Regular Car Reviews: 1992 Subaru SVX, Part 2

[@Kurtyburt]

I was creeping through a Subaru dealer last night looking at cars after hours to not be bugged by salesmen saw one of these in the back and got really excited... my girlfriend just looked at me like what's so special about this car it's old and rusty the other ones were new and clean I turned to her and said because this has character

[@uunalaus]

Nice

[@derekj.tejeda267]

Fucking savage.

[@brentlucke8713]

Sounds like the “it’s a Trueno” meme but for Subaru.

[@0foxgiven]

-No manual svx was ever made. No subie manual could take the torque. -The manual button starts in 3rd when in 3. Does downshift if you mash it. Starts in 2nd when in 1, but will downshift to 1st. Its kind of a snow mode. -230hp is accurate -There was a "25th anniversary edition" which was even more expensive. And rarer. I've only seen one and that's the one i own haha Thanks for reviewing one and for not misinforming people about them. Now less people will come up to us and call our pride an joy a Mitsubishi or an eagle freaking talon...

[@trevorbrown7224]

-there was a JDM Manual that could, but the weight was such a factor they did not want to risk it, especially for a low production luxury car. -Manu3 starts in 2nd, goes to 3rd. Manu2 starts and stays in 2nd. I'll take your word on Manu1 because I've never tried downshifting it from 2nd gear start. -I have a 92 and had no damn clue about a 25th Anniv version. I'm going to research that now. Lol. Regardless.. the misinformation is small hiccups. I am more upset that the Manual Mode didn't get it's praise of brilliance than anything else. I thought it was a well executed video really showing SOME of the fine points of this car. I could critique but I enjoyed the publicity of the car in this video and the level of respect and admiration Mr. Regular gave to us who keep these cars going for me to bash on it.

[@0foxgiven]

Trevor Brown which jdm trans could take 230lbft? It starts in 3rd, or at least mine does. And do so. The .net forums has a registrar of the 25th ones. And he did great. At least he understands the car and what it meant.

[@trevorbrown7224]

A JDM RS trans built around the same time. Its not exactly an ideal luxury trans but it existed.. just in a much lighter car. Huh.. mine has never done that with D3 Manual.

[@0foxgiven]

Trevor Brown The turbo 1st gen legacy had what? 220hp? And was much lighter. Looking back at how they destroyed the 4eat, considering how softly it shifts, I doubt the manual would have done any better. And try this: Get going in 3M then put it in 2M...it'll shift.

[@trevorbrown7224]

TheXdmgx7 once its out of the shop (forged engine rebuild and 4.44 swap) I'll make sure to test that. The idea was that there was a trans that could have handled it about as much as the 3.54 did. Lol

[@gabbaba1234]

Saw an immaculate svx in the same color at a highway exit ramp one day. I got out of my car and shaked the owners hand saying I thought Id never see one of these. Surprisingly rare. The owner was shocked someone realized it wasn't just a junker. Happened four months ago.

[@DownShiftRecords]

I ran into my first SVX about 4 years ago down my neighborhood street in this color. Had no idea what it was or who made it, just caught a glimpse of "SV..." and it took me months to find out the rest. At first sight I liked the styling, I could see it's potential as a unique, misfit car even though I knew nothing about it. I never considered buying one, but after hearing RegularCars review, I feel like I got closure. It sounds like an unsung hero of the 90's. I hope the remaining SVX's live long and strong as it's a pleasure to see them on the road (which only happens about once every year or two in Maryland).

[@averagesundaydriver8122]

FS Garage Lucky. I don’t think there are any SVX’s left in Massachusetts. Let alone, the region of it where I live. All we have for cool “JDM” cars is an R32 Skyline GTS-T.

[@vannic713]

are u still keeping it after 5 years?

[@PistNRods]

This car would have been legendary if it had a 5-speed and a turbo. All the Japanese "supercars" of the early 90s had really cool tech in them...and tons of faults. Except maybe the MKIV Supra.

[@ziginox]

I'd like to see you fit a turbo in that engine compartment :D

[@PistNRods]

kasm279 I know right! Trying to get to them in a 300ZX TT or 3000GT TT nightmare.

[@ziginox]

PistnRods I wish I could get him out here to review my '86 GL Turbo... Coupe of course

[@trevorbrown7224]

***** are you handicapped? The Mercury Sable was a low-power FWD Taurus with a new badge. You did not get the level of detail, safety, luxury or handling this car offered. It cost more because it was built to be part of an upscale market of which it was superior by design, but flopped by brand recognition and "the windows." I've been in both a Sable and SVX and I would take the SVX every day without hesitation. In fact, I now own one as a project build.

[@cvan4756]

kasm279 Turbos on a Subaru usually sit under the intake (intercooler) on the back of the engine. The tubing usually doesn't invade into the sides of the engine compartment.

