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Pontiac GTO v. Subaru STi

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Comments

  • high_riderhigh_rider Member Posts: 1
    damn i think that has to be the way a GTO should look no question loosin the spoiler jus boosted the aggression rating through the roof. definitly a sick piece of american muscle!

    (still gonna get the EVO though!!!)
  • yuba4yuba4 Member Posts: 3
    I feel rather uniquely qualified to comment here because I recent cross-shopped the GTO and STI far more extensively than anyone should. Its been my dominant train of thought for at least a year (poor wife can confirm). I also currently own an Outback and bought new a '95 Eagle Talon TSI AWD, which has some related driving manners to the STI and which I let go for the new car.

    First, the Outback ownership experience has been outstanding over 108k miles and I loved every minute of my 11-year relationship with my Talon. There's every reason to expect that the STI will be a working and reliable car in ten years. I can't say that for the GTO - eight, maybe, but ten? ....ummmmaybe...

    The Talon was good at autocross and the race track - reasonably competitive and durable. It was an absolute hoot in the mountains and snow. It was one of those cars where there was nothing you didn't like about it - it did everything well and some things nearly perfect. I collected christmas trees off snowy fire roads well into the mountains to the amazement of the SUV hipsters who wore masks of disbelief as a low-slung sports car capably progressed up the slope. Long story long - absolutely loved the car.

    I was talking to a friend in a parking lot when an STI pulled in next to us. The sound was candy - it was a deep but restless and high-idled f'ing race car sound that turned me on. It was the audio equivalent of a twitching race horse. So why, on earth, did I pass on a reliable, incredible, AWD dream-car like the STI?

    You have to ask my Id. From the first magazine ad to the engine soundtrack on the website to the understated clothing to the Detroit heart, I wanted the GTO. I made several buy lists including the STI, 300C, CTS, 250IS, G35, Mini, etc etc and, looking back, the GTO was always at the top of each list. Then I went and sat in one. It felt right. The seats felt right, color accents on the interior, great stereo, brutal engine, hip hugger wheel wells.... Ok, performance:

    Took it to an autocross expecting it to be a whale but it was competitive - placed 6th of 27 in its class. As a matter of fact, there were some STI's there and the GTO did better than most of them. THAT was unexpected. Turns out its not just fast but also reasonably quick.

    Conclusion: The STI is the rational choice by most measures, but the GTO plucks the right strings for me. I have no regrets. Its satisfying to drive and has fantastic back seats (think I caused one salesman some lost sleep when I asked if it had child-safety seat anchors). Oh, and by the way, the GTO has nearly nothing to do with a Grand-whatever. Its a completely different animal. Something like blending a Camaro and a BMW 5-series. Nobody knows what to make of it because its a new thing on our shores, but I finally realized it is actually a small car. My 2+ cents.

    yuba4
  • 06gto06gto Member Posts: 4
    Hello. How many miles do you have on your GTO? Autocross? Cool.
    Questions: have you had any issues with the struts on your GTO? I am reading horror stories galore about the struts.
    Any performance mods made to yours?
    Couple of things on my '06. When delivered the dealer did not adjust the air pressure. After several hundred miles of jaw banging I found the tires had 50 psi! Dropped them to the recommended 33/39 and the ride is great.
    Also, in the front springs were these 'red' spreaders fitted to the springs. One happened to be squeaking like a screaming hawk. After a couple of days it fell off on its own - noise gone. The one on the right hung in there - I pulled that out. Dealer had no clue!!
    Had an engine oil leak. It was determined the oil sending switch was seated incorrectly and it was replaced. So far no leaks.
    I have also installed a K&N Cold Air Intake. I really don't see any difference in the performance.
    I love the car, the comfort is great and the performance is good.
    We have an STi in the house hold and I have had the opportunity to drive it. Like driving a brick. Quick response like a go-kart. Oil burner for sure. Step kid is the owner has launched the engine twice now due to his own negligence. The seats are uncomfortable.
    Oh well, that is my story on the GTO vs STi.
    Jeff
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    However, they are different cars, hard comparison.

