2004-2006 Pontiac GTO: Full Review
Updated: 11/23/08
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Learn about the year-to-year changes and reliability for the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO and our price chart details a range of prices based on vehicle mileage and condition.
Pros
- Brake performance
- Steering/handling
- Acceleration
- Seat comfort
Cons
- Fuel economy
- Rear-seat entry/exit
Vehicle Highlights
Pontiac revived its iconic 1960s "muscle car" for 2004 as a midsize V8 coupe based on a car built by Holden, GM's Australian branch. A 350-hp 5.7-liter V8 derived from the Chevrolet Corvette drove the GTO's rear wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission or available 6-speed manual. ABS, traction control, and a limited-slip differential were standard. Seventeen-inch wheels and performance tires were the only available wheel-tire combination. GTO had seats for four and came with leather upholstery, in-dash CD changer, and remote keyless entry. Side airbags, sunroof, and antiskid system were unavailable.
Expert Ratings Summary (view detailed report)
| Category | Pontiac GTO base manual Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 9 | |
| Fuel Economy | 4 | |
| Ride Quality | 5 | |
| Steering/Handling/Braking | 8 | |
| Quietness | 4 | |
| Controls/Materials | 6 | |
| Interior Room | 7 | |
| Room/Comfort (rear) | 3 | |
| Cargo Capacity | 1 | |
| Value within Class | 7 | |
| Total Score: | 54 |
Learn about the year-to-year changes of the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO. Get full details of the styling and performance changes throughout the history of the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO.
Year to Year Changes
2005 Pontiac GTO:
A 400-hp 6.0-liter V8 replaced the 350-hp 5.7 V8 as GTO's sole engine for 2005. Also newly standard was a hood with two air scoops. A scoopless hood was a no-cost option.
2006 Pontiac GTO:
Available 18-inch wheels marked 2006 for what Pontiac said was GTO's final model year. Slow sales and an aging basic design sealed this sporty car's fate.
Our road test for the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO includes a full evaluation from the inside out. We've evaluated every aspect of the 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO and highlighted the vehicle's performance with pros and cons. Use our comprehensive road test ratings to decide if this generation 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO is right for you.
Consumer Guide® Road-Test Evaluation
Manual or automatic transmission, 350 or 400 hp, all GTOs have muscular acceleration, lending credence to Pontiac's claim of less than 5 sec 0-60 mph. The manual transmission suffers from imprecise shift action, long throws, and heavy clutch action. Test manual-transmission GTOs averaged 17.5-18.0 mpg in mostly highway driving. A test automatic-transmission model averaged 15.7 mpg in mixed city/highway driving. Pontiac recommends premium-grade fuel. Testers are divided about GTO's ride quality. Some fine ride control laudable for a sporty car, others criticize it for bounding over bumps and swells. The tradeoff is athletic handling, with minimal body lean, responsive steering, and strong brakes. This coupe's muscle-car acceleration is accompanied by a muscle-car exhaust note while accelerating, but it settles down while cruising. Tire noise is only prominent on very coarse pavement, and wind rush rises markedly above 70 mph. GTO's interior design is generally a step above other GM vehicles with a user-friendly controls and large, legible gauges. Materials quality also is better than in other GM products, but it still falls behind class-leader BMW. Driver and front passenger comfort is quite good. Seats are firm and well shaped with exceptional lateral support in turns. These seats, coupled with a standard tilt/telescope steering wheel make finding a comfortable driving position a snap. Even with its sporty stance and standard rear spoiler, visibility is also very good. Some drivers, though, complain of tight pedal placement in manual transmission test cars. The rear seat is surprisingly roomy for adults, but getting back there is a chore. The front seats power fore and aft via outboard buttons on the backrest, but do so very slowly. A lack of tipping front-seat backrests and no assist handles further complicates entry/exit. Trunk space is meager for a coupe this size because the fuel tank intrudes into the cargo area. The actual trunk is deep and wide, but only 18 inches front to rear. That's about enough for a weekend of soft luggage for two. Cabin storage is mediocre.
Value for the Money
A nicely appointed cabin with a usable back seat are pluses in this class, but it's the blend of American muscle and Euro-worthy road manners that make GTO a Recommended pick. Low demand has dealers discounting already reasonable base prices, but be sure to budget for potentially heavy fuel thirst.
A nicely appointed cabin with a usable back seat are pluses in this class, but it's the blend of American muscle and Euro-worthy road manners that make GTO a Recommended pick. Low demand has dealers discounting already reasonable base prices, but be sure to budget for potentially heavy fuel thirst.
Expert Ratings Summary
| Category | Pontiac GTO base manual Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 9 | |
| Fuel Economy | 4 | |
| Ride Quality | 5 | |
| Steering/Handling/Braking | 8 | |
| Quietness | 4 | |
| Controls/Materials | 6 | |
| Interior Room | 7 | |
| Room/Comfort (rear) | 3 | |
| Cargo Capacity | 1 | |
| Value within Class | 7 | |
| Total Score: | 54 |
Each vehicle report contains one rating chart for representative model. Consumer
Guide® rates in ten key areas: Performance, Fuel Economy, Ride Comfort, Steering
and Handling, Interior Noise, Controls and Materials, Driver Room, Passenger Room,
Cargo Capacity, and Insurance Costs. These ratings compare the particular vehicle
rated to ALL other vehicles, not a vehicle's standing in a particular class. In the
ratings table, "1" is the lowest rating and "10" is the highest rating.
Our reliability study for this generation Pontiac GTO includes details on average repair costs, manufacturer recalls, and everything you need to know to gauge the long-term reliability of this generation Pontiac GTO .
