The Subaru SVX Is the Weirdest Subaru Ever
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The Subaru SVX is the weirdest Subaru ever. Today I'm reviewing the Subaru SVX to show you why it's so weird -- and I'm showing you all the ins and outs of the SVX.
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DOUGSCORE CHART: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/... - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
When Doug was on a first date, he would say to the girl: "I'm going to kiss you. Then, I'm going to give you a Doug-Score."
"First of starting with the kissing it gets 7 out of 10"
M C Taylor hahahahaha
But first he touches every button and checks all quirks and features. (No test drive and looking under the hood on the first date)
He'll say "first we'll go over your quirks and features, some kissing. _Then_ I'll give you a test ride, and then ill give you a Doug Score"
I'd be interested in knowing what qualifies the Weekend/Daily values of the date xd
"This thing hauls!" "Acceleration gets a 1/10"
The Dougscore is not relevant
@@patrickracer43just like your opinion
@@dodecahedron1 So would the Toyota Camry with the 2.5L or the Honda Accord 1.5L get a 0, because it's slower?
@@dodecahedron1 That is a huge amount of cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs. Shouldn't a scale be based on the slowest 10% be a 1, average 0-60 amongst all cars be a 5, and etc.? There are quite a few cars that can't even do 0-60 under 10 seconds.
@@dodecahedron1 Because the Audi A4 2.0T does 7.0s tested, does that mean it gets a "2"?
I've had my SVX for several years and never knew the back seat folded down.
You didn't watch the VHS tape!
@@r0nr197 I didn't know about a tape either.
The svx is great honestly it still surprises people after 28years lol I love mine
@@RspecNick Where tf do you get these I love them sm but all the ones I find are 200k customs n stuff
@@stirlingwalker9031 I hot mine from New York. Original owner 99k miles all service records but had a blown trans. 2200 they wanted 4k. I'm in Pennsylvania and there all over the place here on Facebook market place most are in rough shape tho.
It was 1992 and I bought one. Black. I was the coolest 21 year old on the block, that is for sure
(bought it myself). Yep, at 5000 miles my transmission blew up. Thankfully it was under warranty, and they fixed it for free. 230 hp was not a ton, but it was still fast (for 1992). I recall going 130 mph one late night on a faraway highway (not advisable, but it did it). Keep in mind the Acura NSX at the time had just 270 hp. Good memories.
I love the SVX, but its performance isn't really comparable to the NSX (I know you didn't claim that it was). The NSX was much lighter and wasn't held back by a 4-sp auto, and would do 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, versus the SVX at 7.3. You are right that 230 hp was a lot back then, the 1995 BMW M3 had just 240hp. But the M3 was also a lot faster despite only having 10 more hp. Doug is right, the SVX is more of a grand tourer, which is great because I love GT cars (my favorite car of all time is the old BMW 6-series).
@@thebog11 only the USA Model of the M3 had that low horsepower!
The German version had over 321hp.
In fact the american e36 M3 didn’t even had a real M engine, it was just the 325i with half a liter more displacement, that gave it a bit more power..
No individual throttle bodies and angry cams for the United States, god knows why.
Maybe they thought the US citizens wouldn’t care too much for a small expensive car with a complicated sports engine..
@@rolux4853 That's incorrect. The Euro E36 M3s had 282hp from 1992 until early 1995, and then that went up to 316hp for late 1995 through 1998. (The special edition M3 R and M3 GT had more power.)
The fact that Euro cars made more power isn't really germane. My point was that the US-spec E36 M3, despite only having 240hp, was much faster than the SVX's 230hp.
@@thebog11 pretty insane that the svx and gc8 wrx are still quicker than most Subaru’s nowadays though. My 2017 Impreza has only 150hp and does 0-100km/h in 10 seconds. My 98 wrx does it in 5.6 seconds while having around 250hp. Subaru has really gone downhill
They are cool looking cars. BTW, small correction, the first Gen NSX had 270hp, not 250hp. But I get your point.
Doug the type of guy to yell ding ding at people when his bike bell doesn't work.
helllllllllll yeah bady
Best one Ive seen in todays video 😂😂😂
I feel guilty for laughing
@@nicholasperez2278 don,t feel Guilty It is alright
Doug the type of guy to ride a bike with a basket in front
OMG. there's "All Service Records," then there's "All Service Records and Original Window Sticker," then there's "HAND WRITTEN NOTES OF EVERY TANK OF FUEL FOR 30 YEARS"
lol
And official brand new VHS tapes!
I bet the original was a *fascinating* dinner party guest.
@@MetalTrabant And they're glorious: th-cam.com/video/gn-LxrCTjQQ/w-d-xo.html
Doug, did you note in the book the distance you’ve just driven? If not, please come back and to this Subaru and note: date, distance and where you drove! I’m serious Doug!!!!
I used to work at a Subaru dealership back in 1992 and absolutely loved the SVX. I was a salesman and always looked forward to taking customers out for a test drive in one. Great performance.
