One of the things about traveling in winter is that you never know what kind of weather you'll get when you arrive back in Portland. As it happened, I flew in at about dusk a few weeks ago, right into one of our early March snowstorms. I was a little worried about that, as I was picking up the very expensive and powerful Aston Martin DBX707. This SUV costs over $250,000, and I really didn't want to be the person who stuffed it into a ditch. However, my route home took me over Highway 6 to Tillamook, so I had little choice.
Luckily, the Aston was equipped with all-weather tires rated for snow and ice. You can tell by the little "three peak mountain and snowflake" logo embossed on tires that are winter-rated. That, plus the Aston's state-of-the-art all-wheel drive system, gave me confidence in the journey.
The DBX707 is still in the first generation of SUVs from Britain's legendary sports car maker. The DBX debuted in 2020, but this is the uprated version with 707 PS from the engine. In case you're wondering, I had to look this up, too — but PS stands for pferdestarke, which is German for "horsepower." However, the Germans rate their power a little differently so the 707 is actually 697 horsepower on the SAE net scale we use in America. Still, that’s a healthy output from a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine, and power is passed through a 9-speed automatic transmission with an "active transfer case" all-wheel drive system.
With all that, the 0-60 time of the DBX is about 4.5 seconds, but that kind of performance wasn't on my mind. I was more concerned about traction and stability, and the DBX certainly comes with all the safety and assistance tech of any modern luxury vehicle, including a Terrain mode for the drive and stability systems. As I headed west from Portland, I had time to drink in the sporty seats, trimmed in fine leather and the luxury appointments throughout the cabin. The DBX is every inch an Aston Martin, just as if you'd purchased a Vanquish or a Vantage. There's a 10-inch infotainment system, heated and cooled seats, and a 12-inch driver information screen. It's all top shelf stuff, and well-made.
But there were still those ditches to worry about. As we headed up into the mountains west of Banks, I fell in behind an ODOT snowplow for the climb up to the summit. Being grateful that he was out there in the dark keeping the road clear, I gave him a quick double-honk when he pulled off at the summit. The downhill way was mostly clear, but the Aston felt like it was high summer and delivered sure and certain grip even when the surface was icy or under up to an inch of snow. Honestly, I was impressed well beyond what I expected. The engine power was under perfect control and I felt completely confident and safe.
Maybe I was a little prejudiced, but I expected the Aston Martin to be optimized for speed at the expense of handling in substantially less-than-perfect conditions. However, I was wrong. The Aston Martin DBX707 is worthy of Aston's history with James Bond; if you need to chase bad guys up the side of a mountain in the snow, this vehicle is a great choice for that.
So, there's the price. The DBX 707 starts at a cool $242,000, and with a few upgrades like even nicer leather and 23-inch wheels and red seatbelts, the test Aston carries a sticker price of $266,486. However, at this level of performance-luxury SUVs, that's actually a pretty good deal compared to the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls Royce Cullinan. I've driven all three and I think if I was given my choice I'd take the Aston. It's truly an SUV for all seasons.
2024 Aston Martin DBX707
Base price: $242000
Price as tested: $266,486
Type: Midsize SUV
Engine: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (697 hp, 664 lbs-ft)
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
EPA estimated mileage: 15/20
Overall length: 198.4 inches
Curb weight: 4,940 pounds
Final assembly: St. Athan, Wales
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