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I don't know of any other links right now, but if i find it I will be sure to post it up. One thing though, I thought a Nav system was in for the GXP, what gives?
Meybe I missed something? :confuse:
As for the NAV, I opted for the 6disc changer ( Have NAV in my XUV), with my wife & 2 kids I only use the GXP around town, thats why I have an SUV, for long trips. If you don't have the luxury of owning another vehicle or portable GPS, NAV is a must have if your into cool gadgets. Or you can pay 34.95 a month for On Star's unlimited directions & reservations(have both in XUV, Nav helps but not with everything).
I also read that there is a PDA that has a built in GPS NAV with suction mount & antenna for around $540.00, thats another alternative, right now i'm shopping for a PDA thats how I found that out.
After having the XUV for about a year now, It's a real hassle changing the C D's all the time(believe me, my wife doesn't let me forget about it!) So i'm hoping that by the time (July 2007) rolls around they put the changer thats in my friend's Escalade into all the GM trucks so that problem gos away.
I saw a 2006 GP GXP at a dealer lot tonight. No big exterior changes, though they did put the 1/4x1/4 inch chrome GM badge on both front fenders near the front doors at about the same level as the GXP badge. It looks kinda cluttered. This badge looks good on the 2006 G6's but I'm not impressed with the looks on the 2006 GXP. Otherwise the exterior looks the same for 2006.
The interior had many changes. First, all the cooling/heating vents had a thin chrome plated perimeter piece around them that where about 1/18th of an inch thick. The interior door levers are no longer chrome plated, they're a solid/brushed silver look. The plastic around the door levers also has a chrome plated perimeter about 1/18th of an inch thick. The interior door handles have a solid/brushed silver plate on them. The silver plastic on the steering wheel has been changed to chrome plated plastic with all black Tap-Shift buttons. The leather around the steering wheel is much softer with tiny holes in it, almost like bicycle grips. This same material is used on the transmission shifter. One tacky change, they put a passenger airbag on/off indicator right above the radio. This really stands out! That's all I can remember about the interior. I can't remember if they changed the gas/brake pedals or not. I think they should have upgraded the pedals in the first place, they look really cheap compared to all the other performance upgrades the vehicle has.
Everything under the hood looked the same. I didn't notice any repositioning of anything. I did notice that the vehicle still suffered from the dreaded speaker hiss that many of us have including me. I would have thought they would have fixed it for the 2006 model year. Hopefully GM will have a fix soon. I didn't get a chance to drive it to see if it had a howling noise from the wheels or whatever it is. I drove another 2005 GXP on the lot and it suffered from the same howling noise as mine. Plus a dealer told me another 2005 GXP had the same howling noise and the buyer put 20 inch rims on it and the howling noise went away.
Anyway, I'm still in love with this car! I drove a 1997 Corvette on Saturday and I honestly think my exhaust on my GXP sounds better! I plan on posting my MPG after I have 3000 miles. Later.
Can you be a bit more specific regarding this noise?
I drove 3 other GXPs before driving (and buying) the one I now have. I did not hear anything I would describe as a ‘howling’ in any of those vehicles.
What speed(s)? Change pitch with speed? Same in all gears? Howl like a fan belt? Like a wind / open sunroof noise?
Just curious.
Thanks,
- Ray
No extraneous noises noted . .
Did they have any literature on the GXP yet?
I also like you like the sound from our exhaust better than anything out there. pontiac always did a good job tuning exhausts, on the Highway you can only hear it when you lay into the throttle, that really makes you appreciate modern technology
Why the heck would GM put those badges in such close proximity to the GXP emblem?
Thanks for the sighting, now maybe my local dealer will finally get one.
Does anyone know how many 05' GXP's were produced??
The 'official' Pontiac numbers have not been released.
Typically reliable sources suggest 1,000 to 1,600 2005s.
Interesting (to me) that the most I ever saw in a GMBuypower search of up to over 200 miles from Atlanta was 21 or 22. Now only 1 near Atlanta.
- Ray
One of 1,000 to 1,600????
Some dealers in these areas show as having a half dozen or more.
The distribution was not geographically uniform, by any measure. My sense is that dealers in some Norther States (likely due to the FWD) ordered more than those in more temperate climates.
- Ray
Happy with 1 of 800 or 1 of 10,000 . .
-Proud owner of a Blue-Green Crystal 2005 GXP
Do you think that the new steering wheel & shifter knob will hold up on those who are rough on the wheel? I know that I was surprised that they would chance a "softer" feeling leather wheel given it's history of deteriorating over time as opposed to a more user friendly "hard" leather wheel.
