Thoughts on cars -- Saab? SVX? DSM?

Hey All,

I posted a while back because I was thinking about buying an SVX; the particular one that I was interested in came and went, but the research goes on.

Since you all seem like a particularly friendly and knowledgeable lot, I thought I'd toss this question out to you:

I have $3000 to spend on a car to replace my BMW 328is (for sale, if anyone wants it!). I'm currently considering:

1994+ Saab 900 Turbo
SVX
1990 - 1994 (1st gen) DSM

The car would need to cover roughly 35 miles / week. (I know, my commute is harsh, isn't it? ;-) I just want to buy something that I enjoy driving, enjoy working on, and isn't so slow that I forget why I like driving so much in the first place. Other suggested contenders are welcome.

So, anyone have any opinions on those cars, particularly those who can compare and contrast cars they've owned or driven?

Thanks!

-Brandon

[thundering02]

I don't want to throw the scales here but I think just about everybody here will say the SVX for one reason. We love our car(s). Saab's at least your looking turbo like but even then most are poorly maintained or way too much. DSM's are trashed or worthless to begin with for the largest part.

[SilverSpear]

Brandon, I have driven BMW's, Mercedes', 4X4's, Japs' my entire life... no car gave me that feeling of power, confort and exclusivity as did the SVX. It's up to you to decide.

[UberRoo]

$3000 isn't going to get you into an SVX any easier than it's going to get you into something else. It's funny how often a $5000 SVX remains a $5000 SVX, whereas a $3500 SVX quickly becomes a $7000 SVX. You'll need luck to meet your $3000 goal. There's usually a good reason why someone would sell an SVX for an unusually low price. They're not cheap to fix and they break often. (For you lucky ones out there, keep it zipped. No need to rub it in.)

There are reasons not to own a Swedish automobile, but I very much enjoy driving them. I'd love to drive a Saab or Volvo, but not if I had to maintain it. My buddy's V70 T5 is almost an exact equal in driving performance to my SVX, but far, far more practical. Plus, with a $150 chip, it's even faster. It's a cool car, but it lacks the character of an SVX. I think that's the difference between our car and the other alternatives. If you want that, there's not much else available other than an SVX. If the SVX isn't calling your name, run away. Better cars are out there for less money and fewer idiosyncrasies. How about an Impreza?

Your tops picks (the Saab and SVX) are kinda strange. Any reason why they jumped out at you?

[NapaBavarian]

What is going to happen to all the $$$ from the 328is going away ???????

Thanks for all the replies; let me try to answer as many questions at once as I can. :-)

The money from my BMW going away is mostly going to pay off the loan on my wife's Jeep. We're trying to reduce our fixed monthly expenses, and having two car loans was more than we wanted. Plus, she needs to get something that's a better commutter car, since she's going to be going back to school this fall, 35 miles each way every day. So, we'll probably sell the Jeep, too.

As to why I would be interested in the Saab and the SVX, it's really two separate reasons.

- SVX -
I've *always* liked the SVX's styling. I've still never driven one, so I can't speak to that. I still remember when I was a kid, I thought I was going to buy an XT6 when I grew up. Then I saw the SVX, and that was what I wanted. It strikes me as a powerful, comfortable car and that is very unique and looks great. Plus, as a bonus, it's got AWD, so I can even drive it in the winter.

- Saab -
I've owned a lot of cars. (even though I'm only 27; go ahead and ask why I need to eliminate some debt... one hint is that cars are not good investments.) But, I've never had a turbo. That's how the DSM and Saab made it onto the list; they're realtively low-cost buy-in turbo cars. Sounds like the maintenance on the Saab might make the long term cost-prohibitive.


I hear what you're saying about a $3000 car being a tough price point. I've done some of the work on my BMW myself, and my Dad does a *lot* of work on his cars (built a GT40 kit car, owns a Jaguar XKE...), so I'm hoping to alleviate maintenance costs by doing it myself.


Finally, one of the posts mentioned an Impreza; I've been looking into those, too, but I keep thinking about how durned *slow* the older Imprezas are. I really enjoy the acceleration that my Bimmer's inline six provides, and if I can avoid it, I'd rather not take too far a step backward.

Thanks for all the pointers...

-Brandon

[Zeppelin]

If you've got $3000 to spend, I'd say go DSM. A nice 1st gen can be had for $1000, and you can use the rest of the money in mods or maintenance.

I had an SVX, and that thing nickled and dimed me to death! If they were just a little more reliable I'd still have one in the garage....

If you're serious about picking a DSM up, let me know. There's a few for sale here in Denver.

[benebob]

Originally Posted by Zeppelin

If you've got $3000 to spend, I'd say go DSM. A nice 1st gen can be had for $1000, and you can use the rest of the money in mods or maintenance.

