[mrbcruzn]

Hello Folks.
Been looking around at GTOs, I'm considering a 04 or 05. I wanted to ask you all if you've had any concerns with the truck room and access to the back seat. I had a Monte Carlo SS a couple years ago and the strap was pain getting folks in back, and the GTO front seat has to be really shoved foward to get someone in the back. Also, have any of you compared the quality of the GTO to the new Mustang? The GT version is sure alot less expensive. I test drove an 04 Mustang and it was a blast. I am driving a 04 Dodge Ram 1500 Rumble Bee, nice truck, but the 345 Hp doesn't feel anything like the 350 hp in the GTO. Think I miss having a car but don't want to have Buyers Remorse if you know what I mean. Any comments would be appreciated. I'm shopping...

 

[GM Kid]

I'll confess, access to the back seat isn't the greatest. You need to be patient and relatively limber to get in and out.

As you know, you have to lift that little lever, lean the seat forward a bit and hold down the button while the seat creeps forward. Forget about quick getaways! There's a "gee-whiz" factor involved in the process that seems to impress my seven-year-old son, but when I take co-workers to lunch, I'm a little embarrassed at how long the process takes.

Ironically, once you get back there, the back seat area is quite roomy. The seats are comfy and there are rear air conditioning vents. But it's a loooong way to the door from back there, so getting out usually means becoming intimately familiar with the front seatback. And the sheer clumsiness of it means your rocker moldings are at risk of getting whacked by errant heels, purse buckles and the like as people struggle to pull themselves out.

Oh, and remember: Prompted though you may be by gentlemanly motives to assist any skirt-wearing female passenger out of the back seat, she's not going to want you anywhere around as she contorts her way to the outside world. Just a word to the wise.

 

[Canyon]

Trunk is small ...not the best for xcountry trip. Back seat is a bit of a pain but it actually is pretty comfy for the size. I am 5'11 and can set the drivers seat so its comfortable to drive and still sit in the back......not to mention the back seats themselves are extremely cozy …..I wish my front seats were as comfortable as the back. But then maybe I would fall asleep at the wheel.

Ultimately it was something I was willing to live with because the rest of the car is so #[email protected]! hot

 

[TexasRealtor]

I've heard that the tire/rim won't in the trunk if you have a flat. Can anyone confirm this rumor?

 

[b_a_betterperson]

You get used to the trunk space. Rear seat access is a pain because the seat moves so slowly -- and you don't get much room to squeeze through -- but once you're in it's fine.

Frankly, the Mustang is less expensive because Ford cut a number of corners building that car. I posted this a while ago. Still rings true:

"The performance of the GTO clearly blows the Mustang away. The engine, transmission and chassis aren't even close. Think of the GTO as a Cobra -- while the Mustang is just a GT. And with this Cobra -- you can still bolt a puffer on it for astronomical output. You can do the same with the Mustang -- but, seriously, the 4.6 Romeo platform has always been weak.

The interiors aren't even close, either. The Mustang's is small and cheap. It's gauges are HORRIBLE. The seats are awful, awful, awful. No lateral support. And the Mustang's steering wheel doesn't telescope -- so if you've got long legs -- prepare to assume an arms-out gorilla-like driving position. Sure, the Mustang's got a bigger trunk and fold-down back seat -- but if you're looking to haul kids and lumber, try a pickup truck.

That said, the manual shifter in the Stang is light years ahead of the flubbery, rubbery unit in the GTO. Then again, a $225 shift kit fixes that.

There are other, subtle differences in the GTO that clearly state that this car is a totally different, much more refined car than the Mustang. For example, the build quality of the GTO is fantastic. The fit and finish of mine is as good as BMW and better than Mercedes. Reflected surfaces down the entire side of the car, across the fender, door and quarter panel don't vary one iota -- even across seams. That is incredible. Then there's the design of the door. The GTO has glass in frame windows. These seal better and reduce wind noise. They last forever, too. The Ford? Just a big, dumb rubber seal that's going to whistle with wind noise in about 18 months. Truly an inferior design. I know, because I had a 1994 Mustang GT that was built the same way.

Bottom line? Ford has cut all kinds of corners to bring the Mustang in at a lower sticker price. The solid axle chassis. The crummy interior. The cheap door seals. The GTO? It costs more -- and the extra effort shows.

 

[Wing_Nut]

It all depends on what you intend to use the GTO for.

It's my daily driver for commuting to work, so I'm only carrying passengers on weekends. My 2 kids have no problem getting in and out of the back seat and once you're back there it's very comfortable. On the other hand, if I were gonna haul around elderly parents, I'd use my Denali. I wish that Holden had designed the front seats with a simple mechanical release so that it would just flip forward and quickly slide out of the way. The electric mechanism is sloooooow.

As for the trunk, it won't hold large rigid cargo, but it's plenty big for a week's worth of soft luggage for a couple. A family of four could squeeze in some soft side bags for a weekend.

Another aspect of cargo capacity to ponder.....I used to carry a Thule roof rack for bikes & a canoe on my previous car. As far as I can tell, no one makes a rack for the GTO. I doubt that anyone will due to the low volume nature of the car.

If you can afford it, the GTO has much better design and build quality than the Mustang. On the other hand, the Mustang will provide a lot of fun for less money in a sharp looking car. I wouldn't expect the Mustang to provide a lot of pride of ownership though. Ford is aiming at a different market.

