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Pontiac GTO

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Comments

  • garnesgarnes Member Posts: 950
    "sorry but the cts interior is not even as good as a jetta". - I've been in both too and quite honestly that's just a silly assertion. If you didn't like the CTS - fine, but for the sake of some credibility, you may want to go easy in the hyperbole department.

    I like sunroofs too. I bet the next model year will offer them. Maybe the exhaust tip location will be reworked too. Not so sure on that one though.

    Navigation system? Oh man, I would be disappointed if the car had one. As an option - sure, but that's one box I wouldn't check.

    "fixed" so the traction control could not be disabled??? Why would they do this? The car from the dealer will allow this to be disabled - right??? I'm aware that TC does retard the engine when there is slipping, but I always wondered how much and how much "lag time" existed after slipping stops. That interesting.

    As for the magazines - I sure wish the writers would disclose what they own. It would be very telling. I doubt they can separate their very personal car purchase from what they "review" for their job. That's human nature.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    There is a nice PDF file with the interiors: http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/gto/launch/Pontiac_GTO_Colors.p- - df

    Hopefully that worked.

    Regfootball, I think you completely missed the point I was making. The fact that you like the VW/Audi interiors better than the CTS's is mildly interesting, but not at all germane to my point, or to the purpose of this thread...

    I think the traction control was probably fixed because it was not a fully ready demo. Perhaps they only had one test car and didn't want some idiot journalist stuffing it into a tree, or perhaps they still had some kinks to work out of it. I seriously doubt it will be delivered with undefeatable traction control. GM doesn't do this on any other vehicle they sell, and it would be a big mistake to start now.

    I have similar feelings about nav systems. They are cool to show people, and useful the 1% of the time you don't know where you are going, but the other 99% of the time they would probably get quite annoying. They usually make performing other functions more complicated, like messing with the radio or climate system.
  • crispiegeecrispiegee Member Posts: 90
    I'm a new poster, so I thought I'd weigh in with a couple of thoughts.

    I feel that the Holden Monaro's styling is vastly superior to the Pontiac's, as I love the clean, European look of the Holden. Without the dramatic lighting (as shown on the Pontiac web site), the GTO does look rather like a Grand Am (a car I despise).

    On the other hand, the GTO's interior is two notches above the photos I've seen of the Monaro. I've never liked Pontiac interiors, but this one was done EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. (I wish they had put the ignition key on the dashboard, though.)

    The idea of a retro GTO just wouldn't work -- the old car didn't lend itself to a modern interpretation like the Mustang. I had been considering a Mustang after seeing the autoshow concept, however, it appears that Ford is now lousing that up as it nears completion.

    So now I'm considering a GTO. Is it everything I hoped for? No. The fact that a 6-speed is a $700 option is an outrage. The car shouldn't be a dollar over $30k, especially when it lacks a sunroof.

    As for the argument that a 350Z is better than a GTO or an A4 is better than a CSV, I say, buy what YOU like! Anyway, nobody can tell the difference between 0-60 in 5.4 vs. 0-60 in 5.8, so who cares? They're all nice automobiles, and my Yamaha sportbike can lay waste to any of them... LOL. :)

    Thanks for reading -- I hope you found it interesting. Cheers!
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    I believe the 6-speed actually costs more to manufacture than the automatic. Which is why it costs more. I think that is fair (instead of artificially increasing the price of the auto so that the manual is the same price or cheaper).

    It is too bad that a sunroof isn't available.
  • frankblackfrankblack Member Posts: 1
    http://media.gm.com/servlet/GatewayServlet?target=http://image.emerald.gm.com/gmnews/viewpressreldetail.do?domain=2&docid=1770

    MSRP is $32,495 including destination
    6-speed is an extra $695
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    The GTO's mileage will be 17/29 with the 6-speed. Not too shabby, ehh? I think that composite number is wrong, though. Should be like 23.6. And clearly that highway number for the auto is wrong. They list 16/21 with a composite of 21.5. Based on the composite and the 16 mpg city estimate, the highway rating should be 26 mpg. The composite is just 55% highway, 45% city.

