status. The 2009 Aston Martin DB9 offers a three-year/unlimited-mile warranty.

Conclusion: Is the 2009 Aston Martin DB9 a Smart Buy?

If you proposed using an exotic car as a daily commuter vehicle in automotive circles, you would become an instant laughing stock…unless of course that vehicle was the 2009 Aston Martin DB9. The DB9 blasts you down the asphalt with V12 power but remains remarkably easy to drive, with light steering and a smooth-shifting automatic transmission. The 2009 DB9 is also gorgeous is a becomingly subtle way that other exotics have yet to master. In short, the 2009 DB9 is the modest-man’s exotic—subtle, comfortable, and unbelievably capable.