1. I took into account Australia's shakey record for build quality and engineering. Case in point: the Mercury Capri (long deceased), Mitsubishi Diamante (now deceased) and the GTO.

2. I was right, the GTO didn't sell.

As if a gas tank hogging the trunk was a good idea?

[QUOTE=guionM]to the belief that the $32,000 WS6 Firebird was far superior in quality materials and construction over equally the priced $32,000 GTO.[/QUOTE/]

The hard, shiny black plastic on the center of the GTO's dash is just a different kind of cheap.

Australia is a bit like a less-openminded/more racist version of Canada, with brutal speed enforcement thrown into the mix. If I visit a Pacific-rim country, I'd prefer one with a culture, history, or something to see other than Ayer's Rock and the Sydney Operahouse.

I'd like to see GM build some decent cars - sooner or later.

 

Mercury Capri: made from Mazda 323 chassis & parts, and had a good reliability record. Why it failed: Ford sought to market a 4 passenger, FWD, questionably styled convertible against the Mazda Miata.

It's been roundly established that dealer mark-ups & the fact that most all dealers refuesed to allow test drives or required a cash deposit or promise to purchase before a test drive killed the sales of most of us who were intrested in buying. And again, not an issue of quality.



Better than being rearended at 50 mph by a drunk & mistaken for a main course at a barbeque. Besides, what's the capacity of Mustang's trunk??



Actually it's a bit more like an openminded/less racist version of the good ole US of A. Both countries have histories where there are things not to be proud of (segragation, near irradication of native peoples, etc...), but to comparing the 2 today in that area is like night & day. Anyone who's actually been there (regardless of race) will tell you that in a heartbeat.

As far as seeing more than the Rock & the Operahouse, how about the Gold Coast (combination of Hawaii & Miami), the rain forrest of Queensland & the Northern Territories, the Great Barrier Reef, Canberra: the Capitol, and the dozens of other places Oz has.

I've been just about every place in the Pacific. All places have their good & bad. I'd eat a tree to live in Hawaii again, would love to visit Samoa or Tonga again. I didn't like Japan very much, but it's clean and relatively safe & has a huge car culture. Australia has a bit of all that.

As far as speed enforcement, it's no worse than Ohio, Massechucetts (sp?) or New Jersey around New South Wales & Victoria. Once you get out of those 2 states, it's a whole new ballgame. I'll give you their drunk driving enforcement is pretty draconian, though.

Of course, you can always say simply because I've been there twice per year through most of the 90s, lived there for nearly a year, and have reccomended it to friends of mine regardless of gender and race (in which half of them want to go back and live), next to someone who's never been & never wants to go, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

 

Uhhh...no.

It's unfortunate the folks here didn't opt for actually accepting the car on it's merits.

The '04 was a nice piece, the '05 an even nicer one.

It's still comes down to what people will buy rather than talk about.

 

Please point out the vehicle building country that has no supposed "baggage".


Please point to the Pacific rim countries with what you would characterize with possesion of your kind of ethos.

 

So you think tall sidewalls on a PERFORMANCE CAR look better? That has to be one of the funniest things I've heard. Yes they can be a "better ride quality", but if the car is tuned right the slightly lower profile will ride just fine (my GTO with these low profile tires rides better then my friend's V6 Mustang with his much higher profile tires). Yeah, those big wheelwells might mean you can upgrade to dubs but they also mean that 17" wheels look really tiny on the car. Thanks, but I'll take my GTO where I can still run 19's and yet my 17's do a fine job in filling out the wheel wells .

Big sidewalls might have been a big hit in the 50's but not today.

Chris

 

EXACTLY DEALER MARK UP!!! Remember when we were going from we hope and the trade rate was 25K tops..and then it went to 40K forthe car cus of one thing DEALER MARK UP>..

Just like the raking of the Solstice..ohhh it will happen..under 20K forthe car from Lutz??? Yea right tell the dealers!!!

 

I can't believe how many people are so hostile to the GTO. I was kinda leary about them; however I needed a new car and I looked at a few. The new mustang, G35, GTO, 350Z and looked at many more.
The G35 has a nice looking interior, but the front is just ugly in my opinion. The mustang is okay, but there are several reasons I didn't go with it.
The 350Z is just too much money for too little content that mattered to me.