Good luck.

 

[twolf]

Yes, you can fit a full size tire and RIM in the trunk in an emergancy, but not laying flat. You have to remove the spare tire cover... stand the tire and rim up in the spare tire well and then jsut kinda flop the spare tire cover over the tire and RIM verticle-like so it is standing up against the tire.

I have replaced my spare with a full size rim and tire permanently. Obviously this means I have removed the spare tire well cover completely and just recarpeted the trunk.

 

[Tom]

The trunk is the perfect size for a NY pizza (the only kind that counts). since it is flat, it is the best place for a pie in transit of any non hatch car Ive owned.

the rear seats are a royal pain to get into, but that is because of the side bolsters of the seats. get rid of the damn bolsters and it will be easier to get into the back. get rid of the bolsters and instead of recaro sport seats, which from used porsches are the holy grail you have the same junk found in the mustang.

compromises.

 

[jerhofer]

As for rear seat room compared to the Mustang, get in a Mustang, set the driver's seat where you need it to be and then see how much leg room you have in the rear seat. Not much. At least once you get into the rear seat of the GTO, you have a measure of room and comfort.

 

[SStoGTO]

I have two kids 8 and 4 and they absolutely love the car. I think the Corvette has a smaller trunk, well it might be more vertical than deep, but that is besides the point. Yes, Holden could have put a manual "Quick" slide rail for back seat access, but I think that would cheapen the car or not be as safe in a crash. I have sat in my back seat and I am 6 ft. tall and have room. A friend of mine has a new Mustang and I can not fit in his back seat. I don't usually have more than 1 other adult in the car with me so having them get into the back seat is not a big deal. I bought the car for ME, not my passengers. My children actually love the seats as then describe them as "Robot" seats. Also, in a hurry, they just climb through the front seat into the back. This is why I keep a small golf towel in my car so that I can throw it down for them to step on as the get into the back seat using that method. I don't mind since I got the dealership to throw in the interior protection package and the fact that these are the thickest "Full-grain" leather seats I have ever seen in a car. All the other vehicles I have owned with leather seats have been less than half the thickness of these. Geeze!!! I love this car more and more everytime I am asked about it!!!

Okay I'm done... I have to go smoke a cigarette... :rofl: :cool

 

[jontyrees]

More of the same........

The back seats are tough to get in and out of, but once you're there they are great - lots of room, comfortable, cool, and there's a rear a/c vent. Only two in the back though - no center seating or seat belt. The deep bolsters on the front seats make it harder to tilt the seat backs forward.

I don't like the electric seat adjustment - it's slow to move fore and aft. I would much prefer a manual adjustment, just pull a bar and slide the thing to where you want it.

The trunk is really small due to the repositioning of the gas tank, so good luck trying to carry a large hard-sided suitcase. Also there's no pass-through. Honestly though, how often do I ever pack the trunk of my car with stuff? Not that often. There's enough space for a serious grocery run, or a few soft sided bags.

These were annoyances to me that I'm able to overcome given the overall excellence of the rest of the car. I love it!

 

[RiceEaterFordBeater]

i had an 01 rustang and the trunk is small and the folding seats are a joke the seats leave maybe 6 inches with height and 2.5 feet length to get things from the trunk up through the back seat. lets just say the trunk of a gto is much larger than a rustang and it is much more roomy all around, so if you have claustrophobia go with the gto. the one thing the rustang has on the gto like many others said is that the rear seat is much more accessible, but it is also smaller than an fbody in the back seat which is a joke. and besides do you really want to drive around a car that is associated with secretaries?

C&D sux!

 

[linux_fan]

The back seat is pretty difficult to get into, and waiting for the driver seat to move forward is a pain. Although once you're in the back seat, there's lots of room and it's comfortable. The trunk is kind of small, but my last sports car was a 300zxtt, and it's trunk was a little smaller.

 

[fastball]

For what it's worth, GM should have looked at the 2001-2004 Acura CL for inspiration for rear seat access..... a friend of mine has a 2002 CL-S, and the rear seat access design is similar to the GTO's - only better. In fact, it's ingenious. There is a lever exactly the same as the GTO's, but there is no button. When you flip the lever, the seat back goes down, just like the GTO's, and the seat moves forward on it's own..... very fast, however. And when you are done, you just flip the seat back back up, and not only does it remember it's exact position, the whole seat will move back into the EXACT position, the way it was before you flipped the lever, all on it's own. With just one touch, so you aren't standing there holding anything.

 

[Capo]

I was looking at used CLK430's before I bought my GTO. They had the same type of seat mechs as the CL-S you mentioned... very nice, easy and fast. I don’t understand the GTO’s rear seat access... way to sloooow
Small price to pay though… very small.

 

[Silver Bullet]

I know I'm digging this thread up but has anyone thought about putting in a faster seat moter? to increase speed... I can't take this creeping seat anymore. anyone have any other solutions?

 

[Silver Bullet]

anyone?

 

[abright52]

You can see if you can find one out of a 2006 model. Those are faster than the 04-05 seat motors. Still not fast enough.....but I rarely use it anyway.

 

[Silver Bullet]

that is a common misconseption I've asked an owner of an 04 and 06 and he said they are the same.