Triepsyn
Apr-28th-04, 12:39 am
<center>2004 Pontiac GTO</center>
By THE EDITORS OF AUTOWEEK
<center>http://autoweek.com/weekart/2004/0419/dl_gto_345.jpg</center>
2004 PONTIAC GTO
DATE IN FLEET: March 24-April 5
AS-TESTED PRICE: $32,795
POWERTRAIN: 5.7-liter V8; rwd, four-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 350 hp @ 5200 rpm, 365 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3725 pounds
MPG (EPA COMBINED/AW OBSERVED): 17.9/17.3
WILSON: The limited-slip diff makes for quick, drama-free getaways, while the independent suspension makes this more manageable than your average Firebird: Plow into the turn, power drift out. But that's not why people will buy it. They'll buy it for the visceral rush of acceleration. The mid-range is impressively strong, making passing a breeze. The chassis isn't as stiff as I'd like, it feels a little old-Detroit (stiff suspension and chassis flex), but it makes a good GM-fan alternative to, say, an SVT Mustang. The appeal may be strongest for those who have a long-standing GTO fixation (read: boomers) and those younger folks who latch on to the automotive equivalent of classic rock.
RAYNAL: It feels big and heavy because it is. At 3700-plus pounds, it weighs 500 pounds more than a Corvette. Yet my knee-jerk reaction is the GTO feels like a better-handling F-body. It's fast and the V8 growls nicely. I would like to try the six-speed manual, but there is enough power to make the automatic fun as well. This is a good engine. And the ride/handling equation is pretty spot-on-not as flat and quick-witted as a Corvette, but not bad for a decade-old chassis.
The interior is quite nice, I loved the seats and the driving position. Thank you, Holden.
GRITZINGER: I like that GM focused on driving dynamics and didn't get too caught up in otherwise Americanizing this car. The engine is fabulous, both in power and related sounds, the chassis is solid and predictable, steering immediate and responsive.
I would also like to drive the stick, because the automatic just doesn't do it justice. The styling doesn't do a lot for it, but I like it that way: stealthy and superpowered. And now that GM has completed model-year one, hopefully it will turn its attention to some of the oddities, like a sound system designed for right-hand-drive use and HVAC controls that feel soft to the touch but are so clunky I thought they were stolen out of a Saturn.
By THE EDITORS OF AUTOWEEK
<center>http://autoweek.com/weekart/2004/0419/dl_gto_345.jpg</center>
2004 PONTIAC GTO
DATE IN FLEET: March 24-April 5
AS-TESTED PRICE: $32,795
POWERTRAIN: 5.7-liter V8; rwd, four-speed automatic
OUTPUT: 350 hp @ 5200 rpm, 365 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 3725 pounds
MPG (EPA COMBINED/AW OBSERVED): 17.9/17.3
WILSON: The limited-slip diff makes for quick, drama-free getaways, while the independent suspension makes this more manageable than your average Firebird: Plow into the turn, power drift out. But that's not why people will buy it. They'll buy it for the visceral rush of acceleration. The mid-range is impressively strong, making passing a breeze. The chassis isn't as stiff as I'd like, it feels a little old-Detroit (stiff suspension and chassis flex), but it makes a good GM-fan alternative to, say, an SVT Mustang. The appeal may be strongest for those who have a long-standing GTO fixation (read: boomers) and those younger folks who latch on to the automotive equivalent of classic rock.
RAYNAL: It feels big and heavy because it is. At 3700-plus pounds, it weighs 500 pounds more than a Corvette. Yet my knee-jerk reaction is the GTO feels like a better-handling F-body. It's fast and the V8 growls nicely. I would like to try the six-speed manual, but there is enough power to make the automatic fun as well. This is a good engine. And the ride/handling equation is pretty spot-on-not as flat and quick-witted as a Corvette, but not bad for a decade-old chassis.
The interior is quite nice, I loved the seats and the driving position. Thank you, Holden.
GRITZINGER: I like that GM focused on driving dynamics and didn't get too caught up in otherwise Americanizing this car. The engine is fabulous, both in power and related sounds, the chassis is solid and predictable, steering immediate and responsive.
I would also like to drive the stick, because the automatic just doesn't do it justice. The styling doesn't do a lot for it, but I like it that way: stealthy and superpowered. And now that GM has completed model-year one, hopefully it will turn its attention to some of the oddities, like a sound system designed for right-hand-drive use and HVAC controls that feel soft to the touch but are so clunky I thought they were stolen out of a Saturn.