94,95 svx
 

:confused: Hello everyone! Colin suggested i contact this site. Please bear with me , the computer is new to me. If any body sees this i would like to hear about these cars. I have a 90 legacy that i love. Its awd and 5spd and in great shape. Ive come accross a 94 with 128,000 and a 95 with 98,000 miles. Bothin great shape, my question are : 1) must you use 91 octane 2)are repairs more freqeht and more expensive than the normal subaru? How bad is this trans problem , hows the gas mileage, and and any thing else to look for. Also is there any way to check if timing belt, trans, or wheel bearings have been repaired.I hope this goes through and i hear from someone, thanks John

Re: 94,95 svx
 

Oh, boy, did you come to the right place. :D

1. I say yes. Some people use lower-octane fuel, but I wouldn't recommend it.

2. Yes on both accounts. The SVX shares few parts with other Subaru models, and since it was such a low-production car, we pay pretty high prices. Fortunately, there are businesses on the internet that cater to us DIYers and sell us parts at a discount.

3. Well, the transmission problem is pretty bad when it lets go. The main problem the tranny has is with heat. Protect it from that (and don't thrash the car) and it'll serve you well for a long, long time. Mine lasted 133,000 miles - not admirable, but above average for an SVX.

4. Gas mileage in city driving is poor - below 20mpg. On the freeway it varies from car to car. Some people get mid 20s, I get over 30.

5. If you find a car you want to buy, you can get its dealer repair history by supplying a dealer with the VIN from that car. If very little history turns up, I would recommend looking for another. SVXs are fantastic cars - if they're well taken care of. A poorly cared for SVX will repay its owner with frequent, expensive repairs.

There's no real way to tell if the timing belt has been replaced without performing the labor required to replace one. :) After 80k, mine was nearly indistinguishable from the one I replaced it with. As a matter of fact, now I'll worry that I didn't replace it at all. :D

If you are really interested in buying an SVX, I wish you the best of luck in your search. Take the time to buy one from an owner who loved the car and took care of it. It's easy to fall in love with the first SVX you see, but important, usually, to resist that.

The timing belt is really nothing to worry about. Yes, If you have the car you replace it at the frequencies recommended. If it breaks it will not damage the engine. It just stops running. You can hear the wheel bearings if they are bad. If you are buying a car with fairly high mileage, I would recommend looking for one that the trans has been replaced not to far back. You can always convert it to a 5spd if you look on here at various threads. You can put a legacy 5spd in it or at least have someone do it--just not real cheap. If you get the SVX fever--I personally think it is incurable.

Lee

SVXx4

94, 95 svx
 

Mr pockets and mr ihopp, thank you for your quick and informative info i really like the car always have , just afraid getting in over my head.. Would love a all wheel drive but its a lot more. Would you ok a older model if it was mainted? thanks again, john

Older Model?
 

Well I will tell you how I feel about that. Just last week I bid $5550 on a 92 SVX with 76K miles (was trying to bid $6000 when it closed). If you can get a lower mileage (less than 100K) 92--go for it. Just be aware that a few internal tranmission changes were made in the 94 and up years. 92 and 93 are the same mechanically, but there is a 93 Anniversary edition that brings a little money if it is a good one. I really like my FWD, but think the AWD are better overall vehicles. I have 2 of them (AWD--3 if you count my wrecked one), but I am still looking for a very nice one for a LONG term keeper.

Lee