Overview & Reviews

The Pontiac GTO may have been the first true muscle car, but that distinction has never been enough to assure it an uninterrupted production run. Already, the GTO has used up two lives. Originally produced from 1964-'74, the GTO was resurrected for the 2004 model year after a 30-year hiatus. There was no convertible body style this time, but the car was at least a proper rear-drive two-door coupe, courtesy of Holden, General Motors' Australian division. The new GTO (née Holden Monaro) was a definite sleeper style-wise, but in keeping with its muscle car heritage, it brought some serious under-hood heat. Unloved by consumers during its production run due to interior quirks and anonymous styling, this modern GTO now constitutes something of a performance bargain on the used-car market.

Most Recent Pontiac GTO

The original Pontiac GTO was nicknamed "the Goat" as much for its defiant, stripped-to-the-basics personality as for the letters in its name. The 2004-'06 incarnation was so much more refined and upscale that to call it a Goat would almost have been an insult. Many of the old car's charms had also been lost in translation, including its affordable price tag. The new coupe started in the low $30Ks -- hardly an attainable sum for young, cash-strapped enthusiasts. Bland exterior styling was another weak point.

Power initially came from a 5.7-liter V8, but Pontiac swapped in a larger 6.0-liter V8 the following year. The bigger engine took the GTO up to a cool 400 horsepower, but between the 2+2 coupe's high price and dull styling, Pontiac simply couldn't sell enough of them. As a result, the Pontiac GTO was discontinued after the 2006 model year.

Still, when it came to acceleration, there was no denying the reborn GTO's status as a full-on muscle car. Equipped with the LS1 V8 rated for 350 hp and 365 pound-feet of torque, 2004 models could get to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and blaze through a quarter-mile in 14 seconds flat -- quicker than any of the original GTOs. More impressive were the 2005 and '06 models, which had the 6.0-liter V8. Rated for 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, these models shaved more than half a second off that quarter-mile time.

Although the Pontiac GTO was plenty comfortable for highway cruising, its soft suspension really wasn't tuned to handle this much power. With its sluggish reflexes, excessive body roll and weak brakes, its dynamics were no match for the sharper-handling competitors in this price range. Had the car been priced $5,000 or so less, these faults might have been forgivable. Depreciation has mitigated this criticism, however, as used GTOs can be found for a fraction of the MSRP when new.

Past Pontiac GTO models

Introduced in 1964, the original GTO went through six generations before dying off after the 1974 model year. Always a rear-wheel-drive car, it was sold as both a two-door hardtop and a convertible with an assortment of big V8s. Legend has it that Pontiac stole the GTO name from the equally legendary Ferrari 250 GTO, a car whose name was an acronym for "Gran Turismo Omologato."

Save for the "detuned" 1973 and '74 models, just about any Pontiac GTO from the original era is considered collectible and will bring a high price at auction, provided it's in good condition and has a matching numbers engine (meaning the car still has the original factory engine). Convertibles are rarer than hardtops. The ostentatious GTO Judge model, sold in both body styles, is also less common. Among 1960s GTOs, models with one of the Ram Air packages are most prized, while the 1970 year saw the GTO's performance peak with the availability of a massive 455-cubic-inch V8 good for 500 lb-ft of torque.

User Reviews:

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  AUSSIE SUPER EIGHT - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By Graham Davies - June 7 - 9:16 am

  this car is a real performer, tried & tested for years in Australia this fully imported machine is awesome, being from Australia I have always been a HOLDEN guy, & when I heard they were being exported to th USA, I had to have one, who cares if they changed the name from HOLDEN MONARO to PONTIAC GTO this machine kicks butt !

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  just real fun - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By 4rdc - June 4 - 5:53 am

  A very raw vehicle, no fancy dashboard computers, just a basic car, just a basic fast car, reminds me of cars gone by. Closest I have come to a real factory racer.

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  Fun in 2k5 - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Dave - June 3 - 11:30 am

  The 2005 GTO has finally started to take note of the people hollering about appearance items. I really like the scoops and the split tail pipes. A lot of what they did to the 2005 was available on the 2004 model but as dealer installed options making the cost go up greatly. This year they added these as standard. There are still some dealer available options that really dress up the car, these should be looked into for the fun loving GTO freak in all of us.

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  Get back to where you once belonged GM! - 2006 Pontiac GTO
  By Warren - June 2 - 11:53 am

  Prior to owning my 2005 GTO I owned an 04 model, until a jackass in a pickup truck crossed the center line of the road and hit me head on. The fact that I walked away with only minor injuries is a testamonial to the quality of the car and the integrity of the design. The styling doesnt meet with the approval of some people, but I find it very appealing. The GTO gets plenty of respect at the stoplight, especially from Mustang drivers who know better !!!

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  After 1 year still more impressed daily! - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By oldgoat - May 12 - 1:33 am

  This is one of the most mild natured cars we have owned. It is quiet and smooth riding with an almost luxurious interior. Very civil and predictable putting around town and in the parking lots. But when you head up the entrance ramp to the highway and push down on the throttle, the thrust is unbelieveable. No complaints about anything on the car. The stereo is adequate. The mileage has been between 20-21mpg consistently with the automatic. With 350HP that is pretty good, I think. A 117HP car would need to get 60mph to match its MPG/HP efficientcy.

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  Fun to drive - 2004 Pontiac GTO
  By DBrickey - May 10 - 12:50 pm

  I find myself wanting to drive past my house so that I can keep driving. There seem to be a lot of Mustangs and little punky 4 cyl out there that think they can keep up. I dont think so...

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  You wont regret it! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By GMinTheDriveway - April 30 - 3:23 pm

  This is not your fathers GTO. This is a modern muscle machine - a 2+2 Corvette with an added stealth advantage. Some criticize the so- called "jellybean" styling, but inside and out this is a beautiful car with power to spare. The clutch is pretty heavy for stop&go driving, but the 400 lb/ft of torque allow you to simply ease out the clutch without touching the gas. Go ahead, it wont stall like a gutless high-revving VTEC. This is pure adrenaline in a sophisticated touring package. In the words of Ferris Bueller "it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend you pick one up"

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  Better then you think. - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By Chrono Avenger - April 27 - 8:56 am

  My last driver was a 2002 BMW M3. Is this car as good, NO. But it is 95% as good for 55%(price I paid). This car is the most fun to drive that $32,000 will buy. Handling is about 85% of the M3, but that BMW is the best right?? The ride is better then the M3 and the fit is almost as good. The seats are the best of any GM car. This is a classic GT car, big, heavy, and very fast. If your think that heaven is going around little cones in a parking lot this is not you car. If you like going for one state to the next in comfort, on real roads, not race tracks, in record times (432 mi. in 4hrs and 36mins.) under the radar. This is your car.

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  GTO is AWESOME! - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By fitty - April 26 - 5:03 pm

  I was in the market for a new Mustang but could never find a black on black and all of the dealerships I went to were very unfriendly. I then decided to pursue a corvette and ran into the same problem so I got online and searched many different sports cars from $30k-$50 and found that my GTO was the best buy for the performance. $34k is not a bad price for a 400 horse power car.

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  best performance car forthe money - 2005 Pontiac GTO
  By bluebyu05 - April 23 - 6:30 pm

  ive had my gto since july 05 and drive it on weekends and every time i take it out i get more and more impressed with the performance , handling and comfort. its basically a corvette that you can fit 4 people in comfortably . not to mention with the amount of hp 400 the gas miles is better than the mustang which has 300hp. its really a fun car to drive.