Pontiac GTO's

[chorb]

LOLouis crapped all over my thread when I was looking to buy my GTO, what a tool.

Just be sure you know what you want in a car, I got the 04 and its everything I wanted.
Massive torque
solid interior
good stock sound system
solid drive train.


As for the bads:
There are some creaks and rattles every once in a while (fixable, but I'm lazy)
Small trunk.
Be aware that this thing guzzles the gas, especially if you drive it like its meant to be.
Puts a smile on your face whether you want it or not everytime you get in.

 

[fbrdphreak]

so if u dont have a gto, nor a car that you're trying to recommend then you're not one to be listened to either. i think we're at a stalemate

Check my sig. I owned a 2006 GTO for nearly 2 years. And I owned a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix before that. Me: 2. You: -58912310923098123098120938102380192830912830918348740984

 

[LOUISSSSS]

Check my sig. I owned a 2006 GTO for nearly 2 years. And I owned a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix before that. Me: 2. You: -58912310923098123098120938102380192830912830918348740984

so once again, nobody is allowed to post in this thread unless you have a GTO.
so if u dont have one GTFO!

you: idiot

 

[PhoKingGuy]

so once again, nobody is allowed to post in this thread unless you have a GTO.
so if u dont have one GTFO!

you: idiot

You dont have a GTO either

 

[PhoKingGuy]

http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/dodge/TE9T6TJ14DHTIET3O

no i've never driven a honda in my life, i drive GMs!!!!!!!!!! american muscle make me look like i have a big dick!!

Dude, what is your obsession with penis size? Like seriously, I dont think you can go a single thread without mentioning it.

And BTW....a V6 accord is not equal to a GTO.....seriously cross shopping those two?

 

[melchoir]

I have a 2005 GTO and it's great.

Pros:
Understated looks, doesn't grab every cop's attention.
Very nice seats for front and rear
Plenty of power available whenever you want it
Smooth ride and impressively quiet at speed
Decent stock sound system
Bulletproof drive train.
Great seating position
Small production run of under 50,000 total over the three years available in the US.
Bang for your buck.

Cons:
Small trunk
Drinks gas when you romp on it
(I get around 16-17 city and 23-24hwy mpg)
Small production run of under 50,000 total over the three years available in the US.(Parts are more expensive than most other GM vehicles, exception of engine and trans which are shared with other models)

Even the guys at Top Gear loved this car... Don't listen to the Honda fanatic. It's nearly impossible to find a better value for dollar car if you're looking for something comparable.

 

[overst33r]

My biggest issue with a CTS-V is that for the same price, I can get a newer G8 GT with lower miles, roughly the same performance, and don't have to worry about it being beat up at all.

Plus the first year(04?) was a supercharged V8, as opposed to the LS2. And there's a known suspension issue, right (fixed by recall/TSB, IIRC)?

I wasn't aware the G8 had dropped in price that much already. Definitely get that if that's the case.

 

[Gillbot]

Ok guys, TONE IT DOWN before I lock this thread up and start handing out bans for personal attacks.

EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion but once you start slinging insults back and forth, you all make yourselves look childish. What is this, 3rd grade? My mod will beat up your mod? KNOCK IT OFF.

Anandtech Moderator
Gillbot

 

[JJ650]

I wasn't aware the G8 had dropped in price that much already. Definitely get that if that's the case.

G8's (v6 versions) can be had for as low as $19k if you look. The GT's are hovering around $23-26k depending on miles. There's not much price difference between the 2 model years that were released. The foremost change was in the cabin where Pontiac removed the "Nintendo" red LCD that was at the top of the center console. It's now a small storage area of sorts.
There are mods you can do/buy the replace the storage or the LCD with some nicely done analog gauges or clock like the Euro vauxhall vxr8 has (which is the Commodore in the Euro market).

 

[Fenixgoon]

Ok guys, TONE IT DOWN before I lock this thread up and start handing out bans for personal attacks.