Off the subject for a minute but I found out that our GXP's are pretty quick al right, I was cruising along a highway where I live today (trying to keep above 20.0 MPG) minding my own business, when this 97-04 C5 vette tries to pass me & show his passenger he's the man, well it didn't go that way, from about 40-90 MPH ( & believe me he tried hard) he couldn't do it. I know this car would get whipped by a 6spd C5, but, he also tried to take me at a stop light right after ( changed lanes like a maniac to get behind me) Green light I eased out to see if he still was trying to "be the man" & he was so i hit it at about 15-20mph & the chase was on, I couldn't look at the speedo (HUD off) until I backed off but it read 105mph that was when I caught a glimpse of his front fender in my periphrial. At the next light he & his friend were staring down the car pretty good (couldn't see me through the tint) he motioned to me so I opened the driver window & he goes," Hey what the HELL is that? A GXP with a V8? Is that a stick?" My reply the usual ,"Ya, Ya, NO!" He tells me his friend in the passenger seat has a 04' mustang GT 5spd, now his friend took over & says that he runs this C5 all the time (C5 runs 13.2's @ 105MPH or better) & could never hold him off for that long, both ask what it runs, I tell them I won't know for another 2k miles( I'm not running it until Sept/Oct) but its supposed to run 14.3's. The driver laughed & said his(meaning his friend's) mustang gos 14 O's I think you'll be surprised when you go. Anyway this car won't be a secret for long , lookout guys the sports car nation will be looking to embarrass you, make sure you don't act like a fool, if you get beat, BADLY, don't run again show the respect, but, if its close, do us all proud! & whoop em next time. & by the way I have no points on my license & pick & choose when I drive that way,before anyone starts shooting their mouth off, sorry I actually reverted to my teen years, but MAN it was fun (I only run at the track up to those speeds)
Thats a lot of people for 23 cars! In the range of about 20 million if not more!!
I am a GM guy without question. I have owned 80 GP, 87 and 89 Firebirds, 94 GP GTP, 02 TA, and now a 05 GP GXP blue green crystal fully loaded with nav sys. I actually traded the TA for the GXP after test driving two 2005 GTO's. The TA and GTO both were a blast to drive but the GXP offered many more features at a much better price. The TA was officially rated at 325 hp so I didn't give up much power on the trade. The GTO is also a great Pontiac, but I felt the GXP was an excellent car and more suitable for a daily driver (trunk on GTO is 7 cu feet). I bought the GXP in mid-June got the employee discount, $2000 rebate, and $750 GM Card bonus cash in addition to the GM dollars accumulated on the card.
I agree with the opinions that GM needs to do a better job in getting the word out about what they have to offer. They sure didn't do much to sell Firebirds and Camaros the last few years they built them and they certainly could do a better job getting the word out about the GXP's.Hopefully this will improve as they restructure.
By the way I feel the seats in the GXP are okay, they could be better and I plan to get a dash kit in a few months. I have about 1000 miles on the car and no problems, I don't hear any howling.
Good run with the C5, but he should have clearly beat you. Although the passenger added an additional 150 - 200 lbs weight to his car. Unless he didn't know how to drive or wasnt' fully trying at first? Or you got the jump. C5 is 1 second faster in the 1/4 mile then GXP. 350hp vs 303hp, C5 is 300 lbs lighter then GXP. Good run to put him in his place, ha!
GXP makes a nice sleeper, most don't realize there is a 303hp V8 under the hood. Same with my Goat, most don't realize it's a 400hp vette motor under there either.
Pontiac did advertise the Grand Prix itself a lot, just not GXP yet.
I just hope the trannies hold up in these cars. That was the weak link in my '97 and '02 GTP. Both were heavily modded where I was running high 13's to low 14's. I used to beat Stangs all the time, it was funny to see the look on their face when my GTP beat their V8.
Interior is improved in GXP over my CompG. For me I will not be modding it since it's a company car. Oh well. The only problem I am having is I'm not getting anywhere near the 27 EPA highway on the GXP. I do a lot of highway driving for my company. I think I have my foot too much into it for the DOD to kick in? Probably it. It is getting worse mileage then my V6 GTP did.
have no doubt if this car had a 3.73 axle it would be mid 13's.
Im getting a little over 20mpg now (city/hwy mix) not bad for A/C on & 303 HP.
Can't wait for a few mods to come out (even K&N's air filters for this are still "under development"
I had to pay that Gas Guzzler tax on my '05 GTO :mad: Because I bought automatic, same 3.46 gears as manual. Gets 13mpg in town :sick: It isn't driven much so no big deal.