    If you need an all around car, go for the STi. However for myself, I don't need an all around car. I have a Subaru Legacy dedicated Road Race car and a Nissan Armada to tow that and my cigarette boat. I'm looking at getting a GTO next year as a daily driver because I want a fun, high HP car that's luxurious and has an MT. I like the 300/charger, but no MT. Don't like Fords, so mustang is out. Looked at the G35, but not enough power for the $. STi is cool, but since I'm older, I'm looking for something with a nice ride, power, and great seats. As much as I love subarus, the seats blow, and they have a bit of a harsh ride, which is great for handling but I have my race car for that. So all in all, Sti = better all around, overall car, but GTO has it's place/niche.

    -mike
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    paisan you should really like the 6-spd gto as a daily driver. 27k on my 05 so far. biggest problem is almost every day i drive it either city or highway - some yahoo will try to race or drive wacky in order to try to get me to goose it. i've debadged it with monaro rear bumper cover and side marker lights but that barely reduces the yahoo count. eh, what can ya do. ;)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Here in NYC and the surrounding area I've seen about 5 in the past 6 months. Most folks think they are GrandPrixs which is fine with me cause I like to be on the DL. :)

    -mike
  • eliaselias Member Posts: 2,209
    paisan if you like to be on the DL with your GTO, you might look for one that came with "hood scoop delete" option. and then remove the spoiler too! they aren't real hood scoops anyway - they are barely even vents.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I may swap out the 05 for an 04 hood, although I doubt I'd do that though.

    -mike
  • flash88flash88 Member Posts: 2
    I believe there should not be a comparison between a japanese awd turbo and an american(australian) rwd. these two vehicles are in opposite ends of the spectrum. Of course the suspension and grip of the gto is subsequent to the subaru. And the 400hp ls2 is a faster straight shot than the turbo flatline 4. What it comes down to is individual driving preference. thats all. A great comparison would be a Pontiac GTO vs. Ford Mustang GT, or even a cobra.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Definitely different however I cross shopped them, opting for the GTO since I have an AWD turbo race car already.

    -mike
  • merrycynicmerrycynic Member Posts: 340
    Perhaps waiting for a Skyline might be worthy of consideration?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Skyline is going to be $50K+ GTO is $25K

    Skyline would be nice but will be outrageously priced IMO and no V8 :(

    I'd love to see an AWD V8 w/MT but doubt we'll ever see one.

    -mike
  • merrycynicmerrycynic Member Posts: 340
    Hi Mike,
    Gee, I'm not so sure a front mounted AWD V8 is the way to go. Unless, some one comes up with a new way to elegantly attach the tranny, the forward weight bias comes an issue, negatively effecting handling and braking. This may be the reason many seem to prefer BMW's to Audi's, despite the Audi's inherent superiority in traction.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I'm sure they'll come up with a way to move the weight to the rear, not sure how yet but they will eventually. They do have plenty of FR AWD cars with V8s just none with MT.

    -mike
  • merrycynicmerrycynic Member Posts: 340
    I hope your right! I've got a few ideas, but, I couldn't be further from being considered an engineer.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Isn't the GT-R supposed to cost $70 grand?

    If it's $50k there's no way you'll be able to get one without a markup.

    That thing is benchmarked against the 911 turbo, a six figure competitor.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    oh ok my bad $70k still way way too much for it IMO.

    Also it isn't going to be a GTR right? it's going to be an infinity something or other.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They seem to go back and forth. We'll see.

    -juice
  • ebaeebae Member Posts: 5
    This comparison is completely inaccurate. Since when is 4.9 "just as fast" as 4.6? And how do they figure that a 13.4 second quarter mile is the same as a 13.0? Let's give credit where credit is due....the STI handles better, but the GTO is faster, period.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Faster Period? Hmm you should qualify your statement. The GTO is faster in a straight line in dry pavement. Now you add a little road gravel, dirt, rain, snow etc. and the STi will be faster in a straight line, basically all but ideal conditions. Let's not talk about a road course, where the STi will eat the GTO alive through the twisties.

    Don't get me wrong, I like the GTO, as it's much comfier than the STi but all out performance, an EVO or STi in a well rounded test will beat a GTO hands down.