Trouble Spots
Consumer Guide's® Auto Editors have scoured repair bulletins and questioned mechanics to search
for commonly occurring problems for a particular vehicle. In some cases we also give possible manufacturer-suggested
solutions. In many instances these trouble spots are Technical Service Bulletins posted by the manufacturer,
however, we have our own expert looking at additional vehicle problems.
Audio system:
The radio controls in the steering wheel may work intermittently due to loose connections between the wheel and radio head. (2004-05)
Audio system:
Radio reception may be poor or have static because the rear window defogger may have invisible cracks in the grid lines. (2005)
Clutch:
The clutch pedal may keep getting lower over time, then may not fully release because the pressure plate bolts come loose on cars built before February, 2004. (2004)
Fuel gauge:
The engine may not start or may stall because the tank is empty yet the gauge shows fuel remaining, or the fuel gauge will not show full after refilling due to sulfur corrosion of the fuel level sender and if after treating with Fuel System Cleaner PLUS the problem remains, the sender may need to be replaced. (2004-06)
Seat:
The front seat may not move forward when the lever is pulled because the microswitch is not activated, requiring an improved switch (2004); and, some vehicles the easy entry feature fails because the module malfunctions, especially if battery voltage is low. (2005)
Consumer Guide® Estimated Repair Costs
This table lists costs of likely repairs for comparison with other vehicles. The
dollar amount includes the cost of the part(s) and labor (based on $50 per hour) for the
typical repair without extras or add-ons. Like the pricing information, replacement
costs can vary widely depending on region. Expect charges at a new-car dealership
to be slightly higher.
| Item Name | Repair Cost |
| A/C Compressor | $845 |
| Alternator | $345 |
| Automatic Transmission or Transaxle | $2,650 |
| Brakes | $980 |
| Clutch, Pressure Plate, Bearing | $1,450 |
| Constant Velocity Joints | $1,350 |
| Exhaust System | $1,450 |
| Radiator | $565 |
| Shocks and/or Struts | $2,350 |
| Timing Chain or Belt | $950 |
Our price chart for this generation Pontiac GTO details a range of prices in
year-by-year listings based on vehicle mileage and condition.
| Prices | Good | Average | Poor |
|
|
|||
| 2006 | |||
| GTO | $19,500-21,000 | $17,900-19,300 | $12,700-13,700 |
| 2005 | |||
| GTO | $17,000-18,500 | $15,600-17,000 | $10,900-11,800 |
| 2004 | |||
| GTO | $15,000-16,200 | $13,700-14,700 | $9,500-10,200 |
|
|
|||
This chart details a range of prices in year-by-year listings for vehicles in three condition levels:
Good: a clean low-mileage, solid-running vehicle that needs little or no repair.
Average: a car with normal miles on the odometer, perhaps a few scrapes or dings;
engine might need a minor repair or two, but runs acceptably well.
Poor: might have potentially dangerous problems with the engine and/or body, or
abnormally high mileage; definitely in need of mechanical attention. Valuations
reflect wholesale prices paid by dealers at auction, and retail prices on used-car
lots. Each range covers all trim levels and engine types for a vehicle with a typical
amount of equipment--usually an automatic transmission, air conditioning, stereo,
etc. Fully loaded vehicles may cost more. Average mileage is 12,000 miles per year. Keep
in mind that these are guidelines only. Actual selling prices vary- especially from
region to region.
Specs for this generation Pontiac GTO include everything from fuel mileage to seating capacity to options availability.
Vehicle Dimensions
| Specification | 2-door coupe | |
| Wheelbase, in. | 109.8 | |
| Overall Length, in. | 189.8 | |
| Overall Width, in. | 72.5 | |
| Overall Height, in. | 54.9 | |
| Curb Weight, lbs. | 3725 | |
| Cargo Volume, cu. ft. | 7.0 | |
| Standard Payload, lbs. | -- | |
| Fuel Capacity, gals. | 18.5 | |
| Seating Capacity | 4 | |
| Front Head Room, in. | 37.3 | |
| Max. Front Leg Room, in. | 42.2 | |
| Rear Head Room, in. | 37.3 | |
| Max. Rear Leg Room, in. | 37.1 | |
|
Specifications Key: NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist. |
||
Powertrain Options and Availability
All GTOs used V8 engines and a 4-speed automatic transmission. Optional was a 6-speed manual. The 2004 models had a 350-hp 5.7-liter V8, and 2005 and later GTOs had a 400-hp 6.0 V8.
| Engines | cu. in |
Horse- power | Torque | Transmission: |
Consumer Guide Observed |
| ohv V8 | 5.7 / 346 | 350 | 365 | 6-speed manual: 17/29 4-speed automatic: 16/21 |
6-speed manual: 16 4-speed automatic: 15.7 |
| ohv V8 | 6.0 / 364 | 400 | 395 | 6-speed manual: 16/25 4-speed automatic: 16/21 |
6-speed manual: 17.8 4-speed automatic: -- |
|
Specifications Key: NA = not available; "--" = measurement does not exist. |
|||||
Built In: Australia
Drive Wheels: longitudinal front-engine/rear-wheel drive
Detailed safety information for this generation Pontiac GTO include detailed crash test scores from the NHTSA.
NHTSA Crash-Test Results
Vehicle crash test information not available at this time.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a vehicle's worthiness in front- and side-impact collisions and rates its resistance to rollovers. Front-impact crash-test numbers indicate the chance of serious injury: 5 = 10% or less; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-35%; 2 = 35-45%; 1 = More than 45%. Sideimpact crash-test numbers indicate: 5 = 5% or less; 4 = 6-10%; 3 = 11-20%; 2 = 21-25%; 1 = More than 26%. Rollover resistance numbers indicate the chance for rollover when the vehicle leaves the roadway: 5 = Less than 10%; 4 = 10-20%; 3 = 20-30%; 2 = 30-40%; 1 = More than 40%.
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