Compare the2026 BMW M4VS 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish

The M4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Vanquish doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the M4 are reminded to check the back seat. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The M4 has a standard PostCrash iBrake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The M4 offers an optional Active Park Distance Control that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Vanquish doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The M4 Competition xDrive has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Vanquish doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the M4 and the Vanquish have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The M4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Vanquish’s 3-year basic warranty expires 1 year sooner.

The M4’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Vanquish’s (12 vs. 10 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the M4 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Aston Martin doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Vanquish.

There are almost 10 times as many BMW dealers as there are Aston Martin dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the M4’s warranty.

As tested in Motor Trend the M4 Competition xDrive is faster than the Aston Martin Vanquish (automatics tested):

On the EPA test cycle the M4 Coupe gets better mileage than the Vanquish:

On the EPA test cycle the M4 Convertible gets better mileage than the Vanquish:

Regenerative brakes improve the M4’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the BMW M4 higher (4 out of 10) than the Aston Martin Vanquish (2). This means the M4 produces up to 15.6 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Vanquish every 15,000 miles.

The M4 offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and sportiness. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a manual transmission.

All wheel drive, available in the M4, provides the best traction for acceleration in wet, dry, and icy conditions. In corners, all wheel drive allows both outside wheels to provide power, balancing the car. This allows for better handling. The Aston Martin Vanquish is not available with all wheel drive.

The M4 Coupe handles at 1.02 G’s, while the Vanquish Coupe pulls only 1.00 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the M4’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Vanquish’s (40 feet vs. 41.7 feet). The M4 xDrive’s turning circle is .4 feet tighter than the Vanquish’s (41.3 feet vs. 41.7 feet).

The BMW M4 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 400 pounds less than the Aston Martin Vanquish.

The M4 is 3.4 inches shorter than the Vanquish, making the M4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The M4 is 6.2 inches narrower than the Vanquish, making the M4 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The M4’s standard power retractable hardtop allows a seamless transition from an open car, to a completely sealed coupe. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a retractable hardtop.

The M4 has standard seating for 4 passengers; the Vanquish can only carry 2.

The M4 Coupe has 1.6 inches more front headroom and .8 inches more front shoulder room than the Vanquish Coupe.

The M4 Coupe has a much larger trunk than the Vanquish Coupe (15.5 vs. 8.8 cubic feet).

The M4 Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top down than the Vanquish Volante with its top down (10.6 vs. 6.4 cubic feet). The M4 Convertible has a much larger trunk with its top up than the Vanquish Volante with its top up (13.6 vs. 7.7 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the M4 has a standard power trunk, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a power trunk.

The M4 Auto offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The M4 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Vanquish doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the M4 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Vanquish doesn’t offer cornering lights. The M4 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The M4’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Vanquish’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The M4 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Vanquish.

The M4’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Vanquish doesn’t offer an automated parking system.