AN A320 CREW AT PHX EXECUTED A GAR FOLLOWING AN APCH VECTOR FROM WHICH THE ACFT WAS TOO HIGH FOR A STABILIZED APCH.

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ON A FLT FROM DFW TO PHX DURING APCH TO LNDG; WE PERFORMED A GAR PROC. THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCENARIO OCCURRED WHEN ATC GAVE US A CLOSE-IN TURN FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE LEG IN VISUAL CONDITIONS FOR RWY 8. THE CAPT AND I BOTH ANTICIPATED A SLAM DUNK FROM PHX APCH CTL; SO WE HAD SLOWED TO APPROX 170 KTS AND FLAPS 2 DEGS. THE SIT FURTHER COMPOUNDED WHEN PHX APCH TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 5000 FT FOR TFC IN THE AREA. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL JUST ABEAM THE FREEWAY 4 NM FROM THE RWY AT 5000 FT. I BEGAN A VERY RAPID DSCNT WITH GEAR DOWN; FLAPS 3 DEGS; SPD BRAKES FULL. I WAS DETERMINED TO GIVE THIS MY BEST EFFORT; HOWEVER; IN MY MIND; I PREPARED MYSELF FOR A GAR. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT AT 1000 FT WE SHOULD EVALUATE THE LNDG SIT. AT AROUND 1000 FT; I BEGAN TO CAPTURE THE GS; TEMPTING ME TO CONTINUE THE APCH EVEN THOUGH AIRSPD WAS STILL HIGH. AT AROUND 500 FT; AIRSPD BEGAN TO DETERIORATE; FURTHER TEMPTING ME TO THINK THAT I COULD MAKE THIS! I DIDN'T TAKE THE BAIT; SET TOGA PWR AND PERFORMED A NORMAL GAR AT 500 FT. ATC VECTORED US BACK FOR A NORMAL LNDG. THIS SIT SHOWED ME HOW EASY IT IS TO CONTINUE WITH AN UNSTABLE APCH; BECAUSE WHEN YOU BEGIN TO CATCH UP WITH THE SIT; YOU ENCOURAGE YOURSELF TO CONTINUE FURTHER AND FURTHER DOWN THAT UNSTABLE PATH WHICH CAN LEAD TO AN UNSTABLE LNDG OR WORSE. I KEPT MYSELF FROM COMPLETELY FALLING INTO THE TRAP BY MENTALLY PREPARING MYSELF FOR THE GAR AHEAD OF TIME AND NOT COMMITTING TO THE LNDG UNTIL STABLE APCH PARAMETERS WERE MET. I ALSO BELIEVE WE SOMETIMES ACCEPT INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC THAT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO PERFORM BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO CAUSE A PROB OR LOOK LIKE WE AREN'T GOOD ENOUGH PLTS TO HANDLE THE SIT.