    -mike
  • kjraiderkjraider Member Posts: 1
    Both Cars Run low 13s and you don't have to be a pro to do it either as some people think is the case, the auto in the GTO is faster and pulls a 13.0 compared to a m6 13.1, ive seen both times pulled stock, and the WRX ive seen as good as a 13.2 in the quarter. and the GTO does have good trunk space, but who needs it anyway, thats what backseats are for...
  • colejscolejs Member Posts: 1
    Well this comparison is no longer relevant anyway due to Holden's decision to can the Monaro as its sales were poor, especially in the Australian market. Also "classic American muscle"? Give me a break! Just like Top Gear 'claimed' the Vauxhaul Monaro, Holden's connection to GM is not doing the brand any favours and with such a rich muscle car heritage its a shame to have good Australian products assimilated by GM with little to no recognition of their creator. Anyway, the GTO Monaro, although a good car, was never very popular however if you can get your hands on a new VE Commodore SS or an HSV Clubsport...
  • ebaeebae Member Posts: 5
    As far as road conditions go...if that is the qualifier (meaning EXCUSE) that one has to use in order to equate the performance (meaning speed) of these vehicles, then so be it. (Personally, I dont do much racing in the snow or dirt). Also, 99% of street racing is in a line... the STI or EVO are better ROAD racing cars over complete courses, but on the street, the GTO's 400 ft/lbs. of torque is WAY too much for the little guys. (Also, the ls2's torque curve is as broad and flat as Ving Rhames's nose). Not to mention... I wonder what a STI or EVO would do against a supercharged GTO running the same level of boost? The real considerations dont even come into play until after the modifications get started. The GTO comes naturally aspirated with tons of room to improve... the STI's and EVO's come from the factory straining the very limits of what a 4-banger can do. The GTO is faster from the factory, and it only gets worse for the ricers from there.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Not true at all, tuned STIs can make more power, and in fact often do. There are entire clubs and threads on NASIOC for that single purpose.
  • ebaeebae Member Posts: 5
    Yes, you may see an increase of 25 or 30% if you spend a butt load of money on an STI... but a GTO that employs a good turbo setup (i.e. Lingenfelter's kits) can experience a GAIN of 250-300 hp, equal to the ENTIRE stock output of the STI. As corny as it sounds, there's no replacement for displacement!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You'll spend a fortune to do it, though.

    With the STI all you need is a chip.

    You're correct, but we're talking about very different pricing levels for those upgrades.
  • ebaeebae Member Posts: 5
    At least you have the choice with the GTO... all the money in the world cant change the fact that your working with an inline four against a v8. Also, due to the bland styling, most gto's were purchased at about 5-6 grand below MSRP including the incentives...MORE than enough for a supercharger. :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Meh, I think that's just overkill. There's enough power to fry the tires on both of these bone-stock.

    Let's see what GM can do with a 4 door, i.e. the G8.
  • misfit9845misfit9845 Member Posts: 2
    Subaru engines are not inline 4's, they are horizontally opposed or flat 4's, way better than any inline 4 I've ever owned. Personally I do drive a Subaru WRX (not STi), but I would love to own a GTO or similar car. Since I don't have to money to have both I took the Suby, I just like driving in dirt too much. As for earlier talks about the summer tires, I drove all winter on them through some pretty nasty snow and ice and they had no handling problems (they did throw all the snow into the wheel wells so I had to clean them out every other day though). I find the Subaru interior very comfortable and have no problem with the slightly rough ride quality. If you want to talk modded horse power numbers, there are companies making 1400hp STi drag cars. Its all in how you like to drive, just give me anything that I can have fun while driving. Right now I'm looking to put a 2000+ STi into a '96 Impreza Brighton Coupe body, much less weight and a plain, innocent looking body to hide the fun under.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I wouldn't use summer tires in the snow.
  • misfit9845misfit9845 Member Posts: 2
    I got the car right as winter started and didnt have the money to get new tires.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    So instead of "house poor" you are "STI poor". ;)
This discussion has been closed.

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