$35K PONTIAC GTO VS. $70K M

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MOTORTREND
MAY 2004
MOTORTREND.COM
$35K PONTIAC GTO VS. $70K M-B CLK55 AMG
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TWO
4
$70 grand will get you
one of these slick,
luxury musclecoupes—
or two of the other
by Matt Stone
MOTOR TREND
et’s say you need a black suit. A decent piece that looks sharp and
fits well can be had at your local haberdashery for $400-$500.
But check out that Hugo Boss in the window. The fabric is rich,
it drapes like it was custom-made for you, and the detailing is
superb. Look at all the extra buttons! Hugo’s a great label to slip
into, as long as you don’t mind popping a grand at minimum—and that’s
on sale. Are the higher product quality and designer brand cachet worth the
doubled or tripled cost of going upmarket? Or are you spending twice as
much to get only a little more?
Pontiac’s new GTO and the Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG represent the
automotive analogy to the black-suit dilemma. They come within a few
inches and pounds of each other in every physical dimension. Both sides of
L
 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN KIEWICZ •
SNAPSHOT
THE PLAYERS
THE GAME
Mercedes-Benz’s fast and elegant CLK55 AMG bases for $71,920 and
includes a ton of technology, creature features, and performance. Pontiac’s reborn GTO offers a similar-size and similar-performing package
that also comes well-equipped, but starts at just $33,495.
We compare these two seemingly incomparable cars to see how
they’re different and, just as important, how they’re not.
Can you get the same go for half the dough?
ONE
4
MOTOR TREND
AMG VS. GTO
this automotive Odd Couple seat four and have
V-8 engines and rakish coupe profiles. Each
aims to strike a balance with luxury, performance, and everyday useability. Like the Boss
threads, the Mercedes has finer detailing and
lots more buttons. But can we really head-tohead a handbuilt, nearly $80 grand (as
equipped), limited-edition Mercedes AMG—
against a Pontiac?
Well, why not?
A run through the spec chart reveals that
both machines cast about the same shadow.
The GTO is 7.2 inches longer and rides on a
2.9-inch-longer wheelbase. The Pontiac is
exactly four inches wider and a half inch lower.
The Mercedes makes a bit better use of the
“
Can we really
head-to-head a
nearly $80 grand
Mercedes against
a Pontiac?
”
MOTOR TREND
footprint, however, as its trunk is larger and
rear-seat ingress and egress are easier.
Both players pack a solid punch. Mercedes’s
AMG subsidiary turns the standard CLK500
into the CLK55 by dispensing with the former’s
302-horse, 5.0-liter V-8 in favor of a handassembled, 5.4-liter SOHC V-8 good for 362
horsepower. There is but one transmission
choice: a high-tech, multimode five-speed
manumatic (more trans talk later). Pontiac
borrows its torque-rich 350-horsepower,
5.7-liter OHV V-8 from the standard Corvette
and serves it backed either by a six-speed manual transmission or a conventional four-speed
automatic. At 3725 pounds, the GTO has one
pony per 10.6 of Pontiac. The Mercedes tips the
scales at a barely lighter 3635 pounds, so its
weight-to-power ratio is 10.0:1 even.
Just as the off-the-rack and the Boss threads
each have two legs, two sleeves, and a zipper,
this pair offers a similar list of standard equipment: fully independent suspensions, 17-inch
alloy wheels, ABS-equipped four-wheel disc
brakes, varying amounts of leather trim, cruise
control, power windows/doors/locks/mirrors/
seats, trip computer, and high-quality audio
systems, although Mercedes-Benz has the
chutzpah to charge $410 for its six-disc CD
changer, while Pontiac gives it to you standard.
Both make you pay a gas-guzzler tax; it’s $1300
on the Mercedes and $1000 on the Pontiac
(which rates only 1 mpg better on the EPA
cycle) when equipped with the auto trans.
