# GM announces 2005 GTO prices



## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

*GM announces 2005 GTO prices*
Posted Dec 20, 2004, 3:53 PM ET by Walter J Keegan Jr.​
GM went on the record today with the 2005 GTO price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $32,995, which includes destination and freight charges of $700. An optional six-speed close-ratio manual transmission remains the only “extra cost” option at $695. For 50 more HP and your choice of hood scoop or non-hood scoop versions, I think it’s great that the price hasn’t budged.

EPA fuel economy for the GTO equipped with the optional six-speed manual transmission is an estimated 16 miles per gallon (mpg) in city and 25 mpg on the highway. A 2005 GTO with the four-speed automatic is rated at an estimated 16 mpg in city driving and 21 mpg on the highway. Only the automatic transmission is subject to a $1,300 federal gas guzzler tax. 

All that means is to buy a GTO the way it is supposed to – with a stick (and actually save money).


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## z06ontrack (Aug 4, 2004)

The Mustang will eat alive at that price! Why pay $7,000 more for less?

G.M. should have bit the bullit here and sold this car at cost if it truely is to be a HALO car for G.M. and Pontiac. There are currently 4900 unsold 2004 GTO's on the lot's or in the pipeline. If G.M. couldn't sell the 2004 without any competition of the 2005 Mustang GT what do you think is going to happen in 2005?

Don't get me wrong I'm as much as a GTO fan as anyone (cut my teeth on a '69 Ram Air III) and really wanted to pick up a GTO as a daily driver because my 500hp Z06 is getting a little unruly on the street, but I'm dissapointed in G.M.'s approach.

Good news is that the used market will be real inexpensive. If depreciation holds true to form I should be able to pick up a 2004 at the end of 2005 for about $23,000


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## Groucho (Sep 11, 2004)

z06ontrack said:


> The Mustang will eat alive at that price! Why pay $7,000 more for less?


Less of _what_?

The Mousetang GT has substantially _less_ horsepower & torque, and still sports a Connestoga Wagon-era solid rear axle! The interior of the Ford is _far_ chintzier as well.

However, I concur about the glut of unsold Goats. Hopefully Pontiac gets some marketing folks on the job who know what the hell they are doing...


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## Trace (Dec 15, 2004)

Groucho said:


> Less of _what_?
> 
> The Mousetang GT has substantially _less_ horsepower & torque, and still sports a Connestoga Wagon-era solid rear axle! The interior of the Ford is _far_ chintzier as well.
> 
> However, I concur about the glut of unsold Goats. Hopefully Pontiac gets some marketing folks on the job who know what the hell they are doing...


Ditto here, Groucho. The Ford will be as common as roadside litter in a couple of months with all the V-6 "Ponies" sportin' young, female secretaries behind the wheel. Of course you'll be able to buy one for less; it's less car! I've driven an '05 GT, & though it's a huge improvement over the Fox platform, I went down immediately & bought an '04 GTO as quickly as I could (there were only 2 Impulse blue M6's left anywhere in CA at the time - one's now in my garage). Maybe I'm unusual in my preferrence for the Pontiac's styling, but anyone who drives these two on the same stretch of twisty, bumpy tarmac will appreciate the difference in function the way I have. Live axles should have gone away with carburators! That alone is worth several thousand dollars to me!


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## Freelancer (Oct 16, 2004)

z06ontrack said:


> Good news is that the used market will be real inexpensive. If depreciation holds true to form I should be able to pick up a 2004 at the end of 2005 for about $23,000


I am assuming that you are speaking of an '04 GTO? You can walk into a dealership right now and get one for under $25,000 out the door. If you are speaking of an '04 vette, then nevermind.


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## TrueBlueGTO (Sep 19, 2004)

*GTO Marketing*

Sadly, none of the marketing agencies for Pontiac know what they are doing. Honestly I think GM's sell more on word of mouth and repeat customers than convincing new people to try their brands.

