Jake99SS

WOW! Definitely a whole different feeling than driving an F-body. That true dual system is something else. Great sound, maybe a little more volume is needed but it's way deeper than I thought a stock LS1 could sound. I didn't get to tear around corners but the ride is great. No drama going over bumps like in my SS. You feel a slight bump but the car stays composed. I don't know if my shocks are going out but bumps seem to toss my car around a lot. The interior is amazing. Very solid feeling and quiet. You hear a little rumble from the pipes but I'm not even close to raising my voice to talk in it.

Gotta say, this slaughters my SS for comfort. Stock for stock, the numbers I've seen for the GTO are exactly what my SS made 6 years ago. To get that kind of power and combine it with the quality of this car for about the same price as the SS is amazing.

I drove a black/black automatic. No complaints about the auto. What are some people's impressions of the 6-speeds? I sat in one and rowed the shifter a little. If I had to describe it with one word, it'd be "disconnected." I guess driving my car with the Pro 5.0 spoiled me. Shifting felt really vague like I couldn't find the gates. On mine, you just push forward and you hit the 2-3 shift like nothing. I think I'd miss a lot of shifts, at least for a while. Even in gear, I could rock the handle side to side at least an inch. Is there anything you can do to tighten up the linkage or are we stuck with that $450 shifter? Really the only thing holding me back from deciding on the auto is the $1000 gas guzzler tax and giving up 8 mpg to the 6-speed on the highway.

Now it just comes down to money. Does anyone actually know what invoice price is on these? That's what the dealer offered plus the $3500 discount. I asked about the $500 certificates and he said he'd have to check. Both Edmunds.com and Carprices.com have the invoice for a 6-speed at $30,729. The dealer said it's closer to $31,400. The used car manager really lowballed me on my trade-in though. Have to shop around I guess.

ZtwentyATE

Who cares? Don't think so much. Just buy it and you will not regret it. Get the 6 speed btw. Feels alot faster...I drove both.

Jetboy

You can verify invoice on Edmunds and Pontiac has an additional 3% holdback which the dealer gets after sale. Based on the price I got this week I think there must be more hidden incentives than jsut the $3,500. Also try other dealers if you get low balled on trades. I got trade offers that varied by $4,000. Some dealers plan to wholesale and others plan to retail your trade on their lot. Look for a dealer that seems to sell similar used cars to what you are trading.

Tom@SpeedInc

iTrader: (5)

Since your in Chicago go by Ohare Pontiac and ask for Dylan, he will give you the best deal on a GTO.

6 speed is nice you get used to the shifter after a while. Their is quite a '04 GTO click in chicago, some have already done cam installs, long tube headers, spec clutchs. Buy a GTO and come hang out with us

also look at www.ls1gto.com

Jake99SS

Actually Dylan was who I contacted about the GTO Thursday night. They didn't have a black/black 6 speed. I don't know what the extra costs are in getting a car brought in, but OHare looks like my best bet now. I'm checking out a couple others Monday and Tuesday. A dealer in Schaumburg put all kinds of extras on the cars to bring up the cost; sunroofs, pinstripes, and tinted windows.

I looked at one at a dealer in Quincy, IL yesterday but it's not an option. 138 miles on it and someone's already beat the living sh*t out of it. The engine was ticking and idling rough making the whole car shake.

ZYA_LTR

Boy don't you guys wish you were MI residents, the sunday paper just hit my desk, and they are so hot to get rid of GTO's, that they have dropped GMS down to $24,780, and leases between 212.00 a month and 297.00, i guess i'm taking the girlfriend to trade in here Blazer extreme wednesday, and picking out a purple GTO for her, she saw the purple and fell in love with the color, and the purple leather sold her on the car.

kn7671

I test drove both an Auto and Manual GTO the other day, all I can say is that I gotta have one.

I recently purchased an '04 Mustang SVT Cobra, am having problems with it, so I started looking for a replacement. After test driving the GTO, Ive decided it is the perfect car for me. Its styling is understated, as to not "grab" attention, the power delivery is perfect, the seats are absolutely wonderful compared to others I have had in past cars, not too tight and not too bolstered, and the build quality is rattle free and tight. Lastly, the rear seats really are useful, regardless of how difficult it is to get back there.

The automatic GTO drives well, but as stated above, the fuel economy is worse than the standard. I drove down the road at 75mph, and the instant economy never read above 19mpg, where as the manual GTO got 25mpg cruising at 75mph. Pretty drastic difference, too bad GM didn't have a 5-speed auto to go into the GTO when released, this would have helped fuel economy, and potentially sales with the gas prices rising.

Razinhell

If you get yourself a nice predator tune you can up the Auto Gas mileage around 3-4 gallons. Take a look at ls1gto.com for more details on specific gains with the auto. Overall most auto owners were real happy with the tune, i would buy from a sponsor though. One is willing to give you free tune updates if you buy from him. You can also set the Auto shift points aswell as many other factors.

As far as the 6 speed goes. I have the 6-speed and it shifts pretty well. It could use a short throw shifter to cut down the shifts. I have had no real complaints although sometimes the gate for reverse stays closed when the car isn't moving at all. You have to go to first then reverse is clear. I have no problems getting into gear otherwise, but due to my inexperience i do sometime pull the shifter into second and not fourth. Only once did i engage the gear though, first time made me aware right away not to do that.

Monza355

iTrader: (3)

I drove the six speed and really liked it. Which is faster stock, auto or manual? Thanks,
Monza355

Razinhell

For 2004 the Manual is 0-60 in 5.3, Auto is 0-60 5.4. Now if you can power shift i'm sure its possible to get better then these factory numbers.
The 2005 Auto is a little faster then the 05 Manual, but i was told that they base the numbers on a normal driver and not someone who actually is experienced with off-the-line performance shifting.

TriShield

They're wonderful cars to drive. Just the kind of muscle car (large, comfy coupe) I've been waiting for since the GN was discontinued in 1987.

Nine Ball

iTrader: (38)

Thats very normal for a T56 6-speed. Every car I've ever driven with a T56 sometimes does this. In fact, I just am in the habit now of putting it in first to open up the gate before attempting to go into reverse. No biggie.

beertestr

iTrader: (4)

Drill out the isolators and hard mount the shifter to the trans, remove the stock shift ****, there is an isolator in there as well. Other than that, there is a lot of machine work to tighten up the linkage tolerance. But, you add a lot of vibration into the shifter, no worse than a F-body though..

The slop comes from the extra linkages, and pivots,






Now it just comes down to money. Does anyone actually know what invoice price is on these? That's what the dealer offered plus the $3500 discount. I asked about the $500 certificates and he said he'd have to check. Both Edmunds.com and Carprices.com have the invoice for a 6-speed at $30,729. The dealer said it's closer to $31,400. The used car manager really lowballed me on my trade-in though. Have to shop around I guess.[/QUOTE]

TriShield

Edmunds and Carprices are right, I think they can negotiate lower prices because GM gives them holdbacks at the end of the model year.