djdub

Right on!

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2004 Phantom Black Metallic/Red leather

GasTiresandOil

I am still pondering how the Mustang won the 10 Best in the muscle category. When are they going to realize a Mustang is a pony car, always has, always will be. The only Mustang that would have ever fit into this category was the 70 Boss 429. GTO = Muscle, Mustang = Pony. They are the ones that originally coined these terms back in the 60's. When did the Mustang jump the boundry, Mustang II Cobra I guess. Car and Driver Sucks!

sboylan

As I sit here and ponder the thought of stabbing myself with a mechanical pencil I wish this forum could just move on. Who cares what C/D, or any other magazine for that matter thinks of the GTO? Personally, other than my home, I feel this is the best thing I have ever bought for myself (errr wife I mean). I bought it for me only, not because I want to race everything I pull up to (though I enjoy it). I am just so sick of seeing thread after thread of this crap, it's nothing but spam anymore. Why don't we just turn this into a right wing, left wing discussion because when all is said and done we will be right back to where we started, loving our GTO.

Stepping off the soap box now.

TexasRealtor

The article itself wasn't too biased, just the scoring. All I can say is it may look like a "bloated Cavalier", but 400hp is 400Hp is 400HP!

lambertgoat

someone told me at work today that a year or so ago, C and D said that the GTO was what people would think of as a grand am in australia

04ChevSilveradoSS

You Dang Right!

TrueBlueGTO

of being crucified up here, I think it was a rather fair evaluation.

First off the Pontiac people should be shot for being unable to provide a car in time for the 10 Best. Granted a '04 GTO to '05 Mustang would have been a clear victory for the GTO b/c the Goat would have been cheaper!! lol. Although I haven't driven, the new Mustang, but I did drive a few LS's and for a $40k sedan it was lacklustrous, but in a$28k muscle car with 300HP I'm sure it makes a great ride.

Basically all the shortcomings of the GTO are the same ones in my books...unremarkable styling (even with the new rather over-compensating rear bumper and hood), over pricing, balky shifter, body roll and rather short suspension travel. It's a nice premium NEAR luxury coupe being tarted up as a Boy-Racer/Ricer/whatever you wanna call it cheap date.

Personally, next to the Motor Trend mag which praised the GTO is the best MAJOR magazine article on the GTO. But just as the GTO beat a car costing twice as much, I think the $5000 price difference is what really helped the Mustang win. In addition, I highly doubt Ford dealers will be greedy as to slap an excessive "premium" on their Mustangs, scaring off the legions of loyal fans willing to pay a FAIR market adjustment.

Also the staff there obviously wasn't terribly focused on making numbers for the GTO. I mean 200lbs heavier and independent suspsension or not, that GTO should have been in the 12's!!

My favorite quote in the article is " A sideways GTO might look hairy to oncoming traffic, but from inside the cockpit everything is copasetic."

J3

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TexasRealtor

The '05 Mustang GT's have a $4K dealer markup here. The 28K base plus 4K make them $32,000.

TrueBlueGTO

Perhaps I can save face by saying at least we know the Mustang will still sell well regardless.

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Trace

Just looking at the pictures of the respective seats of these two cars reminds me of one of the reasons I prefer the GTO. The Pony's retro seats feel pretty nice till you sit in the GTO & you're caressed by its superior thrones, front & rear.

When you come down on the go pedal from a crawl, you'll notice the slight lack of push in the seat of your pants from the GT, compared to the GTO.

The slightly "dry" sounds emanating from the engine compartment of the GT under acceleration compared to the deep rumble in the cabin of the GTO.

If a car's function while really "driving" is more important to you than the main street parade scene, then driving these cars in quick succession (I did) on some curvy tarmac will reveal other advantages of the Pontiac:

If the pavement is anything but perfectly smooth, you'll feel the rearend begin to dance out with the GT (what's with the live axle, fercrissakes??)

The overall superior dynamic composure of the GTO becomes evident in quick transitions over undulating pavement - the GTO feels like its on rails as the Mustang requires noticeably more attention to the wheel.

Contrary to some reports, I have found my m6 to be smooth & sure - as though it were immersed in thick syrup compared to the 'Stang's somewhat more notchy shifter. Neither were bad, the GTO's just more liquid.

Though I like the styling directions of both cars, in a year or two when the roads are filled with V-6 "Secretarialstangs", the retro-cool is gonna fade (ala PT Cruiser, but even worse).

Last, but not least, we all know you're not gonna pay sticker for the GTO right now, but they sure weren't dealing down on the short-supply GT right now.

After my personal evaluation of these two cars side by side, alas, I rushed back to my local Pontiac dealer to snag one of the last two blue M6's available in CA!! There's no doubt in my mind on which one "won" my comparison test!