Z284ever

I've driven them both.....and I've got to say (flame suit on).....the Mustang GT.

I'll let you guys flame me for awhile..I'll be back in abit.

91Z28350

Driven the GTO, loved it. What made the GT more fun?

SSbaby

Maybe you had more girls staring at you in the GT?

Z284ever

Don't get me wrong James, I enjoyed the GTO as well. The LS2 especially, is a lusty mountain of torque.

I've previously driven a base V6/A5 Mustang, which sort of left me unimpressed. Today I drove a 5 speed manual GT and absolutely loved it.

Why more fun than the GTO? Even with the 100hp difference, many things. Seating position for one. The GT's chassis just feels so much lighter on it's feet than the GTO. Maybe alot of that has to do with the weight difference. But really more than that...it's just feels more eager to play. The steering felt much more precise. The clutch feels better in the GT and the shifter feels WAY better. Kind of the same shifter feel as maybe a BMW or Miata. The shifter was darned near perfect - really short throws too. On previous drives in the GTO, I remember acouple of times when I was matching engine revs for a downshift into a corner...the shift linkage bound up and I had to fiddle with it to get in gear. Buzz kill.

I guess the bottom line is that the Mustang GT feels like a ponycar and the GTO feels like a large powerful sedan to me. Both are good, but only one can be the most fun.

Honestly, if you want to know the truth, the GT felt alot like my IROC after going to finishing school. No rattles. Better rigidity. More engine RPM. Smoother. Better rear suspension (no mid corner two step).

Anyway, I liked it a bunch...more than I thought I would.

Z28x

Same here...but I only drove an LS1 GTO

30thZ286speed

Hmm....the 6-speed LS2 that I drove felt really precise, every shift was dead on. The car felt kind of heavy at low speeds, but step on the throttle and the GTO feels much lighter and agile

91Z28350

Fair enough Charlie. No need for a flame, if anything, I would say your comments lend credence to the article that said the Mustang was more fun to drive, even though the GTO beat it in almost every performance category.

Myself, I am somewhat in the middle, I enjoy quality handling, but think I prefer the feeling of raw horsepower JUST a bit more. The SS Camaro's were perfect for me, in that they had great horsepower and torque, and when optioned right, the were damn tight in the twisties (even if it cost you a kidney )

Bottom line, I would say I prefer a good handling muscle car to a great handling, lower powered car.

PS- I will give you that the GTO's shifter was very baulky. Seems to be one of the first mods people make when they buy the 6 speed. Even the shifter in my Dad's 05 Z51 was a little notchy, think I am going to buy him a hurst shifter for Fathers Day (loved the feel of those hurst's on the SS).

BigDarknFast

I haven't driven the new Mustang, just sat in one before getting my 05 GTO. Seating wise, I don't recall any significant advantage for the Mustang. Seats and seating position/sight lines are excellent in the GTO (far better than the 95 Formula I had before it). Visibility out the rear quarters is much better in the GTO than the Stang. Rear visibility, about a wash, but better in the GTO than the Stang when I remove my rear spoiler from my GTO (I run without the spoiler in the summer, with it in the winter, just for kicks). IP ergonomics, hands DOWN the GTO is the winner there. I love having a speedo in the DIC, use it all the time to help me avoid getting attention from ol' Smoky. Gauges are much more readable and contemporary in the GTO than the Mustang. The suspension - well sorry but I don't really see how the Mustang's primitive live axle would hold a candle to the GTO's well-developed IRS, especially on real (irregular) roads. Shifting is a moot point for me since our GTO is an A4 so my wife can drive it now and then when we switch cars. I love the A4 and electronic throttle tuning on my GTO. In mild driving it shifts up to 2 quickly and feels like a 'normal' car. Put your foot in it though... WOW you better be holding on with both hands!