    Looks like the GTO will wear similar shoes to the CTS-V. 245/45's but on a 17" wheel (the CTS-V has 245/45-18's). Seems a little under-tired for all that torque, but maybe they wanted more of a GT type ride.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    Don't forget to add the $1,000 gas guzzler tax to the automatic price, its found in the small print at the end.
  • orwoodyorwoody Member Posts: 269
    I think traction control on the GTO would be sort of a sin, such option would be blasphemy in the muscle car days. I do recall some models had locking or limited slip differentials, but traction control!!! I say no way for this GTO.
    As far as undefeating TC on GM's - I'm on my second Grand Prix and both had a button on the dash that allows me to turn the TC off.
    rjs is correct (according to my brother the mechanic). The 6 spd is more complicated and costly to build/rebuild than the venerable 4 spd auto. They also sell XX times as many of the autos as they do the 6 spds. Besides they are no dummies - enthusiasts will pay extra to get the fun.
  • tripowergtotripowergto Member Posts: 83
    Anyone see the first GTO ad during Monday Night Football? Nothing but smoking tires, a glimpse of a headlight and a warning that the new GTO is coming soon. Definitely left you wanting more.

    Interestingly the 6-speed won't have the gas guzzler tax so even though it's a $695 option it will actually cost less then the auto(and get much better highway mileage) MSRP will be $33190 for the manual, $33495 for the auto w/$1000 guzzler tax.
  • jsrdlrjsrdlr Member Posts: 5
    The GTO is definitely on my short list, along with the 05 Cobra, G35 Coupe, and the 05 Volvo S40. I actually like the subtle styling of the GTO, it reminds me of the Taurus SHO. Doesn't look fast so it will take most people by suprise. Besides, it would be nice to have a car that wasn't immediately recognizable as cop bait.

    The lack of options worries me, especially the sunroof but it does come fairly well equipped. I promised the wife that my next car would be an auto so she can drive it so that's a plus in my book.

    I think the GTO will do well when compared to the G35 and hold its own with the Cobra. The S40 is in a different class. In any case, I should have plenty of options when I replace my F150 next year :D.

    Jason
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 32,889
    your varied list is almost as crazy as mine. My wife can't figure out what the heck direction I'm going in. Luxury car or muscle car, coupe or sedan, etc. Guess we'll both be doing ALOT of test driving in the next 9 months or so.

    '11 GMC Sierra 1500; '08 Charger R/T Daytona; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '08 Maser QP; '11 Mini Cooper S

  • jsrdlrjsrdlr Member Posts: 5
    my wife has given up. She just waits for me to tell her about another new car and says she likes it. I think she's just waiting for me to make up my mind :D.

    Jason
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    not sure how a simple manual tranny would cost more than a complicated multispeed electronically regulated automatic and torque converter.
  • treehumpindogtreehumpindog Member Posts: 22
    to have signed off on this travesty. interior (especially in red) is nice, but the exterior?!?
    Blech! just call it Cavalier Senior. BTW, what is going on these days with all these terrible rear quarter designs? For example, the new SAAB convertible, the Mercedes Benz C230 coupe, and the new Pontiac GTO all have these upwardly sloping waist lines, which angle upwards towards the rear of the body, making the rear wheel look undersized and puny compared to the front wheel. To understand the visual damage this stupid design trend causes, compare side views of the Acura TL concept car with those of the new Acura production TL. If you want to incorporate this kind of design element, you MUST HAVE larger diameter rear wheels and rear wheel openings on the car. The new GTO is a styling TURKEY!
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    So is the GTO the first GM car to have the gas guzzler tax?
    Quite a first accomplishment.
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    b4z... Doesn't the Corvette suffer this (unfair) penalty? Wonder if the upcoming CTS Spec V will, too? But keep in mind that due to the very, very deep overdrive 6th, the GTO gets great highway mileage.

    Isn't it amazing that a zillion fuel hog full-size pickups and uber-SUVs get away without the penalty? No wonder too many people buy horrible inefficient trucks. I just wish trucks were treated exactly like cars from safety and fuel economy standpoint.
  • rjs200240rjs200240 Member Posts: 1,277
    This tax is on cars with a rating of less than 22.5 mpg. I don't know how this is interpreted. I'd think the combined EPA rating would be used. Given that, I'm not sure why the automatic Corvette is not subject to the tax. The EPA's fuel economy guide lists the automatic as getting 18/25, which is a composite of 21.9 mpg. But the guide also shows it as not beind subject to the tax... Sort of baffling...
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    I saw no Pontiac GTO at the New England Auto Show yesterday. I didn't ask because I was so engrossed in checking out the Solistice
    (it rocks!) that I forgot all about the new Goat.