I worked at Cable Subaru (OKC) in 92/93 winter. We used to pick customers up in the SVX, in hopes they'd opt up from their Legacy or Impreza choice prior to signing the contract! Of course, we ran our errands in it, as well as ran parts/checks/paperwork etc. down the street to the mother ship, Cable VW Mazda.
Cool
That's good. I like what I've read about it apart from the reliability problems (esp. the transmission);
" Apparently the autobox cannot take the torque of the flat six indefinitely and only lasts about 60,000 miles. "
There were kits available to convert to manual using an Impreza turbo box.
classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/subaru/alcyone-svx/buying/
I love the styling of this car
Looking to buy one as my next vehicle. Anything I should be know before the purchase?
I will be sad until the day I own one of these.
I reject your Doug score, this car is perfection. good Day sir!
I know there's a small dealership near where I live that has at least one of them. Though most of them are nfs
Are these really that rare? I found 4 of them on Facebook market and two in a jdm dealership just now
There rare in good shape but you can find them for under 2500 all day
@@RspecNick that may be so in America 😒
@@theSEGAtwistisover9k ooooo yea overseas gets ify
Windows have been mentioned so many time here Bill Gates subscribed to this channel.
I have a Lambo Aventador LP700-4 and made a review of it on my channel. I would be so happy if some of you could check it out
@@MrReviewer no
@@MrReviewer oooo he sniping
I counted 38/40 windows mentions
@@jamesbensch6 it's the only way I can get subs
..
Sorry
And you miss one of the main quirks of SVX - the alloys: It has different alloys for left side and right side so that spokes point forwards whichever side you look. That has been one of the most distinct features of SVX that you need to buy different alloys two for the left side and two for the right side.
Cool, thanks for sharing that.
I didnt know.... And my stepmom bought one of these back in the day ,new.
I remember when she brought the damn thing home, lol!
I believe the 5th gen Prelude had the same misfeature.
A looooot of new cars have this.... feature
@@andrazlogar861 How many is a loot?
@TKD CHAD ...Hey cool! Thanks for the reply!
“Not sure why subaru chose to put both airbags and seatbelts” uhm.. safety? Sometimes doug really talks nonsense.
Because like he said... every other manufacturer at the time used one or the other. Not both. But that might be false... because Doug.
@@cabbycabby1770 I dont know , every car I owned from 1990 on had both, and all from different manufacturers
did you not listen to what he was saying before that?
@@CodeineAbdulJabbar yeah but he said he didnt understand why they chose both...?
@@omegaman9575 It should be obvious they chose both for extra safety. Just like today everyone wears the shoulder strap and has airbags (course the car makers don't have the option anymore of replacing airbags with an auto-strap).
Doug is the type of guy to break in your car to sarcastically criticize the quirks and features!
My babysitter had this car and I remember finding a map in the back seat where Russia was labeled as USSR and I had a lot of questions.
Electro Magnetic his father did.
She's a keeper
Comrade babysitter
That is an oddity. Usually the entire USSR was mislabeled as "Russia" on old maps and globes in the USA. But I don't think I've ever seen Russia labeled USSR. Uhm, I presume you were in a car in the USA? Rumor has it that globes to display at soviet embassies were made with the entire USA labeled "California" to poke fun at US map makers.
@Electro Magnetic babysitters are the best. I have a whole collection... in my cellar
Doug, the type of guy to set Internet Explorer as his default browser.
Netscape Navigator, baby!
@@Mannard74 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Lmao
Okay, that was good.
Doug is the type of guy who uses Yahoo mail.
And thats true you can see that in his previous videos when he asks for car dealerships.
One of the reasons why it came with automatic was due to the fact that Subaru had no manual transmissions that could handle the power of the engine.
It was sold in manual in japan, they just didn't bring it over to the U.S
Mine had an RA Sti 5sp swap as seen on dragtimes.
@@handlebars9514 the svx was not sold as a manual in japan or anywhere
12:30 damn, only 8 miles for the super funny number
yesyesyesyesyesyesyeyeseseseses
Doug, the type of guy who smoke weed at 4:12
Just noticed this
Huh???? So confused on this comment
Doug the type of guy to say please and thank you to Alexa.
Time Lapses omg so true
Time Lapse LOL
True, if we try to reflexively polite talking with machines then we will not gradually become more rude with real people.
My mom does that...
This is the Doug Demuro type of car that I originally subscribed for.
Savi Guzman
So true! I love Exotics, but theses average people car reviews are why I subscribe.
Regular Car Reviews did this car as well, I'm assuming you know RCR
@@JokerisWild4 - I do but Doug's quirky demeanor is right up my alley.
SVX is the type of car to open its trunk when the driver pulls its hood release
My uncle gave me his 93 when I graduated highschool. It was a blast, I truly loved it. It only had 2,890 miles on it when I got it.