The area of technology and creature features
is where the CLK earns back some of its sticker
price. Its climate-control system features a dust
and charcoal filter. It doesn’t just have seats; it
has heated, 10-way-adjustable seats with a
powered easy-entry/exit system, trimmed in
the supplest Nappa Nubuck leather you’ve ever
felt. The CLK’s tilt/telescoping steering wheel is
power adjustable, its power moonroof tilts and
slides (no sunroof is offered on the GTO), and
its wipers are rain-sensitive. The stuff that looks
like real wood and aluminum is just that.
More Benz tech toys include an optional
navigation system with Tele Aid Emergency
Calling functions ($2170), a Motorola V60
voice-activated cell-phone ($1995), and the
Keyless Go “smart” keyfob system ($1040) that
only has to be near the car to let you lock,
unlock, and start it. Don’t forget the optional
Distronic cruise control, which does a masterful job of adjusting itself to traffic ahead and
warning the driver if intervention is required.
Other accoutrements are Xenon headlights,
stability control, a more extensive airbag package (front and rear side bags plus head-protection curtains), and a host of details priced out
of the GTO’s league.
All this hardware doesn’t mean the Pontiac is
wearing bargain-basement trim. On the contrary: With the exception of a $695 hit for the
manual gearbox, there are no options. While
the Mercedes’s cabin is a luxuriously finished
thing of beauty, the GTO’s interior is no bad
place to hang. The instrument-panel shapes are
somewhat dated, but it’s a straightforward,
comfortable environment and could teach
much of the rest of GM’s lineup a lesson or two.
The Mercedes’s better weight-to-power ratio
would have you believe it would be quicker
than the Pontiac, and you’d be right. The CLK
launches hard—although wheelspin can be
difficult to control—and pulls strong to a
0-to-60-mph time of 4.8 seconds. The Pontiac
comes in six-tenths behind. This gap widens by
100 mph, the Pontiac requiring 13.3 seconds,
the Mercedes just 11.5. Each notches a quartermile time to be proud of: 13.14 seconds at
“
Close your eyes
and the CLK55’s
rumble would pass
for an American
musclecar’s.
”
MOTOR TREND
AMG VS. GTO
108.07 mph for the CLK against the GTO’s
13.85 at 101.41. Both of these great V-8 engines
deserve to be digitally recorded and played back
on your home theater. With the bass cranked
up. Pontiac’s is a true dual-exhaust system, even
though both pipes exit out one side. Close your
eyes, and the CLK55’s AMG-tuned rumble
would pass for an old American musclecar’s, if
perhaps a bit smoother.
Besides the fact that our GTO test unit had
less than 1000 miles on it when we ran our
numbers, another element of the pair’s performance differential comes down to transmissions. The Mercedes trans is a computercontrolled five-speed automatic. It offers Sport,
Comfort (Winter), and Manual modes. Gear
and rearend ratios are perfectly matched to the
engine’s power curve and keep it on boil all the
time. It breathes the throttle just a hair on fullcommando shifts to avoid shocking the driveline and shifts seamlessly on part-throttle gear
changes. It’s also equipped with Mercedes’s
excellent TouchShift function: Pop the shifter
to the right for upshifts, tug it left for downshifts. Select the Manual mode, and manumatic shifting control is handed over to the
steering-wheel-mounted paddle switches. All
said, it’s one of today’s best and most versatile
automatics.
The Pontiac’s transmission also boasts three
modes: forward, backward, and stop. It’s a
strictly conventional four-speed unit that
behaves well enough. It has none of the manumatic controls you’ll find in the Benz, and the
ratios are wider than on today’s best five- and
six-speed units. In spite of the GTO’s abundant
torque curve, the power fall-off at each shift is
far greater than that of the Mercedes, especially
on the 3-4 change.
It isn’t that this transmission is so awful; it
just saps a lot of driver involvement out of the
experience. The car’s patron saint, GM vice
OUR TAKE
Pontiac GTO
What’s Hot
• Stiff, shake-and-rattle-free structure
• Rumbling Gen-III V-8 still gets it done
• Superb ride/handling balance
What’s Not
• Yestertech trans dilutes driving experience
• Smallish trunk
• Difficult rear-seat ingress/egress
Don’t Miss
Gauges have colored faces during the day and
turn black when the lights are on
Bottom Line
A successful modernization of a 1960s
musclecar favorite—and an exceptional value
Solid structure, great seats,
and clean cockpit keep GTO in
desirability league with pricier rivals.
chairman Bob Lutz, acknowledges: “We
would’ve loved a more sophisticated trans, but
we didn’t have anything certified to go with this
engine. To start from scratch with a five- or sixspeed, for this relatively small sales volume,
would’ve taken too long and cost too much.”