Which brings me to the key attribute IMHO - power and torque. THIS is really the key that makes the GTO more fun. It's a wild, untamed, snarling pit bull of an engine under that hood. Sure, this is a heavier car (the Stang's no welterweight either BTW). It also has a much more capable back seat (I could not sit up straight in the back of the Stang, nor place my knees anywhere with comfort, things I can do easily in my GTO). So the whole comparison is a bit of a misnomer anyway. The GTO IS a bigger car inside, where it counts. Its great the Stang is a hit, yes it sells a lot of units, hooray that will help the business case of future GM muscle cars... But in my book the more exclusive and capable GTO wins hands down

SSbaby

A great review!

Your comments also reflect the criticism of most scribes here... the Commodore/Monaro's chassis dynamics and gearshift quality are inferior compared to their Ford rivals. Hopefully the VE chassis will overcome the present imbalance that clearly favour the Fords for driveability ease and relaxed motoring. Mustang sounds like it has some of the same DNA.

Just goes to show, don't just take a 'scribes' word for it before considering your next purchase, take a test drive and draw your own conclusions!

Says he, GM to the bone!

BigDarknFast

How many of the "scribes here" have driven an 05-06 GTO? Maybe five or six?

I do agree there are some widely known issues with the GTO M6 shifter (easily remedied with an aftermarket piece BTW)... but this stuff about chassis dynamics being better on the new Stang, well that's baloney IMHO. The GTO's IRS is vastly better than any live axle, when it comes to doing spirited driving on real roads.

SSbaby

I guess I can't speak for the Mustang... but the criticisms levelled at GTO sound familiar. I'll opt out of this discussion but will say that Monaro absolutely flogged an imported current model 4.6L Mustang in a recent Wheels magazine test. Mustang didn't even come close in terms of performance, handling and ergonomics.

Each to their own, I guess.

Chuck!

Interesting. Looks like I made the right choice for a daily driver, then.

I do agree with the shifter. They are some long throws.

Imagine an LS2 in a thirdgen

Derek M

Drove both on multiple occasions....

Mustang does feel more nimble. Not a huge difference but noticeable. GTO has considerable at speed off throttle under steer as compared to Mustang. Set of adjustable sway bars are in my future. The extra GTO heft is noticeable but not as much as you would think. The GTO overall is very composed and seems to work well within itself.

The OEM Shifter is more precise in the Mustang. In the GTO I installed a $200 B&M Ripper.

Mustang exterior styling wise says more than the GTO.

GTO has considerably more torque available at lower RPM's.

GTO has a six speed versus the Mustang five.

Mustang beltline is high to my liking. Feels like I was driving a coffin. Almost like I had to look "up: just to see "out".

Mustang back seat feels just as cramped as the previous SN95 models. Mustang trunk is huge compared to the GTO. Couldn't Ford have swapped some of the trunk space for rear passenger seat room?

GTO has a very small trunk.

Mustang HUGE tunnel gauge pods for Speed and RPM. Don't care for only using 180 degrees of the entire circle for the gauge sweep. Not much on the Mustang retro interior.

Mustang door panels large flat sheet of plastic. Mustang speaker grills on door panels look like an after thought. GTO hands down has a better flowing interior. The GTO upon my first sit in the driver seat just fit right.

Don't care much for the GTO A pillar width. As the pillar works it way into over the door the enormous width of the structure interferes with the bill of my ball cap when I'm wearing one.

GTO has gorgeous interior design, the way the dash flows into the door panels. The materials used in the GTO are very nice for this level of car.

Pop the hood on both. The GTO has an awesome engine compartment appearance. Clean, uncluttered. Mustang appears... well I dunno... but it's not uncluttered and just doesn't say much.

In summary the GTO powertrain, and drivetrain are very solid and work well together. The interior of the GTO is great, the rear seat room is awesome.

My vote, with my pocket book, GTO

http://www.getyasome.net/gto/030406/index.html

Z284ever

I can't disagree with anything in your post, Derek.

Z284ever

I can see the GTO outperforming it...the LS2 is simply a brute. The GT feels more comparable to an LS1 GTO in acceleration.

Let's not also forget about price. The Mustang GT I drove was very nicely equipped for $27,500.