1992 Subaru SVX

Long-Term Wrapup

A sport coupe just slightly ahead of its time.

In America, the moniker Subaru has always been associated with cars that are out of the ordinary. The design of the late XT-6 is a good example; the ECVT setup on the Justy is another. Not that these were bad cars in performance or quality--Subaru's wagon's have excellent endurance and are the number one wagons in many states--they were just perceived by many buyers as unusual, perhaps because they were equipped with four-wheel drive or their styling didn't fall in line with offerings from Honda and Toyota.

When Subaru previewed the SVX on the auto show circuit in 1991, it looked as if all the confusion soon would be over. The SVX was a forward-thinking sport coupe that incorporated the technology of four-wheel drive with a responsive 230-horsepower DOHC 24-valve horizontally opposed six-cylinder powerplant.

Our instrumented testing netted 0-60 times of 7.7 seconds, and the SVX placed fourth overall in Motor Trend's '92 Import Car of the Year competition, ahead of the BMW 325i, Acura Legend Coupe, Audi 100, and Mazda 929, among others. We liked almost everything about the car and found it highly competitive with other sporty coupes from Honda, Toyota, and Nissan.

Sometimes, though, even the best reviews and great performance don't move cars. Subaru's intention was to sell 2000 units per month worldwide, but so far, from launch to present, its U.S. sales total 7883 units, a far cry from the company's predictions.

Why did people buy the SVX? According to 83.6 percent of our respondents, looks/style was the prime motivator. With the unusual cutout windows and large greenhouse area, there's nothing like it on the road. One response reads, "Shortly after taking delivery, a woman in a late-model Cadillac pulled alongside me and said, 'That's the most beautiful car I've ever seen."' Another respondent wrote: "People are always commenting on how nice it looks and asking what it is."

The part about asking what it is probably has a lot to do with why sales aren't where they should be for this caliber of car. Only 14 percent said they bought the SVX because of advertising, a much lower rating than on other surveys for our long-term vehicles. Many write-in responses echoed this fact. "How can a car this good have so few owners? Priced wrong? Advertising? Someone screwed up." Not everyone saw this as detrimental, though. "Because there are so few SVXs on the road, I feel special. It's fun to explain the car."

With a 230-horse DOHC 24-valve flat-six powerplant, there's plenty of thrust off the line. We recorded a 0-60 mph time of 7.7 seconds and a sub 16-second run through the quarter mile.

Our long-term SVX came to us via the ICOY competition and had just under 6000 miles on the odometer before we started our logbook. We added almost 10,000 miles over a year. The average miles driven reported from our survey was 17,332, just over our total of 15,787. We've been consistently pleased with the performance and handling of the sporty Subaru. Our feelings are supported by the survey, which reveals 96.3 percent of owners thought the acceleration was excellent or good; 98.9 percent gave the same response for handling, and 98.4 percent answered likewise for overall performance.

In the fun-to-drive category, 97.1 percent also ranked the SVX in the top two divisions. "This car is confidence-inspiring in the twisties," read one of our logbook entries. "This car's a dream!" was another. And, while out here in Southern California, we didn't have to rely on the SVX's all-wheel-drive capabilities, those who live east of us thought it was a gift from heaven. "This car has weathered two Michigan winters and the 1993 major snowstorm in New York. The all-wheel drive works great in bad weather, as does the ABS."

Other items praised on the SVX were front-seat comfort, overall quality and workmanship, and gas mileage. Our logbook was filled with positive comments, but it also had entries noting a variety of problems, all of which were experienced by our survey respondents.

Our biggest difficulty with the SVX was a disappearing act by the third gear. We started having trouble shifting around the 9000-mile mark and took it in for service. Adjustments were made, but still it felt no better. It left us again on one of our out-of-town trips to Laguna Beach. We brought the car back for service and discovered a badly burnt high clutch assembly. The transmission was overhauled. We attributed the problem partially to the fact that this car had been run fairly hard during ICOY.

Out of the 34.9 percent who reported mechanical ills, just over 17 percent also cited tranny troubles. We contacted Subaru and were informed that SVX owners should have received a letter telling them to bring their cars in for free installation of an automatic transmission fluid filler and to replace the hoses to prevent fluid from leaking.

The biggest problem reported in the survey involved the security alarm, at 35.8 percent. The alarm would go off even if the doors weren't locked and the system wasn't set. This also was fixed by Subaru free of charge and has been corrected on later models.

The front seats offer plenty of comfort for long hips, but put only small children or those you don't care for in the back; even a one-hour trip is almost intolerable for a hill-size adult. The simulated suede interior, called Easaine, held up well in our long-termer.

There is certainly nothing like it on the road. The windows cut down on wind and noise entering the cabin, but also make it tough at drive-through windows and tollbooths.

Another complaint on the list was electrical failures, at 10.6 percent. Specifically, we noted problems with our sunroof's occasional resistance to opening. Head and rear seat leg room was another shortcoming, but as one respondent wrote, "I could use more room, but, hey, it's supposed to be a sporty coupe."

A final item in our logbook, noted by many on the survey, was the creaking noise coming from the windshield; it sounded as if the glass were cracking. The spokesman for Subaru informed us it was really the thermal expansion and contraction of the dashboard, remedied by retrofittable fasteners that slide better and eliminate the problem. A service bulletin was issued to dealers, so the cars can be fixed at no charge.

Problems like these can be frustrating, but it's worse when the dealers aren't cooperative. A fair number of respondents who loved their cars rated dealer service practices on the low side, with only 78.2 percent giving them excellent or good marks. Parts availability was a big gripe, as was dealers' lack of knowledge about the SVX. One owner said it felt as if he and the mechanic were learning about the car at the same time. Another unhappy driver has been waiting for a spoiler-for which he'd already paid-for almost two years.

Dealer sales practices received even lower marks than service did, at 76.3 percent excellent/good. "My sale went fine," read one comment, "but the dealer took over a month to send the necessary information to license the car." "The dealer didn't know there was a video with each car or that the SVX came with two remotes." And a third wrote, "They really don't know what they're selling "

For '94, almost all their wishes will come true. There will be three new trim levels: LSi, L, and LS. Only the LSi will be all-wheel drive; the other two will be front-drive. All three have CFC-free air conditioning, dual airbags, no motorized belts, cupholders in the center console along with a central door-lock switch, and new exterior colors. All '94s will have monotone paint schemes, except white, which will retain the black canopy. There's also a tan leather interior option. As for more power and a manual transmission: not at this time. Subaru says a five-speed would sell in such low production numbers, it would be cost prohibitive to make it. There is no manual currently in use by Subaru that can support the SVX's horsepower.

As is typical of Subaru owners, once they get to know their cars, they become devoted fans. "I love my SVX." wrote one respondent. "If it had a bathroom, I could live in it." But the most interesting survey received was from Pensacola, Florida. A corporate vice president wrote a two-page letter detailing a five-car pileup in which his SVX was destroyed. He walked away from it with only a bruise on his right arm. "After all that," he states, "I knew I had made the right choice when I purchased the car with the funny windows."