EVERYONE is entitled to their opinion but once you start slinging insults back and forth, you all make yourselves look childish. What is this, 3rd grade? My mod will beat up your mod? KNOCK IT OFF.

Anandtech Moderator
Gillbot

my pushrod V8 will totally beat up his DOHC V6

i guess it all comes down to how much i want to spend on a car. the G8 is quite a bit more practical all around, gets better mileage, and probably has lower insurance, but costs more.

the GTO is cheaper up front, but will most likely kill me on gas and insurance, but otherwise accomplishes what i want (sporty, people room, ok on cargo room).

oddly enough, emdmunds total cost to own (TCO) across 5 years was only a little bit more expensive for the G8 (37k for the GTO vs 41k for the G8). of course with the G8 being newer, some costs (like repairs/maintenance) can't be predicted as well as for a GTO. i was rather surprised nonetheless, though.

fwiw, my current car is rated at 15 cubic feet of cargo room, and a GTO is 13 cubic feet. G8 is 17.5. I guess +-2 cubes is a pretty large amount?

 

[IcePickFreak]

G8 is definitely roomy and would make a great family car. The trunk is pretty large as well. With the GT gas mileage isn't that bad if you stay out of it, especially if you do a lot of highway driving the AFM will help out a bit. I have the AFM disabled on mine and I'll still see upper 20's on the interstate if it's relatively flat, otherwise it's mid. Obviously I didn't buy this car for the MPG but I have no complaints. The thing is a blast to drive. I've had no suspension issues at all thus far (just under 17k miles) and while the stock suspension does have a little roll to it, I think it's a great compromise between sporty and comfort - again this thing is made for highway/interstate driving.


That said, I'd go with the Accord. I hear you get a free gravestone with it since you're already halfway in the grave at that point. (gas into the fire)

 

[melchoir]

my pushrod V8 will totally beat up his DOHC V6

i guess it all comes down to how much i want to spend on a car. the G8 is quite a bit more practical all around, gets better mileage, and probably has lower insurance, but costs more.

the GTO is cheaper up front, but will most likely kill me on gas and insurance, but otherwise accomplishes what i want (sporty, people room, ok on cargo room).

oddly enough, emdmunds total cost to own (TCO) across 5 years was only a little bit more expensive for the G8 (37k for the GTO vs 41k for the G8). of course with the G8 being newer, some costs (like repairs/maintenance) can't be predicted as well as for a GTO. i was rather surprised nonetheless, though.

fwiw, my current car is rated at 15 cubic feet of cargo room, and a GTO is 13 cubic feet. G8 is 17.5. I guess +-2 cubes is a pretty large amount?

Test drive both and see what you prefer. Maintenance won't be nearly what you're expecting from the GTO though. It's not like you replace the timing belt (<3 chains) at 60k.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Test drive both and see what you prefer. Maintenance won't be nearly what you're expecting from the GTO though. It's not like you replace the timing belt (<3 chains) at 60k.

Yeah the big thing with the GTO will be individual items. The biggest thing I know if the ignition locking up. You can find details on this at ls1gto.com, but I'd assume if you just replace it with an updated version when you get the car you don't have to worry about it. If I ever get another GTO, I will be doing that; screw being stuck somewhere 'cuz my ignition locked up.

 

[AMCRambler]

I currently own a 2005 GTO and I have to say I love it. I use it as my daily driver and it works fine. As stated earlier there are a few issues to watch out for but if you can, go for the 05-06 models. Better brakes and the 400hp is wicked. As long as you aren't looking to haul kids and only occasionally carry passengers the car is fine. The trunk is small so you won't be able to carry anything larger than say two sets of golf clubs.

If you frequently carry more than two people, I'd say go for the four door G8. Getting in and out of the back seat in the Goat is a pain. Now that I'm looking at getting married and buying a house, the four door sedan option is looking pretty tempting. I might put the GTO in the garage and buy a beater car or truck to take to work.

