Dbluegoat

I have had mine for 17months now.....no problems and absolutely love it....still as solid as day one......

DeepBlueZ

the RX-8 has a 1.3L motor that gets significantly worse gas mileage than a 6.0L LS2 that has almost twice the horsepower. they dropped the ball on the RX-8. it handles nicely and does NOTHING else even remotely well. if i were you, i'd RUN away from that....

the STi is a nice piece. my friend has one and it's without a doubt, a very capable sports car. I'm not a big fan of the hang glider on the trunk lid, the ridiculously harsh ride or the relatively poor fuel mileage, but again it is a FUN car.

that being said, I'd lean towards the GTO with the STi i semi-close second simply because the interior beats out both others, there's plenty of HP on tap even stock, the ride is firm but doesn't beat you to death the way the STi does, and overall, I personally am more of a big-motor V8 guy than a high-winding turbo buzzsaw kinda guy.

Shu

iTrader: (2)

Love mine, its perfect.

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

how can you not like top notch quality,refinement and power with good looks to back it up?

DeepBlueZ

ScottR

Well, I probably shouldn't post right now, since my 3 month old 2005 GTO has been sitting at my dealership for 17 straight days now! But, anyone buying a car should know the good as well as the bad.

This is a great car for driving around, handles well (better than my last 3 Z28s), is quick, fast, and solid feeling. The interior puts my old Camaros to shame and even compared to the new C6, it still has a nicer interior. Looks are subjective, some think its boring, others love the sleeper look, to each his own. The LS2 engine is more responsive than my LT-1s or LS1 powered Z28s, and even with a more refined ride, around town, it just feels faster than any of my Z28s. No track time yet, but I'm sure that this is faster than my 01 Z28 SS.

Now for the bad. Rear ends have a tendency to whine, which mine does and is in the process of being replaced. The 05s also have drive by wire, which is fine, but a number of us have had gas pedal sensor failures. This is where it gets bad. They don't have parts available for the GTO, so I like others, will be waiting literally weeks for the parts to come in. Even those that had this problem months ago, waited weeks.

So, this is a problem with the GTO. Limited production and built overseas. Getting parts if anything goes wrong is a long slow painful process. Others have not had any issues, but if you're going to be spending your money, you should know the issues.

I know those that haven't had any issues will flame me for this reply, but until you've spent $33000 on a car and just 3 months later have it sitting at your dealership for 2 full weeks and most likely another 2 or more weeks before you get it back, you have no idea how frustrating this is!

Oh, others have also complained about A/C noises, P/S pump noises, whining noises on start up (mine does this also), and despite the excellent high quality interior material, mine actually creaks and groans worse than the cheap plastic on my previous 01 SS (and right now, I'm wishing I hadn't traded that car in)!

VTODD

iTrader: (2)

i havent heard any creaks, moans, whistles, groans or whines in mine. that can be a hard attribute to find on a car, even when spending lots of $$$. the car is absolutely quiet when it comes to annoyances like that.

ashford

Thanks for the replies. I am liking the RX-8 less the more I think about it. I don't mind a rough ride or noises and cheap interior. That being said the biggest plus I have for the GTO is that it would probably be a much better drag type car than the STi. That and as previously mentioned NA is just awesome!

I guess now it is between the GTO or a truck. I love offroading as much as I like racing

interrex

I have an 05 and it is quick. I just let go of a 2000 SS Camaro that had alot of after market products that made it fast. The Camaro was faster of the line, but the GtO is a better around car. Stereo, Seating, trunk, Fuel economy,and the list just goes on.
The insurance is even cheaper!!!!

2edybrd

Tell me about it. I pay 79.00 per month through USAA

DawgByte

I have a Cyclone Grey Metallic '05 GTO that I've had for two weeks. I spent two and a half months during the Spring testing BMW's, Infiniti's, Mustangs, Lexus' and have experience with Porsche and a wide variety of 60's muscle cars including Hemi powered Challengers, Chargers and other assorted cars of that era.

For me when it came to putting my check on the table the decision to buy the GTO was a no brainer.

First of all let me say that I love the looks of this car and in my opinion the Cyclone Gray is THE color to get (hard to find though). I dig the understated Euro coupe design. But then again I like the Holden Manaro. I think the GTO is a unique muscle car concept that is geared for a more sophisticated taste. The interior looks different from any other GM product on the road and in my opinion is far superior. The fit/finish/materials of the GTO makes the Mustang GT seem like a Tinker Toy in comparison. I have NO rattles, creaks, squeaks or other annoying sounds entering the cockpit. That statement can NOT be said for a Ford Mustang GT, which happens to be the nosiest car I've ever driven.

Performance? What can you say... 400HP LS2 Vette engine; the car hauls the bacon. Is it perfect, no. Unfortunately it has a long throw shifter, which can be tricky for novices. The Mustang GT is the clear winner in this department as it shifts like butter. Having said that, the GTO's 1st to 4th capability is an awesome feature if you live in a city with insane traffic like I do. It saves shifting, jerking, gas and wear and tear on the clutch.

I plan to put some CCW wheels on it, Kooks headers, new air intake and have the engine computer management system recalibrated. This should add another 30+ HP to the rear wheels.

In short, this is the funnest car I've ever owned and I'm totally satisfied with my decision!

04Z71SATX

Those of you who had camaros... saying the GTO gets better mpg... are you comparing both cars in a 6spd configuration?
I think the fact you can get mpg in the upper 20's on the highway is like icing on the cake with everything else you get with a GTO.
Hopefully Ill be a near future owner of one!

2edybrd

True, my '99 Trans Am was an A4 and it got about 23 MPG highway. The GTO is a six speed and gets around 24MPG at 75 and 80 miles an hour. If I can restrain myself to exactely 70 miles an hour, I have seen 28 MPG. If I put the windows down that drops to 21MPG...Yeah I get bored on the drive to work

ScottR

My Camaros were all A4s and I usually got 17 - 19 around town. My A4 GTO gets no better than 16 around town. Of course, its been great for the last 18 days, since its been stuck at my dealership waiting for the all too common gas pedal sensor!

TORNATIC!!

Jump in my stock '02 mustang gt and you'll feel better about it

04Z71SATX

Anyone got Soundclips of their GTO exhaust... either stock or modified?