04 Cobra or 04 GTO?

[anoxiekid]

I am looking at getting either a 04 Cobra or 04 GTO I like things about both cars and am having a hard time making my decision. I currently drive a pontiac and like it and have no complaints. But I was driving by the Ford dealership the other day and noticed a Orange mustang on the lot. the color cought my eye and I like it alot. I stoped in and asked him about it. And asked him if it would be avalible in the Cobra when he said yes he could see the I was very interested. anyway he is getting a 04 Cobra in compition orange w/ chrome wheels for me to look at and drive in 12 days. I look forward too it and hope I enjoy the car. But I wanna hear what current 2003 and 4 cobra owners think about there car. The GTO is a sleek decently looking car its interior looks awsome but GM is being shady about releasing information on the car. And I dont like that also the car is not near as agressive looking as the Cobra. I have never been a huge fan of the mustang ( because everyone and there brother has one) but I believe the cobra may be different. Please help me with good honest responses and please dont trash talk the GTO.
thanks

 

[Solid Snake]

Are you kidding? You can't decide between a 450HP muscle car or a 350HP family sedan?

Cobra man, cobra!

 

[Gray02GT]

Im not impressed with the GTO, its just a family sedan with a LS1 imo. They really butchered the car considering what it COULD have been!

 

[Firme]

I'll have to agree that the GTO was quite dissapointing in that what it could have been made in to. To me it just seems that they are disrespecting the name and tradition in what you get.


As far as which to get, Cobra hands down. Cobra owners are usually friendly, so find a 03 owner in your area and have em give you a ride (or let you test drive if they are really nice). The 04 basically is going to be a refinemed 03 in that nothing really changes in the car, except for alot of the bugs have been worked out from the early run 03's(same as 03's later in production). Now take what the car and and look and see how much aftermarket is available for it to make is that much better.

I can honestly say that i do not know of a single 03 owner who's car is stock.

 

[99Blk4vCobraSgt]

i would have a tuff decision with the gto and a 99 cobra i think i would go 99 though
03 04 cobra or gto i would have to say gto

 

[mystiGT]

Are you kidding? You can't decide between a 450HP muscle car or a 350HP family sedan?

Cobra man, cobra!

since when did the cobra have 450HP?

 

[Uncle Meat]

Dude.... You come on a Mustang website and want to hear our opinions on whether you should get an '04 Cobra or the GTO!? I think the answers you'll get MAY be a little biased.... You'd actually get better and less biased opinions if you posted this same question on a NON-Ford or NON-GM site. Try posting it over on the civic forums, really! You'll get responses that won't be Pro Ford or Pro GM that way.

U.M.

Oh... If you are single, or married without children...COBRA ALL THE WAY BABY!

 

[Friedchicken]

I don't mind what the GTO has evolved into and I think it was over-hyped and that is what people are disappointed about. The GTO would be an upgrade over the cobra in the whiz-bang and doo-dad department... the cobra is rough around the edges and is so because it doesn't compromise performance.

They could make the cobra easier to shift, softer suspension, , more gadgets and less guages, more tame- but I am a man, not a woman and I wouldn't want this car any other way else I'd buy a Nissan Z.

(Sorry about the disparaging comment to the ladies out there)

But hey, I'm mid 30's with no tie-downs and for my place in life I need a car that is agressive and lets me be me once and a while. I kinda see the GTO as one step closer to the pine box.

All i know is, you won't have such a hard time to decide once you sit in that new competition orange 04 cobra with over 400 ponies waiting for your command

 

[SALEENstang96]

Dude,this a trick question? Am I on Punk'd? The Cobra of course!! I'd give anything for a new Cobra and you've got a chance to get one? GO FOR IT. I trust you'll make the right decision!

-Mike

 

[ttown]

Well the only thing I can see the GTO has going for it is it will only be made a few years before production ends. No one will buy a car that performs close to an 04 GT but handles like a cobra. Those cars are over $30k and weigh over 3800lb.

There's no way no how I'd give trade you head up for my MACH for a car that weak. You could probally talk me in a trade for my GT, but it's a lot of jack for a Grand Prix with a V8.

At least on the new vette they stole the design off the Viper since GM can't come up with anything orginial...

 

[Snake03]

since when did the cobra have 450HP?