The other nice thing about the GTOs is that originally they were pretty expensive cars with a lot of nice features. So a lot of times people bought them for weekend cruisers and the rest of the time they'd stay in the garage. Now that the price has dropped so much you're getting a very powerful car with a bunch of high end features for pennies compared to the original retail. Another result of this is there are still a fair number out there with low miles. I bought mine in July of 2008 and it had 17k on it. It's around 31k now since I've actually been driving it but before I got it, it was a garage queen.

Insurance is going to be expensive. I've got a clean driving record and mine is about $1200 a year. I was used to paying higher rates though since my last car was a Contour SVT. The GTO was only another 100-150 a year. It will go down when my fiancee and I roll our auto insurance together with our house insurance. I quoted that recently and it drops it to about $800 a year. You'd probably do better on insurance with the G8.

Last thing to consider, is if this is your daily driver, will you be driving in snow? With the stock tires they suck in the snow. You absolutely need to get snow tires unless you live somewhere it is flat. I picked up a pair of stock used 17in rims and put snow tires on them. then I just swap out the rear tires in spring and fall. You can do alright with snows on the drive wheels. If you've got the scratch, get them for the fronts too. Worth their weight in gold on this car.

EDIT:
Obligatory pics or ban
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/amcrambler/05GTOfront.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/amcrambler/05GTOback.jpg
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/amcrambler/05GTOside.jpg

EDIT EDIT: If you do get one, for the love of god, be careful. The power this car puts down is no joke. With the TC off you can bust the tires loose without even trying. In the rain with the TC on it will still go sideways if you even accidentally blip the throttle. Better tires might help but yeah, I've almost killed myself with it once already. Now when it rains, I drive like a little old lady.

 

[fbrdphreak]

EDIT EDIT: If you do get one, for the love of god, be careful. The power this car puts down is no joke. With the TC off you can bust the tires loose without even trying. In the rain with the TC on it will still go sideways if you even accidentally blip the throttle. Better tires might help but yeah, I've almost killed myself with it once already. Now when it rains, I drive like a little old lady.

No shit

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Definitely good cars. Common issues are:

*Bad strut mounts that cause alignment issues & tire wear

*04's had fuel rail covers that rubbed fuel lines (Supposed to be fixed by TSB)

*Ignition can get stuck/locked and you have to replace the entire thing (I don't know the details on this, didn't happen to my 06 in almost 30K miles, but apparently many have this)

*Terrible gas mileage, accompanied with high rate of wear on rear tires and right-foot cramps

The drivetrain is bulletproof. I'd find yourself an 05, the LS2 handles the heft of the GTO better, fatter torque curve down low. Plan on spending lots of money on gas if you drive a lot: I got 17MPG *lifetime* average in mine. Max of 22 on the highway (6-speed). The seats are the most comfortable thing I've ever sat in and I miss them every single day. The backseat has lots of room once you get back there, but I wouldn't want to have someone get in there on a regular basis; it is a pain. The trunk is TINY. You'd be lucky to fit a full grocery trip in there. Insurance is also probably pretty expensive, with lots of teenagers wrapping the 04's around trees and such. Handling is sufficient, if unimpressive. Will understeer easily, or snap oversteer easily. Be careful with these beasts.

Where do you get terrible gas milage from? If you drive like an idiot all the time sure, But my buddy takes his 04 on the road when he goes across Texas and averages 28-30mpg on the highway. That's friggen amazing for a 5.7L

 

[zmatt]

Where do you get terrible gas milage from? If you drive like an idiot all the time sure, But my buddy takes his 04 on the road when he goes across Texas and averages 28-30mpg on the highway. That's friggen amazing for a 5.7L

That's on a long highway trip, all cars with few exceptions do well when you drive them nonstop across a state. I have seen a '94 cadillac deville get 32 mpg on the highway @ 60mph.