[@carlshneebly7136]

People said they don't make cars like they used to in 1992. They've been saying that for decades now.

[@DJmixmo]

Road & Track was invited out to Subaru when this car was in development and wrote an entire book (~100 [pages) about them (Road & Track's Guide to the New Subaru SVX). The SVX was a concept car first appearing at the 1989 Tokyo Auto Show that went into production almost unchanged. I've had mine for about 5 years and will NEVER sell it! Need I say more?

[@amberarey3096]

i just bought one, so excited to liven this car up and show it off

[@dafiltafish]

Remember to have $200ish in savings in case something happens, 90's luxury cars can be expensive when they break and a lot of owners kept running them after they did break because of how cheap they are now.

[@dafiltafish]

***** I was talking about the svx.

[@dafiltafish]

***** ... I never said it was.

[@dafiltafish]

***** Because as far as 90's cars go with its standard plush leather seats, smooth engine, automatic transmission, high price, and extreme attention to detail the SVX is a luxury sports car akin to a Lexus SC400, Acura Vigor, or E36 BMW. As a brand, Subaru isn't a luxury automaker, but the SVX is definitely a luxury car in the same way Chevy isn't an exotic sports car manufacturer and yet the corvette exists. I didn't bait you or even intend on talking to you, I am just saying that this particular Subaru has higher than average running costs and may need some extra attention because of it... because it's a luxury car.

[@popnsplat]

It really was a luxury car. Not a luxury brand, but for the 90's, it was church quiet, with a smooth, refined engine and ride quality, high end equipment (projector headlights, climate control set via thermostat, power everything, high end stereo, leather, etc) It was as much a luxury GT car as anything BMW or mercedes made at the time

[@alkoyyy]

there was no manual transmission. not even in europe.

[@GreenTwilight]

***** I own an SVX. You can swap out a 5 spd from an Impreza I believe. There are videos of manual swapped ones on here on youtube. You just have to fab a crossmember IIRC. For ~$800 you can get the 4.44 auto with an adapter out of an outback to replace the notorious stock one.

[@XenomorphLV426]

Gay.

[@rtfly193]

PeePee2000 Manual swap.

[@GreenTwilight]

+PeePee2000 A transmission cooler can help but any car you get is likely going to have significant miles. The 4.44 from the outback can be sourced for about 800 bucks and you just need an adapter, which most enthusiast forums offer as a package. The manual swap is going to cost anywhere from 2-4x as much depending on how much work you can do yourself, as you have to fab a crossmember to support the transmission, if i'm remembering correctly.

[@edwindows7]

GreenTwilight What is this "adapter" you speak of? All that's needed for a trans swap is a Phase 1 4EAT, matching rear diff, and maybe the TCU (I can't remember as I went with a manual instead of another auto).

[@InCryosleep]

I had a 92 Subaru SVX as my first car back in 2003. I put a little over 10 grand and a year in a half into that thing to get it back to proper functioning form and it was a piece of shit. You had to order parts out of country often or call junkyards many states away to get parts you didn't know would even work. That being said it was probably one of the best feeling cars to drive I've been in, you always got questions or looks of people wondering what a car that has a sense of style and form they never heard of let alone seen and to this day still my favorite car I've ever owned. I'm not even going to lie when she finally died on me in 2013 I just cried.

[@TrustsLiars]

I saw one of these about two months ago. Sounded awesome and I spoke to the owner who said it was $2000 and only had 50,000 miles on it. Cool car, certainly not regular these days.

[@rolux4853]

Damn man, I’d instantly offered him 3000$ to get it from him!

[@philspaghet]

I have a deep desire to buy an SVX now and do a manual swap...

[@furykillerBZ]

that's all I could think when I first saw one

[@dafiltafish]

thegarage.jalopnik.com/how-to-make-a-subaru-svx-the-car-it-deserves-to-be-1623709858 It's possible and has been done on occasion. There is an SVX drift car out there with deactivated front wheels and a stick.

[@byronbolton6569]

Phil Gudet good luck lol

[@vannic713]

how much would that be for the swaping?

[@philspaghet]

@@vannic713 see the jalopnik link. Freddy pretty much explained everything

[@Pocahonkers]

HOW IN GODS NAME DID YOU NOT POINT OUT THE SEATBELTS?!

[@Crow12619]

Those weren't unusual at all in the 80s and early 90s

[@jgizzy]

Do a 4-wheel-steering Prelude! 3rd gens had the worlds first mass production 4ws system on any car and was an ultra-reliable (unlike others) mechanical 4ws system. Handled better than just about any car out there. It did the slalom test faster than Corvettes, Porsches, and Lamorghinis of the same year (1988). Not fast cars, but handled amazingly well, steered great, and had some of the best seats and visibility money can buy.