Holy funk
I remember the Subaru SVX. At the time I thought it was the most beautiful car Subaru ever offered. I was more than disappointed when it was discontinued. Maybe it was weird, but that's what makes it attractive.
To each their own I guess. I owned one and thought it was super ugly.
I thought it was one of the most beautiful cars any car maker offered. But I couldn't afford a new one. And I tried to buy a used one several times but it just never worked out. There never seemed to be a lot of them available on the used market.
@@accidental_relevance it tells you how much people love Subarus as you can never find them used. People buy them and drive em til they die☺️
if Doug was a car, he would definitely be an SVX
If Tony Ferguson was a car he would be a bicycle!
@Sundar Pichai That name is awsesome!
@Sundar Pichai Anjali is beautiful
I am sorry but Doug would be a 1973 Citroen SM
he would be a fiat multipla
Come on man, this is #2 weirdest Subaru. Please find a super clean XT-6 with its AIR suspension!!!
Air suspension was the bane of my existence with that car!!
Baja. Humbug.
What about a clean Subaru Justy
I want one of those so bad!
The XT6 not the Justy lol
Gliding belts or Airbag?
Subaru : yes
Subaru is so dumb for choosing both... It's like they didn't want their customers to die in an accident or something.
Omega Man 🤷♂️
This was the 80s cars had to have them but it didn't mean you have to wear them😉
But FR always wear your seatbelts
Subaru has a good track record for collision safety so it kinda makes sense
This was still my favorite car I've ever owned. The back seat can fully fall down, the head rests are removable and it allows you to clear the front seats and lay it flat you can also pull down the center seat in the back which made an arm rest for both passengers that also had 2 cup holders. As for the power mode you kind of had to basically treat it like an offbrand vtec and keep it at higher RPM.
Doug is the SVX of Demuros
Shiet
Hahaha!
No, he’s the koenigsegg agera in the hands of a proffesional tuner
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Inside joke.
Fair review doug. You didn't mention the "weird" pull out tray under the passenger seat, or how the trunk used hydrolic lifts that opened in 2 stages rather than your usual springs or tension rods. Or about how in 1992 Subaru had external heated mirrors. And how about the car never came with cup holders but Subaru made an insert to go in the cupholder to make up for their mistake from the factory and is a rare option. These are all things only an owner would know, but YOU GAVE A GREAT REVIEW.
Hate to be picky but my 82 Mitsubishi Sigma, Galant in the USA, had the tray. The rest is excellent extra information.
DOUG!!! WHY DIDN'T YOU SHOW US THE WIPER SELECT ACTION?!?!?!
Execellent review! Your are definitely right because a lot of people do manual-swap these.
I’m glad you feel the same way.
Doug is the type of guy who pulls his sock up to his knees when wearing shorts.
Jason SandFo LMAO!! I can do imagine it!
L....OL
Probably wearing sandals with socks occasionally :D
I think that is trending in LA gangs
You guys haven't been watching or paying attention to Doug for very long , have you?
Doug wears shorts in every episode- sans socks!
I consider every transmission failure as premature. 😃
That's what she said.
@@3ToeCo does not make funny btw... wadder?
@@3ToeCo That doesnt make sense
To me it’s puzzling how could Subaru mess up a standard 4 speed automatic from the stone age... it’s not like it was some super innovative experimental technology.
Not if it's a dodge
Awe, what a pleasure to watch. I bought one in 1992 (I might have bought the first one at the dealership in Rockville, MD) and I loved that car. I drove it cross country when I moved to Phoenix. Unfortunately, about about 60K miles, just when the warranty ran out, it just fell apart. The transmission, belts and pulleys all went and I spent about $7K. When the transmission started to go a second time, I couldn’t justify it any longer. I still have the brochures, tapes and the rear wiper arm cover (they always fell off) in my closet. Great review and thanks for doing this.
And watching this video again, pure Doug awesomeness!! And this epic notebook...!
It's funny how you speak of the "weird windows" but don't open them while driving. The purpose was to be able to roll the window at speed with no air turbulence in the car. I could smoke with the window down and no air blew around the inside. Very quiet with the window down.
Oh. Would have loved to see that
Frank T ....He does tend to miss a lot of obvious stuff in his reviews
or do you mean vape :]
@@Vvewa vaping is fucken lame
Bryan Guzman smoking is lame
Been waiting for this for literally a decade. Thank you Doug!
I remember reading about this car's entry in one of the annual Daily Express World Car Guides. It quoted someone from Subrau saying (paraphrasing here): 'The SVX is a bit of an enigma for us, but it is an exciting enigma to have' :)
I wanted one of these badly!!
I grew up in one. It felt so fast as a kid. I loved it
@@FloHilux69 When did they let you out?
@@7cougar0 haha yh in fact I loved it so much I turned it on by myself when I was 6 and they got mad at me.
Thanks for doing the SVX.
When I was a kid my dad had an SVX he kept it for years.