They typically pull ~370RWHP on a chassis dyno. With a conservative 15% drivetrain loss that's 425HP at the fly. Add a catback, highflow filter and pull the absurdly small snorkle it's breathing through and you'll be on the north side of 450.

 

[91cobraR]

Yeah I think the GTO could have been designed a little better. It does'nt even have dual exhaust! The austrailian Holden chassis, LS1, and T56 are the only good things about the GTO. It still has that stupid first to fourth gear "skip-shift" crap. If I was a GM fan I would save my money and buy the last of the SS camaros; but I' m not, so the 04 Cobra sounds like such a sweetier decision. Besides the 04 Cobra with a few mods will be hunting vettes and vipers not camaros or GTO's!

 

[PDubs]

You're kidding right?? Once bitten...

 

[motorCITY]

Cobra ALL DAY LONG!

Even if you are married w/kids . . . they can fit! Maybe not the most comfortable . . . but they can fit. Trust me ~

 

[doogz]

I saw one in person for the first time driving yesterday (GTO). At first I thought it was a saturn. Upon closer inspection I thought it was a new styled sunfire. THEY KILLED THE GTO

 

[Traveler]

The only thing that would have me leaning toward the GTO is the interior & its size. I would say this...I'd probably go with a larger coupe the next time around as the Mustang's back seat doesn't look to be nearly as useful. I love Mustangs (on my 5th one) but I am at a point that my car rarely gets used anymore. I hope to keep my 01, but its likely my last Mustang for awhile as family takes precedence.
I myself take no pleasure in the GTO's vanilla exterior styling though and I await a larger rear wheel drive Dodge Hemi coupe...hopefully by the name of Charger and worthy of the name!

 

[Saleen4971]

GTO? oh u mean the stretched out grand am with an LS1 thats stupposed to be a "muscle car"

hahahaha

cobra all the way man

 

[monaroCountry]

I think that they killed the monaro when they made it into a GTO, the monaro was and have always been a muscle car and with a rich racing pedigree. The pontiac on the other hand had blemishes in its muscle history i.e. 70's GTO.

GT (grand tourer) fits perfectly with the monaro and the original GTO (ferrari) not the pontiac GTO which was regarded as a drag racer.

 

[Miklowcic]

hey now

It all depends what you are going to do with it. If it is going to be my only car, I wold go with the GTO. Its fast but more streetable than the cobra. From what I have heard via magazines and the net, the GTO is very comfortable...well at least more so than the cobra.

The cobra is an awesome car with more potantial than the GTO..and of course comes faster of the show room floor as well, But the interior isnt anything special....its not really designed to be. Ford put all there money into the engine which is awesome..

I had two Pontiacs before my three stangs. Quality wise I had better LUCK with the Bonneville and Grand Prix. They didnt make any noises...sqeeks rattles...lights didnt leak etc etc

The quality on my three mustangs was not as good as the two Pontiacs I owned previously.

I had to spend a grand on my 03 cobra to get the alignment right, and get a clutch after 1000 miles. I love the car now, but it was a frusdtrating PITA in the beginning.

I would still go cobra if it was going to be my "toy" or race car, but GTO if it was going to be a daily driver or my only car.

pS...

I just went to look at the Toyota Prius night.. COOL TECH..but so freakin ugly...why cant it look decent.. MOTORTREND managed to somehow make it look ok but in person uhhhhhhhh

THEN I SAW A SHINING YELLOW MAZDA RX8... WHAT A CAR...appearmnce wise i love it....and its comfortable as hell....would be pretty lousy in the winter time here in th nE though... only 26000 too! I would consider that car, if the weather isnt too bad where you live.

 

[Penguin]

No one will buy a car that performs close to an 04 GT but handles like a cobra. Those cars are over $30k and weigh over 3800lb.

There's no way no how I'd give trade you head up for my MACH for a car that weak. You could probally talk me in a trade for my GT, but it's a lot of jack for a Grand Prix with a V8.

I believe it was something like Pontiac Enthusiast Magazine that did a shootout of the new GTO and the Mach 1. The GTO beat the Mach 1 in the 1/4 (and everything else), but not by as much as they thought it would. Of course, they do like the GTO because they are the Pontiac enthusiasts, but they did give much respect to the Mach. So yeah, it's better in every way compared to your Mach (if it's still stock), except it looks like a giant Cavalier, with nothing new, fresh, interesting, or nostalgic. Maybe the Judge will look somewhat better but I doubt it.