Underwhelming Wednesday: Subaru SVX

The Underwhelming Wednesday segment is where we cover cars that just didn't quite live up to their hype and investment. When you think of Subarus today, what comes to mind? Love it or hate it engine layout? Exceptional AWD systems? Ability to conquer any kind of terrain? All of these fun features and good qualities had to start somewhere right? Unfortunately for all involved, they didn't start with my underwhelming pick of the week, the Subaru SVX.

Let's run some numbers. 3.3 liters of displacement. Four overhead camshafts. 231 horsepower. 228 torques. Four driven wheels. Not bad right? Let's look at some more numbers. Four speed automatic transmission. 3,580 lb curb weight. Nearly eight seconds to 60 mph. Things are starting to get a bit "meh" at this point. When this car was designed, Subaru didn't produce a manual transmission that could hold all the power that the flat six could put out so the only option available was a four speed slush box. Not exactly inspiring for those with rally aspirations. To make things worse, when it debuted in the states in 1992, the top of the line model listed for $28,000. For a Subaru. In 1992. With windows that didn't really open and a typical Subaru interior. There was certainly a lot of hype and comparisons to the 3000GT VR4 and even the Honda NSX, but the SVX never lived up to the expectations. After selling just 14,257 units in the United States, it was pulled from the market and killed off.

To be honest, and to stick with the theme, this was not a terrible car. It was as reliable as any Subaru from the era. It had a comfortable and stable ride and it even got about 24 mpg on the highway. It was innovative and had acceptable styling. But none of these things stirred the soul. Nothing about this car makes my insides tingly or makes me want to go drive just for the sake of driving. If it doesn't give you any of these feelings, what's the point?

What car do you think is most underwhelming?