[@anthonyrodgers928]

***** there's one just sitting where I live. No rust, just dirty lmao

[@Evansmustard]

***** You can find a few here in the south where rust isn't as prevalent. I've seen 2 separate examples with 4ws in person in the past year.

[@anthonyrodgers928]

Now that I think about it, there's two preludes where I live. One doesn't have 4WS though :/

[@jgizzy]

***** I own one that is perfectly fine. You don't seem to know shit about the car.

[@dafiltafish]

I love that car so much. the way it works is just mesmerizing to watch.

[@Serveck]

I own a 92, the sparkplugs are NOT difficult, there are holes bored out with little rubber plugs of the subframe by the front struts for a ratchet extension which lines up perfectly, under an hour job if you know where to find it :) To all you insulting this car, have you ever driven one at speed? I've never driven even a modern car that handles itself quite like this one.

[@Serveck]

Oh, and the transmissions are not that weak, they just overheat (external filter and cooler easy fix), they are gear limited to 194 mph will handle well over 300 ho, and the car WILL break 150mph. Regardless, it's getting ripped out and replaced with a 05 wrx 5 speed.

[@mistgate]

Serveck I almost got into the SVX game, and I've read that the '92 transmission was the one that had the most problems. Once people got the 4.44 or a proper 5-speed, it worked just fine.

[@ThetaReactor]

Serveck At speed, in the rain, on bald tires. I could feel the power shifting around as individual tires slipped. Glorious car.

[@snoopdogie187]

Your 92 isn't DOHC. My 96 Outback 2.5 is, and so is the 3.3 in the SVX. Actually the 2.5 and 3.3 share a good amount of internal engine parts. My 96 and probably the SVX don't have the holes in the subframe. Trust me, I wish. I changed the head gasket on this car, with the engine in the car. I'm very well familiar with it now. The engine sits very close to the body. The spark plugs require some tricks to get out. Look it up. You will see people unbolting the engine mounts and jacking it up (I did this for the head gasket), or using a specific set of sockets and extensions to get the spark plugs out. One person even used a spark plug socket, with another deep socket on that, connected to extensions just to remove the spark plugs. The Sparkplugs ARE difficult on the right subaru models. Even my 96 outback handles great. Raised (by factory because outback), but I can fly through turns, there is almost no body roll or any movement. I get in other cars and worry about taking a turn a little fast because you can feel the car leaning, and I'm not use to that any more.

[@Serveck]

snoopdogie187 i dont know what youre on about... ive fabricated my own subframe and shifter linkage for my 5 speed swap in my SVX with the eg33, i think i know it inside and out thoroughly. yes the outbacks are more difficult but you dont need to jack up the engine. ive owned 7 of them...

[@balzarini51]

i watch these when im on the shitter. sometimes i just go to the bathroom and watch a few of these and dont poop just to get away from my annoying fammily for ten minutes

[@mikehall3976]

brown

[@vdochev]

I see one of these almost every day on my way to work. The first time I saw it, I couldn't believe it's a Subaru. As a coupe loving guy I must say it looks very interesting and nice. Brings me a smile every time I see it.

[@vrmmmm]

I always felt that this was a car built by engineers for other engineers to appreciate. You forgot a cool fact that you could drive with the windows down in the rain and no water would come in.

[@RestoMog]

Thank you for finally reviewing one of these, I can tell you I absolutely love mine and plan to keep it going for a long time, though mine is a bit modified with a 5 speed manual and more, but I'm holding on to it tight. And thank you for the comparison to the nsx, this was no where near as fast, but damnit its the closest I'll get for looks, handling, and speed.

[@Greatlakessailing]

My dad bought one of these new in 92. We still have it. It was too heavy and the transmission and rear wheel bearings are the only faults. It really was wildly fast. It will still do 140mph without breaking a sweat. When it was new my mom did over 150 with it. the power and speed with it felt so smooth you did not realize how fast you were going. my dad got a new speeding ticket with it every day for a week once.

[@FPSdaybreaK]

Woot woot cyber cops here and you dun goofed u mean e36 not e46

[@gordonwoodard7005]

I remember seeing one in high school, before I had a license. This was the first car I really wanted to buy. I just bought one last week. So excited it’s in MY driveway.

[@the_ghost_of_jacob]

I just got my "new" 1994 Subaru SVX in the FWD model, I love it, you're one of the reasons I wanted it so bad........now god forbid anything breaks on it cause everything is a fortune for this car, but I love it, and it handles astonishingly well for a 21 year old car

[@FiveTwoSevenTHR]

I know someone who owns one of these and he's supercharged it and swapped in a STi 6 speed manual. Interesting little cars. He said that if it sold now, it would sell well because Subaru has established itself as a brand. I would love to see a modern SVX.

