I'm in the market for a new car and basically have it narrowed down to either an 05 GTO or the Infiniti G35 coupe. Both cars are similar yet different being that each of their weaknesses is the others strength. For instance, the GT0 has 400hp and is very responsive to mods vs the G35 which has 280hp and less responsive to mods but in my opinion looks much better than the GTO. But the G35 is SUPER common, I see tons each day which I hate as opposed to the GTO where I can count the number of which I have seen on one hand. The G35 will cost me slightly more but has a few more luxury items than the GTO i.e. sunroof, xenon headlights, heated seats and a navigation option etc. So essentially both cars have their Pros and Cons I am just trying to weight them and determine which car I'll be happiest with. Both cars seem like they'd be great fun albiet in different ways. My biggest fear is regretting my purchase. Due to the fact that I'm just a college student, trading in my car after a year for something else do to me not being happy or getting bored of my car is not an option. Any help you guys can give is appreciated.

 

The GTO has horrible reviews and looks like a grand am in my opinion, look into the 05 Mustangs GT if you want something faster and still looks better than the GTO and has many mod options.

 

the GTO beat the 05 Mustang in EVERY category, what horrible reviews are u talking about?? I've read nothin but praises for the car.

 

Unless you are looking to race the cars, the G35C is the best everyday car. The GTO is very plain looking inside. You are only going to get biased opinion from people here.

 

no look in road and track the Mustang beat the GTO by .1 second and 1 MPH what reviews are you looking at? It has horrible reviews iv never heard one good thing about them

 

I own a Z, so I'd pick the G35C over the GTO. I want a more refined sports car/coupe. The GTO is faster in a straight line than the G35C, but won't handle quite as well. Other things to consider is that the GTO costs just about as much as a G35, but you can get things like 19" wheels (if you like that), navigation, sunroof and satellite radio that you can't get on the GTO. The G35C interior is way better looking than the GTO. I don't think anyone will dispute that.

If you head over to the GTO forums, they'll tell you how we're all idiots and you should get a GTO. Just like the mustang guys will tell you the same thing about their car. You just have to drive all the cars you're considering and make your own decision based on how you like the car, what you expect from it, and probably consider its safety and reliability. The GTO and G35C pretty much get the same gas mileage if you get the manual. The auto GTO loses like 4 MPG on the highway and 2 MPG city. Must be one sucky tranny or is really heavy. Definitely worth the $650 upgrade.

 

The currently produced GTO was originally created as a Holden. Holden is an Australian car company. GM then decided that they wanted a new GTO and, in a sense, took a short cut by using a car they already had. So it isn't really a GTO...it was never designed to be a GTO. That is the main reason I believe it looks soooo much like every other Pontiac, they took a car and changed the looks a little bit. If I was in the market to buy a GTO I would seriously consider importing the Holden version from Australia. Looks much better IMO.

 

Think about resale value also, the gto is gunna be worth nothing in 2 years. The infiniti has a great resale value, and if we are talkin 6spd g35 it has 300hp now! I personaly would be caught dead in one! "gto that is"

 

The main drawbacks to getting the GTO as opposed to a G35 would be the dealership network and luxury. Otherwise, it compares quite nicely to the G35 from a performance standpoint.

I don't understand this at all. The original GTO was created based on a Pontiac Tempest, it was never an all-orignal platform. Styling was always an afterthought; the GTO concept was to stuff the biggest engine possible into an economical platform. It's definitely no G35, but with 400HP on tap, its somewhat generic looks could be overlooked. If Potiac would have slapped a GTO badge on a FWD Grand Prix, then that would have been a travesty.

 

You're thinking of the 04 GTO, the 05 has several upgrades including 50 more HP, whole new motor, better brakes, stronger tranny and better handling or yea better looks.
I see the value of both cars as well as their drawbacks. Thats what makes this decision soo hard. In my mind this is how it looks

G35 Pros-
semi fast
Great handeling
great sound system
good looks
real nice interior
strong resale value
makes a nice statement ( i feel comfortable pulling up to an expensive resturant/ hotel in it)

G35 Cons-
Not GTO fast
expensive to mod
N/A mods don't do much
more expensive to maintain
more common than dirt I have 2 friends with coupes and 2 with Zs

GTO Pros-
Quite fast
Good handeling
Very nice interior for a Pontiac
cheap to mod
very responsive to mods (400+ whp comes with ease)
unassuming looks
cheaper to main
Great ride quality
I can count the amount i've seen on the street on 1 hand
5-7k cheaper than the coupe

GTO Cons-
C+ looks
No navi, xenons or sunroof
Not sure its a car I can see myself driving to work in a few years or to a nice restuarant. (i.e. its not very classy)
C+ looks
resale on the car is probally going to be trash
Not bad reliability, but not nissan reliability
did I mention c+ looks

 

Just get the GTO...


You live in LA/ Pasadena right? There are so many beautiful cars there it doesn't really matter how yours looks. That kinda stuff gets old quick.

If you like the performance of the GTO then get it. In the end, that will make you more happy than what other people think of how your car looks.

The last thing we need are more G and Z owners regretting their purchase while flooding the 405.

 

BTW, my friend lives out by a local track, and a number of GTOs were doing 1/4 mile times, most of which were pulling something like low 14s at 91-97 MPH. He said they all had 6 spds. I thought they were a bit faster than that. Could it simply be poor shifting?

 

The currently produced GTO was originally created as a Holden. GM decided it badge it as a Pontiac GTO and drag it over the U.S. I think that if they had made it specifically to be the new GTO it wouldn't look like such a generic pontiac.

 

This is the car that was turned into the U.S. GTO.

http://www.holden.com.au/www-holden/...?modelid=12001

 

I saw a GTO running 15 flat at the track 2 weeks ago, horrible driver i imagine.

 

That link just totally turned me off now! :-)

Actually the GTO is way cheaper than the Holden. I did a Australian Dollar conversion to U.S. and it would cost approximately $50K for the Holden, not including import fees and any emission and/or safety mods that would have to be done to get in country.

 

Get a used GTO. With the way the price should drop for it used you'll get a lot of sleep at night and have some extra $$$ if you want to do some modding.

 

That's what I'm sayin...they ruined that car when they made it the GTO. The interior of the Holden is so much nicer looking. And for some reason I love those gauges. Kinda christmas like but...different. They just cheapened it up when they made it a GTO. If you look at their other cars a lot of them come with an option for a "roo bar". That's how big of a problem kangaroos are to them. LOL

 

Looked at the GTO when it first came out, the interior sucked. The "leather" looks cheap, and what's up with the gas tank being in the trunk? The only thing nice about the GTO is the engine, modding and RWD.

slightly off topic... I'm thinking about trading my G for an '07 Shelby Cobra Mustang, depending on how I like the interior fit and finish.

 

I guess the big question is.......have you test drove both cars?