Tell Me About The GTO

There's a lot of discussion about how people don't like the styling of the GTO. I personally think it looks nice.

As for the engine and stuff. It's using the same engine that's in the lower-end Corvettes, so there's a history of reliability there.

Yousuf Khan

As much as I hate to say it the the Mustang offers more "bang for the buck" and looks cooler to boot. GM shot themselves in the foot by killing the F-Body and the GTO is a lame attempt at appeasment. Mustang at half the price is twice the car. Is the GTO fast? Oh hell yes. But not as fast as a cheaper Ford.. Plus the Ford at least LOOKS like a Ford, not a Honda knockoff.

"FBR" wrote in news:R20tf.21902$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com:

Do you have a cite showing the Mustang GT beating the GTO? I find that one hard to believe, although the GT is fast and certainly affordable.

The Mustang is not half the price of the GTO. Not even close. The V6 starts at just under $20k and the GT is over 25k.

REP wrote in news:OFQsf.2022$ snipped-for-privacy@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net:

It's a great car but the resale value is so bad there's no way I'd buy one new. Of course, if you're well off that point is moot. Or if you planned on holding onto it for a long time.

I think the main complaints are that it looks too much like a plain GM car and that it's called the GTO. I don't mind the styling, from a distance it looks like a plain Grand Am that would disappear in traffic. Except it has twice the power. This is good news for me because I speed all the time and want a sleeper car. The 05/06 has the LS2 V8, google it.

IMHO they should've imported it as the Monaro. Holden seems like a cool brand during a time GM is hurting for new customers. Or a V8 car with 4 doors like the Commodore. Maybe it's too expensive considering the prices of the then-new Z28 and V8 Firebirds up until they were discontinued.

I've sat in a few. There very comfortable. The trunk space is very disappointing if you want to haul anything more than a bowling ball bag.

Styling looks like a typical car built today. I think the car would of done better in sales if it were called some other name & cost a little bit less.

Good Luck

Harryface

We like the way it looks, plus like the idea of a rather sedate-looking car being able to haul mighty ass.

I haven't been able to dig up any caveats about the engine, which is good...

Drove one today. Wow!

Thanks to all who replied. If the stying is the major complaint, that's good news.

I got the sport appearance package on my 05. Definitely helped the looks and the minimal ground effects will probably help the high speed handling when I get the opportunity to get it on the open road and open it up. Plus the new mufflers that come with the package improve on the already great sound. The "grumble" from those pipes is great!!

It is nice to be driving a "normal" looking car that you know will blow the doors off 99% of the cars on the road - including the Mustang.

Tom S.

Gotta add my two cents after reading all of the replies.

First the styling. In the greater Sacramento area, my '05 Phantom Black Mettalic GTO has never failed to turn heads and garner a great deal of thumbs-up from other drivers. Enough said on the styling.

As for the car itself beyond its looks, mechanically it has a great engine hooked up to what can best be described as an autocross suspension. The ride is truly Mercedes performance car-like, in other words, firm but not overly stiff. The interior is very comfortable and probably one of the best interiors around. It is well laid out and easy to use.

Back to the engine. The LS2 is a performance bargain at "twice the price" to quote a phrase from an obvious Mustang aficionado, (who it appears has been partaking of two much holiday cheer to make such an outlandish statement about a Mustang beating the GTO for performance). Mustangs that pull up to next to me at a stoplight won't even acknowledge my car, let alone attempt a race; they know they'll get toasted!! The LS2 is very technically advanced even though it uses a tried and true pushrod valve design. Overall, a great motor.

You won't go wrong if you buy one and there are a great deal of Internet users that run, and are on, various forums for the current, as well as older GTOs that are great people and are very helpful.

Go buy it! You won't regret it.

This post is so misinformed I don't know where to begin. First, the GTO is considerably *faster* than the Mustang. 400 HP >> 300 HP.

Second, the Mustang is not "half the price" of the GTO. Not even close. Right now, you can get a new '05 GTO for about 31k after incentives. You'd be lucky to get a V8 Mustang for 25k. The interior comfort of the GTO alone is worth 5k over a Mustang.

There's nothing wrong with a Mustang, if that's what you want and all your budget allows. But you can get a much better car (GTO) for not much more money.

Powertrain is good (Vette motor). Probably the most annoying problem with the '05s is some owners had the gas pedal position sensor crap out, which makes the car lousy to drive and the part was in short supply for a long time. Other concerns, the paint quality on the '04s & '05s is not that good. Otherwise, there are a variety of other miscellaneous issues, but not remarkably different from what you'd find on other cars.

If you want to find out more, a large forum for GTO owners is at

The original 64 GTO didn't look all that much more aggressive than any of Pontiac's cars at that time either. The aggressive styling differences was very subtle. So this GTO holds up well to the original GTO's tradition.

Too bad it's not available in Canada. But we're more into fuel economy up here anyways.

Yousuf Khan

Nice!

Yup. Biggest complaints from those who didn't like it seemed to be price and styling, which is good news. I was glad to hear nothing about a magically self-destructing engine or anything like that. The backseat is a pain to get in/out of, too ... but I'm not planning to sit in back. Tiny trunk, too but can always put stuff in the backseat if going on a long roadtrip. It's still definitely under consideration.

I find it a little hard to understand people complaining about the price. Mine cost about the same as the '97 Firebird convertible it replaced. As for the appearance, get the "Sport Appearance Package". It really helps. My gf says it makes it look touring class car, which she loves (she's European). And I have gotten quite a few very favorable comments from people on the street.

Tom

That package might have been for the complaints about its understated look.

Yousuf Khan

Personally, I like the way it looks - I'm not a fan of "overstyled" cars, but I'm old. As for the price - well, it's not a steal, but it seems to be reasonable. We're thinking of getting more car than we need

- nicer, more powerful, new, etc - and that's always $$$.