Fortunately, Pontiac offers a superb alternative
that you can’t get on the CLK55 at any price: a
proper—and outstanding—six-speed manual.
We’ve acknowledged the GTO’s cornering
prowess in previous tests. Even though the
Mercedes lays down slightly better numbers, it
takes nothing away from the Pontiac’s solid,
predictable, enjoyable chassis manners. Senior
road-test editor Chris Walton comments: “I
was busier trying to keep the rear end planted
in this car than in the manual-transmission
version, but it’ll still drift its way through the
slalom happily.”
The Mercedes is more neutral, says Walton,
and “it feels like this car has been through a
slalom or two before.” Indeed, it threaded
through our 600-foot conefield at an average
speed of 66.4 mph versus the GTO’s 62.5-mph
run. Interesting is that both put down nearly
identical skidpad performances, the Mercedes’s
0.82g rating just nipping the Pontiac’s 0.81.
This indicates that, while their ultimate grip
performance is the same, the Mercedes manages those left-right-left transitions better.
The braking crown also goes to the CLK55
AMG, as it has larger rotors, electronic brakeforce distribution, and (we believe) stickier
tires. The Mercedes stops from 60 in an exceptional 113 feet, the Pontiac in a longer-thanexpected 126. That said, both offer good feel
and modulation, although the GTO pedal feels
more natural and easier to control. Pontiac
(and its mates at Australia’s Holden, who build
the GTO) has done a good job in the steering
department. Initial turn-in is sharp; there’s
plenty of feedback from the road and zero
Velvety Nappa Nubuck leather,
real wood, and aluminum confirm
CLK55’s platinum-card quality.
OUR
TAKE
Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG
What’s Hot
• Lionhearted powertrain
• Lots of high-tech features and goodies
• Sports-car levels of handling and braking
What’s Not
• No manual transmission offered
• Limited back-seat headroom
• Mucho dinero
Don’t Miss
Faultless, autobahn-honed high-speed stability
Bottom Line
Stylish coupe costs a bunch, but delivers the goods
MOTOR TREND
AMG VS. GTO
2004 Mercedes-Benz
CLK55 AMG
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
Drivetrain layout
Engine type
bump steer. But the Benz is still a hair better,
being even more precise.
AMG-ified Mercedes are tuned to handle, so
you’d expect a bit of a ride penalty. While the
CLK55 is never harsh, it is direct, and the nastiest of surfaces and road shocks telegraph their
way through. But that’s okay; if you want a
smoother ride, stick with the standard CLK500.
The Pontiac offers a sweeter ride/handling balance for everyday use, although, as we’ve seen at
the track, at the expense of that last smidgen of
handling prowess. We love the way it eats up
mid-corner bumps without complaint. Each
car is quiet, considering that they’re not pure
luxo rides, with the wind-noise and road-rumble match ending in a tie. The Mercedes’s highspeed stability is faultless; the GTO’s, merely
outstanding.
There is one additional anomaly in the
price/value issues at play here. For just $10
grand more, you can buy an E55 AMG. Besides
larger, four-door packaging, the cost delta nabs
a supercharged version of the AMG V-8, good
for 469 horsepower. That’s 107 more than the
CLK55. Any speed-shop owner will tell you
that the last increment of horsepower costs the
most, not the least. Yet comparing these cars,
the reverse is true. We understand why Mercedes doesn’t put the killer motor in the midsize package; it saves those goods for upper-end
models like the E55, S55, and CL55 AMGs. But
it seems to us that the CLK55’s cost advantage
ought to be greater, considering the difference
in powertrain specs.