[@nx_Exe]

I stay up way to late on Sunday nights just to watch these reviews. Lol i have class in 3 hours.

[@crazyviolent69]

Same here :( 8am lecture But it's 4am now

[@apache1234657]

ha I normally get it at 10pm on monday nite

[@nx_Exe]

apache1234657 i live in the states, its nearly 4:30am now

[@elbarrigon7155]

crazyviolent69 8am lecture here too lol. It's 1:30 AM here.

[@calvinwhite9437]

exactly what i'm doing right now

[@vanitymirrorss]

Thank you Mr. Regular for showing that it's okay to love a car for its looks and aesthetic and not just frowny face at it just cause it doesn't have a manual transmission.

[@QB89Dragon]

Great video, love the car. If you ever get the chance, do a Subaru XT - it's a razor thin line-of-cocaine of a car from the mid-80s and is this car's spiritual predecessor.

[@Robozgraggi]

My deepest respect Mr. Regular! As an SVX owner myself I really didn't expect the kind words you spoke in this video.

[@josephfitzpatrick3248]

I've currently got a 1992 SVX myself. Love the car personally, I'm working on trying to get it restored back to what it should look like cause it's was fairly neglected by its previous owners.

[@BajaBoy23]

just picked mine from a junkyard from someone who drove it on and just left it there to be crushed,i love this car already,i have a subaur baja,brat,and bmw e46 m3,this is by far the quirkiest weirdest car i own,i still need to do alot of stuff to it like the guy said its a long term project most due to parts sourcing,i plan on engine out restoration and bring it back,i am proud to be one of the few to keep the svx going

[@valiktoma2542]

Dayling an SVX for years now, practical to a degree. Always makes people smile, a cool historic piece. "I drive an old car, its cool, no big deal."

[@mpots323]

My friend had a 1992 SVX that he had professionally painted yellow. It looked so good. I remember when you quickly hit the gas twice but hold it down the second time the "POWER" mode light would come on the dash. He had MANY transmission and differential problems with it...some internal parts were actually made with plastic.

[@agrippa1234]

I was always impressed by it's efforts to do design in a "flush" mode; not toilet but body style, controls, styling built around an effort to make the car flush. Buttons, controls, flip down doors attempting to create a vehicle which has much to be found behind doors, around split windows and fog lights built into the main lights....well done....

[@galatiel77ify]

OMGoodness! I'm glad the English major did a review on the SVX. Fantastic car! I worked at a Mitsubishi dealership in 1998, and we got a 94 model in on a trade for a 98 3000GT....The car was amazing to drive and totally unlike anything, anybody had ever made. The SVX easily makes my top ten favorites list.

[@skyhop]

Mine is a 1992 and only has 70k miles. Everything is original, garage kept, I'm the second owner. I got it for $3800, hilariously so. I'm scared of taking it out of the garage because you could eat off the under body.

[@youngrichter3988]

Tombs Clawtooth lol how many winters has it been in

[@Misterfairweather]

As a fan of 80's and 90's cars thank you for doing this review! This is a car that I see for cheap and feel like I should buy just because of how expensive they were new, and realize much like my C4 corvette it'll spend more than half the time in the air in my workshop waiting on me to get parts and fix it.

[@StingrayOfficial]

I got a chance to drive one of these around 98 or so. Really nice car, I absolutely loved the windows. The quality and design of this car put it into the category of almost a supercar, I know, it shouldn't, but it did feel like it, there wasn't much out there this radical. I love different cars, and this one was really cool.

[@jgizzy]

2:13 No country got manual versions of this car, it was strictly available in automatic. Thanks for covering the SVX

[@SkepticalKat]

Great use of "I Think It's Going to Rain Today"! Really went well with the tone of your review.

[@SeanDL81]

I’ve only recently started watching your videos, but I’m glad you made a video on the SVX. I had one a few years ago and I’ve been getting the itch to buy another one.

[@nicholaszetta9594]

You dont realize how often i pause your vids and open a new tab and scour craigslist for these cars

[@garyblatt8925]

