Rick92008 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I'm looking for a car for my 16 year old son to drive around that he might like & was checking on opinions to see if this Subaru would make a good 1st car & if it's worth the money. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/car/743022485.html 1992 SuBaru SVX LS-i - $2500 136K miles, automatic, 4 wheel drive, 230 hp 3.3 L 24 valve flat 6 engine. Leather interior, new CD stereo, clean CARFAX, new 16" tires. Clean title, registered thru October 2008. smogged 22 May 2008. Sunroof, (easily removable) rear spoiler, power windows, power locks. Ice cold AC w/ auto climate control. Recent oil and filter change w/ synthetic oil. Recent brake fluid flush. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qman Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 From his point of view? He may like it or hate it. From your point of view. The parts to fix it are getting very difficult to find. It does not share many parts with any other Subaru. The price seems right. But the mileage is also right for trans problems that these are famous for. An Impreza or Legacy of the same vintage would be a much better car for a young driver in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 An svx has too much power for a 16yo. Its an expensive car to repair when womething goes wrong, and it will, with a 16yo driving. Get him a imprezza or an earlier subaru he can bend and not have anyone cry over it. A first car for a young driver should be on the tank side of the equation, and easy to fix. IMHO nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 I agree with Nipper. As much as I love my SVX, I don't know if I'd trust it to a 16 year old. If it gets wrecked, it's totaled for sure because of how expensive the parts are. I'd get an early Legacy (91-94) or Impreza. Just as reliable, just not as rare or costly to repair. Also, that model is LS-L not LS-i. LSi started with the 1994 MY. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 it will hands down be the best one you test drive and look at. they drive real nice, they're very smooth, and lots of power that you can feel....as well as being a great touring vehicle, you don't mind sitting in them for awhile. but it would probably be a bad choice over the long term. parts are very hard to find and therefore pricey. go price some windshields, TPS, hoses, etc if you need convincing. they are very reliable and the motors are excellent - but they are notorious for transmission and wheel bearing failures. costly repairs. if the SVX has caught your attention then it's my guess that you're looking for a sporty and quick vehicle. more than likely you like the idea of an expensive (maintenance / high cost repairs are likely), but rare vehicle over the idea of something more plain yet more reliable. that would make sense based on your first post. if that's the case you don't have many other subaru options in that price range. a legacy or impreza would be a much better first car in every single category except aesthetics and power. but it's highly unlikely you'll find any of those appealing, they're not anything like the SVX. so assuming the SVX is your choice vehicle. that's not a terrible price for an SVX - but for a 1992 it's not a smoking deal either. you'll want to make sure the timing belt has been changed and when you get it you'll need to install an aftermarket transmission cooler if it hasn't already been done. and have the ATF changed. this is one of those cases when it's a "when" not an "if" for transmission failure. they have too much heat which destroys them - installing an aftermarket cooler will help. personally i'd go for a Legacy in that price range. a mid to late 90's with the 2.2 liter motor - and rear spoiler and hood scoop. those look nice, have excellent safety features and have one of subaru's best - the 2.2 liter EJ22 engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick92008 Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 Wow, I appreciate all the responses, and think I'll stay away from the SVX. I've seen some nice condition Legacy sedans that I'll check out. I think a mid size Legacy would be much safer for a teen driver than a smaller Impreza, and the gas mileage is not that much different. Unfortunately most of the Legacies for sale are wagons & Outbacks and my son doesn't like them, although I think a wagon would be great for him when he goes off to college in a couple of years. Thanks again, Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manarius Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Wow, I appreciate all the responses, and think I'll stay away from the SVX. I've seen some nice condition Legacy sedans that I'll check out. I think a mid size Legacy would be much safer for a teen driver than a smaller Impreza, and the gas mileage is not that much different. Unfortunately most of the Legacies for sale are wagons & Outbacks and my son doesn't like them, although I think a wagon would be great for him when he goes off to college in a couple of years. Thanks again, Rick Just to reiterate, don't get the wrong idea about the SVX. It is a great car. Every SVX owner will tell you that. However, all of them will also say that it's not the best