The air ventilation is total garbage in those and she drives like a boat.
These days you rarely see one and the ones you do see and collector’s items now, but they where rare to start with something like 11,000 into the US.
More like about 14,200 or so. Only 640 made in 1997. They are rare because people drove them into the ground, and ko othet car was ever built on that drive train. So finding discontinued parts became a real hassle. People started piecing out thr ones that were junk, all to make other ones keep running. Some people have 10 or 12 that they store and piece them out for themselves or other svx enthusiasts. They're even more rare because of that, unless you have the $, knowhow, or connects to get things fabricated. But anyway.
Loved the review, though I missed the biggest quirk of them all. The 4 wheel steering, might be the reason why it does corners so well!
Damn. Imagine a time when a car didn’t sell well because it came auto only.
if the miata, gt86 / brz or most of the hot hatch did not have the manual option also would not sell well
I wonder what percentage is automatic of the sales they did make.
it didnt sell more because it was just weird. split window and all the weird features, basicly 90s peoples wherent ready for 2000s tech. its like when you see a high tech 80s car that didnt sell.
ehhhh hemmmmm… Supra
It didnt sell well because subaru had a budget of 0 dollars for advertising and marketing. This was pre crocodile dundee subaru commerials days.
At nearly 29k in '92 didnt help either.
Doug; the type of guy to turn down a supermodel because she disagreed with his Doug score on a supercar.
@@MrChoklad big facts
@@MrChoklad 🖒
I have a Lambo Aventador LP700-4 and made a review of it on my channel. I would be so happy if some of you could check it out
@@MrReviewer I checked it out
sorry but it's Terrible you have to just stop on one thing not from aventador to chocolate to vespa choose one thing you wanna do a d work on it more try to edit,think more about words And how to make it sound funnier more informative say it shorter.also it's too uninflrmative it's like "dis shit has 4 wheels and they are badassest wheels in the world it's a cool shit maaaan also the front whells turn and it has wheel inside the cabin"
Supermodels just have a good weekend score. For the rest off the week they are not realy useable at all. 😉
I had a '92 SVX and it had regular clear fog lamps. They actually came in handy a lot at night, although other drivers would assume that my high beams were on and flash their lights at me. I replaced my transmission 3 times. One with a stock 4EAT and then 2 from a Legacy which necessitated replacing the ring and pinion in the rear differential. I also replaced the dropping resistor under the hood which firmed up the shifts by increasing ATF pressure. One of the reasons the original transmissions failed was there was too much slippage allowed, but Subaru did it to make gear changes smoother... Or so I was told. Despite transmissions issues, I still miss my SVX. They're getting harder to find.
Owned a '92 (second hand) for about 6 years. Loved driving it (still miss it now), and only replaced the transmission once. Had over 300k kms on it and was still tight and squeak free.
Would love to see someone loan Doug a Vortex XT-6, to see how he scores it.
holy hand grenade of antioch, that is one clean SVX.
EDIT: on the windshield wiper movement thing - Subaru has front windshield defroster strips under the wipers on their modern cars, really helpful during the winter.
It's amazing how far Subaru has come since then without giving up on their cold weather convenience focus and of course, poor fuel economy.
And tenuous reliability.
And notorious rod bearing lifespan
And long lasting head gaskets
@@TheCoolcy and bulletproof transmission
Not to mention the cream of society who are the owners of Subaru's.
Actually, this was the second 6 cylinder engine Subaru made. The XT-6 in the 1980's had a 2.7 liter, 2 valve, flat 6, based on the EA series 4 cylinder engines at the time. The third H6 was the 3 liter in the 2000's Outbacks, and finally, there's the 3.6 liter in the late 2000's, 2010's Outback and Legacy. There were two variations on the 3 liter, a straight up DOHC version, and later, a version with AVLS, commonly called the EZ30R, even though that wasn't an official designation.
The Subaru Tribeca also had a H-6
I'd love to see you do a review of this car's predecessor, the XT!
Wow. I this is one of best cars that I have seen. I love how it looks. I can imagine have the windows down while its raining and not having the rain come inside a lot and probly a lot quieter while driving.
Rain still comes inside. I promise you that.
But Doug!
What was on the tapes?!?
SHOW US!
They are right here on TH-cam. Subaru SVX - Owner's Information Videotape (Part 1 of 3)
Doug couldn't fit the tapes in the cassette player in the other car the restorer had on hand so he gave up trying.
The yellow fog light bulbs are aftermarket. As a former SVX owner i can tell you many owners switched to yellows after getting tired of being highbeamed by oncoming traffic when they thought your highbeams were on because of the 4 white lights(fogs and lowbeams) on the same level.
We had to do the same with our Buick Rendezvous. Every other car thought our high beams were on.
Also fog ligths should be yellowish anyway, the fog reflects shorter wavelenghts more than longer ones, so blue light gets reflected back into your eyes.