    Could I have missed it thinking it was Grand Prix or Grand AM? If so that's rather bad news for Pontiac in the standout styling department.

    Can anyone confirm that it was there?

    RJS, the EPA uses a formula to calculate overall mileage rather than a simple average of city & highway mileage.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    I hear from those that hit the show, no GTO. Figure I will get to see one when they arrive at dealers later this fall, but this is the only chance to see the Solistise for a few years. Heading in this weekend.
  • orwoodyorwoody Member Posts: 269
    A local dealer here said they were given a build date of last week for their first GTO. Thinks delivery is 3-4 weeks away.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    Edmunds.com will move this car from its future vehicles list to its new vehicles list on Wednesday, November 12. We'll be moving this discussion over to the Coupes, Convertibles & Sports Cars board then.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    Pontiac still says two to three months from build date to dealership.
  • rctennis3811rctennis3811 Member Posts: 1,031
    any idea if and when the GTO will be available with OnStar?? the Monaro in Australia is available with Holden Assist, which is basically OnStar Australia...just a thought of which I was wondering!
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    they have satellites in Australia? :)
  • obiwanobiwan Member Posts: 57
    It's not standard equipment and there is no option for anything but tranny and color.
  • cub_driver55cub_driver55 Member Posts: 3
    Just wondering what some of the rest of you think. Seems to me that $32-34K is a bit pricey. I know it is priced between the GTP and Bonneville but it is more than the TransAm was, FireHawks excepted. It will have a lot more competition in that price range, RX-8 and S-2000, for example. Another point of interest is that GM produces a Lumina SS that it sells abroad (I work in Saudi) It looks similar to the GTO, has an LS-1 engine, and sells for $25-26k. Looks like they figure the U.S. market will shell out more bucks for basically the same vehicle.
  • montanafanmontanafan Member Posts: 945
    The Trans Am WS6 left the planet at $31,915 MSRP in 2002.
  • dclark2dclark2 Member Posts: 91
    Go to http://www.ls1gto.com/ and look up strut rub- there was something posted recently by DMS. I bet the '06's also have less neg camber to prevent strut rub.
    Mind you, the power steering rack is the only actual mechanical improvement. Don't forge the lit steering wheel controls
  • white6white6 Member Posts: 588
    A. GTP and Bonneville are both front-wheel drive, 6-cylinder sedans.
    B. As montanafan said, TA WS6 wasn't far behind at $31,915, and that's in 2002 dollars.
    C. RX8 and S2000 aren't really the target market of GTO (mid-sized two-door sport coupe as opposed to subcompact 2+2 sports car and ultracompact 2-seat convertible sports car)
    C. GM doesn't sell the Lumina SS (4-door, rear-drive LS1 V-8) in U.S. at any price.
    I personally think the price is pretty fair, relative to the rest of the market. That said, I haven't actually SEEN one in real life, so I'll have to put an * on that for now though.
  • obiwanobiwan Member Posts: 57
    If you look at how much the aussies have to shell out for a V8 Monaro, you'd call the GTO reasonable.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Have you guys seen the pics of the Impulse Blue GTO that was surreptitously removed by Holden employees from the holding yard in Sydney and taken to a car show?

    GM officials went through the roof when they found out.

    I have been trying to post the pics but haven't figure it out yet.

    Anyway, the point of this post is that I can't understand how anyone would not think this car is attractive. it looks great in an understated way.
  • cub_driver55cub_driver55 Member Posts: 3
    I guess my point was that at $32k a buyer has a lot more cars to choose from, even if they aren't all V-8, RWD, coupes. I have never shopped in just one category when I'm looking for a car. I like the idea behind the GTO. I just think that they are pricing it out of range of too many people that would like that kind of car.
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    i don't think its overpriced. Look at how much the G35 coupe costs.

    The GTO is not meant to be a cheap pony car. Its a GT machine with some amenities and a decent interior from GM for a change.
  • obiwanobiwan Member Posts: 57
    In the $33K range, every other vehicle is a compromise. Either you get room for 4 or you get tire smoking performance.