God Bless those trying to keep these wonderful rolling tributes to engineering alive. This was my dream car to own when I started college in 1991. My goal was to own an SVX by 2001. In the fall of 1999, the owner of a Subaru dealership called me to let me know one of these has just been traded in and he was willing to make a deal. It was a 95 or 96 model, but because their was nor market for the cars, the price was going to be under 10K. I drove over to the dealer after work and fell in love. It was a beautiful car. I went home to think about it. Then I drove my parents to the dealership (over a 90 minute drive for them) and we looked at the car. Then I compared it to other Subarus and then asked the question which was burning.... What is the availability of parts? Now this was in Oct-Nov 1999 so the car had only been out of production for a couple of years but as a former Subie owner (1989 DL that ran like a scalded dog) I knew parts were not as easy as running down to the local NAPA in the morning and they had them on the counter by 4:00pm. I knew it took days to get parts for my 1989 DL and it took weeks to get parts for Dad's 1990 Legacy which is why it was traded for a 1992 Cherokee. I asked the owner what would happen if I had transmission trouble like he fixed on my Dad's legacy 9 years earlier and he sighed (remembering the 4 months of hell and the quickly extinguished car fire on our driveway) and he admitted that it would take at least a month to get non stocked parts because they had to come from Japan. I walked away from my "Summit Car" and knew it was never to be. I was not willing to live with a car that parts were not easily accessible which is why I traded my 89 DL for a Jeep Cherokee as well. I went back to trying to determine what kind of car I wanted and eventually bought a Jeep Wrangler a few months later. At least with Jeeps there will always be an aftermarket and an abundance of parts. I still love Subies, but the practicality of having quickly available parts is why turbocharged beast in my parking spot is a 4th Gen SHO and not a Subie. If Ford is willing to make a turbo charged fleet car that is severe service ready (ahem... the Taurus Police Interceptor), then that is the performance choice for my family. Sorry Subie. You can never live down your corporate quirks of being the Japanese version of an AMC in the 1980s and the limited parts availability here in the US. It doesn't mean that I still don't love you.

[@Ryukachoo]

2:30 e46 didnt come out until 1998, ish you're thinking of the e36

[@fraserdavidson6900]

E36 also had the trunk hinges set up the same way.

[@nutsackmania]

Fraser Davidson go back to china

[@fraserdavidson6900]

nutsackmania mkay

[@texasBMXer]

The Subaru SVX has always been a realistic dream car of mine. The car is just so unique yet its uniqueness is understated enough that a quick glance would not elicit any strong reaction from a layperson. There used to be one parked down the street from my house until a few years ago and I always enjoyed riding past it on my way to college.

[@baselvisions33]

You taught me about modernism through cars, more than i they are trying to teach me about it in architecture school. Hat's off.

[@philsmgb4393]

Good and accurate review. Looked at a red one in '96. 31K and change, ouch. Went home with an AWD Legacy.

[@beitie]

My memories of this car are directly related to Gran Turismo 2 for the Play Station. I had a lot of fun driving this odd car around the tracks and it did well for me there. Really cool to see these vids and see more about this cool/odd car.

[@FhamieIzany]

One of my favourite reviews so far. Thank you Mr Regular, for reviewing the SVX. Always read about how misunderstood this car is in its time. Glad to see it in video form. To those who own SVXs, you all are such lucky bastards.

[@baktru]

It's been 15 years since I had one. I'm on the verge of getting one again as an old-timer as the first ones are now 25 years old. And I still love the SVX. I probably always will.

[@baktru]

And I am saving them :) I am buying a 25 year old SVX tomorrow. As an oldtimer. To be used for oldtimer drives and Regularity rallies. This is such a lovely machine, I just must have one and take care of her.

[@gpalmer456]

drove one when i was in high school. i remember it sat in a car lot for months before i got it. i think i drove it for two years. it was exciting to drive. i ended up selling it for almost nothing because the transmission went out and couldnt find anyone to fix or replace it. watching this breaks my heart! i miss that car.

[@mattheweburns]

I always associated these with Australia for some reason. I love anything with curved glass, especially when the glass gives that awesome "greenhouse" that another famous car enthusiast always mentions. Like the Bronco II. As if you could almost see the stars thru them without a sun/moonroof. Thanks for the video, cheers!

[@destructoblog]

I've always sung the praises of this weird car. I'm glad it got some level of exposure and love on here.

[@popnsplat]

The SVX did have one incredible paint color, pearl white and black two tone. Fuck that car stood out.

[@eat_a_dick_trudeau]

My '94 is pearl and black. I wasn't sure about buying a white car at first, but it really grew on me. I don't think I'd have any other colour if I were to buy another.

[@RAnthis]

Mr. Regular, I doubt you'll see this but I wanted to share with you that I just purchased a 1992 SVX, all original, garage kept with only 9k miles

[@shawnh.6430]

How'd the svx work for you?

[@RAnthis]

@@shawnh.6430 It's been great! She's got about 14k on her now and still runs smooth as silk. It's an amazing vehicle and I get people coming up to talk to me about her every time I take her out.

[@shawnh.6430]

@@RAnthis That's amazing to hear, thanks for your response. I'm thinking about purchasing one soon as my first car.

[@RAnthis]

@@shawnh.6430 That might not be the best option. The parts for SVX aren't shared with other models so if you need to do a repair it could be quite costly. They're over 25 years old after all. They also require premium fuel (93 octane). If it's a first car you're after, as much as I love my SVX, I can't recommend it as a first, or only mode of transportation.

