New GTO

[mtuck]

I am looking at getting a new car. I am considering getting a 06' GTO. I was wondering who has one and if they like it or not? What are the good points and bad? I have two kids and i am thinking that getting in and out of the back seats could be a problem.

Thanks for any information you can provide.
Matthew

[dhardison]

My friend at work has a '05 GTO and sometimes we take it out during lunch. Every so often my 6'2" 230lb a$$ gets stuck in the back seat. It's not fun getting in and out but the seat itself is very comfy. In order to get in the back via the passenger side you have to push and hold a button on the passenger seat for it to move forward and it moves slooooooooow as heck, takes a good 20-30 secs to get it all the way forward so I can get in.

Having three kids of my own there's NO WAY I'd have that for a 'family car' where I had to get kids in/out a lot. Other than that the GTO screams! It's not as fast as my SRT-4 (which REALLY pi$$e$ my friend off), but still a good running car.
Dan

[SYDEWAYZ71]

Well I don't have one but two of my friends have 05's and besides your concern about getting to the back seats(power seats are very slow) they are nice cars.
If I was in the market for a new ride this would be an option!
check out ls2gto.com

[Analog-kid]

My wife and I own an 04 and love it. Handles great, plenty of power. The seat motors are a bit slow if you need the back seat as others have mentioned. Also if you're tall you can easily whack your head getting in and out as the roofline slopes as a little low where it meets the door openings. Other than that I can't really find much to gripe about with the car. Interior is very comfortable, fit and finish are excellent for a Pontiac ( because it's actually a Holden, no doubt.). We've had no mechanical issues. Only shop time since new has been for oil changes. I highly recomend the GTO it's a blast to drive. For even more fun turn off traction control and say goodbye to your rear tires.

[camcojb]

I bought an 05 a couple months ago. Have a twin turbo 402 LS2 going together, turbo kit is in my shop. But even stock I enjoy driving this car more than anything I've had for the last 20 years. Seriously. No rattles, very solid, does everything well. Not the best at any one thing but just a very enjoyable car.

Jody

[protour_chevelle]

I bought an 05 a couple months ago. Have a twin turbo 402 LS2 going together, turbo kit is in my shop. But even stock I enjoy driving this car more than anything I've had for the last 20 years. Seriously. No rattles, very solid, does everything well. Not the best at any one thing but just a very enjoyable car.

Jody

Jody, Can you adopt me?

-Matt

[aonghus]

hey hey hey now, I already asked to be adopted on camaros.net, matt.

:P

I'm sure jody doesnt need extra grease monkeys LOL

[Bill68fbrd]

because it's actually a Holden [QUOTE]

It is a HSV Manaro They are a Ausum car.
You should look up the site
http://www.hsv.com.au/index_new.asp

Good luck and i wish my dad bought a cool car back in the day.

Bill

[ProTeal55]

My girlfriend bought her 2004 GTO new , and has been her daily driver sience. Great car. The power is great for her, rides smooth and solid , no typical 4th gen squeaks and rattles - etc...

Only reason she didn't get a 2005 becasue they gave her the 2004 model for 5k under sticker to get it off the lot !

[6'9"Witha69]

The only reason I didn't get the one I test drove, it didn't have enough room for me to operate the clutch w/o bangin knees while bangin gears. Anyone shorter than me (99% of the population) shouldn't have a problem.

[camcojb]

The only reason I didn't get the one I test drove, it didn't have enough room for me to operate the clutch w/o bangin knees while bangin gears. Anyone shorter than me (99% of the population) shouldn't have a problem.

Yes, you are tall. I'm not short at 6'5", and I fit fine in mine.

Jody

[Pro-touring towncar]

They are making the GTO in '06. seems like GM isn't even advertising them at all. Well to GM if it isn't a SUV they don't care

Tim

[Blown353]

Good cars, I very seriously looked into them earlier this year and almost brought one home. The drivetrain is proven in both the US and Australia and the chassis is time-tested and proven in the Australian market.

When I was car shopping back in March, my final choices were down to either an 04/05 GTO or an Subaru 05 STI. Only problem was my gun cases did not fit in the tiny GTO trunk (yes, I did bring my rifle cases to the dealership and tried to put them in, talk about priceless looks on the salesman's faces!) so I ended up going with the STI. If GM didn't have to move the gas tank from under the car (Aussie config) to behind the backseat (US config for rear crash test reasons) I probably would have bought the GTO. Good car but the trunk barely big enough for Papa Smurf ruined it for me! The GTO trunk is smaller than on a C5 Z06, seriously! I'm very happy with the STI, but I would have been very happy with the GTO too, and I also would have saved about $6500 as they were making very attractive offers to dump the '04s at the time.

Hindsight being 20/20 had I bought the GTO I could have done quite a few mods and kept my warranty as I'm good friends with the service guys at my local GM dealership... not so with the STI thanks to Subaru of America and their Nazi-esque warranty adjusters. Heck, they even have a check box on their warranty forms to check for cone marks on the body!

Troy

[mtuck]

Thanks guys for the input. I am going to go back tonight and drive it and really go over thae car. I do have some reservation about buying the car with me having two small children but, they are young and flexible...hahahahaha. I will be buying something before the end of the year. I am also looking at getting a truck. They are so cheap right now but the gas milage scares me to death. So we will see what happens with-in the next few days.

When i look at the GTO is there anything special i need to look for. I have heard that some of the cars the paint is not perfect. Has anyone else heard this?

Thanks again
Matthew

[6'9"Witha69]

Every factory car is subject to some orange peel. Walk across any lot and look closely at the different paint jobs. Perhaps this is not perfect?
As far as Trucks go, the gas is a killer. Then again, I have a lead foot. My wife gets much better mileage when (seldom) she drives my truck. I will say though that I bought my truck since as a Scoutmaster I needed it. i do like the way it drives and feels but cars are better on gas, easier to park, handle better, etc. It is a trade off.



But isn't it a requirement for everyone in TX to own a truck?

[6'9"Witha69]

Some pros of a truck:
You never have to worry about enough "trunk" space.
Insurance is less (especially compared to a GTO)
Curbs and other obstacles are no big deal
Other drivers get out of your way
They make 28"s now

[BonzoHansen]

Some pros of a truck:
They make 28"s now

Some may not see that as a 'pro'

[Blown353]

They make 28"s now

Actually, we're up to 30's now. 28's are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO September.

Troy

[6'9"Witha69]

Actually, we're up to 30's now. 28's are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO September.

Troy

My bad.

Hey , I know Bill will take the large poser rims. I heard he has 32"s already!

[shmoov69]

I got an 05 Chevy 2500HD 4 door short bed 4 X 4 with a 6.0 and 4.10 gears. It is all stock with a K&N filter/cold air kit (got for $100!) and the best mileage has been 14.xxxMPG and the worst has been 11.xxxMPG! I have checked EVERY tank in hopes that it will increase, but no luck. I have 12,000+ miles on it since September, so quite a bit of highway along with city driving. The D's are ALOT better MPG, but it also cost's more. Just some food for thought.