Given the fog lights are already too high for their own merit, at least making them a more appropriate color would be sensible.
I've always loved the odd look of the SVX. I remember reading somewhere that the inspiration for the odd windows was a fighter jet canopy.
I had heard the canopy was designed you could leave your window open when it rains. This is a fallacy. My arm has gotten wet every time i tried it.
I remember when this car came out. The reason for the window in window design was to allow the driver to open the window even if it was raining. It was to keep out rain or snow while driving.
I can confirm that it doesn't keep rain out THAT well....I just keep them closed.
Ah, I just commented to someone else about this. And said it's a fallacy. My arm got wet whenever I tried it.
Doug sounds like he's trying to record this video with his mom sleeping in the next room
Ravelord Nito Shhh! You’ll wake her!
Doug does ASMR car reviews
Actually it was your mom...
@@ponemahelementary4826 hahhaha naw yo, it was mine.
haha I thought I was the only one who noticed this. where is his exciting voice I like that more
I'm the original owner of a '95 LS AWD with 65k miles and I feel compelled to call out a few corrections on this video:
1) All SVXes were not AWD. There were several made in 95 and 96 with FWD.
2) The SVX is not the weirdest Subaru made (i.e. BRAT, Baja, XT6 and the B9 Tribeca)
3) Not all SVXes were two toned, they dropped that in 94
4) The interior dash of the LSi (highest trim) was that obviously fake wood. The interior of the LS was not a "cheap plastic" but instead a matte grey, granite looking finish
5) Not all SVXes have the "mouse motor" seat belts. In 95 they went with dual airbag, stationary mount seat belts
6) Foglights were not "yellow" they were just regular halogen light bulbs. The current owner must have replaced them with yellow bulbs.
7) The rear tails are not a "light bar" it's only there for show. The tail lights are on the two sides of the trunk. The lens on the trunk does not light up.
8) You state that the value is high because these are so cheap. I beg to differ. Yes, the initial cost of entry may be cheap but parts are expensive and hard to find and therefore....expensive. I've had to go back to Japan to get some parts. Even finding someone to work on these is difficult. Because they are cheap, many times we get young guys who know nothing of the car other than it's a Subaru, with no money that dream about making this a 1000hp, stoplight, drag warrior. They carve them up putting useless ducts, vents and fins on it, do a tranny swap (if lucky) and add nitrous and end up blowing up the engine (or transmission). Every time that happens another one of these wonderful cars is taken off the road and put on the scrap heap which is a sad thing. If one wants to do that, get a used STI. You'll save money, have fun and your dream will be attainable. The SVX is not that kind of Subaru. This is akin to buying a Mercedes SL600 with a V12. You've got to be committed both in mental/emotional resilience and financially. It is not an undertaking for the faint of spirit or light of wallet.
All in all a good video and we in the SVX community thank you for highlighting our car!
Don't forget the aftermarket front grille!
I would say that the strangest subaru were the 360 Convertibles.
I'm sad that he says this is Subaru's first six-cylinder.
I'd say the XT6 is weirder than this.
Not to mention him freaking out about the windows like that's never been done before...
Actually Doug in the 80's the Subaru XT came in a Special Version which was Named the XT6 which was a H-6 Engine
Doug, you must know that the reason for the window design is to eliminate wind buffeting if you happened to be driving at speed with the windows open, and it works. I think the design was by Giugiaro and it was strictly functional, though the idiosyncratic look was a happy bonus. I remember seeing a photo in an original review of this car in which the editors actually stuffed a lawn mower in the trunk, though they couldn’t close the lid. It’s still beautiful. Thanks for the review.
I drive a 1992 SVX, which is great especialy here Switzerland at winter time.
Ruedi Mueller yeah boyyyyyy!
I concur. I live in Colorado USA and my 95 was impeccable in the snow
@@a.ndy.nonymous I'm looking to buy a 95 SVX in Minnesota. Thanks for reassuring me that i won't die. If it can handle Colorado, it can handle anything
Any Subaru is amazing in the snow...btw manual is the way to go👍
Yeah, I don't why the AWD is seen as a bad thing, surely it's a bonus on a tourer, which, at least in European eyes, means alpine roads, where AWD is a sweet little bonus.
I always liked this car because of it's uniqueness, there's just nothing like it. One of my biggest regrets is not buying a SVX when I was offered one in absolute perfect condition. Here in the Netherlands the SVX has always been extremely rare, with only a couple dozen being sold, and most I've seen could need quite a bit of TLC.
About the side windows, apparently one of the benefits is that you can drive at reasonably high speeds with the with the windows down without being blown away. It works just like the wind deflectors seen on many (mostly Japanese) cars especially during the '80's. In Japan you still see those a lot, here in Europe those have gone extinct a long time ago.
And about the transmission problems: it was mostly a cooling problem, which can be easily fixed. Apart from that, the're pretty much bulletproof. Though after so many years it obviously all depends on proper maintenance.