BUT if I can find me a Barbados Blue GTO in Feb for dirt cheap I might pick another one up


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## Neo-GTO (Sep 29, 2004)

z06ontrack said:


> The Mustang will eat alive at that price! Why pay $7,000 more for less?
> 
> G.M. should have bit the bullit here and sold this car at cost if it truely is to be a HALO car for G.M. and Pontiac. There are currently 4900 unsold 2004 GTO's on the lot's or in the pipeline. If G.M. couldn't sell the 2004 without any competition of the 2005 Mustang GT what do you think is going to happen in 2005?
> 
> ...


I assume you mean the Mustang will eat it alive in sales volume. That’s just fine with GM. They do not have the extra capacity to build enough GTO’s to compete with the Mustang in volume. 

Second, GM has decided not to compete head to head with the Mustang anyway. There is a reason that GM is offering a fairly well optioned GTO, instead of having a stripper V8 with few extras in the mid $20’s range, and an even cheaper V6 to really rack in sales. That is simply not where GM wishes to compete with the GTO. 

They expected to sell 18K GTO’s for 2004. For whatever reason (styling, timing of the launch, delays in receiving units, expectations for the 2005, etc) they came up short on that forecast. They have revised it to 12K units for the 2005 model year. Neither their initial expectation, or their revised is anywhere near the 150,000 - 200,000 Mustangs Ford plans on moving. Getting beat on volume is not a concern for GM with the GTO. 

The GTO is a niche vehicle intended to be a premium vehicle that appealed to a smaller group of enthusiast, and a market leader that takes a scatter shot approach to appealing to a vast audience. The Mustang is intended to be that, and to be a daily commuter for people who want a sporty looking car, and to be a budget hotrod, and a rental car, etc etc. 

I actually think that makes the GTO more appealing too, and worth a few extra bucks. The low sales volume gives the GTO a little exclusivity. There will still be a lot of them after a couple years, but it will be a mere fraction of the number of Mustangs on the road. After you see enough Mustangs, the retro design will no longer look fresh or cool. It will be just another Mustang among a million of them, while the GTO will still seem a little fresher because you won’t see 20 of them on any given day.


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## TrueBlueGTO (Sep 19, 2004)

*heyyyyy....*

That's right good thinking there. Good point! :cheers 

PT Cruisers are a major yawn now. And Beetles just look plain..eh.


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## Trace (Dec 15, 2004)

Ditto there, Neo-GTO - my fear is GM will decide to up the production #'s, bring out a "Lemans"/ "Tempest"/ "Ventura" version with a V6, & turn the GTO platform into a broad line of cars you'll pass 30 times on the freeway going to the mall. This car is an excellent balance of tasteful styling, performance, comfort, refinement (they thankfully didn't get too carried away here!), & value - with a touch of exclusivity. They built this car for me - I'm just hoping there are enough people that think like me to make it a sustainable success.


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## ken191 (Dec 16, 2004)

*GTO vs 05 mustang*

I own a beautiful Torrid red 2004,and I also have seen the 05 mustang and for my money the mustang isn't in the same league with the GTO when it comes to interior class, fit and finish, materials, design and comfort. As for the exterior styling I agree the 05 mustang reminds you of the 67. So much so that it brought back memories of why in 1968 I opted for a red Lemans convertable as opposed to a mustang. The mustang looked cheep then and they look cheep now. Why I opted for a Lemans instead of a GTO is a whole nother story.

I do not regret my choice of the 2004 GTO, but I do wish it came with some nice chrome wheels like maybe torque thrust II's


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## Ultra Slow (Dec 17, 2004)

Thats great. Its too bad for the 04's value though, as this is a real bullet in the head for those cars. Leave it to GM to always do that to its loyal customers. I even bet by the end of 05, GM will be discounting these cars about 7K-8K too as this car just has not done what it should, especially given the fact it really is a great machine. At the end of 05, A 400HP muscle car for about 25K is quite a bargain in todays world! 