choice for a first car because of the things grossgary and nipper mentioned. You might just wanna pick that SVX up for yourself. I'd go test drive it...you'll fall in love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 +1 on what he said, the SVX's are awesome. there's just some need to know stuff about them when buying and owning. Wow, I appreciate all the responses, and think I'll stay away from the SVX. I've seen some nice condition Legacy sedans that I'll check out. I think a mid size Legacy would be much safer for a teen driver than a smaller Impreza,the wagons are much more popular in my area too, but keep your eye out on ebay/craigslist/crazedlist/autotrader and you should find one. if you want him to consider a legacy, better not let him test drive the SVX! good chance of hating any other subaru you test drive if you drive that one, they are sweet! like i said - some of the 95/96 legacy's have the EJ22 and look really nice, just keep your eye out. the 90-94 and 95+ have different body styles. check both out and see if you like them or don't. wagons are great to have. my wife wasn't looking for one, but i bought her the Impreza OBS hatch (basically bought it because it has the EJ22 - same engine we're recommending to you). she was looking for a sedan but ended up falling in love with the OBS. easy to carry, haul, throw stuff in and take it out, clean it out, etc. she totally digs it now and it's never left her stranded in 3.5 years (good EJ22, pat, pat). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick92008 Posted July 11, 2008 Author Share Posted July 11, 2008 +1 on what he said, the SVX's are awesome. there's just some need to know stuff about them when buying and owning. the wagons are much more popular in my area too, but keep your eye out on ebay/craigslist/crazedlist/autotrader and you should find one. if you want him to consider a legacy, better not let him test drive the SVX! good chance of hating any other subaru you test drive if you drive that one, they are sweet! like i said - some of the 95/96 legacy's have the EJ22 and look really nice, just keep your eye out. the 90-94 and 95+ have different body styles. check both out and see if you like them or don't. wagons are great to have. my wife wasn't looking for one, but i bought her the Impreza OBS hatch (basically bought it because it has the EJ22 - same engine we're recommending to you). she was looking for a sedan but ended up falling in love with the OBS. easy to carry, haul, throw stuff in and take it out, clean it out, etc. she totally digs it now and it's never left her stranded in 3.5 years (good EJ22, pat, pat). How is the reliability of the automatic transmissions in the older Legacy & Impreza models, or should I be looking for 5-speeds? http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/car/748210919.html 95 Subaru Legacy LS Wagon, maybe I could sell it to my son as a surf-wagon. I like this style of Legacy wagon, But it seems over priced at $3,200. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 The automatics last pretty much the life of the car. Personally if it was me buying my son his first car, it would be a clean wagon, with a manual, and let him learn how to drive the manual. It will stay with him the rest of his life, the skill of driving a stick. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chef_tim Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Hey Rick, just my personal take on parenting..... If you're buying the car, he can either drive it or walk. My boy got an 86 GL wagon with an EA81 swapped into it. Didn't take hime long to appriciate that car once he figured out it that or walk... :lol: . Good luck, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmm001 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 '95 and earlier are great years also because the engine is non-interference. If the timing belt breaks, you won't have bent or broken valves. Plus, with a '95 you have the newer, more attractive (in my opinion) body style and a bit more room and features than the 90-94's. My '95 sedan (bought it in '04 with 82,000 miles, it has 138,000 now) is great and I've only ever replaced a water pump aside from routine maintenance. Brian M. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi subbie Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 i would buy the legacy for the son and buy the svx for myself if i had the cash lol. my 1st svx i brought was cheap highish miles but was good in tidy condision. the prevous owner forked out munny for the auto to be rebuilt and full auto fuild flush. its nevers let me down. never had probs with the rear bearings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick92008 Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 i would buy the legacy for the son and buy the svx for myself if i had the cash lol. my 1st svx i brought was cheap highish miles but was good in tidy condision. the prevous owner forked out munny for the auto to be rebuilt and full auto fuild flush. its nevers let me down. never had probs with the rear bearings My wife frowns on the idea of having hobby cars sitting around. I had a Triumph TR7 taking up space for several years that was not being driven much because it tended to breakdown so often & I had a hard time selling it, so buying a SVX for myself is not really an option. Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 My wife frowns on the idea of having hobby cars sitting around. I had a Triumph TR7 taking up space for several years that was not being driven much because it tended to breakdown so often & I had a hard time selling it, so buying a SVX for myself is not really an option. Rick So buy it for her nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 the 1996 EJ22 is also a non-interference engine - so a 1995 or 1996 legacy with a 2.2 liter gets my vote. they're the best looking legacy 2.2's out there. I had a Triumph TR7 taking up space for several years that was not being driven much because it tended to breakdown so often & I had a hard time selling it, so buying a SVX for myself is not really an option.don't let us mislead you - the SVX is actually a stand out in the reliability department - with the exception of the trans and bearings - but those are avoidable with proper precautions. it's the parts cost (non-mechanical/reliability related), rare car, and hard to find parts that make other cars better choices for a first car. with that in mind they are easy to get 200,000 miles out of without blinking (good luck doing that with a TR7!). the biggest detriment will be the prior maintenance from the previous owner(s). but you don't want it anyway and you're making a smart move - your kid would be miffed if you got it and he got a legacy! he'd be looking at you out the corner of his eyes every time he had to ride with you in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick92008 Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 Here's a clean 1991 Subaru Legacy Wagon for a reasonable price that might work for a 1st car. The 95 & 96 Legacy wagons & sedans in any kind of good condition around here seem to go for a lot more than the earlier body style. http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ssd/car/749522850.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenleg88 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 get him an sti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick92008 Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 get him an sti. Yea, I just bought a 08 new Impreza a few months back and I really wanted a WRX. With a catback and a tune the new WRX's are capable of putting out 300 HP, but I knew my son would be driving my car on occasion, so I settled for the 2.5i. Insurance for a WRX or STi with a teen driver driver is crazy expensive, not to mention the safety risk for my son & innocent bystanders. One of the 1st cars I drove in high school was a '72 Chevelle SS convertible, and I look back and can't believe I didn't kill myself or anyone else with that car. I had a couple of friends who had 340 'Cuda & a 429 Mustang & we used to have burnout contests in the school parking lot. Now days you would go directly to jail for that. Lucky for me I discovered what fun even underpowered Subaru's can be to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 get him an sti. i too live on Long Island, You must see the horrific accidents we have here from teenagers having cars that are way too powerful them. Get him somehting slightly underpowered, a stick, that he can work on for the first few years. Otherwise he can walk nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenleg88 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Hah. yeah, the above two posts are very true. butttttttt deep down... he probably wants an sti.. even if he doestn say so.. hah. my friend got an sti when he was 16. he was one of the kids that didnt wreck his car. he had a lot of experience with cars and a lot of safety drilled into his head when he was younger. i feel like a fast car and a young driver isnt always a good combo but it really does depend on the person. even a new driver with any car no matter how fast or slow has to understand "time and place" if s/he wants to fool around in a car. i think the imprezas from the past few year are great cars. a base model legacy is also a great starter car. any of those from 03-06 i would like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axel Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Let's see now, A 16 year old male running on 100 Octane testosterone, plus a car of any kind equals disaster. One of the effects of testosterone poisoning is a sudden and complete breakdown in good judgement and common sense. Get him a donkey instead. That's my 2 pfennigs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 And donkeys are 4 wheel drive nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 i think the imprezas from the past few year are great cars. a base model legacy is also a great starter car. any of those from 03-06 i would like... 2003-2006 subaru compared to a 92 SVX - those price ranges are completely incompatible. 4WD donkeys. how many miles per acre? maybe i could avoid some mowing too...and save gas in the mower...free fertilizer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircraft engineer Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 but only 1 horsepower This is me running away -> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.