When the fifth generation of the Pontiac GTO hit the American market back in 2004, it wasn't as huge a success as how Pontiac had expected it to be. Even though this two-door American muscle car came with all the right ingredients to make it a compelling package, it was always overshadowed by other muscle cars such as the Ford Mustang. However, that is also what makes this Pontiac a better proposition than many of its primary rivals when looking for a used example.

Coming with the legendary LS1 V8 engine in the 2004 model year and the updated LS2 V8 engine in the later years, it surely was one of the fastest American muscle cars of its time. The acceleration times matched the Camaro and the overall interior space was a notch higher for the GTO. The clean styling and comfortable suspension were noteworthy too. With the used car pricing hovering around the $20,000 mark, here are 10 things you need to know before buying a used Pontiac GTO.

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10 Pontiac GTO Came With The Torquey LS V8 Engine

Red 2004 Pontiac GTO Parked Outside A Building
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The fifth generation of the Pontiac GTO came with the same 5.7-liter LS1 naturally aspirated pushrod V8 engine that is present in the Chevrolet Camaro of the same vintage. This LS1 V8 engine puts out 350 hp and 365 lb-ft of torque and the power went through the rear wheels as standard.

Pontiac GTO - Rear
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The 4-speed torque converter automatic transmission was standard for all the trims. However, you could also opt for the 6-speed manual gearbox for an additional $695. All of these helped the Pontiac GTO to do the 0-60 MPH run in 5.3 seconds and the quarter-mile run in 13.6 seconds. In comparison, the Mustang SVT Cobra did the 0-60 MPH in a lower 4.8 seconds.

9 Pontiac GTO Looks Pretty Cool

Yellow 2004 Pontiaco GTO  Parked Outside - front
Mecum Auctions 

When the fifth generation of the GTO hit the American market back in 2004, many enthusiasts weren't a fan of its exterior design. It was a massive departure from the muscle car design of the earlier generations with curves and creases, making it pretty aerodynamic. However, this makes the GTO pretty modern even by today's standards.

2004 Pontiac GTO - Rear
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The Pontiac GTO came with 17" alloy wheels, a rear wing spoiler, and sporty decals on the side profile. All of these helped to uplift the sporty design perfectly. The sloping roofline and the massive wheelbase of 109.8" also add to the character. The GTO gets endless aftermarket mod potential as well.

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8 Pontiac GTO Was Pretty Good On The Reliability Front

2004 Pontiac GTO 6-Speed-
via BaT

Coming with the LS V8 engine under the hood, the engine was pretty bulletproof. This was also the engine that received exceptional mod potential and extracting over 1,000 hp is an easy task owing to its strong internals. Even the torque converter automatic transmission and the limited slip differential had no major complaints reported by the owners of the GTO Forum.

2004 Pontiac GTO 6-Speed
via BaT

The common issues reported by the owners include minor electrical gremlins due to the wiring harness rubbing against the metal parts. Suspension bushes wearing out faster than normal were common too. Radiator leaks and fast battery draining were also reported.

7 Interior Of The Pontiac GTO May Disappoint You

2006 Pontiac GTO 2 Cropped
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If you expect the luxury and quality of a modern sports coupe in the Pontiac GTO, you are in for disappointment. Even though the cabin looked more modern than the F-Boby Chevrolet Camaro, it comes with hard plastics and a bland-looking color scheme.

2006 Pontiac GTO Cropped
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However, the leather upholstery with the GTO badging nicely stitched uplifts the cabin design well. The aluminum trim that goes through the center console makes the cabin feel a bit more premium too. The massive steering wheel, rotary air conditioning dials, and a tiny infotainment display are all part of the early 2000s design language.

6 Pontiac GTO Has Endless Customization Support

2006-Pontiac-GTO-1
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Like any big-engined American V8 car out there, the Pontiac GTO has quite a lot of performance mods on offer. Along with that, the interior and exterior customizability are plenty too. Regular mods such as cold air intakes, performance tunes, exhaust, and cooling system upgrades are very common.

2006 Pontiac GTO
Mecum Auctions

However, if you wish to take the power to over 600 hp, you could go for forged internals, catless full-system exhaust from brands such as Magnaflow, upgraded lifters and rollers, and the upgraded cam. Suspension and drivetrain mods such as poly urethane bushes, better front & rear sway bars, and the stiffer coil-over suspension are available too.

5 LS Engines In The Pontiac GTO Can Easily Put Out Over 500 hp

Pontiac GTO - Engine Bay
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Coming with the LS V8 engines for both pre-facelift and post-facelift models, the Pontiac GTO could be easily taken to more than 500 hp with ease. One of the simplest mods is to put a full system exhaust from the brands such as Borla, Magnaflow, and SLP.

Pontiac GTO - Front
Via NetCarShow

If you want to easily extract a few more horsepower for not a lot of money, you could get a tune from Superchips, DiabloSport, or SCT Performance. However, if you wish to go down the forced induction root, you can add turbochargers and superchargers with ease. Upgraded throttle bodies, fuel pumps, and fuel injection systems are also very famous for extracting over 500 hp.

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4 Facelift Model Of The Pontiac GTO Is The One To Get

Pontiac GTo - Rear
Via NetCarShow

If you are in search of a Pontiac GTO, we would highly recommend you opt for the facelifted model that came in 2005. The 2004 model came with the LS1 V8 engine and that resulted in slightly lower horsepower and torque ratings than the facelift models.

Pontiac-GTO_5.7-2004-1024-03
source:netcars

The LS2 V8 in the facelift model managed to give out 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. As a result, acceleration numbers were superior too. Other changes include better braking hardware, an updated interior, a split rear exhaust pipe, standard hood scoops, and optional 18" alloy wheels.

3 Pontiac GTO Is Reasonably Versatile

2006 Pontiac GTO
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If you are in search of a spacious coupe that could take up all your luggage for the weekend, the Pontiac GTO makes a lot of sense. With a wheelbase of 109.8" and a length of 189.8", the GTO offers more than enough space for the driver and passenger.

2006 Pontiac GTO
Mecum

There is a headroom of 37.3" and legroom of 42.2" for the front seat occupants and that is superior to most of the competitors. Even the rear seat space was pretty good for the segment. However, the cargo capacity of 7 cu ft is mediocre.

2 Pontiac GTO Missed Out On A Few Important Features

2006 Pontiac GTO
Via: Pontiac

Launched about two decades back, the Pontiac GTO isn't going to impress the folks who want all the bells and whistles in a modern-day sports coupe. However, it gets a decent list of features for the time such as the 10-speaker Blaupunkt audio system, heated and powered mirrors, tilting and telescopic steering wheel, and trip computer.

2006 Pontiac GTO Engine, top
Via: Pontiac

However, when the Pontiac GTO came to the United States market, the competitors did come with bigger alloy wheels with wider profile tires as standard. The sunroof wasn't available with any model year of the GTO and the same is also the case with the navigation system.

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1 Used Pontiac GTO Is An Enticing Buy In 2022

2006 Pontiac GTO
Via: Pontiac

Even though the prices have seen a slight rise from the pre-COVID-19 times, the Pontiac GTO is still an attainable sports coupe. You could get one with over 100,000 miles for around the $15,000 mark and the excellent reliability means that your hands do not get burned much from the high maintenance cost.

2004 Pontiac GTO, front
Pontiac

However, we would suggest you get a low-run example and this would set you back anywhere between $20,000 to $25,000. Classic.com has revealed that the current average price of the Pontiac GTO hovers around $24,000 and that is a bargain when compared to the rivals that came with a V8 engine.