Four plus years later

[pont3]

My '04 GTO is still a thrill. I bought the car in August of 2004 and didn't use it as a daily driver until my wife took it in summer of 2006. The car still has under 20k miles and still has EVERY original part, including the battery and tires. It has not had ANY of the frequently mentioned maladies, NONE. Until now. I just noticed that ALL four tires are wearing on the inside edge, (just the inside edge). They have been rotated twice and aside from the inside edge wear, still have about 70% of the tread left.

The car still rides great and have no rattles or abnormal noises. The paint has no chips and still looks excellent. The interior still looks and smells brand new. The wiper blades are starting to streak somewhat. Overall, this is the first new car I've ever owned that didn't require dealer visits, (and that includes a few Japanese makes).

I also own a 2006 GTO that I bought when my wife took the '04. It never leaves the garage when there's a possibility of rain or any inclement weather. It has less than 3k on it but in the nearly two years I've owned it, it only required a replacement battery. Although it possesses 50hp more, I'm still not sure it's any faster than the '04. Track times say yes but it takes the track to prove it. With the stock exhaust, the '04 has the more appealing sound when accelerating, and, at idle.

I know that I'm probably the exception, but I think these cars are well built and very reliable, despite the low miles I've driven them. These cars will be with me for quite some time, and may still be with me through my final days. I love them just that much. It's still sad, and hard for me to understand why these cars didn't garner more support from members of this board. They really ARE great cars. Many original owners of these cars have moved on, as has always been the case, but I'm sure a lasting fondness remains within them.

The car does have some annoyances, though, and they are relatively minor. In fact, if I had to use the car every single day, I would be thoroughly frustrated. Even though I rarely carry people in the back seat, just the access is enough to drive you crazy. I like to throw things back there sometime and retrieving them can be tricky. It's the price of having those great front seats and since it's my ONLY complaint, I'll live with it.