AutoWeek Mustang vs GTO - PY Online Forums

pluto · #1 01-07-2005, 10:53 AM

Just got the latest AutoWeek and couldn't believe how hard they slammed the "05 GTO against the Mustang. "The GTO's steering wheel felt heavy, muddy, even numb, the Mustang's had a sharp, immediate turn-in feel and bristled with visceral sensations of the road at every turn." "it simply cannot match the Mustang for feel, style or value" And they wrap the story with: "Overall, the Mustang backs up it's looks with a handling performance that puts to shame the GTO's. It's no contest: The winner is the Mustang GT." They said lots more negitive things. " the styling is total blandsville. It leaves no impression whatsoever."

red70goat · #2 01-07-2005, 11:30 AM

Hau Thai-Tang, Design Engineer for '05 Stang while on Leno : Standing O. GM: r u watching???

Goat luver · #3 01-09-2005, 06:42 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by pont3:
Joey, welcome to the board. I, too, own an 04 GTO and, as I'm sure your perusing the forum has shown you, the new GTO is not welcome here. Maybe the aggression has relented somewhat but be prepared for repeated lessons on what the New GTO is or isn't. Sure, it doesn't look like old GTO's, the last of which was built in 1974, nor does it possess a Pontiac designed engine,(all GM engines are now designed by GM powertrain). So, since it does not meet THEIR criteria for what a GTO should look like, or have a PONTIAC-ONLY powerplant, it is not a GTO. The company that put the badge on the old GTOs is suddenly incapable of knowing what a GTO should be. I applaud Pontiac for providing us the opportunity to own this car and eagerly anticipate the future renditions. They should be happy too, for if nothing else, it gave them something to argue and bitch about. They won't simply state "I don't like the new GTO", and leave it at that, but continue to reiterate those sentiments. They will compare it to other vehicles that aren't even in the same class and declare their preference for the other vehicle while proclaiming your stupidity for choosing the vehicle YOU prefer. They will fail to acknowledge that they are only a small dot in the automotive world and will never be a targeted demographic. The amount of respect you receive here is directly related to the year of GTO you own and even though 14000 people own 04's, and they don't, they are the ones who can accurately assess what it is or isn't. In other words, we can accept the fact that the car is not for them and respect them for that, but they cannot accept the fact that this car meets our needs. Now I feel it's no longer statements of opinion, but intentional humiliation.

"THEY" refers to(you know who you are) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Absolutely brilliant! I could not have put it better myself. You have summed up "THEY" exactly.

judge_jury_executioner_69 · #4 01-10-2005, 12:21 AM

what i dont understand is that if ford spends a lot on advertising and they write good stuff about it and rag on the GTO then why do people consider the mags a good source. i thought the writers wrote how they felt about the cars until i seen they picked the toyota prius the top car 1 or 2 years in a row. thats when i stopped looking at them unless something catches my eye.

RandyW · #5 01-10-2005, 11:12 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> Good job! I like a guy that spouts off without really knowing what he's talking about. A real credibility enhancer.
Smoke screen? Hardly. Opinion? No doubt. Based on back to back driving, under controlled circumstances. What do you base yours on?
Prejudices? Read back, I said I didn't care for either car. I take it you don't own the "new" GTO either? What are you doing here? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've driven both cars, so I do have some background. I looked at CD online and saw the Mustang ads and assumed it was the same as the mag, if not, I apologize. Hell, I've been wrong before, unlike some on here. Credibility is not decided by a couple of opinions, your's or others. If you "read back", you will see that I said, "If you guys with old GTO's can't get past your prejudice...." I was refering to all, not just you, and if you don't harbor prjudice, then I wasn't talking to you, at all!

red70goat · #6 01-07-2005, 12:11 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by humbler:
Are you freakin kidding me, how would anybody but a car guy even know who he was? ... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Leno is a car guy, a big time car guy. Apparently Mr. Thai-Tang was on Craig Ferguson ( whoever that is ) with the same response.

rabon008 · #7 01-09-2005, 09:55 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by PlexiTim:
Many good points in this string of messages. In my opinion:

1. In a GTO vs Mustang contest the fact is that both are SUPPOSED to be performance cars. I have read Car&Driver and a few other mags. In terms of pure performance the GTO comes out ahead. I am not sure why the GTO is getting slammed when, at least in the quarter mile, the Mustang simply cannot run with it. As some have said here, it must be advertising dollars or some other factor besides performance.

2. Where Mustang shines, is looking like a Mustang of old. GTO is a whole new shape FOR A GTO, and did not bother to try to look retro. Some (like my wife) feel it looks more like a Honda Civic. I am a GTO head, I like GTO's. I like the idea of having 400 horses under the hood and going 0 - 60 in 4.3 seconds. But styling wise, I know she is right. It looks somewhat like a Civic. So the visual appeal insofar as being <ahem> "Muscular" is not there.

However since the current run of GTO's is only for 3 years out at Holden/Australia, the word is that the GTO will continue to be produced, but will be re-styled and produced out in GM of Canada and will LOOK like a more retro GTO.

3. Fact is if you took the $9,000 gap in price between the two cars, invested some in Nitrous, you'd have a Ford that can outrun the GTO and still have some extra money for groceries each month.

Don't get me wrong. I do not like Fords. Never have. But what Ford has done, marketing and styling-wise, is brilliant. What GM has done - at least in my experience with trying to trade in my 2003 vehicle and drive out in a new GTO - is both arrogant and pathetic. Because they have a car that is faster than hell, looks like a rounded ravioli, and try to push it through a dealer network where the "last one on earth" arrogance is so thick you can cut it with a spoon.

