Pontiac GTO a dud?

[Morningstar908]

I was looking to buy another car and make my cobra a weekend warrior. One of the vehicles that crossed my sights was the GTO. I was talking with a buddy at work and we were discussing the car. We both agreed that the new GTO has been a dud relatively speaking. Both of us agreed that the reason was the looks, not that it looks bad, but it doesn't stand out from the others in the pontiac line. It is just wierd that a vehicle with the LS2 and great performance numbers falls so flat...anyway just wanted to put it out and find out what everyone else thinks...chime in

Adam

 

[357cstang]

Have a few friends with them. They're a sick car but the IRS really hurts them as far as performance. They're a great car to drive, the interior and seats are awesome, but the look is plain. It's a very Australian looking car, not a typical American Muscle car.

They were priced too high (Note the prices came down each year) and cost too close to a Vette. They were significantly more than a Mustang GT without the looks of the S197.

I'd say a car that was produced for 3 years and is a normal consumer car not a special model or exotic, would automatically qualify as a Dud.

 

[Morningstar908]

Ahh I never considered the price of them new. I have just recently started looking at them used. They have become resonably priced...which means that someone is losing their butts.

 

[OZ Dude]

The GTO was never ever going to be a muscle car in the US market - more a cruiser. Oz "muscle" cars are all tourers by US standards because our market doesn't have that hard edge that the US market does.

The best example of what I'm talking about is the 03 Cobra brochure had a guy smokin it up as a major sales feature of the car. If manufacturers tried that here, they'd get banned. The fun police are very stringent on that sort of behaviour.

Sure, by our standards, people think our cars are the real deal but in the absence of anything to compare them against, manufacturers will only ever produce what they have to to get the sales and not spend one cent more. Corvette in Oz will cost about A$170K, Viper A$160K, BMW M3 A$160K, Mustang GT500 A$180K. See, anything fast is so overpriced in our market that meagre performance (GTO / Falcon GT) are the working man's performance "beasts".

For what it's worth, when the GTO (Monaro) was first shown at the Sydney International Motor Show, people went nuts over it. Not because it's an all out muscle car but because it carried an elegant line and has a smooth sexy look about it. Simplicity in design and yes, probably a touch of European looks teamed with a sentimental badge from the real muscle car era in Oz guaranteed it would be produced.

Unfortunately though, it got marketed in the USA under the same idea (GTO moniker harking back to muscle of old) and it didn't live up to your performance standards.

As a DD, it would make a nice car. It'll do everything well and keep you comfy and I'm guessing that's what you want.

Oz

 

[Morningstar908]

I agree that the line is good...I actually think the car looks really good. My problem is that I always thought it looked like a glorified Pontiac Grand Am.

 

[JSpeed]

I agree that the line is good...I actually think the car looks really good. My problem is that I always thought it looked like a glorified Pontiac Grand Am.

Because Pontiac Puked their shitty styling all over the car instead of leaving it the way Holden made it.

 

[Add Name Here]

I had a friend that recently was looking at getting a G8. While at the dealership he asked the guy about the GTO and the guy told him that the reason they stopped making them was because they just had too many problems with them. I don't know if this is true or not but just thought I'd throw that out there

 

[blueovalfan]

I wouldnt mind having one for a DD, love the front end but hate the rear, especially the first year exhaust set up.

EDIT: I would chose the mach over the gto, they're about the same price.

 

[JasonSnake]

Only thing that kept me away from a GTO was the gas tank in the trunk. I like audio and it would be odd having a subwoofer in that trunk and then have the tank/gas drown out the bass.

 

[DaleM]

Get the G8 GT!

 

[HYBRED]

I had a friend that recently was looking at getting a G8. While at the dealership he asked the guy about the GTO and the guy told him that the reason they stopped making them was because they just had too many problems with them. I don't know if this is true or not but just thought I'd throw that out there

I haven't heard of any problems with them, and I know a few people who are very happy with theirs. The biggest reasoning with the GTO's flop IMO was underadvertising. One, they hardly had any hype before hand for the average Joe. Sure, the enthusiasts knew, but that's a pretty small population. Also, they only imported something like 20,000 per year, so many people never even saw one at a dealership. They're great cars, just quiet. Kinda like a Grand National, I guess. As for the styling, I see nothing wrong with brand recognition. It works well for BMW, Mercedes, Audi etc.

 

[.n0b.]

wait for the G8 GXP lol...



but for a DD, a GTO would be pretty cool. the interiors are real nice.

 

[Tunink]

Underadvertisement killed the GTO, non-retro styling didn't help.

But I think the GTO is a sleek looking ride, that looks even better going down the road.

 

[Nate's7.3]

Because Pontiac Puked their shitty styling all over the car instead of leaving it the way Holden made it.

Yup.



I love the GTO but Pontiac F-ed that one up all them selves. Holden had it right and should have left it that way.

Hell I would probably get one if it wasnt for that and the IRS.

I really love everything else about them.

 

[jshen]

GTO ideo? = great

GTO as a finished product was a failure and showed GM's lack of ability to deliver on a muscle car. It had so much potential...yet GM chose to build it in Aus...rather than in the US...Initially just the LS1..had to jump to LS2 to get buyers...Not a good sign for a new car but the same happened to Chevy SSR..and the looks were not ....well it didn't look good.

Enter the G-8 that Pontiac plans to sell 40,000 of....yeah..I don't think so. Coming out to market as family sport sedan..with $4.00 gas won't help and this car starts out with us all knowing the GXP is coming with a 6 spd manual or auto..and full LS2 power. I doubt gas mileage is any different on the two...so who will buy this 360 hp sedan? I haven't seen any in my area.

 

[Black96SVT]

friend just got one as a DD
I havent seen it yet but I never liked the looks of them, dont know about their performance but once my car is done he and I are going to go to the track

 

[Nutty 5.0]

The 03 cobra didn't have much advertising that I saw either, though. Perhaps I missed some?

 

[50 Proof]

The 03 cobra didn't have much advertising that I saw either, though. Perhaps I missed some?

If memory serves me right, dealers had a hard time clearing the Terminators off of their lots when they were brand new.

 

[HYBRED]

It had so much potential...yet GM chose to build it in Aus...rather than in the US...

Australian cars, like European cars, have higher build quality than American cars :shrug:

The 03 cobra didn't have much advertising that I saw either, though. Perhaps I missed some?

Didn't need it, it's a Mustang with 40 years of advertising behind it. It was marketed specifically to enthusiasts, who knew about it long before it hit the showroom. The 2004 GTO was, for all intents and purposes, a new car. New cars need big launches and showroom presence, the GTO had neither. Even in the car show circuit the GTO was undersold with small displays and minimal "freebies." Ford launched the Escape better.

 

[firebird1999us]

Ahh I never considered the price of them new. I have just recently started looking at them used. They have become resonably priced...which means that someone is losing their butts.

There were still brand new, never been titled ones on the lots as soon as a year ago that were selling for somewhere in the high twenties (28-29k)...so yeah they didn't sell all that well:bash: