Well I read their article and all I can say is wow. I wasn't sure how much manufacturer's contributions skewed results until now.

The GTO won or tied in every main category. It was clearly in the lead until it came down to the last category, the "Gotta have it" category. Until then the GTO was ahead by 6, then they gave the mustang 25/25, and the GTO 18/25. So the stang won by one.

To have a purely subjective category worth over 10% while power, handling and braking are each onely worth over 4% a piece in a V8 Sportscar competition!

Yeah I 'Gotta' have the new stang with 100 less hp, a 40 year old design, an even older rear axle design and IMHO an interior which isn't as nice, especially with that wierd dash in the stang.

 

Let me guess....you own a GTO?

 

Eh. The "Gotta Have It" factor was lame. I think the GT is a really nice car in it's pricerange, but the only way I can see it beating out the GTO is if you factor in performance/$.

 

Ok.

 

Yeah, I dont see how one person can rate the "gotta have it" factor of other people. I can see if it was like a Ferrari 430 vs an Aveo, but the GTO and Mustang....

 

Well they aren't rating the gotta have it appeal of other people just their own opinions. If you agree with it fine. If you don't then that's your right.
Does anybody actually think this article is going to greatly affect the sales of EITHER car? If not then what's the fuss for?

 

The fuss is that they chose the winner based on a purely subjective matter. I am a by the numbers guy myself, I guess this is why it bothers me so.

And yeah I own a gto, its in my sig there for anyone to see along with my camaro and my ford. It doesn't bother me that the stang won, its just the criteria that it won by that bothers me. The ratings don't make much sense concidering the type of comparison they are doing.

 

Perhaps not, but it still allows Ford to tout the results in their advertisements, if they wish. That isn't even the point, though. The point is that they used a b.s. subjective category to sway the results.

They already account for MUCH subjectivity in the tests (hey, it is their magazine, and we are reading THEIR opinions, so that makes some sense). All of the hard performance numbers are basically objective. But "handling", "comfort", "steering feel", "throttle response", "brake feel" and probably 5 or 10 other categories are subjective, and the GTO came out ahead after all of that was factored in. So clearly, they thought the GTO was the better car to drive (both from objective numbers and from subjective "feel" ratings). Yet, they choose the Mustang by using the stupid "gotta have it factor" (which should just be removed as a category). It's like they did their supposedly thorough evaluation of the vehicle, then decide to take a poll at the local gas stations to see which cars get the most attention. That is a good way to pick the winner in a comparison test...

No argument at all here that the '05 Mustang is a cool car, and it will undoubtedly become a sales success. But the GTO is the better car, end of story. So is Car and Driver wanting to be remembered as picking the car that sold the most, or for doing the right thing and picking the better car?

Recall this is the same magazine that used to pick the understated, underpowered Mazda Protege over the Focus, Civic, Corolla, Sentra, Vibe, etc. crowd. Even though it was slower, and somewhat bland in styling, it was fun to drive, with great handling characteristics, and a refined, upscale (for the class) interior. It was one of the SLOWER cars in the class, too, thanks to its modest power. With the GTO, they get the handling feel, the outright performance numbers, significantly more power, a more refined interior with more space, and similarly understated (but sleek) styling, and they pick the car that more middle school kids will have on their Trapper Keepers... is CandD turning into a Motor Trend wannabe?...

 

I was just reading MT's "bang for your buck" cars, and they gave each car a "cool factor" rating. The stang got a 10 out of 10 while a car like the 350z got an 8 out of 10.

Such subjective measurements are something they do in alot of their tests. I remember them doing that on the Ford GT vs Ferrari 360 CS vs Porsche GT3 comparo. You'll probably find such tests in all of their comparo's. I guess it's based a lot on things like style and the type of emotions and excitement it envokes. And really, it's no secret that the Mustang would do better on that account in comparison to the understated styling of the GTO. Doesn't mean that the Mustang GT is better or anything.

 

These guys seem to get it.

 

sucks losing,don't it? I think you GTO people will find that most non-partial magazines will prefer the mustang.Time will tell.Horsepower ain't everything,a well balanced car is better.Try to be good losers

 

Mustangs are like *******s, everyone has one and they stink.

 

The gto is well balanced, just superior in every category, except truck space

Just because people prefer one thing over another doesn't make it better. Remember Beta vs VHS, Beta was superior but people bought VHS because of marketing.
You try to be a good looser too with your lower power numbers and ancient rear axle.

 

Horsepower isn't everything, but its a good majority of it in these segments.
However, for a big majority of Mustang buyers your right, horsepower isn't everything, and that amoung other things is why they sell so well. Thats why I left Ford and came to GM.
And to say that the GTO isn't a well balanced car is ignorant. The only thing that the GTO lacks to the Mustang is the perverbial "good looks" and in my opinion thats subjective also. Otherwise it pretty much beats it or matches it in every category. But for some people status quo and popularity is more important than performance, so I'm sure the GTO owners will be good loosers as long as you promise to be a good looser when they leave your Mustang sitting at the light

 

I swear they do this just to be a bit controversial, which helps ratings. Either way it works, cause I'm going to make sure I check this issue out in the bookstore.