An Enjoyable and Competent but Flawed Luxury Sport Coupe
Written: Oct 02 '04
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Pros: Great horsepower, comfort, and value. Good handling and road manners. Good refinement for GM.
Cons: Interior missing many features expected on a $30k+ car, poor gas mileage, tiny trunk.
The Bottom Line: A bargain-priced four-seat luxury sport coupe with excellent all-around performance, but with some key flaws that may make it a poor choice for some.
The Pontiac GTO was not my first choice car. I considered the Mercedes CLK, Audi A4 cabrio, Infiniti G35 and other higher end German and Japanese cars. What drew me to the GTO was the 0% GMAC financing and competitive $33,000 sticker price price compared to other vehicles.
The GTO looks great. Pictures don't do it justice. It sits low and looks powerful and sleek, though it is relatively conservative and understated. The rear spoiler doesn't really seem to fit the car's character, and unfortunately is a non-deletable accessory. It can be removed easily with a 10mm wrench, further improving the lines of the car, but leaving 5 small holes that require plugging or the refinishing of the trunk lid. But overall, it is a fine-looking adult luxury-sport coupe, with or without the spoiler.
The GTO has great seats, with higher quality leather and detailing than you'll find in any other GM product, save perhaps the Cadillac XLR. The seats are as comfortable as they are beautiful, though the lack of a dead pedal makes the driving position a little less comfortable than it might be. The twin rear buckets, though difficult to climb into, are amongst the most comfortable you'll find in any coupe, even for six-footers. The car seems very solidly put-together. The fit-and-finish and refinement of the Australian-built coupe are clearly miles ahead of GM's typical shoddy work.
On the road, the GTO is fast, solid, and, except for when under heavy throttle, quiet. When a serious call for power goes out to the engine, it responds with a throaty grumble that will wake your neighbors and a neck-snapping surge of power. The GTO's 350 horsepower LS1 V8, lifted from the Corvette, is impressive. A tap of the accelerator brings a surge of power anytime you need it. The power delivery is fairly smooth.
The GTO is heavy and it shows in the car's handling. It is more a powerful touring coupe than an actual sports car. On twisty mountain roads, the car is solid but its heft is evident, and the steering can feel a little imprecise. It is a good handling car, but not comparable the sharp and precise cornering of comparable Japanese and German sport coupes.
The GTO's big weakness in my estimation is the conspicuous absence of many interior comfort and luxury features. There is no sunroof available, no navigation system available, no seat memory settings, no automatic climate control, no auto-dimming mirror or compass, a strange lack of a power door lock button (you must reach over your left shoulder and pull or push the button on the door to actuate the power locks). I assume GM left off these features to keep the GTO affordable (remember, you're getting an engine that comes from a $50k vehicle!), but I think this was a fatal error and will drive many potential buyers away. Virtually every car that stickers at $33,000 has most if not all of these options. Indeed, if not for the 0% financing, I probably would have chosen a different car, despite the GTO's competitive sticker. It is frustrating because the GTO has a great basic setup, and all of these problems could have been easily fixed. With the addition of the aforementioned, the GTO would be nearly perfect and still a GREAT value even if it's sticker price swelled to $40k. Remember the comparable V8 powered MB CLK500, BMW M3 and Audi S4 sell for around $60k.
One other minor weakness is that the car displays GM's typical collection of "idiot features". Amongst these is an annoying chime every time the driver's seat belt is unbuckled even if the car is in "Park", corny-looking energy-wasting daytime running lights (can be disabled by pulling their relay fuse, though the indicator light on the dash remains), a "rest reminder" that chimes every two hours of continuous driving (fortunately can be disabled). GM still hasn't learned how to treat drivers like adults and not provide a collection of silly lights and warnings that cannot be turned off.
It should also be noted that the GTO has a tiny trunk, and I mean tiny, because of the relocation of the gas tank for safety reasons. Four people might fit inside, but their luggage won't fit in the trunk. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to fit TWO people's luggage. Also many owners have complained of paint that chips and scratches quite easily, and indeed I have experienced this myself.
And being a 5.7 liter V8, be prepared for gas mileage in the 15 mpg range.
Overall, the GTO is a good car. It is great fun to drive, and is a rewarding and comfortable sport tourer. It does however have many flaws as I've outlined. On paper, these flaws seem to outweigh the upside. But the point is that the GTO offers the performance and driving dynamics of a much more expensive vehicle at a very reasonable price. But certain options and conveniences you might want or expect are the trade-off. And I think the presence of SO many trade-offs is why the car has sold poorly thus far. But if you want a luxury sport coupe that seats four comfortably, your options are few. If you can afford an M-B CLK, BMW 3-Series, or Audi A4, they ARE superior to the GTO overall. But if you want 80% the car at 60% the price, and can live with all the flaws, the GTO could be your answer.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 31,600
Condition: New Model Year: 2004 Model and Options: Pontiac GTO 4-Speed Automatic
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