Car and Driver Review- 05 Stang vs. 05 GTO

[Stang2k5]

That's right I said 2005 GTO.

C&D had a muscle car test of the 05 Stang vs. the new 400 HP 2005 GTO. Both were manual trannies.

They considered including the 238 HP RX-8, 240 HP Accord V-6 & 298 HP G-35, but decided that real muscle cars have V8s.

As you might expect the 92 octane guzzling 6.0L, GTO won 0-60 (4.8 vs 5.1) and the 1/4 (13.3 @ 107 vs 13.8 @ 103), but the Mustang won just about everything else (skidpad .89g vs .88g & slalom 64.7 mph vs 62.9 ) and the overall score. Note the GTO has 245/45ZR-17 tires vs. those skinny, tall 235/55R-17 tires on the Mustang. Imagine what the new Stang will do when the 18" tires come along.

C&D noted now that their test Mustang has a few miles on it, it's getting faster, running 0-60 0.1 seconds faster and 1 MPH faster trap speed in the 1/4 over their test last month. Their test car weighed in at 3575 lb. It had most options including the shaker 1000, which I bet adds at least 50 lb to the Mustang. Weight distribution was 52.5% F / 42.5% R probably due to those sub-woofers and amps in the trunk. C&D said that altough they wouldn't order the Shaker 1000 on their own Mustangs, it did sound better than the GTO's Blaupunkt.

The 05 GTO does not look anything like the concept GTO that was at Woodward. It adds hood scoops and a new front valance. C&D said of the GTO's styling improvements: " Imagine your aunt Clara penciling in some more angry eyebrows, and you get the idea."

C&D said that EVERY one of their test team decided if they had to buy either a GTO or a Mustang, they would get a Mustang. That included one tester who before the test was a GTO bigot and told all the other C&D people that the GTO would win the test by a large margin.

C&D's only complaints on the Mustang were, steering wheel is too large, steering effort is too light, they found they could get the rear end hopping sideways on certain bumps and they didn't like the optional red interior.

Thats awesome to read. LOL at them GTO boys

 

[01'TRUE BLUE GT]

The red leather interior and dash on the GTO looks nice, it's just that the exterior just doesn't do anything for me. It just seems kind of dull.

My Mustang has the red leather interior as well, and I love the way the dash it set up.

However, there is no comparison in looks of the exterior. The 2005 Mustang is the most beautiful car on the road. I work at a bank with a lot of fine looking women. And they are totally digging me now (not that they didn't before when I had a TA).

I have a dumb ? for you since you have the auto and I haven't actually saw one in person up close to know ... Can you manually select 1st-4th gear and is there still a button on the shifter for O/D (5th gear)?? Sorry for being off topic, but I would like to know.

 

[SuperchargedSix]

Zero,

How do you like your Mach? Ant regrets but buying a Cobra instead?

 

[fivepointNO]

That's hysterical if that is true. How many GT's have been sold already since that would be a better representation.

I donno... But I'm told the 2004 GTO sold about 11,000 units, and I've read over 25,000 Mustangs sold before the car was even at the dealerships... To that end, it would've technically outsold the GTO before day 1.

 

[fivepointNO]

The Cobra and Vettes out there must suck because they were outsold by V6 stangs......



Now maybe you understand my prettier cheaper post.....

By that comparison, the 2004 GTO's must suck too, because the LS1 F-body handily outsold it while costing about the same(going by those saying they only paid 25K) and being a minimum of 2 model years older. It's even more obvious when we consider the price drop of up to $8,000.

 

[SuperchargedSix]

I donno... But I'm told the 2004 GTO sold about 11,000 units, and I've read over 25,000 Mustangs sold before the car was even at the dealerships... To that end, it would've technically outsold the GTO before day 1.

The only reason the GTO sold that many unit's is because of the 3500 dollar rebate and 0% APR for 60 months.

 

[Route666]

A very well thought, intelligent post. Thanks for that. Hope you stick around.

Agreed! TRANS_AM, All I was saying about the GTO is that while it may be a good car, it is rather expensive (60 - 70k here) which isn't SO bad, except that Holden basically chopped an existing sedan whereas the Mustang is designed as a two-door, and the new one is a re-design in almost every aspect, and is cheaper.

 

[TxFrog1999]

The Cobra and Vettes out there must suck because they were outsold by V6 stangs......