I almost bought an 04 GTO, but then GM announced improvements to 2005 while still selling 2004 :confuse: Not much of a price increase, so I waited and got '05.
GP GXP has a lot more power then Bonny, esp down low and offers more bang for the buck. However the Bonny GXP is a more refined car/engine and slightly larger. Sales of the Bonny dropped 5+ yrs in a row, thus it's cancellation.
I did drive a Bonneville GXP. I was not impressed with the acceleration. The Northstar is a wonderful motor, but needs higher revs to produce reasonable torque (compared to the 5.3L V8) and even with the 3.7:1 final drive, this combination in the Bonne GXP was still only capable of mid-15s in the Quarter. And the only published test I have seen (C+D) quotes a 0-60 time of 6.9 and Quarter 15.4 @ 91.
This acceleration performance & ‘feel’ just didn’t do it for me. I really like Torque. Great, steaming piles of low speed Torque. And low RPM at cruise.
I am curious, now that the Bonne is out of production, if Pontiac will explore an ‘upmarket’ interior for the GP. I’d have seriously considered options like a power tilt & telescope steering wheel, cooled as well as heated front seats, a rear seat center armrest, etc.
Or perhaps Pontiac will be the Division that is ‘sacrificed’. . .
- Ray
Happier with 6.0 / 14.2 or 3 . .
Something like that is coming... but it will be the Grand Prix's replacement.
hint:
http://www.holden.com.au
Look at the Commodore SS. The next-gen model will be shown in September, and released early next year.
Wonder how that would be as a Grand Prix replacement? RWD, V6 and V8 models, all kinds of options...
GXP is the original front wheel drive muscle car
GTO original Rear wheel drive Muscle car
As the months went by, the TS issue still existed.....after all....it is real.....albeit diminished to the point of acceptability.
Now for the facts:
I have been in mine for 1k Miles. I have found that the DIC shows consistently low mileage reports for city, long and combined reporting and it is always by about 1 mpg.
I have black with black interior. Love it. No squeeks yet and very tight. Wont address some of the complaints on the interior being too basic as it seems that those who criticize it actually are seriously considering wood grain dash kits. Wow, no way I want my dads interior on this beauty. The interior reminds me of my 280z from years gone by. Folks, this design was intended to take you back but still give you the modern amenities.
The brakes are simply the best I have every felt. Comments have been made about the tires mattering more than the brake design. Not true. As an engineer, I can tell you it is more complicated than that. Also, think about it....why would other cars with amazing tires have braking problems.
I shopped hard and nothing at any price offers the storage and hauling capabilities in this class. I bet many dont understand that you can lay all three non driver seats down and haul 12 pieces of 2 by 8 lumber. I can ski in this car.....I am in northern wisconsin.......and that leads to the fwd.
Yes, pure performance means rwd. But most of us are in the real world and 1/3 of us live in areas of slippery weather. I am not afraid to put my wife in this car in winter. TC makes it that much better. To get all this performance in a fwd is the perfect combo.
Speaking of rear wheel. Who are these guys worrying about whether it goes over 155? Geez, you need to think about who your are endangering if you are horsing around over 100 out there.
The sound of the rumble even in low acceleration, the way I feel inside this car......I am six foot two and if you put up the front of the seat and bury the back I have no probs and dont need to get anywhere near the full back setting so my kids....who are also tall......arent complaining back there.....are all reasons to love this car.
The feature set available on this car is unbelievable. I got everything but the gps and at 27k I am simply amazed.
DOD that is imperceptable gives me 24 mpg and the reports are that it will get a litte better.
Folks, I have rambled......but trust me. Dont follow the majors on this one. GM has a real steal. I only wish that they would actually advertise and tell the world. Or maybe I dont. I love having something that I dont see on every street corner.
For those that have, enjoy. For those that dont........do yourself a favor and check it out. If you can find one that is.
I am in the real world and in NY area and I have no problem with RWD cars. Snow tires, TCS and driving scale take care of that. Otherwise FWD is better of course in snow.
Great car. I have only gotten it up to 85mph.
A source (there are others that say essentially the same thing):
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/brake_systems_and_upgrade_selections_122701.htm
“The brakes don't stop the vehicle - the tires do. The brakes slow the rotation of the wheels and tires. This means that braking distance measured on a single stop from a highway legal speed or higher is almost totally dependent upon the stopping ability of the tires in use”
I wrote something like this here a while back: “This means that the limiting factor in the typical published brake test is actually the tires ability to grip the surface. And the ability of the ABS to deal with the different (and changing) weight distribution between front and rear – and the rather violent weight transfer inherent in a simulated ‘panic’ stop.”