    The Mustang has the performance but the back seat is useless. The same could be said of the F-body. (RIP)

    The rest of them have the room but horsepower numbers well under 300 in their V6 motors.

    The GTO offers performance and room for 4 in a very reasonably priced package. And the styling is clean and understated. Just what I want. To top it off, the build quality and interior are far better than most GM products.

    To get the same level of performance and space, you have to go up $10K or more in any other vehicle.

    To me, the GTO is quite the bargain.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    The GTO has 37" of rear legroom! I don't think the Maruader has that much.
    There is so much legroom back there that the backseats look like they are iin another time zone.

    To put things in perspective, the Camaro had 26.8" of rear legroom!

    The difference is comfort for a 4'6" person or a 6'2" person.

    So I wonder if a Mustang Cobra being quicker is really relevant?

    Maybe they should chop a couple of inches out of the wheelbase to make it more intimate back there. LOL.
  • orwoodyorwoody Member Posts: 269
    I don't think the pricing is too out of line considering it is quite well equipped. try comparing equivalent performance and features in a G35, BMW 3 series or Mustang....
    The dealers may try to bid up the prices as they have on some past autos like the Miata. Mini, PT Cruiser, even the Crossfire from what I hear rumor.
  • obiwanobiwan Member Posts: 57
    If you're going to compare the Monaro/GTO to a BMW, you may want to try a 5 series. The 3 series doesn't have nearly enough room to compare. And to get similar performance, you have to step up to a 545. The price difference is not small.
  • cub_driver55cub_driver55 Member Posts: 3
    The GTO is diffinitely on my list of "must drive" vehicles when I get stateside next summer. I'll see how well it sells itself. Maybe there there is more car there than I think. Orwoody has a point about dealers running up the price. Have you seen the dealer on eBay auctioning the "right to buy" for the first couple GTO's the dealership is getting?
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    Some dealers are bound to gouge when supplies are short, I wouldn't expect that to last as more are brought to market.

    I doubt any car with a Pontiac badge could support a price much higher that the current MSRP for very long even with the magic letters GTO attached.

    Patience, patience.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andy121andy121 Member Posts: 1
    ...they are only making 18,000/year for the next 3 years. That ain't a lot, as they say in the Norfolk Islands.

    I expect that they will be selling the GTO for near sticker price for quite some time.

    Hi kirstie! I miss you. :-(
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    No need - I'm always around :)

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
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  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    s w e e t

    I want one now.
  • chevmatechevmate Member Posts: 1
    The GTO is OK but they are making too few for us
    poor guys. Which means they will sell over sticker.

    I bought a new '94' Z28 Camaro for 18k in 94
    which was 2k below sticker.

    Try doing that with a GTO?

    GTO is way overpriced due to the low production.

    If it sells well
    when will they increase production?????
  • obiwanobiwan Member Posts: 57
    They're working on designing the next generation right now.

    The contract with Holden is for 3 years, or so I've heard.

    They should have a new one for the 2007 model year that is produced here in the states in much higher quantities.
  • joey2brixjoey2brix Member Posts: 463
    I was wondering. Does anyone know if the GTO is imported from Aussie Land fully assembled or are just major body parts being sourced and final assembly happening here in the US? I don't see how some of the past discussions on dealers taking orders could be true. I would thing with such a low number of units each dealer is gonna get a fixed number for '04 and that's it.
  • obiwanobiwan Member Posts: 57
    Nearly full production is being done in Australia. The cars are being driven onto the transport. The only thing missing is the rear wing, which gets put on once it arrives on the west coast.

    There's plenty of pictures on various forums.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    I wonder what kind of decontenting they will "design" into the next generation.
  • goody4goody4 Member Posts: 55
    Car and Driver has posted their GTO magazine article online.

    http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_- id=7360
  • gordonwdgordonwd Member Posts: 337
    I heard on an Auto News brief this morning that the reason for the low volume of GTOs is not that Holden can't product more -- they can and would if asked. The problem is that GM has some sort of agreement with the UAW about importing complete cars from overseas (i.e., non-UAW/CAW countries). So they're holding down the number so as to not tick off the union.

    Another reason why I personally will not buy a car built in a UAW factory.
This discussion has been closed.