Broekauto in Waalwijk has a good one ;)
You can swap the transmission for a manual one, I used to have one with the swap.
WizardOfOss I guess a auxilary transmission cooler would be ideal then if heat was the culprit.
@@baktru Ziet er ondanks een stevige kilometerstand inderdaad netjes uit. Het is nu echter niet echt een optie meer. Destijds reed ik hooguit 8k per jaar, dan was een zware, onzuinige en mogelijk wat onderhoudsgevoeligere oude auto geen bezwaar. Tegenwoordig rij ik jaarlijks 40k, dan is een Alfa met dieseltje toch net even prettiger :-)
I love my '96 SVX but here's a caveat worth mentioning I don't see talked about. The #3 O2 sensor on the exhaust pipe in the center of the already low car has a threaded mount on an angle downward which places the sensor only 3" above the flat ground! The SVX is already low to the ground but speed bumps and gravel roads, or even smaller fallen rocks can take off an O2 sensor!
Doug is the type of guy that will cry at a wedding and laugh at a funeral.
Thank you so much for doing a video on the SVX!! A very quirky car for sure. A buddy of mine bought a used one when I was a freshman in college (same color and same interior as the one in your video!) and I always loved catching a ride in it because there was always some weird thing I would discover. Also, thank you for the explanation of what the "manual" button on the shifter does because me and my friend could never figure it out; i guess we should have sought out a VCR lol
Jeff?
I owned a 1992 SVX. I bought it new and loved it! I put over 132,000 miles on it and then traded it in. Never had an issue with the transmission. It was white with a black roof. I miss it...
Interesting review. The windows are like that to solve an aerodynamic problem. The interior gauges, particularly the little indicator that the doors are open or seat-belts not fastened are very European for that period. We had mandatory front seat belts from the early 70s in the uK and even earlier in other parts of Europe. My 1982 Ford Escort Ghia had similar gauges, all-round seat-belts, a driver side airbag, and a rear-window washer/wiper, which was either standard or an option on European hatchback/fastbacks. Most Japanese cars which had a rear wash/wipe option would have them as standard in Europe, and we used to tease a friends girlfriend for having the only Nisan Micra in Europe without a rear wiper! I remember seeing this car, but never got close enough to one to find out what it was. It didn't have the standard Subaru badges, and I thought it might be a Citroen!
Doug is the type of guy to point out all of the quirks and features of a newborn...and give it a Doug Score.
Does he drive the babies, before giving them a Doug Score?
Fuck Trump!
I used to sell and drive these cars. While you put it at the bottom. With the exception of the Supra ( and the 300z) I NEVER lost a sale to the 300GT or the top of the line eclipse (base and mid models were much cheaper to buy). But of course you are socal. I sold these where they thrived... Colorado. Put one of the others, even with their 4wd in over a foot of snow and they wouldn't get out of their own way let alone get anywhere. I delivered these to owners in the mountains in 18 inches of snow on the road. BTW the windows were designed to enable you to open them in inclement weather and still be comfortable. The airflow would keep most rain or snow out so you could vent all year round. For me the worst part of the car was the spark plugs. They were some of the 1st cars with platinum tips on a regular factory car. But you had to basically remove the engine to change them. Which is why there were a 100,000 miles scheduled service item! BTW I was a Subaru Inner Circle member. Which meant the top 2% of Subaru sales in the World. So I have just a little experience with them.
Can you explain how youd drive in 18 in snow in a sports car with low ground clearance?
It wasn't as low as the others listed. But with the original tires and it has a very good 4wd/awd system. Much better than the ones on the Mitsu's. But I sold two to a couple who had gone to all the dealerships that had ANY 4wd sporty cars, including Audi. They had one major requirement, that the car had to make it up their gravel drive (which was an uphill grade) during or just after a big snow but before any others had driven it so it was fresh snow. So I waited until a big snow around Boulder, CO and drove it to their front door. Yes it did plow through the snow. They were shocked, but went back with me to pick up two of them as they said!
@@ddc163264 the 90s were a weird time
loved this video, Doug!
when I was younger I loved this ride... very futuristic look at time. I'd still get one just for memories )
Doug is the type of guy to make detailed car videos, and have none of the comments about the car itself.
Uh, it seems to me almost every single comment he made was about the car. Maybe you're the type of guy who only wants to know about engines and track times?
14:40 I think its obvious that that is for blinker fluid, Doug.
First off, Subaru did make a six cylinder boxer engine before this one for the XT6 sport coupe. The engines in both cases were made by literally adding two cylinders to the end of an existing four cylinder design (the 1.8L EA82 became the 2.7L ER27 in the XT6 and the 2.2L EJ22 became the 3.3L EG33 in the SVX).