[@georgearmerding]

RegularCars this is the nicest you have been to a car in your reviews lol. If was ahead of its time. It's basically an audi A5. One of the few awd coupes available. If you come across a mitsubishi 3000gt spyder, please do review it. It's to this day, the only awd hardtop convertible ever.

[@taunusv4power]

I saw one in japan 4 months ago and it was SILVER! Great colour for a car like these it had nice wheels too, but the condition was amazing, i'm sure this guy travelled in time and watched this video he really took good care for it.

[@marcelloribeiro2750]

I have one since 1995 and im still in love. Absolutely great car.

[@dalton6439]

This is really cool, I've seen one of these and remember thinking "just a funky 90's car" like he said in the video. These odd ball car are always cool but it's mostly the backstory I feel.

[@DoNkEyDuK]

You need to find one of the Subaru XT-XT6-Vortex, the first gen one!! those are so fucking retro! it is a boxy Subaru! but it wasn't, it had the same drag as a Corvette! it had (in some) height adjustable suspension that at the push of a button swapped it from a slightly lowered choobaru to what they hoped to be a dirt and mud slugging off roader that Subaru was famous for! just in a jet stylized package, it was their first attempt to break their stereotypical utility background, and oh how it just makes you think whoa... that guy, yeah that guy driving it is wearing a leather jacket and jeans gripping the steering wheel and fiddling the gear stick with a snes powerglove as the electronic dash tickles his g spot with the tempting boost meter with sweat soaking his god damn aviators... oh how the sound of 80's synths just paint it's styling... however, it was still just viewed as a, oh... a Subaru? sadly...

[@crisellenading2184]

I have a 92 SVX almost identical to this one. The cars come with the 4EAT transmission which, as most Subaru enthusiasts know, has one fatal flaw, the transmission coolers are weak and often fry the transmission. This is the case with my baby. I will admit, this has been my favorite car that I've ever owned and someday when I can save up the money, I will buy the rebuild kit and/or a new transmission. To those of you who have never ridden in or driven one, I highly recommend it! Thanks for the video: it made me proud to own this rare vehicle and also gave me a good laugh!

[@ThalassTKynn]

+Criselle Nading I am looking at buying an SVX which has had a forester auto gearbox and rear diff swap. Any other things to look out for other than the gearbox?

[@crisellenading2184]

The only other issue I had was with the window modules. They tend to get stuck.

[@ThalassTKynn]

+Criselle Nading the inner window glass?

[@crisellenading2184]

+ThalassTKynn no, the motor that allows the windows to roll up and down. our passenger side had the issue when the car was moving. then when the transmission went out, the drivers side did it too.

[@ThalassTKynn]

+Criselle Nading OK cool thanks for that

[@dekay23]

Great review. I want to use an Amiga, in fact I still have a 500, and I love this car!

[@baktru]

I had one of these. Quite a while back now of course. This was a truly nice car. Very comfortable. Powerful for the time. And so much fun in bad conditions. I loved my SVX. It was the best car I ever had.

[@nym5qu17]

the design clings onto that 80s futurism aesthetic, while also looking very ahead of its time and sleek

[@MissouriOldTimer]

the drivers side front wheel is mounted backward.

[@lonewolfsx29]

Hahaha nice catch, that would drive me nuts knowing that as I was driving it

[@djolebor]

Again it is so hard to find a parts for this one so that's a reason why 🤗

[@vasekvi]

No its not. It had a directional wheel replaced and it was replaced with the wrong side. Look at the other side and those wheels matched. One wheel is mismatched.

[@alexanderjones6383]

I'm betting that car has 3 right side rims and only 1 left side.

[@projectdeadserious]

If you want the SVX to be around forever until its cool, im gonna burst your bubble. SVXs are routinely murdered for their engine so they can be transplanted into off road racing buggies. My old roommate works at an engine machine shop that builds 5 of these a year for buggy racers.

[@RegularCars]

projectdeadserious My bubble is bursted

[@pinkhead6857890]

RegularCars I would scrap one of these things in a heatbeat just to buy a a set of magnum heads for my 85 Chrysler 5th avenue. This pretty boy Nissan Maxima isnt fast nor luxurious, its just a great failed irony that uniquer than thou hipsters like you rally around to act as if you have superior automotive taste and knowledge. Stop comparing this complete failure of a car to a Grand National or Tucker, its complete sacrilege because unlike those cars this one failed because it was an overpriced dog right from the start.

[@chrismarino6255]

nik krenitsky Good thinking comparing an apple to an orange!