The GTO is a very nice car, the interior is very nice, only complaint is the climate control dials just dont seem to fit with the rest of it as well.
I think the exterior is nice, not aggresive but I like it a lot more than the G35 to be sure. While the trunk is small, quite frankly I dont care. If I need a lot of room I'll take my merc.

I thought about waiting for the 05's for the 50 extra hp but there are some great deals on the 04s. And I asked the guy I bought it from tonight if they marked them up and he said no they sold them at MSRP. And they will sell the 05's at MSRP.

 

Of all the asinine statements you have made on this website, this is by far the most asinine, unfounded, unsafe, lame-brained, STUPID thing I have ever seen you say. What the HELL can you prove by bottoming out a car???

I've probably gone on over 500 test drives with customers over the past 4 years, and never did some a**hole try to launch a car they took on a test drive. I am assuming you read in an auto rag somewhere that this was a bright idea? Or wait...did you come up with that one by yourself?? Good thing you never went on a test drive with me...I'd have made you stand right next to the car while a tech put it in the air and inspected EVERYTHING. So much as one scratch? Law enforcement would have been involved, my silly little troll. And if you think I would not have the ability to do such a thing, think again. No wonder you have such a low opinion of car salesmen...they validate you being an a**hole in brand new cars.

Darth,
Its not my opinion, personally, that thinks the GTO needs 18s. To be "up-to-the-minute," 18s would be the cool thing to have, but are hardly necessary. Frankly, they'd probably screw the ride up and without some suspension revisions, the extra unsprung weight would hurt handling.

guion,
back at ya

 

That statement from that article has got to be a joke . Lets see , it lacked incentives and the sticker was too high . SO lets mark it up an additional $5-10K .

It was a mix of Pontiac itself and Pontiacs dealer network that really killed the 2004 GTO's chance for success . Pontiacs fubar was not making the car more available from the get go in the southern regions for whatever reason . Pontiacs dealers are guilty of MANY absolute screwups . High markups aside , until the cars really sat on the lot unsold for a long time ....the pontiac dealers around me were VERY arrogant about the car . They all but wanted a gauranteed purchase before they would even show you the time of day . Now how is that kind of practice gonna look for someone who has never driven a Pontiac ? The GTO has such a wide market it could possibly snag new customers from , if these people were treated 1/2 as bad as I was , why would they even bother after the initial arrogant treatment recieved . JMO! That and the markups were the biggest killer . Its funny how once the markups went away and some lease and purchase deals started poping up that all but 2 of the MANY GTO's in my area were all sold within a month . The 2 left are oddball color combos that I dont think appeal a whole lot of people . 1 is purple with purple leather and the other is a silver with red leather combo ....both autos too .

I wonder how much the fact that there isnt even an option for a sunroof sent people elsewhere . I mean every car it competes against either have one as an option or has one standard. For the majoratiy of non-enthusist who cross shopped the GTO with other cars and probably more than few f-body t-top owners , I could really see that as being a big deterrent . I know I didnt like the fact I couldnt get a sunroof at all , despite how much I loved the car . A sunroof possibly woulda sealed the deal for me when I test drove one . I just couldnt get over looking up at that solid roof and over time it just woulda nagged at me more . Sure theres the aftermarket , but no thanx .

Monaro's have a sunroof , so I have no clue why Pontiac would choose to omit it on the GTO , thats pontiacs other fubar

 

I was going to post something about the trunk, but it's more fun just to read all the slams being thrown down.

 

No response from redzed on this??

Also, I find it hilarious that he wants wider sidewalls on a performance car tire...

 

Redzed, you want to try out the 205/75/R15 size tires on my Buick with the 1.5" whitewall on your Camaro? They are the highest profile tire you can get, they must handle better than those fat 40 series found on the GTO.

 

I'd call this being racist against Australians.

 

I kick myself daily that I didnt wait another month....I would have gotten a GTO. For now, I get to hear my friends GTO every time he comes over....

 

My friend just traded his 01 GTP in on a GTO. I know Im going to be jealous as hell the first time I get to ride in it.