I am well aware that there are other critical aspects of a braking system than the pure ability of the calipers to clamp the disks. All I am suggesting here is that:
“My sense, after a lot or reading over the years, is that today, a (dry, clean, smooth pavement) brake test is largely a tire test.
By that I mean that nearly any competent, current brake system is capable of overpowering / locking the wheels / tires.”
There are a lot of other important considerations in many real world situations, and I do appreciate the engineering that went into the total brake / tire package on my GXP.
- Ray
Not a brake system engineer . .
He explained he only got 4 for this area our Black Cherry, a black, a silver & i think white.... Says mid-august before he gets '06s
If ya Got'em Enjoy'em;;; Ol'Pal Gary
Oh, and no "rice" references of any sort, please.
Let me take your test comments to task:
1."...GXP stickered at $32,600, which is about the same as an Infiniti G35 and a Dodge Charger R/T." GXPs are being bought for $27-29k, much less than the competitors' transaction prices. Sorry about GM MSRP issues; soon this may get sorted out.
2. Talking about wider front wheels/tires than rear: "Usually its the other way around, and the combo simply looks strange." If Honda came up with this idea you'd be full of praise for their inventive thinking. The fronts are wider because that's where the majority of weight is and where the power is applied to the ground. No one seems to complain when RWD do this in reverse and most of the RWD performance cars do. And I defy you to see the front/rear difference if someone had not told you to look for it. Plus, it works. Max lateral Gs went from .83 to .87, better than could be acheived with larger tires all-around.
3. Talking about torque steer: "Hammering the pedal at any speed causes ther car to dart around like there's a drunk behind the wheel." Bull. Yes, you can feel the power going to the front wheels, but it will "dart around" only if you apply power foolishly, like nailing it in the middle of a turn. Powerful RWD cars will break the rear end loose if throttle application is severe. This car handles the prodigious torque output quite well (note the owners on this thread are not complaining).
4. Considering TapShift actuation: "As it is, they're counterintuitive." Says who? I don't think there's an industry standard on this. The GXP upshifts by pressing the paddles rather than pulling them because its quicker that way.
5. "Its braking performance is good but not great." Don't agree. I found the pedal to be firm, short-travel and offered great driving confidence, not to mention fade-free performance on the track.
6. "The GXP just can't compete with its RWD rivals like the Charger." Yes, it can, for those who want/need the all-weather performance of FWD and have less money to spend on a car.
Like I said, you don't seem to "get it" like your readers do, many of whom have gone from mild interest in the product initially to very happy ownership after purchase. Though certainly not perfect, the GXP is an interesting performance alternative for many drivers.
Which is not to say you folks can't discuss this review among yourselves - you are certainly welcome to do that. I just want to be sure you understand that the editors aren't likely to see your posts here.
Why is that owners can take their car to the racetrack and get results that Edmunds can't match? Not even close? GTO and STi comparison was terrible for both cars. Ditto the GXP.
Over in the "Talk to Editor Karl" there is an interesting discussion going on about whether Edmunds' editorial has an anti-GM bias. From my eyes, it certainly appears that negative aspects of a GM vehicle seem to be focused on - sort of a "piling on".
BTW: rlsedition _knows_ what he is talking about when it comes to the GXP (hi Roger!).
--Robert
1. Why does Edmunds compare GXP with Charger and G35 when on page 3 of the review they list it's competitors as Impala, Maxima, and Acura?
2. GXP build quality is excellent. (JD Powers data says the same thing). However the interior design is somewhat dated. Edmunds can't seen to differentiate build quality from interior design and choice of materials.
3. The torque steer comment is totally off base. Edmunds must be bashing FWD just because it's the "in thing" to do. Torque steer is almost imperceptable in all but the most demanding situations.
4. "Tire size looks strange". You don't even see the width difference unless the car is on a rack or you crawl under it with a tape measure.
5. Test conditions affect performance. For Edmund to be credible, they should have done and apples to apples track comparison. As most of us know, temp, humidity, altitude, driver, fuel, payload weight gretaly affect the numbers.
0-60 6.0 sec.
1/4 mile 14.3 sec. @ 98.1 mph
600 ft slalom 64.2 mph ave.
.82g
60-0 119 ft.
Results are better than Edmunds. It does seem that Edmunds performance results are usually worse than the major print magazines.