[@DJGodaryD86]

nik krenitsky Hipsters? Says a guy who aparantly drives a 85 Chrysler 5th avenue and praises it. You're in a wrong era, this isn't stoneage, so do us all a favor and get the fuck out.

[@fl6t_svx]

RegularCars Don't worry, I as well as many of my fellow SVX'rs will never let the SVX name die. And I, for one, would not sell my SVX to anyone I knew was going to just tear it apart, especially considering I will not be putting my SVX up for sale, ever.

[@RandyMcKernan]

I still have my 92 (bought in late 91), and still love it! Same color as the one in the video (which I think is a great color), except mine has all the bells and whistles, including the airfoil on the trunk. Thanks for sharing this video!

[@CaptainSloose]

My friend had the predecessor to this car... The XT6. That car was equally weird and scary fast. For 1994.

[@williamgrand9724]

Wait, why isn't he making fun of the car? or making whitty references?

[@DavisBrendon29]

:)

[@BluDog35]

Because he genuinely likes it.

[@DavisBrendon29]

DanEllisRacing35 I've totally go out and buy one now (my neighbor has one) but they're auto :(

[@edwindows7]

Brendon Davis They're fairly easy to convert to manual. Everything bolts up and you just have to extend the shift linkage and weld a transmission crossmember.

[@williamgrand9724]

DanEllisRacing35 heh fair enough lol

[@kennybaierl2987]

Yup. Was just blown off the line by one earlier today. I wasnt racing mind you, but Colonel Sanders driving it was. He kept it in great shape too! Also, I have a mint 03 Acura tl-type s. Mind doing a review on that in the future? Love your channel and your dialog. Keep it up!

[@20ERIC1992]

Loved the videos. I'm a big fan of Subaru since my father bought a 1993 Legacy GX in 2010, the car I drive today. It had only 55K miles and I'm trying to keep it all original. It's still a great car specially for Brazilian standards and since most of them went to junkyards it's a car that just gets more and more rare. Now the SVX is my favorite Subaru of all time. The design, the reliability, the driving experience, it's a car that was very ahead of its time and btw thank you for explaning why so few were sold. I've seen a few of these car for sale on the internet here in Brazil (Subarus are very expensive import cars here and there were never a lot of them), they are either mint conditions for collectors or in a junkyard, but I hope to find a good one that I can afford and fix to put on the road again.

[@coachgarrygould]

I owned two SVX. A 1992 and a 1997. I chose the SVX over a Mitsubishi 3000 GT. I loved the SVX, especially the 1997 which was green with a tan interior and had a different grille which I think looked better. I put over 200,000 miles on each car and had no major problems. They were beautiful to drive and very reliable. They always turned heads. I had three friends who owned 1992 versions. I would buy one again today, a truly great car.

[@imdjc4]

I really like the flared rear fenders. Great design feature.

[@lowintellecttrash6737]

I remember seeing one of these on the freeway once, and one of my brothers asked me, "Do you know what that is?" I didn't know what it was until a year or so later when I found a review for the SVX. Learning more about these cars is weird as that random SVX is the only one, and I barely saw it in the sea of other modern cars. I think we thought it was a Mitsubishi or something we never heard about.

[@TurboLag23]

A LOT of people have started swapping WRX 5-speeds and STI 6-speeds into these. A manual transmission makes the SVX what it always should have been - a bona-fide luxury sports car. If I ever find a clean one for sale around here, I will ABSOLUTELY buy it.

[@lechnoid]

I've owned 2 of these in the past. Fun car to drive and the best winter cars I've ever had.

[@feltongailey8987]

When I moved to FL from GA in 1994 my next door neighbor had one of these he bought new and kept garaged. In my humblest opinion I deemed it, "art in motion". Alas, if they would have offered a manual. I made sure I could see his garage from my room so I could gaze longingly at it when I was feeling down (or anytime for that matter).

[@themaritimegirl]

Never heard of these. I think it's one of the coolest looking cars I've ever seen!

[@TheSkump]

bought a leaky, high-mileage but otherwise good condition running SVX from a sketchy used car dealer for $600 recently as a first time car project/restoration and I couldn't be happier. The extra effort needed to hunt down compatible parts or custom fabbing/sourcing fabricators has taught me so much about working on cars and it's still an AWD subaru (and tack a turbo, 2 turbos or a supercharger on there and it's got absurd potential 8^D)

[@TheSkump]

+TheSkump update in case anyone cares, I saved another SVX from the junkyard and combined the two to make a more or less completely stock (albeit New England Winter abused) top of the line 1992 SVX. Sometimes when I'm discourage by the lack of parts and difficulty of maintaining this gem I watch this video and I realize how it's more important to keep a piece of modernist art alive than to give up and just get some bucket to get groceries.

