Z28x

This looks like even more of a reason Ford should build a Mustang based sedan.

Z284ever

Absolutely agree! Would meet my DD needs perfectly.

1965GP

Great reviews from everyone, even being a die hard GTO fan even I can see the attraction for the Mustang. It's a great looking car, and performs very well even if it's not as good as ther GTO on paper. I can understand it feeling lighter on it's feet- could that be due to the independant rear? I know my LT-1 Firehawk feels much lighter on its feet but not near as nimble if that makes sense...

SSbaby

Monaro was only available with an LS1. You guys got the good hardware!

guionM

Haven't driven a Mustang GT yet, but I've driven the GTO & rented a Mustang V6 twice, including to the Camaro unveiling.


The 2 cars feel like they have different purposes, and carry out those purposes well. The GTO feels more like a road car, something you'd take on the interstate, and eat up alot of miles in comfort. The Mustang feels more like a car you'd take as a daily driver with multiple stops. I felt the V6 handled very well, and was fun to toss. GTO felt more like it was carved from padded granite.

Given a choice between the 2 (new car to new car), I think the Mustang is the better car. The GTO is the cheapest 400 horse new car you're going to find in any showroom on the planet, but when you balence everything out, as much as I love the new GTO, I'd give the nod to Mustang GT. For $6K less there's alot of stuff you give up, but on balence, the only thing that still would make me prefer a GTO over a Mustang is that I KNOW the structure and materials are going to hold up extremely well because the car was designed for far tougher stuff than what our cars here are typically designed for.

Now, if the choice is between a slightly used 2004 GTO and a new Mustang, then things aren't so cut & dry.

BigDarknFast

Huh? Take a look at real street prices at edmunds.com. There I found, trying to equip an 06 Stang GT to be like my GTO (A4) the Stang ends up at $30k. Yet edmunds has the street price of a new GTO at $31,900. $6k my foot

WERM

Am I reading this wrong or are you comparing the street price of the GTO to the MSRP of the Mustang?

Bert02SS

I've driven both. The Mustang is cheaper and more 'tossable'. The GTO is more ponderous and expensive.

BigDarknFast

Honest to God... I often think I'm the ONLY person who goes and checks these things. Of Course I was comparing street price to street price. The fact is, a Mustang GT, loaded to be similarly equipped as a new GTO (except of course for the powerful engine), has a STREET price within $2k of the GTO's STREET price. edmunds compiles their data from actual transactions.

formula79

It's funny....all the car mags raved the GTO was tossable when it first came out....then the Mustang came out and the GTO is like yesterdays news.

I have never driven the new Mustang....it appeals to me greatly...and I would just want it more if I drove it.

Unfortunatly I just cannot own one....it would be like the Maytag man having a Whirlpool washer.

gr8fl red!

doesn't everyone already own a mustang ? I see like 50 a day..yaaaaawwn

Red89GTA

I haven't had chance to drive a stock GT, but the Saleen (base model - 325hp, all the $$ goes in the suspension) was a blast. To me the suspension was "just right", not too hard or soft, and that in MI with 20" wheels iirc. Its hard to explain well, but I didn't notice the solid axle at all and enjoyed not having to worry about cv shaft breakage, while still handling like it was on rails. The sales girl said that it was tighter, better handling than the regular GT, in which case I'm not sure I'd want to drive one, as the Saleen hit the 'sweet spot' perfectly for me.

It had the typical 4.6L weak low end, but took off once you had a couple grand on the tach. When I say weak, I'm comparing to the GTA (L98) not the Neon . It would definatly win the 600rpm 4th gear pull against any 4cyl!! BTW the sales girl started to freak out when I squaked 2nd, that felt good.

Unfortunatly, the local Pontiac dealer wanted to run a credit check just to go for a test drive, thats when I turned around and walked away. Oh well, I'm sure I'll drive a GTO sooner or later.

blackztpi

a fun to drive car is sometimes better to drive than a better performer. C&D tested the srt-8 versus the cts-v. the srt-8 was faster and more comfortable, but all the editors said they'd much rather drive the cts-v.

Z284ever

Yeah, you're probably right. It's been a long time since I've driven a Miata. I seem to remember being able to shift with almost a flick of my wrist. Anyway, the Mustang's shifter felt way closer to a Miata's to me, than to a GTO's.

And I don't disagree about the size either, Mustang would have been more fun had it been smaller. But again, I was comparing it to the GTO.

Anyway, what's the big take-away here? People notice stuff. Stuff that will make or break the fun-to-drive factor. Something I hope the next Camaro has in spades. All the horsepower in the world won't give you it, if you don't already have that "baked in".

guionM

And once you could load up a Pontiac Firehawk to come within $2K of a Corvette too.

Point is "Street Price" is a nationwide average, and varies region to region, or even city to city. I'm betting RWD cars are cheaper in Maine than in California. Mustangs sell at higher prices in the Bay Area than in San Diego.

MSRP is consistant nationwide.

GTO's starting MSRP is $32,000. Mustang GT's starting price is just over $25,000.

The GT's already pretty well equpted, so the only options I'd get is a stereo & rim upgrade.

I'm a very big GTO fan, but there's no denying that the cover charge to get into a GTO is $6,000 more than to get into Mustang GT.

Most people aren't going to check every option in the book.