I'm new...And I gotta ask
 

Been looking for a car for someone else and what do you know? I got bit by the SVX bug! I thought they were just the coolest cars when they came out, but out of reach price wise. I see one sittin' on the lot yesterday and bang! I just gotta have one now that I see the prices for used ones are so damned cheap (relatively cheap ;) ) But............Are the tranny's really that bad??????? I just drove a 95' with 41k on it and plan to drive as many more as I can to see if I really really really want one. This 95' is clean clean clean and I suspect it's not gonna be easy to find many this clean. They want a bit too much in my opinion for a base model FWD but everything is negotiable right? Anyway, I'd like to know if the tranny's are notorious on all the production years, AWD's over FWD's, etc...If I find something with low miles and throw a tranny cooler on will that increase the longevity of the trans significantly? And are the brakes another weak link as well. After market rotors the solution?

Thanks in advance...glad I found this site!

Hey, welcome to the club.

Now whether to choose FWD over AWD is personal preference. I will let you know that most, once bitten by AWD (in addition to the SVX), never want to go back.

The tranny should be firm yet smooth through every gear change.

How much do they want for it? I'm assuming this was one that was for sale. Perhaps someone on the site in your area familiar with SVX's could also take a look at the car for you.

Yes coolers will prolong the life of the tranny. Heat and bad circulation were the tranny's worst enemy. Most of the updates were done by 94 though.

I've had my SVX for a year and a half and have not had rotor problems yet. *knock on wood*

Another problem was the rear wheel bearings. Again I'm still safe in that area. *knock, knock*

Do/will I ever regret buying my SVX....NEVER!!

It's on a Subaru lot and they have it listed for $10,900.00...:eek: Base FWD model. Red with grey vinyl/cloth...I think if it was an AWD LSi the price wouldn't seem too bad.

So would a clean 95' (that was properly maintained) be a relatively reliable vehicle? The car was rock solid and smooth. You can really feel the weight when you apply the brakes for the first time...I really didn't notice the tranny at all. It shifted when it was supposed to :D. Like I said, the car was smooth.

Hopefully I'll get to drive another one today so I can start comparing. I looked at two beaters on Saturday which were so dissapointing I didn't bother to drive them.

I haven't seen one bad comment regarding the motor's in these babies. Are they that good? I hope? :)

Thanks for the info Earthworm...

i think that price is a tad bit extreme...and the motors....you know how hard diamonds are.....well there ya go...;) ;) not exactly, but they are pretty good.

you have said that you were looking for beaters, what do you want the svx for? i mean, if you are looking for a beater, the price is a little bit more steep for minor fixing...an svx can really put a hole in your pocket

Kelli

Not looking for a beater...Went to look at the cars and they turned out to be beaters :) My version of excellent condition is apparently significantly different from a used car salesmans ;)

Trying to avoid the deep pocket minor fixes by getting something clean to begin with. The car may also turn into a gift for someone special so I really really don't want to be worried about it breaking down all the time. Nothing says I love you like a great big piece of junk :D

The price seems a bit steep to me too inspite of the low miles, especially since it's fwd. Unless you never head north to ski or travel to areas that never see inclimate weather you might not miss having AWD. But I can't help but think that since you were in love with the SVX when they came out it wouldn't be long until you were looking longingly at those with AWD versions and regretting your decision to settle for a fwd version.

As far as the tranny goes, I have not heard of the fwd models being affected by heat issues like the awd models but others with more experience in this area might know better than I.

Either way, welcome to the club! We look forward to hearing more from you. Just like you I have loved the SVX but never thought I'd be able to afford one until I saw my 92 AWD in the paper. I wasn't really in the market for a car but I went to look at it and fell in love on the spot. Happy SVX hunting! :)

i found mine before i was ready to actually buy it - for some reason black '96/'97's didn't seem to be very common. then i found one about 200 miles away. i borrowed the money from my parents, and it took me a little longer to sell my 928 than i thought, but all worked out well.
get one in nice shape - i had a pre-purchase inspection done at a Subaru dealer for $60. then, add a tranny cooler ($40-$60), an external filter ($30-$50), synthetic tranny fluid, aftermarket rotors (i'd recommend ART cryo's, $300 shipped), stainless steel brake hoses ($125) and you're all set. :)

Truthfully . . .
 

. . . if this car is as good as you say, and has only, what (?!), 41,000 miles (?!), I don't think you could go wrong on the '95. Face it, in Tujunga you're not going to need AWD often enough to justify the extra expense in gas (admittedly - not much), or in complexity. It's pretty much a matter of taste, but I really like my cloth seats, and the ceiling is much nicer without the sunroof (it opens 'out' anyway - icky).

Look around for a more luxurious FWD for that money. Y'ain't gonna find one. Not no where. Not no how. Besides that, you can always offer less.

The guys here are used to getting bargain-basement SVX's, but then they complain about repair costs. I have less money in repairs on the SVX (bought new) than I've ever had with any other car at half the mileage. In spite of the fact that I never say never, I often say that I'll never be shed of the SVX. ;)

Just ran a carfax report on the 95' I'm looking at and it turns out that it is an AWD. Online dealer listing has it as a FWD...now knowing that and checking blue book they are asking the exact KBB retail list of $10,900..............Looking at what 95', 96' and 97' models are going for across the country with more miles on them and the price is actually reasonable, but again, everything is negotiable :) Decisions decisions...................

The price is always negotiable, and I'd be willing to bet that you can get $1500-$2000 off that price just by offering. If they won't budge, give them your phone number and walk away. They'll call.

That is, assuming that you want this particular car.

Check out my signature ;)

One more nice long spin and I'll decide...(though my mind is pretty well made up already) Honestly, I got to see it at night in the rain no less, so I really need to give it a good second look.

Already trying to decide what I want to do with the somewhat bland all grey interior....No accents! Gotta break it up a little ya know.. :)

Well, cool, Mark. I hope it all works out for you.

My recommendation is to keep cool and take the dealer for all that you can. I'm guessing that they're going to have a lot of lookers, but few real bites on the car.

Go for it Mark! And good luck with her :) If you can get them to come down on price you'll have a dandy of a car. BTW, what color is it? I don't recall you mentioning it in your description. Is the interior leather or the faux suede? Sunroof? Full Power? The more it has the sweeter the deal ;)

another way to get the price down is to really know the car....point out all the problems...even minor ones...check the fluids and seem disatisfied. talk about the problems they have...make it seem like you aren't that interested...then go for the kill. if all else fails bring cash...they won't turn down cash even if it is 2grand less then what they asked for

Kelli

Not to be at odds, but when I sold cars (for about six weeks - yuck!) we all knew that we had a sale brewing when the customer started picking the car apart.