This is one of the best driving and built cars ever in the US. The only problem with this car is its name. A big unforseen marketing mistake in my opinion. If they had called the car "Blahhh" instead of "GTO", it probably would have sold better. Without the name GTO, you would not have the GTO "crusties" that still think the old GTOs actually perform in todays world, constantly poo-pooing the car all to hell and making sure that its the topic of relevance every time this new GTO is talked about. They keep trying to compare it to an old GTO, and in reality this LS6 GTO will kill even the hold grail RA-IV with tons of mods in the 1/4 mile, then it will spit it out and throw it like a bastard step child after that RA-IV car hits its top speed at about 120MPH due to the fact its WAY overgeared and the motor will spin a bearing or two if you stand on it at these speeds. Yea, been there done that about 20 times.....

The old GTOs do have a following for people that have a memory of a car that was much better then, than it is in today in reality. This is true for me too, but I have an opend mind unlike many of the "crusties". The old GTO is a tried and true classic though, so its tough to try and "one up" it for this crowd, as they are set in thier ways. I love the old GTO myself, but classic GTO and Performance are two terms that cannot be used in the same sentance in todays world. If an old GTO does perform, and which it can, it will not be remotly original, then you get poo-poo'd for that too. Some names like GTO are just better to let fade into history instead of trying to bring back, as you cant win. GM did do a good job with the impala SS in 94-96, but made sure they corrected that by putting that name on a front wheel drive V6 pile.

I for one think the new GTO is a HELL of a car, especially now with the LS6 and the low low price tag. Thats funny about the gas tax on the automatic only.... Guess that may actually be a rare car one day.


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## BRIAN P. EWING (Aug 7, 2004)

I Agree Ken. That's Why I Special Ordered My Torque Thrust Ii's Back In Oct. Let Me Tell You They Were Well Worth The Wait.


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## Chuck (Nov 7, 2004)

05GTO said:


> *GM announces 2005 GTO prices*
> Posted Dec 20, 2004, 3:53 PM ET by Walter J Keegan Jr.​
> GM went on the record today with the 2005 GTO price. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $32,995, which includes destination and freight charges of $700. An optional six-speed close-ratio manual transmission remains the only “extra cost” option at $695. For 50 more HP and your choice of hood scoop or non-hood scoop versions, I think it’s great that the price hasn’t budged.
> 
> ...


Actually the auto is $800 more than an '04 ($34,295 vs. $33,495) and the manual is $500 more ($33,690 vs. $33,190).


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## 04ChevSilveradoSS (Dec 18, 2004)

I Think All Of You Guys Have Points. But What My Opinion Is To Gm, Is That They Shouldve Lowerd The Price Down About 2K From The Previous 04 Version 30-29K, Wouldve Been A Great Price For The GTO, And That Is Really Expensive For Most People That See The Mustangs Price Everytime They Go Over 25K (ANd Its A Sports Car), But GUys Think About It If Gm Wouldve Just Kept The Firebird, And It Looked Like The GTO Today, Then It Would Be Awsome! Im Not Sayin That Its Not Awsome Now, But What Im Saying Is "I Wish They Wouldve Called It Somthing Else". And Chevrolet Has Sent My Dealership And Myself The Update On The Chevelle, And Their Not Even Gonna Bring The Name Chevelle Back Out, Unless The Sells Of The GTO's Increase 35-40%. And The Mistake With Chevrolet Is. . ."There Just Slappin The Worthy Legendary SS" On Everything Just Like The Cobalt, And The Impala Your Not Even Getting 300 Hp, And Their Calling It An SS. . .If Thats The Case, Then ALL Of The Chevrolet Silverado's Should Have SS On Them Bc Their Right At The Border 295-310hp (For The REGULAR Silverado 1500). But Back To Pontiac. . .This Car Wouldve Been Great, And Its Great Now But I Just Dont Want Gm To Get A BAd Reputation Just Bc Of Some People Think Its Too Expensive Or Whatever. . .Ill Say It Once And Ill Say It Again: "I Wish Gm wouldve Called IT Somethin Else". (LONG LIVE GENERAL MOTORS)!.

