Battery failed once, at about 17 or 18,000 miles. Car was towed to dealership where purchased, battery replaced under warranty at that time.
I've driven it for over 3 years now from when it still had the plastic on the seats. I bought the 06 model because I did not like the 04 models (too plain -- no hood scoops, sometimes no spoilers, etc). Mine has a higher 'sport' rear spoiler, but personally I believe if you're going to drive a muscle car, let the car look the part a little bit, or else just get a sedan. The cabin isn't bad, for an American muscle car it's fairly classy actually (at least compared to the way the older GM sports cars used to be -- Camaros, TA's, etc, basically all plasticky and cheap-looking really).
Overall, on a daily basis, it feels solid, but a bit heavy. Handling does not exactly feel razor-sharp, in my opinion, but it's not bad either. These cars ride generally on the harder side and rather lose their composure, in my opinion, over anything but the smoother roads. So this constant bumping around over any roads with any kinds of holes and pits can be quite annoying at times. Braking is strong (and the brakes with the red GTO calipers look cool too).
Ice-cold A/C in the summers, and good warm heat in the winters -- although the car is not truly drivable in snowy or icy conditions due to its RWD, its torque, and the Z-rated tires it sits on. You really need to have access to a second car if you live anywhere there's a real winter.
You'll get, unless you are always on the expressways, only around 13 - 14 miles per gallon, even without your foot in it all the time. That can get a bit expensive when gas prices spike. You'll gas it up about once every week, if it's your daily urban or suburban driver, and a tank will cost you around 35 dollars in this car (as of summer '09). But when it had spiked last year it was much more, and that's about once a week bear in mind...
Insurance = a bit on the high side, due to the HP rating, etc (and it's much worse if the primary driver is young, of course).
Overall it's very reliable and livable as a day-to-day driver. The 400 hp in this car feels more linear to me, rather than explosive, although there are some serious power points. Putting it all the way to the floor from a light, especially with the traction control off, will have you burning rubber and even fishtailing. I have even fishtailed it (with T/C off) and ripped the tires pretty well while already going over 30mph. So, I guess if you really get aggressive with it, it can be a little 'explosive' after all. But it feels more like a Clark Kent/ Superman type of thing (easy to drive with windows up, slow music and A/C on, not a ton of road noise or rattles, etc, like my older Camaros always used to have, but also capable of throwing down at the drop of a hat). All around, thumbs up, I'm a satisfied owner and my 'goat' and I are tight. The only reason I wouldn't personally buy another Pontiac is because they just got completely discontinued due to GM's current financial 'situation', etc.
Appearance-wise it's definitely more Clark Kent than Superman.
^^Generally, yes. Unless somebody adds appearance mods or whatever. But I think GM/Pontiac wanted it to be that way. I think they should have let these be a bit more aggressive and flashy-looking from the factory instead; probably would have sold better. I agree with the reviewer that the '04's were not very attractive; without hood scoops (at least) they looked from the front like a Grand Am on steroids. I didn't even care for the '05's as much without the blacked-out tail-lights (or the frosted tail-lights or whatever they call them).
Sounds like an overall good review. Why the "sad face"???
These new GTO's (from 2004 -06) were in a funny spot in the market really. Too expensive for the high school racer to afford (initial price brand new, insurance), so they were kind of confined to a smaller set of potential buyers. Older men who had some $ to buy a kind of toy car but not quite, that can also be a daily driver, kind of like a 'Vette in terms of power ~ but not as expensive. But then the old time all American purists among them said it's not even really American enough (designed and built in Aussie). And some said it's not muscle car looking enough.
Well, like them or don't, I've at least learned to respect them because I've driven them, hard, (though never owned one), and I've raced against them. Like it or not these are FAST cars, making real power even bone stock -- to say nothing of the mods guys start putting on 'em. They pull hard against you when you race one, and they're not really at their best until in the really high end speed ranges.
So the moral is looks can be a little deceiving; don't get too cocky with one of these (even if it looks "Clark Kent") unless you're sure you can back it up all the way to the top -- or you're liable to get a bit embarrassed.
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