I have been waiting for the new 'Stang for over a year. I couldn't wait to get one. Had an 88 5.0 that was good to me for 11 years and 250,000+ miles. Then 2 weeks ago I went to check out the 04 GTO, just for shts and giggles. Dealer let me take it home for the night. I brought it back the next day and crunched the numbers with the dealer. He gave me $3k over trade in value for my Isuzu Rodeo, and then a $4K rebate from Pontiac plus 2.9% financing. I had already gone to Ford dealers in the area and they weren't even gonna give me Trade in value on my Rodeo plus the best deal on the Stang was $950 over invoice. After all was said and done the GTO was actually less money than the Mustang was going to be. Mostly because of the trade-in.

I can't believe I talked myself out of the Mustang. But I don't regret it. I love the GTO. It's not gonna be as nimble as the Stang, but it pulls the same skid pad numbers, same 0-60, it's bit quicker in the 1/4 and has a higher trap speed than the stang, but the best part of the GTO is the interior. It kicks the Mustang's as*, no question. The Mustang's interior choices are too limited, Red or some shade of grey.....Yawn.....The GTO's interior is so much better than the Stang, it certainly looks a lot more expensive. Plus it has an independent rear susp., 6 speed tranny, and it's got at least 10+ miles an hour on the top end over the Stang. And for me at least, less money than the Mustang was gonna be. And you know what? While the styling isn't equal to the Mustang, the GTO is much more exclusive. You're gonna see Mustangs EVERYWHERE in a few months. How many GTO's have you seen around. Which car is gonna be worth more 25 years from now. The GTO.

Some day I'll probably get another Mustang, but the GTO made more sense for me now....Don't be mad at me.........

 

Er...and your purpose for coming on a Mustang forum and telling us that YOUR car is going to hold value better was what?

Sounds like you're in denial...sure had to convince yourself hard that the almighty GTO is so much better than our little Mustang.

Thanks for the input. We're going mustang.

 

I was expecting him to throw out the name of his Pontiac dealer... I was expecting him to be a troll. But I believe it.

Congrats on your purchase!

 

25 years from now the Mustang will be worth more than the Sunfire with a good engine. The Goat is ugly, plain and simple. Body styling is a turd, but hey, it is a pretty quick turd.

Enjoy your car.

 

So...this being your first post, I assume you registered just to post that. If so, what is the point? So you got a Goat, good for you. But we don't really have time to read through every post of somebody who looked at a Stang and got something else!

Oh yeah, one more thing. Do you *really* think you'll be driving this car in 25 years? Have you ever owned a car for 25 years? How many years did you own your Rodeo?

 

Well I dont know how many GTO's I have seen around I cant distiguish them from cavaliers.

 

Congrats, the GTO is a fine car -- a bit different than the Stang, for sure, but a fine car nonetheless.

I too have taken a Goat for a test spin and was pretty impressed overall. Yeah, the styling is a bit subdued, but then, so were the original GTOs. At least you'll be able to slip past the gendarmes a bit more easily.

I agree with your thoughts on the interior, probably the best GM interior I've seen or been in -- great design, ergonomics, materials and construction -- if only the rest of GM would step up to this standard.

While no lightweight -- then again, at 3450, neither is the Mustang really -- it does handle and ride very well and the IRS will allow it to maintain its handling well beyond when the Stang's lively axle is skipping across the bumps like a pond stone.

Great motor and the 6.0 '05 Goat will be even more formidable. I drove the slushbox, but even that worked well. I imagine the 6 speed MTX, once you snip the skip-shift wires, will be even more fun.

As for value, granted the GTO certainly lists well above the Stang, out the door street pricing is probably much closer in general, especially given the initial release furor over the new Pony and the inevitable price gouging. It'll be a little while before that dies down.

Again, congrats on your new ride as I can certainly appreciate and respect your decision. I'm trying to hold out for a sub-Cobra SE Stang with an IRS and perhaps 6 spd MTX -- neo Bullitt or Boss? But the '05 GTO is mighty compelling too in its own right.

Ohhhh, patience, patience....

 

I'll have you a bet right now, payable in 25 years........The GTO will be long forgotten and the '05 will still be knocking around at the shows.



So there!

 

the GTO a gonna be worth more??
it doesnt even look like a GTO
LOL

you dont see any because you can get a cobra for a little less and the cobra doesnt look like a grand am lol

 

and people say ford interiors are weak.. pontiac interiors look like fisher price made them lol

 

AND its not even a real GTO pontiac just figured gee wel use the GTO name without all that..building new car stuff

 

I don't think you are going to be alone. i was thinking of going that way, also.... with the 05 GTO (nice hood scoops, adds some styling), and 400hp. The interior looks fantastic. As far as the '05 Mustang, i was getting impatient, and p off at the lack of information about timing, shipping, and potentially paying msrp on a high volume production car. In the end I decided, that the mustang is still well priced, and it is more of a classic. Afterall, I have been waiting for this for TWO YEARS.

Good luck, and have fun.

 

Wow some of you are pretty hostile. I love the new Mustang, I was only pointing out my personal reasons for choosing the GTO instead. Ouch. I've been using this site as a source for information on the new Mustang, which I did have every intention of buying. But after comparing the Stang with the GTO, for me the GTO made more sense. And for those of you bashing the GTO, you obviously haven't driven one.

 

Do recall that the original GTOs were nothing but an option package for the tepid LeMans and were hardly stunning lookers by any stretch. The did perk up the styling over the years however, as Pontiac is doing with this iteration, and I think the '66-'67s were the best before they started going over the top with the circus-come-to-town Judges and whatnot.

But the current Goat styling, while a bit, errr, discrete, is not a bad design and GM is very actively attacking that front, what with a new rear end design with split exhaust outlets and a functioning (sort of) hood scoop option, not to mention the new 400hp 6.0 motor to back it all up. Hopefully Ford will be as aggessive in enhancing and advancing the new Stang.

As for GM interiors, yes, most do look like the bastard child of Fischer-Price and Tupperware, both in terms of design and materials. But I would suggest withholding judgement on the GTO's interior till you sit in one, it is sophisticated, well designed, well built and uses great materials and detailing -- sort of what one might imagine an anti-GM interior to be. Trouble is, it's the Aussies who came up with this and I am in no way assured that GM USA is in any way up to meeting this standard. But who knows, with Lutz cracking the whip...

 

An so will its restoration..

 

Wish you well with your GTO. If you like it, then I like it!

(Secretly mumbles to other forum members) "One extra pony for us to select from!" B)

 

i really could give a poop

the GTO is fugly

 

I have driven one and it drives rather nice althouh it feel a bit heavy. The seats are great.

But look at the outside. Rental car city. 90% of the public will think its a grand prixx or cavalier. Woo Hoo pay $30,000 for a sporty car people think is $15,000 front drive family car.

 

Congrats on your purchase however I agree with the majority of the comments here, especially the cavalier look-a-like. The nerve, calling it a GTO. That doesn't resemble a GTO in anyway. Get rid of the name and everyone would say the same thing....is that the new Cavalier? Take the name of the mustang and everyone would say "Wow, look at the new mustang."

 

Not according to Motor Trend (who have driven both cars BTW). Here's a quote from the Mustang review:

Don't get me wrong. If you're happy with the Goat then that's cool. But don't surprised if you get beat by a '05.