Second, the SVX only came with the 4 speed automatic transmission because Subaru did not yet have much experience making a manual transmission capable of handling the torque the EG33 delivered. Though the WRX debuted in 1992 like the SVX and had a manual, it also weighed roughly 800 pounds less. That extra weight combined with the greater low end torque of the SVX's six cylinder engine would have put a lot of stress on the manual transmission during AWD launches, so Subaru went with the 4 speed automatic since it could handle the extra torque, though just barely. Hence the frequent transmission failures the SVX suffered. It also suffered frequent wheel bearing failures, as it was the heaviest car Subaru had ever built up to that point and they didn't have any reference for how much that extra weight would affect things like the wheel bearings.
Really want Doug to review the XT or XT6. Such a great quirky car
Had that same model and color never had any problems. Fun to see it again in your video
Still laughing about The Majestic Chicken
Those windows are good enough for the Senna.
Before they burned down
And for McLaren F1.
Every time I watch his channel I think it's Quentin Tarantino
12:32 that was pretty common with some Japanese companies in the 90's, especially Honda. Toyota just gave you a red symbol of an open door in the gauge cluster, and you had to figure out which door was open.
if 7.3 seconds gives it an accelleration score of 1 - and you still give 11-second cars a score of 1, I'd say its time to recalibrate it..
1 is the lowest possible score and they're both bad, so what's the problem?
So that means a new BMW 320 also gets a 1. Acceleration figures should be compared to other cars of similar class, not just numbers. All cars taking more than 7 seconds getting a 1 seems kind of odd.
Evan Pilkington The scores are compared to all other cars in all classes, and that’s fine, but given that, there should be more resolution in the scores towards the outer ends. Maybe something like
@@magnify4563 Everything less than 3 sec is easy 10 for me.. 7.3 sec is a good acceleration for me.. 4 points easily..
With a manual transmission swap and weight reduction I have a 4.11 geared SVX running 6 seconds flat 0-60
That flat 6 sounds good
Kyle Wagenaar It was good car .
Time stamp?
Yes yes it does !
i'm in awe at how he can't understand the design of the windows, but i couldn't agree more on the relationship between A pillar thickness/location and passive safety.
I recently spotted one of these while driving my 2017 Ford Focus ST, mutual thumbs up! Lol, I remember when this car first came out...and I did like them a lot at that time.
Doug the type of guy to buy a WinRar-license.
LOL
Lmao
GOLD!
How the hell do you even remember WinRar lmaooo
You win. Lmao
This car is so 1992 it doesn't get any more 1992y
ninety toohy eh?
Ehmm yes it does... the 1991-1992 dodge grand caravan, now thats 90`s lol.
1992y lmao
@@spacegh0st177 no
Mr. 5.56 You do realize that there are adults who watch cartoons, right? No matter who juvenile it is.
Man, love seeing clean well taken care of older cars! Always dug the SVX. They did make it in front wheel drive in the earlier years...the "L" and "LS" model. After 1995 I believe they all were permanent AWD. Cool funky car...don't forget about the XT!
I’d hate to own this car while living in a desert, that’s a lot of glass on a 118 degree day even if one has the tint installed.
It's not so bad actually. The pillars are there, so it's not like you're actually in a fishbowl. It's deceiving is all. The half windows make driving with them down more tolerable than full height windows. Kinda like those air deflectors people put on their cars.
@4:27 Doug giving us that Blue steel look.
Subaru also did make a 6 Cylinder before the SVX. It was called the XT6, and the Subaru SVX, or Alcyone, was the XTs successor.
Now we need an xt turbo or xt6 video....that steering wheel was insane
My best friend used to own one but sadly he sold it because he couldn't afford to repair it.
Doesn't Cadillac make a new model called xt6?
@@chrissellers9091 I know right? With that steering wheel and the gear stick, it was like being inside an arcade racing game
I modded mine for spectator drags and still have the fastest time on dragtimes. Note, this was not a sports car, it was a luxury flagship with "Lexus quality and BMW handling" according to 1 magazine. Hindsight, I should have gotten the lightweight FWD model w/o ABS and power seats. The auto has racing kits from 2 shops and 4.44 diffs and plenty of tire clearance on stock offsets(RX8) for 255/50R16s w/o drop springs. Hollow cats and mufflers sound like a 911 RS. NOS works best with the compression and the EG33 are cheap replacements. You will do 155mph stock and should run high 13s with this set up.
My pops took the engine from one of these and put it in our VW Vanagon Synchro. It was awesome!
At first I thought you had a Star Trek uniform shirt on! At least it wasnt red!😂
R u dumb d dumb?
I purchased a brand-new 1997 SVX-LSi and owned it for 5 years. Loved that car, and totally miss it. It was what it was advertised as : A luxury GT that had a unique look. It was not a WRX (I know, I have a WRX still), but that's fine.
I saw the concept in ’89 and fell in love with the Giugiaro design and swore to eventually buy one, and I did.
While heavy, it handled well and the AWD allowed one to blast around curves.
Nearly 20 years on, it still looks nice. I want my red one back.