I had an SVX, and that thing nickled and dimed me to death! If they were just a little more reliable I'd still have one in the garage....

If you're serious about picking a DSM up, let me know. There's a few for sale here in Denver.

My SVX is pretty much rock solid reliablity wise. Personally, I'd stay away from any DSM esp the older ones simply b/c it doesn't sound like you are familiar with their issues (nor am I aside from the head problems I've heard about). To me it isn't wise to get any 10+ year old car that you don't know inside and out and expect it to be a reliable daily driver. My personal advise would be to find a 95- 97 Impreza or Legacy. You'll be much happier in the long run and I'm sure you're wife will quickly leave her live axle for the comfort of the Subie.

Actually, I had a '90 Eclipse GS while I was in college, so I am somewhat familiar with them. I also had a friend with a '96 Talon TSi, and I kept up with his maintenance woes; crankwalk is why I'm not even mentioning the 2G DSM cars.

I'll have to look into the Imprezas and Legacies again; I had discounted them because of their sheer slowness, but I thought they also ran more than $3k...

Thanks again!

-Brandon

[benebob]

Originally Posted by ExoDemon

Actually, I had a '90 Eclipse GS while I was in college, so I am somewhat familiar with them. I also had a friend with a '96 Talon TSi, and I kept up with his maintenance woes; crankwalk is why I'm not even mentioning the 2G DSM cars.

I'll have to look into the Imprezas and Legacies again; I had discounted them because of their sheer slowness, but I thought they also ran more than $3k...

Thanks again!

-Brandon

Good luck finding a DSM gen 1 or even 2 that hasn't been beaten by at least one of the owners. The Imreza and Legacy aren't the fastest cars in the world but they do run. A broken DSM wouldn't win many challenges. You can find some higher mileage Imp and Legacies for about 3k in the years I speak of plus you wouldn't look like a 16 year old either. Personally, I'd go for a 95 Legacy GT or if you must have a turbo get yourself a gen 1 Legacy turbo. It is hands down the best production motor Subaru has ever made! They are fairly rare but are great cars!

[Mr. Pockets]

My opinion is that, if you're looking for a car that will reduce your monthly expenses, I would not buy an SVX. I love mine dearly, but it has gained a 'pet' status. I don't drive it much - it's expensive to maintain and getting more and more expensive to fuel.

I think a 'fun' car can be had for less, and be more reliable.

On the other hand, 35 miles a week is not a lot. That does suggest very short trips, which means your mileage will be horrid, but I imagine you're used to that.

I think an SVX could be reliable for you, but not at $3000. I'd look for a nicer one and save your pennies for the inevitable (expensive) repairs.

[Noir]

svx's aren't bad, but be prepared to drop some coin on it. i most definitely spent more on my car than it's book value in the past year or so of owning it. then again i'm a freak. i probably could have bought a used bug-eyed wrx or a non bug-eyed 2.5RS with the amount of money spent on my svx. parts cost $$$ (unless you got a parts car) and next day shipping can add up.

of course if you keep your eyes open, you may be able to find a nice impreza that you can use for a short period of time for pennies and find a nice wrecked wrx to use for a transplant.

[calisvx]

i bought mine for about 4000 but the cost of repairs on it went up up and away rotors bearings gaskets and recently tranny but the weird is i love this car its weird how i open my wallet to it its like a casino once in a while it gives me a rush to drive! its worth it!!!!!

[UberRoo]

Good, fast, cheap. Pick two.

Unless you're willing to budge on one of those factors, it sounds like you're out of luck. There's a pretty good lineup of older cars that'll get you going fast for not a lot of money, but none of them are particularly excellent in the comfort category. An old Camaro will get you there mighty quick, and despite the negative qualities, even an old beater can be a lot fun to drive.


Again, many of these cars in the following list lack the niceties such as climate control and AWD, but not all of them. Some can be picked up for a couple hundred bucks, and others are near the upper reaches of your budget:

Nissan Z cars (any year, just pick one)
Toyota Celica All-Trac Turbo (did ya even know about this little gem?)
Toyota Supra (I think the really old ones look neat)
Toyota MR2 (not a rocket ship, but nimble)
Pontiac Fiero (particularly the V6)
Mazda RX7 (lots and lots of performance potential)
Ford Taurus SHO (can you say "sleeper?")
Ford Mustang (go on, join the dark side)
Subaru XT6 ('cause it's available in a five-speed)
Subaru RX (old-school rally car)
Jaguar XJS (or even a Saloon for that matter)

Sure, each of these has it's faults, but not any more than an SVX. Perhaps some of these might provide inspiration.

[Mr. Pockets]

I have an MR2, and so far I really like it. I also got really lucky - most of them are beat to hell and rusting apart.

For about $4k, you can get a very decent NA Mk2.