SVX haven t seen one in ages
Discussion
Jap90s said:
My Dad had one for a short while
I thought it was pointless - not fast enough, not much of a driver's car
Interesting - I always liked the look of these and wondered what they drove like.I thought it was pointless - not fast enough, not much of a driver's car
To be fair, I didn’t expect them to drive that well, but thought they looked a bit cool and quirky.
The SVX was a dream car for a friend of mine. Ten years ago (almost to the day, in fact) he decided that since buying one was never going to be a sensible decision he might has well stop prevarication and just get one.
Never one to do things by halves (and committing to the 'inherently unwise decision' motif) he bought one that was a) cheap and b) been off the road for a while, although when bought it was taxed and tested.
I drove him to pick it up and then escorted him home. It blew a coolant hose (patched up by cutting the split end and reattaching) and then a few miles later began suffering transmission issues with a Blackpool Illuminations array of warning lights.
That kinda set the tone. He still has it, and is still smitten with it. I'd estimate that in the 3650 days he's owned it it has been 'available for service' for fewer than 1000 and I would be surprised if the total number of days where it hasn't had some sort of lingering issue made it into the triple figures.
Getting the gearbox fault sorted had the car off the road for literally years, because the parts and knowledge are so hard to come by, even more so at any reasonable cost. Virtually everything is SVX-specific, although some other Subaru bits can be made to work.
My friend is a bit of a purist (to put it mildly) and wants to keep the SVX as an SVX and not swap for a more parts-friendly drivetrain as is sometimes done.
He and I both share a love of old Subarus and old Citroens, although in reverse - the double chevron will always be my greatest automotive love, while his love of Subarus (the older, odder and not-another-Impreza-Turbo the better) rules all.
But he's actually a lot braver than me and has owned more weird Citroens (he's owned a GS, a BX and a CX, which I have never had the guts to own.- that he has a lot of storage space where non-working cars can live indefinitely is a big part of that!)
I've driven the SVX a few times and I can see the attraction. It's certainly unique - a luxury tourer with Subaru DNA. Fantastic engine - smooth, torque, responsive as only a n/asp six can be, lovely noise. But definitely shackled to a woolly (and unreliable!) transmission that doesn't do it justice. Extremely uninspiring brakes. Average (saloon-like) ride, mediocre steering. Exceptional grip but zero involvement.
Quirky aviation-themed interior. Very comfy in the front, stupidly cramped in the back.
A highly average car with unique styling and an amazing engine with a crap gearbox.
I can see why it wasn't a success - it doesn't commit to being anything in particular. It's not a technical showcase, it's not an aesthetic statement, it's not a driver's car and it's not luxury transport.
In fact, like most Subarus it's a fairly average Japanese car with a boxer engine and four-wheel drive. But without the "massive bhp per dollar" factor.
Never one to do things by halves (and committing to the 'inherently unwise decision' motif) he bought one that was a) cheap and b) been off the road for a while, although when bought it was taxed and tested.
I drove him to pick it up and then escorted him home. It blew a coolant hose (patched up by cutting the split end and reattaching) and then a few miles later began suffering transmission issues with a Blackpool Illuminations array of warning lights.
That kinda set the tone. He still has it, and is still smitten with it. I'd estimate that in the 3650 days he's owned it it has been 'available for service' for fewer than 1000 and I would be surprised if the total number of days where it hasn't had some sort of lingering issue made it into the triple figures.
Getting the gearbox fault sorted had the car off the road for literally years, because the parts and knowledge are so hard to come by, even more so at any reasonable cost. Virtually everything is SVX-specific, although some other Subaru bits can be made to work.
My friend is a bit of a purist (to put it mildly) and wants to keep the SVX as an SVX and not swap for a more parts-friendly drivetrain as is sometimes done.
He and I both share a love of old Subarus and old Citroens, although in reverse - the double chevron will always be my greatest automotive love, while his love of Subarus (the older, odder and not-another-Impreza-Turbo the better) rules all.