I love how the SVX handles. Twisty back roads? She eats them up.
Doug, with all due respect, I don't know how old you are. I am 52. I loved these cars when they came out and I never thought they were "weird".
I always wanted one. Ane I'm an American Muscle car type of guy. These cars were great from what people told me.
Great vid!!
In Durango, Colorado, I worked in a tire store. The 2nd most popular automobile was the Subaru. The cars seemed to run for 200,000 miles without any major problems, except for the transmission and suspension. The whole body and interior was a different story. The paint was first to go. Then one by one every screw nut and bolt would fall off, the paint that did not get erosion marks, would all turn a slightly different shade of green( by far the most popular color in 1994-5.) The headliners would hang down like a circus tent, and all other plastic parts would break at the fulcrum point and leave half handles everywhere, even the door handles and locks. They ran for a long time, but, what a crappy car to have in the mountains. The Owners of the Subaru are the type that will risk thier lives and reputations to defend the company, and thier cars to the death and the people who stay with them all seem to be on a mission, of how long can I drive this car before it falls apart.
I am quite surprised by the designer of the SVX: Giorgetto Giugiaro. Yes, the guy who designed the original Ghibli.
석가모니 아 그러시군요 ㅎ
And the DeLorean. Hence the weird windows.
for example, the guy who designed the lancia stratos did also die BMW C1^^
@@taunuslunatic404
Back in the 90's, the SVX and Delorean owners clubs would have our meets together...don't know if they still do...but we would draw pretty big crowds considering how "poorly" both cars sold.
Isn't Ghibli the guy who designed the Maserati?
Doug is the type of guy to play *Metal Gear Solid 2* on "Very Easy"
Rare Videos by Javier Vargas TV! Lol looks like it
*Raiden!!*
So bogus. 🤣🤣
snake snake snake snakeeeeeeeeee
Can easily tell you're the type of guy to be jealous like my girlfriend.
I owned a '92 SVX LS-L in silver and black, which really makes the car look so much better. I really regret selling it.
It's nice to see that someone actually has the wheels facing the correct way, since they're directional on each side.
Side note: the fog light position made everyone think you have your high beams on, which gets annoying, but it has exceptionally bright high beams to blast back!
Lucky you sold it before it died.
I rode this car many times throughout NY/NJ in the early 90's, it was amazing on corners and curves ans FAST!!!. Too bad they took the original radio CD, it was Panasonic and it was a HiFi marvel, loud and crisp
Can't tell if he's wearing 2 shirts. Doug's in incognito mode🦓
He probablly use bigger and smaller shirt:)
He is
All this time I'd thought, Doug the type of guy to wear his long sleeves under his short sleeves.
9:43 look at the right side of his neck and you can see the second collar peaking through.
When in doubt assume he's wearing two shirts
Doug is the type of guy who goes to the library to check out owner manuals......
The automatic was the only transmission had available that could handle the 6's torque at the time. They didn't have the money to develop such a limited production manual. Even the automatics were prone to failure so caused some warranty issues. The body, I think was designed by ItalDesign.
Mine had an RA Sti 5 sp swap with 4.44 diffs and I could launch it.
Back in the 90's, I cross shopped the SVX against the Supra, 300ZX, 3000GT, and RX7. Yep..ended up buying the Subaru. Why? All of the others hadn't really gotten the aura they are known for today, and IMHO, at that time, they were way overpriced. I almost got the RX7 as it was by far the most fun of the bunch, but after some research, the engine seals seemed like a huge failure point (I'm an engineer). The others seemed bloated and overweight, although they obviously performed well. I just liked the odd/unique looks of the Subaru better. I was constantly asked "What is it" followed by "Thats a Subaru???". Top end was 167 and I was able to take out pretty much every vehicle in the US at the time given enough road. After the 2nd trans replacement due to leaking rear main seals (had to replace the entire trans when this happened) I traded it in for Pontiac GT (Widetrack!!!....lol). One thing unique about it was it was one of the first vehicles with a fob that opened the doors, flashed the lights and honked the horn. This was "science fiction" at the time, and I was able to convince my nephews and nieces that the car could "talk" to them by them yelling at it and it would answer with the lights and horns. Good memories with this car.
These things sound INCREDIBLE straight piped
Anthony Hales The engine was the best part of the car. They were bulletproof. The transmission was terrible.
@@matthewnelson9739 they definitely would've sold more if they were stick lol
Its a flat 6, they all sound amazing
the police dont agree, not by me at least lmao
"Before we climb inside"
(is already inside)
I test drove one in 1992...loved it but couldn't afford it at the time. the deal w/ the windows according to the salesman - they were supposed to eliminate wind noise and drag, even when open.
The weirdest thing about the svx is that it’s actually beautiful and deserves appreciation, unlike nearly every other Subaru made before or after.
What about the Impreza GT and the BRZ?
@@cyril4046 wrx, sti, outback and forester. OP is a complete idiot