Now maybe you understand my prettier cheaper post.....

For gods sake goatboy you keep comparing the GTO to the GT, not the V6, not the Vette and certainly not the logical choice of the Mustangs: the Cobra. So in keeping with this asinine argument between the two cars the GT outsells and obviously out styles the GTO. Come to grips with the truth so we can close this thread.

 

[87'GTstang]

My big issue with the GTO is simply that I have no respect for it. What GM did to the car just is not right and without a hitch I say that they are ripping off all the owners of one. Is it just the name, or the performance that sucked such owners in? Gm put next to (or I should just say it anyway) jack **** for effort into the car. I'm not a GM fan but for this lack of originality as well as the biggest other reason why I do not favor GM, cross-branding, this only continues my dislike for them. The car is a legend, need I say more? It was a car with a beast of a big block with some serious attitude in the hunt for a contender - need I say more? That sounds like the perfect statement to get any musclecar enthusiast excited, does it not? But no, what does GM do to bring back a "legend"? They call upon a FAMILY car platform and an already existing production car, the holden monaro, call upon some tuning advice from a corvette and shove a detuned engine in one, and voila - what do you get? Complete unoriginality is what. Way to bring back a legendary car GM

 

[Jon Do]

"My big issue with the GTO is simply that I have no respect for it. What GM did to the car just is not right and without a hitch I say that they are ripping off all the owners of one. Is it just the name, or the performance that sucked such owners in? Gm put next to (or I should just say it anyway) jack **** for effort into the car. I'm not a GM fan but for this lack of originality as well as the biggest other reason why I do not favor GM, cross-branding, this only continues my dislike for them. The car is a legend, need I say more? It was a car with a beast of a big block with some serious attitude in the hunt for a contender - need I say more? That sounds like the perfect statement to get any musclecar enthusiast excited, does it not? But no, what does GM do to bring back a "legend"? They call upon a FAMILY car platform and an already existing production car, the holden monaro, call upon some tuning advice from a corvette and shove a detuned engine in one, and voila - what do you get? Complete unoriginality is what. Way to bring back a legendary car GM"

This post ticked me off.

Yeah, it is a RWD "family car" with a 400 HP engine that can do 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, turn and stop on a dime, and is available for $30K. If the price and performance don't do justice to the GTO name, what possibly could?

Yeah, GM brought over a platform already used and developed from Australia, but how else are they going to bring that much performance over to the American market for that cheap?? If they built their own platform from scratch, it would cost over $40K. Any near luxury car with vaguely similar performance costs well over $40K. Hell, the closest thing you are going to get performance wise to a competitor is the CTS-V; the GTO offers 90% of the performance and comfort for 60% of the price.

How is it possible for Pontiac to come out with a car that offers so much for so cheap? By platform sharing. If they didn't platform share, they wouldn't have been able to release a car worthy of the GTO name for that cheap!!!

People bitched endlessly about the 2004 GTO but consumers were buying them for $26K!! It is like the car was so good that they forgot it was that cheap... People whine and whine and whine about it but they forget that there is no other car that offers that level of performance and comfort for any where near that amount of money. Tell me one other near-luxury car that offers that level of performance???

Hell, now you can buy a 2004 GTO for $26-27K. That is about how much 2005 Mustangs cost since they are new. Basically, the only car capable of hanging with the GTO is the out-and-out sports car/Muscle car the Mustang. But the GTO is a near luxury car. A near luxury car that can hang with sports cars. For less money. The GTO is not a bad car.

When I buy my next car in a year or two, it will be either: The GTO, the Mustang or the RX-8, depending on which car I can get a deal on.

 

[NumberWon]

My big issue with the GTO is simply that I have no respect for it. What GM did to the car just is not right and without a hitch I say that they are ripping off all the owners of one. Is it just the name, or the performance that sucked such owners in? Gm put next to (or I should just say it anyway) jack **** for effort into the car. I'm not a GM fan but for this lack of originality as well as the biggest other reason why I do not favor GM, cross-branding, this only continues my dislike for them. The car is a legend, need I say more? It was a car with a beast of a big block with some serious attitude in the hunt for a contender - need I say more? That sounds like the perfect statement to get any musclecar enthusiast excited, does it not? But no, what does GM do to bring back a "legend"? They call upon a FAMILY car platform and an already existing production car, the holden monaro, call upon some tuning advice from a corvette and shove a detuned engine in one, and voila - what do you get? Complete unoriginality is what. Way to bring back a legendary car GM

Exactly! Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[ONZZ]

The GTO sucks

 

[ONZZ]

The GTO still sucks

 

[TomServo92]

I donno... But I'm told the 2004 GTO sold about 11,000 units, and I've read over 25,000 Mustangs sold before the car was even at the dealerships... To that end, it would've technically outsold the GTO before day 1.