James Ross--Gm Certified


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## Tom (Nov 1, 2004)

z06ontrack said:


> Good news is that the used market will be real inexpensive. If depreciation holds true to form I should be able to pick up a 2004 at the end of 2005 for about $23,000


Dude,
You can pick up a 2004 at the end of 2004 less than $23000, why wait a whole year and get a used one when you can get a new one?


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## 04ChevSilveradoSS (Dec 18, 2004)

But I THink Gm Will Pull This One Off. .. Like They HAve For Over 60 Years Now! They HAve It All Under Their Belts, But Dont Worry Bc They Have A Plan. I Dont Know What It Is, And They Might Not Know What It Is, But They HAve A Plan. . .And All The GM Guys On Here (I Hope THey Have All Of You Gm Guy's Support). They Will Always HAve My Support, And I Hope You Guys Can/Will Say The Same Thing! :cheers 

GENERAL MOTORS": "Always Moving Foward".

James Ross--Gm Certified


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## Tom (Nov 1, 2004)

Sure GM has a plan, if you can't sell a car discount it, if it still doesnt sell, discount it some more! 

Seems like the most original ideas to come out of GM US headquarters lately is to copy something from the competition. 

Lets not even start on the oxymoron they call "customer service". 

GM pissed off about half the owners of 2004 GTOs by offering incentives right after they bought their car which killed the resale value, and got a lot of bottom feeders like me who only buys a new car if it is a great deal. 

Buying a car because it is a great deal is not the loyalty GM wants to get. but then again pissing me off the way they did with the terrible warranty service on our Aurora sure didnt get any loyalty points either! If there are any problems with this GTO it is back to Acura I go!

And telling me I am SOL on the additional $3000 in GM card rebate they would have given me if i picked up a toy i didnt need three days later does not breed loyalty either.


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## 04ChevSilveradoSS (Dec 18, 2004)

Tom, Id Have To Agree With You One That One. . .I Mean The Service At My Dealership Is Great (After About 4-5 Gripeouts) FROM GM To Me, ANd To Everyother Gm Dealership In The United States Stating That Gm Has The Worst Service Out Of Ford, Diamler, And Toyota, And That We Needed To Start Improving The Service, ANd Make It Easyer On Them Us, And The Customers. And Well Gm's Service Percentage Is Up 20% From Last Years, So I Think ITs Getting Through TO THe Service Guys In These GM Dealerships.

James Ross--Gm Certified


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## Xman (Oct 31, 2004)

I think the 4900 unsold GTO figure is from back in Sept or Early October. They have been disappearing off the showroom floor since the $5500 rebate came out here in Texas. My local dealer had 7 three weeks ago, now has only a black with auto.


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## 04ChevSilveradoSS (Dec 18, 2004)

Yeah, That red tag sale is gonna increase the gto sales by quite a bit and everyother gm vehicle. i think the gto will eventually start selling more after they get a good start (Hopefully They Can This Year).

James Ross--Gm Certified


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## gogirl (Dec 22, 2004)

I agree that the 2005 Mustang interior looks cheap. I sat in one and it was so bad, I didn't even bother to test drive it. I bought my 2004 GTO today - I pick it up in 2 days, since it is 175 miles away (I got the last Impulse blue, blue interior, manual transmission in the Pacific Northwest - and at a good price, too.) Christmas Day, I'm going driving!!


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## Whiteshadow (Sep 28, 2004)

Either way, the GTO just feels, and looks like a $30k car should look and feel like. There were some definite things on my '04 that I wish would be different, but at the same time, I'm not complaining due to an awesome payment every month. I mean the lease deal going on right now is amazing. It's not every day you find a thirty thousand dollar vehicle thats affordable to anyone with a decent job.