 

[AMCRambler]

Where do you get terrible gas milage from? If you drive like an idiot all the time sure, But my buddy takes his 04 on the road when he goes across Texas and averages 28-30mpg on the highway. That's friggen amazing for a 5.7L

What's the speed limit? Also is it all flat? In NY, it's 55-65 and we got these things called mountains. At 65-70 speed the best average mpg I can tweak out of it is 23-24mpg. Now if I was doing 75-80 on a completely flat road for 2 hours, 26-27mpg is not out of the realm of possibility. Plus I think the 5.7L uses a little less fuel than the 6.0L in my 2005. The cars definitely seem to get a bit better mileage crusing at 70-75 than 55-60. Must be the 6th gear.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Where do you get terrible gas milage from? If you drive like an idiot all the time sure, But my buddy takes his 04 on the road when he goes across Texas and averages 28-30mpg on the highway. That's friggen amazing for a 5.7L

Most of my driving was city and the 6.0L doesn't get as good mileage as the 5.7L; the LS2 GTO tops out at 22 MPG highway, maybe 23-24 if you're going downhill with a tailwind.

And if your buddy's computer says 28-30MPG, it's more like 25. I logged nearly all of my fill-ups along with the computer's data and on average it was 5-6&#37; off.

To clarify, my reported numbers are REAL miles per gallon. For the majority of the time I had that car, I lived near a gas station that had competitive prices and I filled up at the same pump even at least 85% of the time. I then got a receipt printout, wrote the computer data for that tank of gas and entered it into a spreadsheet. Lifetime average was like 17.6 MPG or so, with mostly low speed driving and short trips. Pure highway wouldn't break 22 MPG driving around North Carolina. If you were coming down through Virginia with all those downhill mountains, then sure you could hit 25. But that's a fluke in terms of real world driving, for most people.

 

[melchoir]

Most of my driving was city and the 6.0L doesn't get as good mileage as the 5.7L; the LS2 GTO tops out at 22 MPG highway, maybe 23-24 if you're going downhill with a tailwind.

And if your buddy's computer says 28-30MPG, it's more like 25. I logged nearly all of my fill-ups along with the computer's data and on average it was 5-6% off.

To clarify, my reported numbers are REAL miles per gallon. For the majority of the time I had that car, I lived near a gas station that had competitive prices and I filled up at the same pump even at least 85% of the time. I then got a receipt printout, wrote the computer data for that tank of gas and entered it into a spreadsheet. Lifetime average was like 17.6 MPG or so, with mostly low speed driving and short trips. Pure highway wouldn't break 22 MPG driving around North Carolina. If you were coming down through Virginia with all those downhill mountains, then sure you could hit 25. But that's a fluke in terms of real world driving, for most people.

Highway 300 miles or so across FL I was getting 23mpg in my LS2 GTO with the auto (which isn't as fuel efficient as the manual version)

 

[fbrdphreak]

Highway 300 miles or so across FL I was getting 23mpg in my LS2 GTO with the auto (which isn't as fuel efficient as the manual version)

Per the computer, or per calculated fill-up?

 

[melchoir]

Per the computer, or per calculated fill-up?

Calculated, but the computer was very close too.

 

[Squisher]

As far as performance goes the vette is great. But as for the interior design and quality wise not so much. you shouldn't have plastic on a $50k car let alone the 100k version.

What $50K car doesn't have plastic?

Let us take this further, what car, any car, doesn't employ plastic?


Did the change to vB auto-clone Louisssss?

 

[MetalMat]

GTO is a badass car, but it you want a little more practicality I would swing with the G8 GT, its has 360 hp and is certainly no slouch. I was looking at them not too long ago.

 

[adlep]

Before buying a GTO ask yourself if you can afford a double whammy of $2000.00 a year for insurance and $4.00 per gallon gas.
Add any potential points that you may be getting on your record (worst case scenario).
If you are making a $200.00/mo. payment on a loan, add $170.00/mo. for insurance and about $200.00/mo. for gas (at $4.00 per gallon) (gas is an estimate).
== $570.00 per month +- $57.00 margin of error.