I’m sure the 2026 Aston Martin DBX S is every bit as enjoyable to drive as Daniel said it was in his review. Then again, with a base MSRP of $274,500 and an as-tested price of $405,400, it better be. The base price alone is enough to buy this adorable little house in one of the non-shooty areas of Detroit, with enough money left over to update the cabinets and maybe even improve the basement a little. But what if I told you that you can buy a used DBX for less than the starting price of a brand new Mercedes-Benz GLE450 Coupe? Because you absolutely can, if you want.
Head over to St. Peters, Missouri, and you’ll find this Lightning Silver 2021 Aston Martin DBX, with a Sahara Tan interior and 49,300 miles on the odometer, listed for a mere $72,000. Meanwhile, the GLE450 4Matic Coupe starts at $77,250 before destination. And while the GLE at least comes with a turbocharged inline-six good for 375 horsepower, 369 pound-feet of torque and an official 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds, you get so much more in the Aston. It’s packing an Aston-tuned version of the same turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 found in the Mercedes-AMG GLE63, which is good for 542 hp, 516 lb-ft of torque and an official 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds.
Quicker crossovers exist, sure, but they aren’t Aston Martins. Plus, you get a cabin stitched together with materials commensurate with its nearly $200,000 base price. Sadly, the dealer did not include the original window sticker, so we don’t know the exact price this particular DBX actually sold for, but come on. Even in silver, it looks outstanding, and I’m pretty sure I can smell the leather through these photos.
It can’t be that bad
Of course, as with any pre-owned vehicle, there are some downsides. The infotainment system is terrible, and, at best, the push-button transmission looks annoying to use. Considering how much of the DBX’s switchgear Aston borrowed from Mercedes, why would they not also borrow Mercedes’ far-superior column shifter? I don’t want to have to reach all the way across the center console to put my car in drive, and I definitely don’t want to have to push multiple buttons to make a three-point road turn.
There’s also the reliability question, but I mean, come on. We’re talking about a Mercedes powertrain and Mercedes electronics. It can’t possibly be that bad. When was the last time you heard about someone being bankrupted by a Mercedes with less than 50,000 miles? And while you won’t find a Consumer Reports reliability rating for the DBX, this forum thread really doesn’t make it sound that bad. You might have some screen issues? On no. Pick up a windshield mount for your phone, and just use that for navigation.
Plus, it isn’t like someone who can afford to buy a $72,000 SUV is barely scraping by, unable to afford a few repairs and a little maintenance. Statistically, they’re probably still one of the highest income-earners in the country. I’m pretty sure a new set of tires that will fit the 22-inch wheels is more of an inconvenience than the kind of emergency that might keep them from making their rent this month.
Oh, and did I mention the title is allegedly clean, as well? That’s right, this isn’t some crashed-and-rebuilt Aston Martin (allegedly). It’s basically brand new, just wildly depreciated. If you’ve been looking at new luxury crossovers, why not upgrade to the Aston Martin DBX? You know you want to.
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