[@FreemanTwin]

Thank you mr. Regular for giving the SVX it's due. You may need to do a part 3 if you can get your hands on a 5 or 6 speed swaped one. Prepare your mind to be blown

[@michaelbelenkie3131]

brilliant. I owned a 1992 up until 2002, when it tragically met its fate. Hit a bear at 120kph, totalled. I have owned some fine cars since then, and I must say that this car made me happier than any of the other, including a very nice Porsche. High points were the smooth, torquey engine, silent high speed cruising and intelligent all wheel drive helping tame challenging driving conditions, especially snow.

[@MyRandomCommentsXD]

+Michael Belenkie I'm just curious, what happened to the bear? Sorry for your loss btw.

[@michaelbelenkie3131]

Bear took off into the woods.... Didn't follow it to see it's condition.

[@PDXMILO]

I find it funny the view he has on old subi wagons, probably cause he lives on the east coast but out here in the west, 80's 90's subi wagons were and are still super cool for us snowboarding/surfing kids of the 80's and 90's. All you had to do was put a Yakima rack and some stickers on it and it went from mom car to cool guy car.

[@justinkey8832]

Nice review! I have always loved these. But until this review I did not know there was no manual option. Bummer.

[@satoisme]

A restomod or possibly a modernized form of this could be very interesting. It has potential, but so do many cars.

[@KogeyFox]

I've been wanting one of these since I first used it in Gran Turismo 2 back in 1998. I can now find them at affordable prices on craigslist and one day I WILL OWN ONE.

[@SearchEast2069]

I'm afraid the SVX will be forgotten. Just like the Izuzu Impulse or Mitsubishi Starion. =(

[@cordiasr7021]

Antwon Jenkins 3 year update and the starion is getting some love! While the impulse is becoming rarer and rarer sadly even though it’s a better ae86

[@valiktoma2542]

Use it. Its not a fashion baby car. Its a machine, let it live up to its purpoce.

[@swsephy]

Awesome video! A friend of mine had one of these in high school. Loved it. There is also one in my previous Cars & Coffee video. Almost lost my shit when I saw it. They are pretty rare around here. Also the RX-8 has a pretty well thought out trunk hinge design. In fact a lot of things on it are well engineered. It's one of the few modern affordable cars that have a well engineered design in my opinion.

[@sonofagroove]

Grew up in Australia and I remember first encountering the SVX in the original Gran Turismo, then seeing one at the auto detailing shop where I worked. They were SUPER rare Down Under, even more so than in North America, but being the late 90s when WRXs were all the rage, any Subaru product turned heads, this one especially. It's on my bucket list of cars I'd love to drive, if not own.

[@AWJFunk]

A friend of mine put a sti 6 speed into one of these. Totally changed the driving dynamics to where it could maybe compete with its sportier contemporaries. Eventually that engine came out and now his widebody impreza has a turbo 3.3.

[@Curbjaw]

When I was in high school there was one of these at the Subaru dealership down the road from my house, MAN that was a dream car of mine for years. There was also a really cool Volkswagen that was out about the same time, that had Delorean styled taillights that didn't last either. Man this video made my day, it's good to see that the car I thought was so cool but never even touched, wasn't a total turd.

[@abelsaek]

proud svx owner since 2015 ;) . Bought to never be sold

[@Jordan4Ibanez]

Never thought Mr Regular would genuinely like a Subaru.

[@qmto]

Today, Mr.Regular reads the Wikipedia page of the SVX for our viewing pleasure.

[@AugmentedHunter19XX]

I saw one when I went to college in New Brunswick and never saw another, so friggin cool!

[@zatozatoichi7920]

"This is a car for people who sill want to use an Amiga computer." Dat truth. Me wants.

[@TheOccTher]

Purchased one this year; LOVE IT! Sometimes, you need to buy a car for pleasure and appreciation of the melting of utilitarian and artistic factors. If you want dull, get a Prius. I won't have this car forever. However, for now, I simply love being able to drive a love from my past.

[@juancitofelic]

I love the cars of the nineties and this one was one of my favorites. It was unique and different and it was all wheel drive. A Cool car that I still want today.

[@boss12]

A modern masterpiece of subtlety.

[@1dcbly]

I was in my mid-30's when the SVX came out and wanted one badly, and could afford it, until I found I couldn't get a stick. I'm now 60 and I still have never bought a car with an auto.

[@Zephy-kun]

SVXs are cheap now (if you can find one), you could do a transmission swap for a manual.

[@TDF-kt9tl]

Darren Bly DVD player and the groom forgot my daughter is having a great time and I don't know if hell use the e Lee and r in a few days ago by far the way the e

[@Mytube6138]

One of my buddies managed to swap a 6MT and a pretty small turbo into one of these. Now I can't tell what I like more, it or my own WRX. It's that much fun.