Author Topic: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX  (Read 9445 times)

Offline Autos_Editor

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Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« on: August 31, 2012, 06:05:05 am »


Mike Schlee discovers what it's like to live with one of the weirdest cars in recent memory.

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nsmyhte

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2012, 11:13:15 am »
Pretty interesting car.  Very quirky and overly complicated but its nice to see a car that is significantly different from all the cookie-cutter cars of today.  However, Subaru should have spent a bit less time on the strange and unecessary things and more time on the driving basics.

Offline canuckystan

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2012, 11:17:58 am »
Great article thanks, I love these sorts of reviews.  Makes you wonder what Subaru was thinking.  But I have to admire the fact they tried something different with this car.  You can still buy JDM versions of this thing in right hand drive - now that would be a great review!

Offline Arthur Dent

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2012, 11:33:58 am »
I almost bought one of these back in 2000 maybe 2001 but instead went with the safe choice of a 1996 Mustang GT. I loved but the wife fell in love with the stripes on the Mustang.

Top Gear USA just had one of these on their show.

Offline hemusbull

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2012, 01:19:20 pm »
What the autor didn't mention at all is its engine - H six with water cooling, earlier and better made than Porsche's! So pitty Subi didn't continue with this combo engine/coupe at that time - SVX today would be BRZ competing Prosche!

Offline Snowman

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #5 on: August 31, 2012, 02:13:07 pm »
What the autor didn't mention at all is its engine - H six with water cooling, earlier and better made than Porsche's! So pitty Subi didn't continue with this combo engine/coupe at that time - SVX today would be BRZ competing Prosche!

Subaru has the 3.6R Boxer in its current models.

Offline Mike

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #6 on: August 31, 2012, 02:48:34 pm »
What the autor didn't mention at all is its engine - H six with water cooling, earlier and better made than Porsche's! So pitty Subi didn't continue with this combo engine/coupe at that time - SVX today would be BRZ competing Prosche!

Subaru has the 3.6R Boxer in its current models.

If Subaru continued with the SVX, it would be ore like a Mercedes SL 550 than a BRZ.  It was one, big, heavy coupe.

Offline hemusbull

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2012, 03:30:27 pm »
Subaru has the 3.6R Boxer in its current models.

Well, I'm not talking for having it a'la van level, instead continuously improved, developed and competing at the circuit and the market with...the best of the best - Porsche! Period. You now know what I mean, do you?

Offline jamesautos

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2012, 10:18:25 am »
i am surprised all the complicated electronics still works... cant be said with german nor us cars

Offline Snowman

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2012, 12:27:52 pm »
Subaru has the 3.6R Boxer in its current models.

Well, I'm not talking for having it a'la van level, instead continuously improved, developed and competing at the circuit and the market with...the best of the best - Porsche! Period. You now know what I mean, do you?

You did not mention that is had to be in a performance orientated model. I would hardly call intermediate shaft bearing failures best of the best. Facking German cars.

Offline johngenx

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2012, 12:42:28 pm »
Porsche is awesome and terrible at the same time.  They have made some doozy engineering goofs over the years, and then don't fix it.

Offline Pedestrian_A

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #11 on: September 02, 2012, 02:00:42 am »
What a pointless article...  Using today's standard to judge a fifteen years old car.
Driving a car with check engine light on for 100km.  ???  It would be nice to find a better condition car. 

Offline sailor723

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #12 on: September 02, 2012, 04:57:04 am »
This was a pretty interesting car for it's day but the SRX had several strikes against it from the start. It had some typical "quirky' Subaru features. It came in at a price point way way above anything Subaru had produced before and well above where Subaru dealers were used to selling.. It was introduced during the recession of the early 90's when car sales had turned soft.
Old Jag convertible...one itch I won't have to scratch again.

Offline jaari

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #13 on: September 02, 2012, 08:04:23 am »
Not to sound like a driving instructor , but should't you be checking the steering wheel etc before you start your drive?

Offline johngenx

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #14 on: September 02, 2012, 09:35:57 am »
Driving a car with check engine light on for 100km.  ???

I drove a car with the CEL on for over a year.  I knew the problem, knew it didn't affect the operating condition of the car, and dealt with it when I felt like it.

Offline WRX_Pilot

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #15 on: September 02, 2012, 10:56:10 am »
What a pointless article...  Using today's standard to judge a fifteen years old car.
Driving a car with check engine light on for 100km.  ???  It would be nice to find a better condition car.

You obviously miss the point of these Final Drive articles.  I say keep em coming!

Offline Ex-airbalancer

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #16 on: September 02, 2012, 11:58:35 am »
Driving a car with check engine light on for 100km.  ???

I drove a car with the CEL on for over a year.  I knew the problem, knew it didn't affect the operating condition of the car, and dealt with it when I felt like it.

We have lights on all the time in on the Bimmer, even the dealer says it a 12 year old Bimmer,  dont worry about  ;D

Offline Snowman

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #17 on: September 02, 2012, 12:16:10 pm »
Driving a car with check engine light on for 100km.  ???

I drove a car with the CEL on for over a year.  I knew the problem, knew it didn't affect the operating condition of the car, and dealt with it when I felt like it.
\

I had my tuner disable certain codes as I got tired of looking at the black electrical tape covering it.

Offline Mike

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #18 on: September 02, 2012, 01:35:05 pm »
Driving a car with check engine light on for 100km.  ???

I drove a car with the CEL on for over a year.  I knew the problem, knew it didn't affect the operating condition of the car, and dealt with it when I felt like it.

We have lights on all the time in on the Bimmer, even the dealer says it a 12 year old Bimmer,  dont worry about  ;D

A lot of my cars have had CEL's on.  I know enough about is wrong with them to know if I should worry about them.  I too subscribed to the theory of 'It's a 17 year old Subaru, don't worry about it'.  ;D

Offline Mike

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Re: Final Drive: 1997 Subaru SVX
« Reply #19 on: September 02, 2012, 01:35:58 pm »
Not to sound like a driving instructor , but should't you be checking the steering wheel etc before you start your drive?

These articles a bit of tounge-in-cheek