What have we learned? Like that svelte Hugo
Boss, the Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG is a
great-looking, beautifully engineered, topquality piece that performs at a high level. And,
like that other well-made, if mass-produced,
suit, the Pontiac GTO provides perhaps 85 to
90 percent of the goodness—for less than 50
percent of the cost.
It isn’t that this odd-duck matchup says anything disparaging about the CLK55. It just
shows the praiseworthiness of the GTO. Proof
positive that, depending on your taste and budget, less can sometimes be more.
Well, more or less.
Front engine, RWD
90° V-8, alum block and heads,
LEV Bin 9
Valve gear
SOHC, 3 valves/cyl
Bore x stroke, in/mm
3.82x3.62 / 97.0x92.0
Displacement, ci/cc
331.9 / 5439
Compression ratio
11.0:1
Max horsepower @ rpm 362 @ 5750
Max torque @ rpm
376 @ 4000
Max engine speed
6000
Specific output, hp/liter 66.6
Power to weight, lb/hp
10.0
Transmission
5-speed automatic
Axle/final-drive ratio (:1) 3.06 / 2.54
Suspension, front; rear
MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Brakes, f;r
13.6-in vented disc;
11.8-in vented disc, ABS, EBD, BA
Wheels, f;r
17x7.5; 17x8.5, cast alum
Tires, f;r
225/45ZR17 91Y; 245/40ZR17
Michelin Pilot Sport
DIMENSIONS
Seating capacity
Wheelbase, in
Track, f/r, in
Length, in
Width, in
Overall height, in
Cargo volume, cu ft
Curb weight, lb
Turning circle, ft
Fuel capacity, gal
TEST DATA
Acceleration, sec to mph
0-30
0-40
0-50
0-60
0-70
0-80
0-90
0-100
0-100-0
1/4 mile, sec @ mph
Braking, 60-0 mph, ft
Braking, 100-0 mph, ft
200-ft skidpad, lateral g
600-ft slalom, mph
MT Figure-8, sec @ ave g
Top-gear rpm @ 60 mph
CONSUMER INFO
On sale in U.S.
Base price, incl delivery
Price as tested
Stability/traction control
Airbags
Basic warranty
Powertrain warranty
Roadside assistance
EPA mpg, city/hwy
Range, miles, city/hwy
Recommended fuel
2004 Pontiac GTO
Front engine, RWD
90° V-8, alum block and heads,
LEV Bin 8
OHV, 2 valves/cyl
3.90x3.62 / 99.0x92.0
345.7 / 5665
10.1:1
350 @ 5200
365 @ 4000
6200
61.8
10.6
4-speed automatic
3.46 / 2.42
MacPherson struts, anti-roll bar;
multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
11.7-in vented disc;
11.3-in disc, ABS
17x8.0; 17x8.0, cast alum
245/45ZR17 95W M+S;
245/45ZR17 95W M+S
BFGoodrich G-Force TA
4
106.9
58.9 / 58.0
182.6
68.5
55.4
10.4
3635
35.3
16.4
4
109.8
61.8 / 61.8
189.8
72.5
54.9
9.0
3725
36.1
18.5
1.8
2.6
3.7
4.8
6.1
7.8
9.5
11.5
15.9
13.14 @ 108.07
113
322
0.82
66.4
26.5 @ 0.66
2100
2.1
3.0
4.1
5.4
6.9
8.8
11.2
13.3
18.2
13.85 @ 101.41
126
347
0.81
62.5
27.0 @ 0.63
1900
Currently
$71,920
$79,400
Yes/yes
Dual front, front-side,
f/r side curtain
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
4 yrs/50,000 miles
15/22
246/361
Unleaded premium
Currently
$32,495
$33,495
No/yes
Dual front, front-side
Posted with permission from the May 2004 issue of Motor Trend ®
www.motortrend.com. Copyright 2004, PRIMEDIA Inc. All rights reserved.
For more information about reprints from Motor Trend, contact Wright’s Reprints at 877-652-5295
3 yrs/36,000 miles
3 yrs/36,000 miles
3 yrs/36,000 miles
16/21
296/389
Unleaded premium