I think that come 2006 when Ford comes out with a Cobra version Mustang that will be an essentially Special Vehicle Team built car (ie: darned near hand crafted and blueprinted from the factory), and when that Cobra is being sold for the same $33,000 like a GTO, I think Pontiac is going to have a bigger problem than they have today. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

When it is built in America, the GTO will probably have more of the looks that the vintage GTO guys crave. However, I have a few predictions about that.

1) Pontiac will probably screw something up about the engine (possibly offering a V6 option or the like).

2) GM will probably screw something up on the quality. Right now the fit and finish of my '04 is so good I know they won't "improve" on it.

3) I have an '04 and my '05 should be in very soon now. I want a car that is mainstream in looks (like the original GTOs), has a powerful GM engine (like the original GTOs), performs as well as any car in its price range (like the original GTOs) and is comfortable as an everyday driver (well, for their day, I guess the original GTOs fit that bill too).

Trace · #8 01-10-2005, 02:00 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Originally posted by William Black:
To each thier own....it's rice. take off the rose colored glasses. bill......out! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ha! Yeah, Bill, it's rice alright ... rice in its stool! I just had fun humiliating a G35 today! Damn, I kinda like these rose-colored glasses, thank you very much!

pluto · #9 01-09-2005, 08:38 PM

To each thier own....it's rice. take off the rose colored glasses. bill......out!

pluto · #10 01-12-2005, 09:09 PM

The GTO is a styling embarrasment for GTO fans. Aparently, GM has so many ugly cars they think this is nice. I wish they would've "bow-tied" the headlights just to pee us off more and make it more ugly. Performance is there...curb appeal...no! Bill

David Jones · #11 01-08-2005, 04:35 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>Does this mean there were no ads for the Mustang in the mag??
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes. No ads for the Mustang.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>y the time you add some of the options on the Mustang to even attempt to get remotely close to the standard level GTO, you're right around $30,000.00. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Which ones? And what is "right around"?

HUMBLER · #12 01-18-2005, 06:49 PM

I love tuner cars and Rhys Millen is the man in my book. Anyone who attended the GTOAA Nationals saw him strut his stuff and I have yet to hear anything bad about that display. There how's that!

Now ask me what my definition of a tuner car is...

HUMBLER · #13 01-07-2005, 11:40 AM

Are you freakin kidding me, how would anybody but a car guy even know who he was? I've got to see the video of that...

pluto · #14 01-07-2005, 10:53 AM

Just got the latest AutoWeek and couldn't believe how hard they slammed the "05 GTO against the Mustang. "The GTO's steering wheel felt heavy, muddy, even numb, the Mustang's had a sharp, immediate turn-in feel and bristled with visceral sensations of the road at every turn." "it simply cannot match the Mustang for feel, style or value" And they wrap the story with: "Overall, the Mustang backs up it's looks with a handling performance that puts to shame the GTO's. It's no contest: The winner is the Mustang GT." They said lots more negitive things. " the styling is total blandsville. It leaves no impression whatsoever."

RandyW · #15 01-17-2005, 09:14 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> I love my new GT... but man im dissapointed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beaten by an 04 GTO not even an 05 GTO <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

RandyW · #16 01-10-2005, 07:28 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> Randy. Really. Not talking to me? Sure seemed like it. Hard to see from your typed words that I wasn't included in your profound statement. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ah, still having reading issues, I see. I said, if you harbor no prejudice, then I'm not talking to you at all.

I still don't understand all the petty little nit picking, though, while avoiding the fact the GTO beat the Mustang in every way, but one guy's opinion. I guess if you smoke screen long enough, people will forget that? I doubt it.

David Jones · #17 01-09-2005, 06:22 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR>PS; For what it's worth, there were three Mustang ads in that mag, not the zero as was claimed here by David Jones, nice try though! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Randy, you must have a different Car and Driver. The Jan05 issue with the comparison test between the Mustang and GTO that Car and Driver mailed to me had ZERO Mustang ads in it. It did however have a Ford Freestyle ad in it. The GTO ad is on the back cover. Why don't you give me the page numbers of the 3 Mustang ads in your book?

David Jones · #18 01-09-2005, 11:57 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> so why would they say the mustang is better then the gto? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thats what they thought.

Goathead · #19 01-13-2005, 12:29 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> Bill owns an older GTO, very few owners of old one's will admit the new one's are nice cars.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Randy, I believe that you misspelled "Rice" in that statement...

David Jones · #20 01-10-2005, 05:14 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote">quote:<HR> I was looking at it on line, not in the book, I don't have the mag, yet. If the ads are only on line, then I'll admit my mistake.
However all this is a smoke screen to cover the fact that the GTO won in every catagory except the 'got to have one' catagory, which is certainly no more than his opinion!

If you guys that own old GTO's can't get past your prejudices, you should at least leave the people who do like them, alone. Let them enjoy thier very nice cars, and stay out of thier business. Did it ever occur to you, unless they ask your opinion, they probably don't want it!?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good job! I like a guy that spouts off without really knowing what he's talking about. A real credibility enhancer.
Smoke screen? Hardly. Opinion? No doubt. Based on back to back driving, under controlled circumstances. What do you base yours on?
Prejudices? Read back, I said I didn't care for either car. I take it you don't own the "new" GTO either? What are you doing here?