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## qonoximiento (Nov 10, 2004)

*Gto Vs Mustang*

I was reading in a leading magazine....that the MUSTANG beat the GTO by one point. This magazine, I ask everyone to read the article, lost any credibility I hold before this posting. The new GTO 2005, as far as performance totally beat and destroyed, if not embarrassed the Ford Mustang. As far as interior stlying, the GTO totally disimated the Ford mustang.....handling GTO beat it hands down. Please note the chart whereas the GTO is extremelly superior then the Mustang.....the only portion where this magazine writer gave credit to the Mustang was on the exterior styling....this was personal and not based on tangible polling or interviews..... I simple could not believe how he could discredit such an exposure of these two vehicles....by using personal bias information versus keeping it on comparison numbers.

Anybody with a head on their shoulders could see how irrational and unfounded this report was......and anybody that reads this report can see why the GTO is a lot more expensive then the cheap retro Mustang!

Saludos!


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## Neo-GTO (Sep 29, 2004)

Xman said:


> I think the 4900 unsold GTO figure is from back in Sept or Early October. They have been disappearing off the showroom floor since the $5500 rebate came out here in Texas. My local dealer had 7 three weeks ago, now has only a black with auto.


Dealer inventory has been dwindling a lot in this area too. However, don't forget dealers were still receiving deliveries well into November in some areas of the country. So there may not have been much of a net loss in inventory. The Red Tag should help a lot, and I would imagine they will have good incentives in January on '04's too as the 2005's show up. Unfortunately, selling half of their GTO's with big rebates on the hood was not GM's original plan. 

Hopefully the styling revisions and added power of the 2005's make rebates less of a necessity for the coming year.


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## Xman (Oct 31, 2004)

The last 700 GTOs off the production line were all Pulse Red. They were delivered to our area before Thanksgiving and are all but gone from the Fort Worth Area - no M6s left. Mostly Black and Silver A4s.


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## TexasRealtor (Oct 4, 2004)

Neo-GTO said:


> Hopefully the styling revisions and added power of the 2005's make rebates less of a necessity for the coming year.


Thgat is exactly what I am hoping will happen next December when I will be looking for a new car.


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## G Man (Dec 27, 2004)

Xman said:


> I think the 4900 unsold GTO figure is from back in Sept or Early October. They have been disappearing off the showroom floor since the $5500 rebate came out here in Texas. My local dealer had 7 three weeks ago, now has only a black with auto.


I went to buy yesterday(Austin area), and my local dealer had sold 7 this past week. Five went to employees, and the other two were a "matching "set that went to a married couple. The one left was said to be spoken for, but I'm going back today, to see what I can find out. It was a yellow/black M6 with aftermarket 18" wheels and tires...very sharp. If it's gone, I guess I'll have to order the '05. I am really impressed by this car.


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## Desoto GTO (Jan 2, 2005)

i agree with you KEN, since my ownership is only brief, to me, the car has BMW 5 series ,moxie, with American muscle.


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## gmc1993 (Dec 28, 2004)

it seems that this certain publication and it's TV show like nothing better than to slam GM cars, or that is what seems like to me. and if you read further, they had to justify making the mustang one of the ten best in 2005, because a 2005 GTO was not available for the test, so for this comparo, they had to give it to the mustang, what they did not count on is people reading the actual numbers from the test, and just giving the win to the mustang to cover there collective behinds.


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## z06ontrack (Aug 4, 2004)

Apparently my post was spot on in that once G.M. discounted the car to the $27,000 level ($5,500 rebate) it started to sell and sell well. That is the price level that it will have to compete at, not $33,000.

The only categories that the Mustang beat the Goat in the Car & Driver article was Styling and Have to Have.


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