Didn't Know what an SVX was until today
 

I have been car shopping for about 2 weeks now. Mainly looking at Mustangs, Camaros, Firebirds...

I was at a dealer today (a large Gordie Bouche lot) and was very dissapointed in their selection until a guy came out and walked me around back to show me a "cool" car they had just got in.

When I saw this car my Jaw almost dropped as it was everything I was looking for. Sporty, Leather, Moonroof, Unique. I walked around back and saw "SVX" on the back. I have never seen one of these on the road before. It was love at first sight.

Anyway now I have a question for you all. The salesman told me they had just gotten it in and they were going to list it as $6000 rock bottom pending a saftey check. He then told me they gave the guy $5800 for the trade in (BS, either they gave him $4500 or he bought a $30,000 car).

How much do you think I could get them to go down? I played it cool and put my best poker face on so I didn't show a ton of interest.

Here are the specs:

-95 SVX AWD (I don't know how to tell if it is a LSi or what that even means)
-46,000 Original Miles
-Excellent Condition (NO RUST at all/ Garage Kept in WI)
-A few mild scratches and nicks (very impressive for a 95)
-The Interior is spotless, the leather looks new.
-Loaded and what not

:D

Hmmm...what do you think?

if it has leather and a moonroof, it is an LSi. as for the price, it sounds reasonable to me. :)

Oh yes, one more question.

How reliable are SVX's?

I have had trouble finding reviews on them. I am just worried about the little things going wrong and adding up (because the car is so rare).

I also read about the Trans overheating, but this is a 95 with 46k.

I t hink that's a great price for a 95 with 46k. I do recommend you get an extended warranty for it, if you can afford it.

I got a '92 LS-L (same as LSi, they changed the trim name after '93 I think) with 51,400 miles last year, which is insanely low miles for that year... Even though the car was pretty much in mint condition, my instinct told me that too much talk about tranny problems couldn't be for no reason... So I paid 1800 for an extended warranty (2 year, 24k miles) and guess what... 500 miles before it would've expired (74900) I had to take it in because my transmission was acting up somewhat plus my powersteering pump was noisy... Not only did the powersteering pump turn out to be bad, but BOTH my front axles were pretty much toast, my throttle position sensor (TPS), and the tranny needed to be rebuild. All covered under the warranty!

All in all the repair costs are in the $3500 mark including labor. Well worth it if you ask me. DOn't let this turn you off, though, the car is rock solid and the engine is as strong as new. The tranny was fine except for the clutches which were worn, but the gears were fine... The rebuild was about 1850, though, 50 above my warranty cost! So I got my money's worth, plus more. :)

Good luck and if you get it you won't regret it. Read my quote below for an idea of what I mean...

All you would need to do is get an aftermarket cooler ( 50 bucks) and your tranny heating issues should be solved. Its very reliable...has never let me down.

For those miles...6k is very fair. Take it! :D

You're lucky!

the first one i saw for sale i just had to buy, and didnt think to look for one anywhere else, i searched for one for about two or three years just keeping a look out.

I ended up buying mine for 6,500

but it already had 110,000 miles on it!

I'd go for it!!

Re: Didn't Know what an SVX was until today
 

One word of caution. The SVX may physically resemble your first choices of vehicles, but don't be fooled. It was not designed to be a muscle car, although many folks in here would think otherwise. The SVX was positioned as Suby's answer to Japan's upper eschelon of luxo coupes, like the Lexus SC300/400 & other "sports" sedans. Its forte is very adequate acceleration, fine handling, especially in bad weather conditions, quiet & comfortable cruising, and enough techie toys (for its day) to keep the yuppie geeks happy. Due to bad marketing leading to less than ho-hum sales, the car's become a bargain for those of us who've researched its heritage & want something very different to drive. Assuming your find has been well taken care of, it sounds like a bargain. Just do it.

Ron.

Hey EddieSVX, why aren't you hanging out in the NW regional forum with the rest of us WA people? :confused:

Agreed...:)

Thank you everyone for responding!

I have one more question. How hard is it to find parts and a mechanic to work on the SVX. I know these are rare cars, so I expect the parts to be a hard find.

BTW, I live in the Milwaukee area.

I think that sounds like a very good deal with that many miles. As for parts, this is the place to find them. We can tell you where to get the best deals on them. As time goes on and more cars are wrecked, more parts become available. :(

Yes thats very true. If you indeed buy the car come here and post about any problem that you have. It might be a simple fix instead of you paying out of your arse with a mechanic. Ask the people here what they think first. Ive always done that and its saved me alot of money and hassles. :)

My mechanics had never before seen an SVX, and my old Legacy was one of the few Subarus they've serviced, and I've been thoroughly satisfied with the work they've done thusfar. The same goes for their rates and turnaround. (Nothing too extreme, fortunately.) The key is to find a good shop and stick with 'em.

Finding new parts isn't a problem now, though many aren't on the local shelf and must be ordered. In the years to come...?

dcb

Agreed. That's a good price for the car...

-Chike