At the beginning of November, 9,487 GTOs had been sold with a stockpile of approx. 5,900 (a 127 day supply...yikes!). GM has already reduced 2005 production by 30% from 18,000 units to 12,000. All the GTO owners brag about being able to get a GTO for around $26K but I personally don't think that's anything to brag about when you look at the big picture. A limited edition high-performance vehicle with a $3500 incentive that has only sold 53% of it's expected sales is a sales failure. If this trend continues through next year, the GTO could go the way of the F-bodies.

 

[Black Diamond]

For the GM guys, GM still is missing the boat on what a pony car is! It's not about always being the fastest out of the factory. But to be able to be customized for whatever the owner whats. The Mustang has been around for 40 some years by being an affordable sporty car. Most Mustangs sold though the years have been non v8 cars. More people around the world know what a Mustang is than any other single car. It is an American icon! Just like Ford trucks and the Corvette. Two out of three isn't bad!

 

[Jon Do]

At the beginning of November, 9,487 GTOs had been sold with a stockpile of approx. 5,900 (a 127 day supply...yikes!). GM has already reduced 2005 production by 30% from 18,000 units to 12,000. All the GTO owners brag about being able to get a GTO for around $26K but I personally don't think that's anything to brag about when you look at the big picture. A limited edition high-performance vehicle with a $3500 incentive that has only sold 53% of it's expected sales is a sales failure. If this trend continues through next year, the GTO could go the way of the F-bodies.
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That is bad for GM but good for the consumer. You basically get a super rare, limited edition car for real cheap. Mustang owners, who are willing to buy a car that sells 150K per year, probably can't understand the appeal that the rareness, uncommoness or individuality of the GTO holds for some consumers.

 

[TomServo92]

That is bad for GM but good for the consumer. You basically get a super rare, limited edition car for real cheap. Mustang owners, who are willing to buy a car that sells 150K per year, probably can't understand the appeal that the rareness, uncommoness or individuality of the GTO holds for some consumers.

Yeah, there's nothing like the thrill of owning another GM marketing failure!

Seriously, I understand what you're saying but you underestimate Mustang owners. After all, the limited edition Mustangs like the Mach 1 and Cobra sell very well because they are more unique and rare than the GT.

 

[thehemi]

GM has already reduced 2005 production by 30% from 18,000 units to 12,000.

The 2005 production is being cut because they are moving ahead the production date for the 2006s. No need to build 2005s while you are building 2006s.

I think the initial dealer mark-up that went around scared off too many buyers. The car really is a bargain after all the rebates. Hell, the 2004s have been selling for $27-28K. 350-hp V8, 6-speed manual and IRS that runs 13.2s. That is a better deal than a Mustang. The 2005s will probably not be rebated as much, at least not at first. Another 50-hp and probably running 13.0s (or maybe even hitting the 12s) for $33-34K. Not shabby at all.

 

[sullygtstang]

I just had a quick question...ive heard from many sources that the 05 mustang went from 0-60 in 5.0-5.8 does anyone know the correct time?

 

[TomServo92]

The 2005 production is being cut because they are moving ahead the production date for the 2006s. No need to build 2005s while you are building 2006s.

I think the initial dealer mark-up that went around scared off too many buyers. The car really is a bargain after all the rebates. Hell, the 2004s have been selling for $27-28K. 350-hp V8, 6-speed manual and IRS that runs 13.2s. That is a better deal than a Mustang. The 2005s will probably not be rebated as much, at least not at first. Another 50-hp and probably running 13.0s (or maybe even hitting the 12s) for $33-34K. Not shabby at all.

Really? Then how come the articles I've read state it's due to slow sales? Here's two examples:

http://www.autoweek.com/news.cms?newsId=101273

http://theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11481104%5E2702,00.html

If you've got an article that contradicts these, please post it.

EDIT: The Autoweek article states the next gen GTO will be a 2007 or 2008 model, not a 2006.