But he's actually a lot braver than me and has owned more weird Citroens (he's owned a GS, a BX and a CX, which I have never had the guts to own.- that he has a lot of storage space where non-working cars can live indefinitely is a big part of that!)
I've driven the SVX a few times and I can see the attraction. It's certainly unique - a luxury tourer with Subaru DNA. Fantastic engine - smooth, torque, responsive as only a n/asp six can be, lovely noise. But definitely shackled to a woolly (and unreliable!) transmission that doesn't do it justice. Extremely uninspiring brakes. Average (saloon-like) ride, mediocre steering. Exceptional grip but zero involvement.
Quirky aviation-themed interior. Very comfy in the front, stupidly cramped in the back.
A highly average car with unique styling and an amazing engine with a crap gearbox.
I can see why it wasn't a success - it doesn't commit to being anything in particular. It's not a technical showcase, it's not an aesthetic statement, it's not a driver's car and it's not luxury transport.
In fact, like most Subarus it's a fairly average Japanese car with a boxer engine and four-wheel drive. But without the "massive bhp per dollar" factor.
So in summary, worse than a BMW E36 328 coupe in every way, except looks, if you like something a bit weird looking
I'm not particularly a BMW fan, the 328 engine was restricted as standard and a bit dull for my tastes yet it is still head and shoulders above the majority of cars
If the SVX was given full Impreza running gear it would be a huge step up IMO. Although you have reminded me my Dad's was an automatic too. I guess they all were
I'm not particularly a BMW fan, the 328 engine was restricted as standard and a bit dull for my tastes yet it is still head and shoulders above the majority of cars
If the SVX was given full Impreza running gear it would be a huge step up IMO. Although you have reminded me my Dad's was an automatic too. I guess they all were
Lotobear said:
I just loved them back in the day because they were so, so, different
See also Lancia Gamma Coupe with its boxer engine from the 1980s. Fewer than 100 sold in UK but a wonderful coupe nonetheless.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Gamma
Panamax said:
Lotobear said:
I just loved them back in the day because they were so, so, different
See also Lancia Gamma Coupe with its boxer engine from the 1980s. Fewer than 100 sold in UK but a wonderful coupe nonetheless.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Gamma
MDMA . said:
biggbn said:
One of my all time favourite cars. JDM got a twin turbo version...
You sure?
I remember CAR magazine comparing the SVX to a Japanese XJS...I'd kinda agree with the proviso...SVX is better!!
Panamax said:
Lotobear said:
I just loved them back in the day because they were so, so, different
See also Lancia Gamma Coupe with its boxer engine from the 1980s. Fewer than 100 sold in UK but a wonderful coupe nonetheless.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancia_Gamma
Jap90s said:
So in summary, worse than a BMW E36 328 coupe in every way, except looks, if you like something a bit weird looking
I'm not particularly a BMW fan, the 328 engine was restricted as standard and a bit dull for my tastes yet it is still head and shoulders above the majority of cars
If the SVX was given full Impreza running gear it would be a huge step up IMO. Although you have reminded me my Dad's was an automatic too. I guess they all were
I would say worse than a BMW E36 328 coupe in every way, except It's got genuine character. I am no BMW hater (I've had 5, including an M5), but they full of soul, they are not. I'm not particularly a BMW fan, the 328 engine was restricted as standard and a bit dull for my tastes yet it is still head and shoulders above the majority of cars
If the SVX was given full Impreza running gear it would be a huge step up IMO. Although you have reminded me my Dad's was an automatic too. I guess they all were
5 In a Row said:
I know that 10+ years ago there was a Subaru fan living in Perthshire who reputedly had more than 1 of these (I saw a red one in the metal so there was at least that) as well as at least 1 Tribeca and, I was told, various other bits of Subaru weirdness.
There was at least one running around Perthsire for sure, a pearl white with SVX plateGassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff