The XT was Subaru's attempt to be normal | Revelations with Jason Cammisa | Ep. 23
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- Опубліковано 4 тра 2022
- The 1985 Subaru XT 4WD Turbo was what happened when Subaru tried not to be weird.
Honda had the Prelude, Toyota had the Celica, and Subaru had a problem - at the end of the malaise era, sports coupes were getting fun and fast. And Subaru didn't have a car to compete with them.
The company's EA-series flat-four gradually got a turbocharger and overhead cams, and in the XT Turbo it made a full 111 hp. With AWD traction and a 5-speed manual, it got to 60 mph in 10.2 seconds - which was genuinely quick for a Subaru. It had a coefficient of drag as low as 0.29, making it the most aerodynamic car sold in America.
Looking back, the XT previewed many technologies and features common in today's cars: height-adjustable air suspension, turbocharged four-cylinder engines, all-wheel drive, digital dashboards, a hill-holder feature, speed alarm, a focus on aerodynamics, trunk pass-through, trip computer, you name it!
That preview was done, however, though the eyes of what was possible using 1980s technology, which automatically means it was a bit weird. And then, it was a Subaru, and Subarus were very weird. Very, very weird.
And yet also very cool.
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That drive at the end was by far and away the sketchiest one yet. I felt for the owner on that one.
The steering was shaking violently 😨
Something’s a bit loose or out of alignment.
@@headwerkn sounds like wheel hop and old dampers.
Jason said somewhere here earlier that it was axle hop because one of the dampers were blown. Luckily this was his friend’s car and when Jason showed this to him, he was laughing his ass off 😂
Yeah something ain't right they drive much better than that.
The driving portion at the end was positively terrifying.
nothing like stressing out some 40 year old dry rotten bushings.
The amount of steering input to go around a very mild corner was astounding. 13:20 the wheel turned almost 180 degrees for that turn.
lol i thought the same thing and then realized on top of that, that the speedometer was only at 40 mph
@@Power5 C G I
The power of video editing.
I had a neighbor that had one in high school. He took a curve too fast and went through a fence. I now, 30 years later, understand why after watching the driving part of thus video. Very interesting story. Thanks for sharing
I did the same exact thing in mine! Did you live in Woodstock GA?
@oatechaosincycles Wasnt you haha. I'm from Maryland
@@jcraig1848 I am currently the only owner of one in Maryland!
I'm old so I do remember seeing a few of these when they were new. This is a gorgeous car. Weird is good.
I'm old and do not remember this car and yah it is gorgeous?? well neat looking. Reminds me of the TR 7 also a car that went no where so to sp[eak.
Me too, I remember a few of them. Had no idea they had all those unusual features too.
It is definitely weird. But the good kind of weird that makes it quite attractive looking.
Like a Citroën XM for exemple.
@@michealfigueroa6325 I'll bite. I was 19 when I first saw one in front of the local dealership in Lincoln, NE. I was always intrigued by Subaru, and the XT really piqued my interest. I never had a chance to drive one, but I sat in one at a car show in 1986. It was more fun than squeezing my butt into an Indy car several years later.
It's wedge shape reminds me of the TR 7 as well.
TY from an old man @@07imprezadude
That end drive gave me so much anxiety, lol
So much anxiety.
Right
You’re not alone lol
Started to freak out when the steering wheel vibrated in the turns. Ah, please pull over; I want out, now! Nice video; I remember seeing ads for the Subaru in the 1980s; I loved the car's quirky uniqueness.
Was thinking "How old are those tires?"
That drive through looked way faster and engaging than the more powerful cars you've had 😂
It was. There's nothing better than driving a shtbox fast. :)
Where was the shaking coming from? The differential?
@@cococly Axle hop. The front-left shock on that car was blown. Left-hand bends would unload that side, and significant throttle would incinerate the tire and cause the hop. If this wasn't my friend's car, and if I didn't know for sure he would find this absolutely hilarious, I never would have kept my foot in it. When I showed him the video, he almost pissed himself laughing. Poor car.
@@JasonCammisa Bloody hell, you are brave/insane to drive a car in this condition this hard. 😀
@@JasonCammisa tell him the struts for a 2.5RS will fit! They do on an XT6 anyway, mine was a riot.
My mom bought one in 1986 and we REALLY began to like and understand this car! It was well ahead of it's time. Extremely fuel efficient and the turbo flat-4 was torque oriented and came in at a much lower RPM than the Porsche's which you had to scream to get any power from. I think the extreme wedge shape was extremely stylish and it actually sported "electric car" wheel covers back then. 4WD was switchable on and the MOST unique feature, the Citröen DS11 air bag suspension. Cornering was flat and quick and touching the button raised the height and engaging 4WD, you proceeded off onto some pretty nasty 4WD trails, you just raised it up and you went! I still think the design looks and is very modern. Interestingly enough was the "component" design of the stereo system which could pull stereo signals from over 100-miles while in motion and the cassette deck had Dolby B noise reduction which all my cassettes were recorded with. This car was not at all quirky in my opinion but so far ahead that it was just incomprehensible to Car & Driver and Road & Track journalists at the time. I would like to see Subaru ressurect the XT in full 4WD electric...now THAT would be a helluva awesome car! Oh by the way, the yolk steering wheel...SO AWESOME! It had THE BEST electronic instrument display on ANY car made in the 1980's, period, end of story!
I owned a 1986 model and completely agree with you. I fell in love with the dash and futuristic look!
I owned an xt6. It was a great car. The only problem was the air suspension. A shock cost $600. A also owned a wagon before that. Also a great car. I lived in area that got snow in the winter. The 4 wheel drive was excellent in those cars.
My XT6 computers got wonky, one shock would inflate jacking up one corner. 😹 The rebound damping was irregularly off so the car bounced like a pogo stick... 🙀🤦😩😿
I loved it when it worked properly though.
I swapped out the air suspension on my XT6 with coilovers. Never took out the pump unit tho😂
The steering wheel wobble looks so scary. Didn’t expect the car sounded like this, was expecting to sound more throaty.
But sure it looks tons of fun driving.
it is, the auto box can be flipped from 2wd to 4wd mid corner....was a hell of a giggle ragging round a knackered one......til one sides airbags collpased,
Steering wheel shake looks like it has ABS connected to the steering instead of the brakes.
@@dennisferron8847 ⚰️⚰️💀💀☠️☠️💀🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 that’s “premium” engineering for ya
idk, man. Looks better than Ford's death rattle
I'd guess that either the tires are bad, or he had it in 4WD on dry pavement. These early cars don't have a center diff; they just lock the front and rear diffs together. Full-Time 4WD (aka AWD) wasn't introduced for another couple years.
If ever there was a reviewer of this car back in the early days that said "it lacked any road to steering wheel feed back" certainly wasn't driving the car fast enough as Jason just proven.
I test drove a space blue 1986 XT SANTA Rosa.
Colby... I was 16 ...... I'm another Jason that loves cars
They really made the car work with the XT6. It had an all new chassis, and had a more respectable amount of horsepower. The best part is, because all Subarus that came after use the same dimensions as the XT6, you can use some of the modern legacy and impreza parts in it! I have some WRX wheels on mine. I've heard people swap in brembos from the STI, and other suspension mods. It's also the only subaru engine bay that accepts an SVX motor swap without relocating the radiator. Those engines start at 220-250hp, depending on the year, and can easily make 600hp. I have one sitting on a stand. The SVX (EG33) engine is, without a doubt, the best engine they ever made for power.
My dad bought a barely-used 1986 XT Turbo when I was in high school on post in Germany. This thing was INCREDIBLE and was beautifully painted by a body shop owner who owned the car before, was showing off his custom painting skills, and then needed to offload the car during his divorce. That car absolutely mastered the Autobahn in handling curves and "hills." Now, driving up a long "mountain" run of Autobahn compared to some huge Mercedes, BMWs, and Audis was embarrassing. But driving the XT on as a 17-year-old on the flat, unlimited portions of the Autobahn, that 1.8L turbo kicked ass. Even as a teenager, I never wrecked the car. I came close, but that thing stuck to the road like nobody's business! The car came with winter tires mounted on the stock wheels and some high-speed tires mounted on some Peugeot wheels. I'm not a Peugeot fan, but those wheels looked awesome on the custom-painted silver and blue XT. Dad had the tires changed out for the season, and the XT was a beast in both summer and winter driving with the right "shoes" on. Say what you want about its weirdness, but I have only the fondest memories of driving the XT for 3 years in Germany!
The shuddering understeer is hilarious and familiar. My family and I have owned virtually every type from this brand since ‘81. The weirdness is probably only eclipsed by Citroen. Great story Jason.
Albeit there were divider bumps on the yellow line causing the shudder, but the steering ratio was what really caught me off guard haha
@@ej7speed996 nah even @13:19 when on the road that looks crazy
@@papa_pt you may be right, i can't decide whether that's the car or the rumble strip lol
@@ej7speed996 Oh no, that wasn't from the reflectors. That's hideous, chattering, dashboard-destroying axle hop caused by blown shocks. And exacerbated by Anthony's laugh, which just encouraged me to keep going.
So your Family owned an Imprezza or WRX or maybe even an STI?
The XT is one of those cars only the 80’s could have produced. Obscure and technically advanced for its time.
Subie does one every ten years. 70's Brat, 80's XT, 90's SVX, 00s Baja, 10's Tribeca, 20's the latest WRX
i dunno mazda did something very similar in the 90s wiith the xedos,,,,
@@deadprivacy The 80’s we’re crazy times.
@@JohnnyAFG81 we were the last generation who got a sniff of a normal childhood thats for sure ..and then came sonic the hedgehog...
The mazda is even weirder from an engine perspective..
They went straight past variable timing and over to the miller cycle...something only just now reappearing in audi hybrids i think...
Its before it time and yet we havent reached it yet....if i had money...id have saved it....sadly to the scrappy last week she went .
@@deadprivacy I was a PlayStation Gran Turismo kid. I was so passed we couldn’t those Japanese 90’s sports cars in Canada.
Love those flat door handles. The Vector W8 had them also. These days a lot of electric cars have quite complex ways to retract the door handles (with bulky mechanisms and electrics behind it), but this system is quite simple as it is effective.
Especially love that affectionate ‘pat on the dash’ at the finale, which speaks towards the passion and engagement that a true motoring enthusiast can derive from their vehicles, be they great or humble, or even compromised.
I've always thought the XT was super cool. Neat styling, cool interior, fun dash and instruments, 4wd, etc. Did I mention the neat control pods on the dash? Asymmetrical steering wheel, fully flush door handles 35 years before tesla. Definitely not boring unlike most of what is made today
Definitely true, I remember when I first saw the XT at our annual auto-show in '85 how incredibly futuristic it seemed (even today, I still remember those control pods and steering wheel).
Having owned two, agreed!
Hear, hear!! And that last part, goes for most of the cars back then as well!
When my dad blew the engine on his prelude this was his replacement. Cheaper to buy a whole Subaru rather than a engine for a Honda maybe idk lol
But anyways both cars were so cool looked similar and were manual transmission. I thought the Subaru was cooler with the steering wheel fighter jet stick stick shift feel. Later when I was older I was surprised when he said the Honda was much faster and funner to drive. But the Subaru had a turbo lol how I thought
The XT rivalized the Ford Taurus on futuristic dept, In 1986
I think if the Subaru XT was made a few years earlier - it would be the main star in the movie "Back To the Future" instead of the DeLorean.
In a movie that's trashing japanese product? forget the 80's trade war?
It would’ve been too small for the “flux capacitor” and all the other things they added to it
I would agree if the gullwing doors werent such a prominent feature in the movie.
they chose the delorean because the company was a meme back then
Nah the dmc was stainless steel body. Very unique
Just saw one of these last night in a Walmart parking lot. Surprisingly it was in pretty decent shape for a daily driver.
Had an 86 XT Turbo in college. Was a lot of fun, and started my love of fast Subarus. I loved the quirkiness and turbo power. With FWD and no air suspension, mine was quick for its time. Believe it or not, it was stolen from in front of my house overnight. Was followed by an 89 XT6, a 92 SVX, a 2011 WRX, 2014 WRX, 2016 STI, and finally, a 2021 STI.
I had one too. I loved the dash, the body, even the turbo lag, lol. Still one of my favorite cars.
Can't believe you skipped over the GC and GD chassis....
I've got to admire your awesome taste in cars! Way ahead of your time too!
I was working as a tech in a Subaru dealer when the SVX came out. Subaru should have stripped out all the luxury crud and given it a manual trans and more aggressive camshafts in the engine and they would have had a winner.
Svx gang
WOW! What a blast from the past! I owned a Subaru XT in the early 90's right after I graduated from college. My parents went with me to purchase it at a used car dealer. The salesman was was from the deep south and when we looked at the engine he said in a thick southern accent. "Well now, I believe that there is one of those opposed 4's" with his southern accent long and drawn out on the word opposed as "AH-POOOOSSSEED FOOOOUUURRRS!" My parents broke out in laughter. Fond memories. It was a very cool car, but wasn't fast. For car buffs, my neighbor had a red Pontiac Fiero GT. So I guess we were all living the 80's-90's life at it's moments. I remember a group of friends were heading out to lunch at a friend's house. On the freeway I was trying to keep up with the only driver who knew where the place was. He was driving a 1990 Chrysler LeBaron with a V6. I had the XT accelerator floored the whole time, turbo often engaged, engine strung out and wining. Not good I guess for the turbo or engine. I could barely keep up with the LaBaron. Around 1995, a few years into my ownership, the engine seized up and wouldn't start. I was young and dumb at that time and didn't understand proper driving of a turbo car I guess. It was a fun while it lasted. Both parents long since passed away but great memories, fun times!
Awesome story, and some fond memories with your parents. Thanks for sharing :)
what did you graduate in?
I have an Xt6. I wouldn't sell it for the world. Puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.
One of my favorite cars is the Subaru Brat. Loved the seats in the bed. They would go anywhere but the bodies rusted off fast.
I drove an XT turbo from 1986-1993……..loved every minute! Loved the styling, interior, loved the car.
I wish was Subaru was still strange. Seems like the last several years they’ve gone “corporate,” chasing sales figures. Give us another Baja, or better yet, a BRAT!
Yes! They have only let me down in recent years. I would order a levorg sti today if they brought it over.
Likely a byproduct of increased Toyota ownership
Just about everything and everyone is profit driven, especially if they have shareholders
This, and maybe this time dont make the body out of rust?
I tried! I bought the weirdest one I could find. A Crosstrek in Plasma Yellow with a 6-speed. Way more fun than a CVT. Of course, getting stuck in Cross Bronx traffic is better than driving a CVT... Anyway it does regular car things too. Overall a worthy successor to our old 2WD 83 GL-10 5-speed coupe.
I had one back in the 80s and drove it all the way through high school and college in the mid 90s. Never let me down.
This reminds me of the 1988 Buick Reatta I used to own. Lots of futuristic features that the public wasn’t ready for .
Some fun facts about the XT turbo: The full time 5 speed is THE SAME full time 5 speed thats still in production today. Only change is a different case casting for the old bellhousing, and incremental improvements to the transfer case and gearset. Also the hill holder was not special to the XT, I had a Loyale with it and my GL hatch had it. But that same goofy cable/mechanical system was in use all the way up through the forester and maybe later, the latest I've seen being on a 2008.
And that hillholder worked just fine and flawlessly for years without any electronics !
@@hotcyr my 2011 Forester has hill holder. I disabled it because even on flat surfaces it will come on.
And let's be honest if you need it then you shouldn't be driving a manual gearbox.
It's so funny looking, there's just this random hydraulic cylinder below the normal master cylinder that has this rotary mechanism on the top of it that goes foreword, over the engine, and then to the clutch lever in this horseshoe shape. It's such a nice feature to have tho
My 2017 Forester has "hill holder".
@@kevinnorwood7355 Just needed to adjust it then. They work great and are very convenient. Awesome that they put them even in their cheapest Imprezas in the 90s.
I started my automotive engineering apprenticeship on Subarus 1985.
As wearied as Subaru was, customers just kept buying the next model out because of reliability.
( I now own 7x !)
I bet you had a good connection to get get the sweet hard to find stuff. Cool post.
Gotta ask what's in your collection.
My first, third and fifth cars were Subarus
It was the "Shape of things to come". I loved that the tilt steering also slid the dash gauges and the control stalk up and down...My mom had one for years. Unfortunately, this was a disposable car. When things started breaking (mechanically and interior plastic) it was not worth fixing because of the extensiveness of the damage and the price to repair. It was cheaper to replace...
I think the XT is one of the most beautiful and breath taking cars of the 80s and today is a perfect exemple for 80s retrofuturism. I, 30 years old, discovered this car through the 2016 Ghost in the Shell movie.
I absolutely love the XT, every bit of it! That shape, that dashboard, the popup headlights, the rear lightstrip, how cool is that! It's almost DeLorean-level of '80s coolness!
One time I went to buy an analogue camera from a weird old guy just a few km's from me, and among all the junk he had everywhere, I've seen a familiar boxy rear end of a red car... yes, it was an XT, the only one I've ever seen in person. It was packed full of more junk, but otherwise looked saveable. Too bad he didn't want to sell as his son is also a Subaru-fan. Maybe one day...
Yes. And there was a styling department, but apparently it took its cues from a few other outlier cars. The Saab Sonnet III from 10 years earlier had a similar slab-sided wedge design.
@@donjones4719 The sides remanded me of the Lancia Gamma & Fiat 130 Coupe, with those mid height grooves & the glazing proportions.
Bravo to whoever is responsible for the condition of that XT, incredibly clean and complete!
bruh the dash is falling off
You mean how the dash moves with the steering wheel positioning?
@@ShaiyanHossain Yeah, but where do you find a replacement? It's probably easier to find F40 parts.
I owned a Subaru XT back in 1992, either dark red or maroon color. It never let me down and got me through some of the worst winters. I finally gave it up when the auto air suspension went bad and I could not afford to fix it.
That back seat folding down to show the trunk was alot like the 3rd gen Prelude I used to have.
I love how this thing looks. One of my favorite cars of all time
Same, i absolutely love the styling, its so chronically 80s. Pure nostalgia
Same. Blew me away when they came out! Seriously considered buying a 2WD Turbo; much cheaper than the 4WD with all its costly add-ons, as well as *much lighter & therefore quicker!*
It's easier to really appreciate it's looks now than it was back in the day
Yeah!!!! It's ugliness is the exactly what's is so beautiful! :D
@@andrewbozhozr I don’t think it’s ugly at all
Will never tire of Jason's constant reminder to the world that he has a big... sense of humor...
And nice legs and sexy undies
LOL 🙈
@@JasonCammisa haha 😘😉
@@JasonCammisa You're a handsome man I've had a crush on you since your automobile magazine days.
@@tjae929 taking creepy to a whole new level my dude 😂
I had an '88 XT6! White, saw blade wheels, 5 speed, AWD...SO MUCH FUN!
Back in the late 90’s, I had a friend whose dad was the Subaru tech at the local dealership and got her one of these for her first car. It was so cool and quirky. It was like nothing else out there, just like her. All I could think about watching this was her and how much I wish I could go back in time and do things differently. It was because of her and that car that I fell in love with Subarus. They were like nothing else. And that’s still the case today.
This very same exact car is currently being offered for sale on Doug Demuro's Cars And Bids.
I owned a XT in 1989-1992 and I loved it! Still one of my favorite cars EVER! Digital Dash…pneumatic suspension…AWD switch on the shifter! I’ve often thought that if I saw one in great condition I might buy one!
This very same car is currently for sale in Cars And Bids.
"Subaru was like someone doodled in a notebook"
*Cybertruck sweating*
You can absolutely tell Jason is a true car lover. Does something sketchy in the car, car responds well enough to not kill you, pats the dash
My go-to "thanks buddy" when driving.
Yup
I do the same thing for a different reason. As soon as I have to slow down for any reason after ripping through some twisties I “tee hee”, pat the dash, and say “good car!”
Got to pat the dash. Extremely suspect if you dont.
I had to thank it for its service. :P
I started working at a Subaru dealership in 1992. I've driven all of them non turbo Turbo and 6 cylinder.. XT was the coolest car ever made. The most technology that is still used today.
I owned the 2 wheel drive non turbo with sunroof in silver & I loved the inside & out😁
My Godmother had one spec'd just like this and I've been dying to find one like this to buy. I'm guessing the Radwood effect may make that impossible for a poor boy like me. Another great video, Jason. 👍🏽
keep looking for it!
I do believe the owner of this car is getting ready to sell it. I have no idea what he's planning on selling it for, but it's worth asking him. The car is a little rough around the edges, but ... find another one!
@@JasonCammisa pretty cool of you to react to this Jason! Stayed so normal huh? 👀
Complete with shifter condom? 😂
@@JasonCammisa yeah, I dunno. Maybe some memories are better kept in the past. And that freaking shifter condom....at least you stayed safe.
That drive at the end was terrifying.
This was my first car! It was an 87’ I believe, but I got it used around 2001 and it was such a weird little car. I remember having to hunt down a mechanic with proprietary tools to do certain maintenance on it. There was a bunch of weird levers/buttons/switches all throughout the interior. I embraced how quirky it was.
Thing about the hill start in the L series and so on subies, is that it just works... I have a 1980's sports wagon in my backyard now waiting a refurb. Fun cars, quirky definitely but very capable too... The elderly neighbour of my grandma had a white XT Auto - we thought it was so futuristic and cool and she loved it, used to flog it around and got serious respect from the young boy racers by offering to drag race anyone any time - as long as it was on a buckshot gravel road... Went pretty good for the day, looked like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.
I’ve not only seen one I’ve driven one. I had a friend that had one in the late 90’s in high school. Had no idea at the time it was so rare.
I must be weird too, I kinda like the looks of it (except the wheels/hub caps). Had a friend who had a XT-6 and it was as sketchy as that drive, and you could hear it rust, but it was "neat" in a "bless his heart" kinda way.
Looks quite a lot like an MR2 from the front. Too bad the rear just looks bland
My friend Toby got one in high school, in 1989. The commercial on TV for it showed a guy jumping it IIRC. Which is crazy. I remember it as being the first time I was actually scared in a car.
Man I remember this car in the hey days! I fell in love with design! This was the shape everyone thought futuristic!
I absolutely loved my SVX! Literally the only imperfection was the lack of a manual transmission option. I'd love to own another one some day.
Same.
The Subaru SVX and the Mazda Cosmo, two GT cars that could’ve competed against the Mitsubishi 3000GT if they had proper manuals. Especially that Mazda with the 3 Rotor 😮
@@devandrasimanjuntak1646 the svx with a 5 speed was Porsche fast, that 6 cylinder is the best motor they have ever made
No stick and those weird windows were all that needed changing.
@@N1120A those weird windows had a purpose. let you keep them open in the rain with no water entry. A great feature in a country where everyone seemed to chainsmoke at the time.
I saw my first Vortex (XT here in Australia) outside my high school, and it certainly turned my head. I remember thinking wow, it's like a spaceship!
The Vortex engines go well in T3 Kombis.
Could have been my brother's if it was silver.
@@chriserlandson6316 Hahaha, it's a big country with lots of High Schools...
@@seandavie3672 lots, seems about right to me, l was a high school teacher
My cousin had one. Always wondered what the heck Subaru was thinking when they came out. Compared to my mundane 96 Corolla it looked pretty radical especially since it was a decade older. It was 16 years old, as old as he was, and he had it another 5 years. It never broke down. He only got rid of it because he wanted something newer.
My girl friend...now my wife for 33 years had one. It was fun and always got stares when we drove it. We upgraded to a 1989 and 1993 MR2. Now 33 yrs later we have a 2020 WRX and 2022 Outback...everything comes full circle. Life.
This is cool! Absolutely LOVED mine back in the days! (owned 4 actually, two on the road) The one I drove the most was Black 1989 Turbo with every extra avaliable, even factory rear spoiler that I haven't seen on any other car pictured on the net. But it had updated engine layout, more like the later Impreza WRX and A LOT more powerful that the older one even though the registration numbers were the same. Ones I had four guys with me on my way to lunch with my work buddies from a building site, hammered the accelerator and spinned the four wheels out the street, when we came back the whole building site team came to ask what the hell was under the hood ;) I have a mission to find one like mine and restore completely one day ;)
Memories....I had a neighbor when I was a kid who owned one in black, I recall it had gold accents (maybe just pinstripes, can’t recall) and gold wheels - aftermarket maybe? Not sure how many aftermarket options existed in 1990! I would love to have an example like that one, I’d prefer that over any new car of today.
The genius of that speed alarm was it cut the radio out, blared the alarm over the speakers and then the radio cut back in…repeat till you slowed under the 1 and only preset speed. The key was also the one that ran the glove box not the ignition. So your dad could send you off without a way to shut off the alarm…
My friend father had a used car dealership in the 90s and he showed us this car 🤣 we all just laughed and laughed about all the details inside but we actually all loved the way it looks outside. It had a very clean aerodynamic modern look to it.
My mom had one in the late ‘80s. Never was particularly quick, and made a terrible family car (the back seat was flat), but it got a lot of attention back in the day. Think we owned it for a decade before it rusted past recognition.
One of my friends had this car when it was new. Even in the 80s it seemed like a very strange car. I remember the dash could be moved up or down with the steering wheel.
You mean like the Porsche 928.
Honda advertising the Prelude as the ‘opposite of Quaalude’ is amazing.
One of my college buddies had a Suburu wagon that was normal-looking and looked like the white 1975 one going up the hill. One time we decided not to take the long winding road up to the campus housing and he drove up a steep hill like you see in the video. I was really impressed with its climbing abilities!
My dad & I test drove one of these XTs, and although we liked the way it drove, we both felt a bit claustrophobic in the car! A few years later, my mom did buy the SVX, which we called the "Darth Vadarmobile! LOL And that was the Best Driving Car I've ever driven! It "Held the Road" like it was "glued" to it, even in the Rain!
The last 90 seconds!!! Some of the best I’ve seen… love it!
Oddly enough, I remember seeing tons of these in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1980s and 1990s along with the later SVX. One of the car dealerships in my city was even a Nissan and Subaru dealership- yes, you could see a brand new Subaru Justy sitting right next to a Nissan Sentra.
Remember the Justy? This first car sold in the U.S. with a CVT? Yeah, neither does anyone else.
I rented a Justy for several months back when I was in college in the late 80s. The only two things I remember were 1) it was so lightweight that when semis passed you, the wind draft would practically blow you off the road. 2) It got incredible gas milage. I averaged 43 MPG in town!
SF is the perfect place for the hill-hold feature. Word of mouth there probably made sales grow.
I had a FWD 1994 Justy. I loved it, but the brakes were totally inadequate.
The justy the gl wagon svx and this car are peak Subaru in my eyes
I would love to find a justy, saw one in Moab utah, it was beat to hell though
Gotta love the Prelude ad at 4:26: "The opposite of quaalude". Not only were magazine reviewers mean back then, but marketers were bold. Who nowadays would market a sports coupe with a reference to Oxycontin?
In 1987 my girlfriend as the time had a Prelude, but her sister and her sisters boyfriend BOTH had XTs. Could you imagine seeing not one but TWO XTs in the garage? And they weren’t cheap. When I bought an 85 Accord for a little over 8k, these XTs were 15k. Very cool cars
6:28 anyone else seeing a Proton Saga coupe? 😵💫😆
You're not that far off there.
That understeer is like a tankslapper if it were a bike 😳
Yes, the XT (and later SVX) was an oddity in an odd world.... Glad that you showed the little weirdo some love! We all need some weirdo love...!
My dad had an early 80s Subaru GL, was an excellent automobile. I went home on leave in '86 and drove the hell out of it.
GF bought one of these new but the FWD version so it had a much lower stock stance and looked better. It was a kick just to learn all the gadgets and though underpowered, it was a pretty fun drive when it was new too. I love forward looking unusual cars like these. Great video- thx
Didnt look any better
This thing was my first car, absolutely love XTs 🔥
No way! Hahaha. Good to see you.
111 HP, wow, a real powerhouse. My 1986 GL 4WD (Subaru Snail) had 76. In over 300K miles I only passed two cars on the highways. The first time was a few years after buying it. As we came up on the car we suddenly realized we were going to pass something - it was very exciting! Turning the AC on was like hitting the brakes. Sold it with 345K on it. Saw it poking around the area with a teen driver for a few more years.
I love these things! I had 1991 4 cylinder automatic XT GL when I was 17. I'm now 42 and to this day, it's my favorite car out of any I've owned. In high-school, everybody called it the " inspector gadget" car because of the crazy layout for the controls. My dream is to one day own one again. Preferably an xt6 turbo like in this video.
I'd love to see an episode on a 3000GT VR4, they have a lot of charater... beautiful styling, twin turbo dohc 24v v6, AWD, 4WS, active dampers, active exhaust, active aero... One of Mitsubishi's 90s Masterpieces
Second this. The 3000GT fits right in line with Jason’s desire to cover technically advanced cars that were ahead of their time
@@mfaheypride Exactly man, I just revived my grandpa's 95' VR4 that sat for 18 years after he passed, these things are unreal... First start up vid is on my channel if you're interested
@@ardenunger2932 I’ve got a ‘92 VR4 myself. Love it and glad to hear another one is back on the road
@@mfaheypride Truly one of a kind cars, waiting patiently for a vid on one
I had a '91 Mitsubishi GTO with all the equipment as above. I think they were called 3000GT later on (no VR4 different car). Used to do 100km in 1st gear, 160 in 2nd and off the clock in 3rd in a 5speed manual car. Still would like one now.
As a kid of the 90's, I'm embarrassed how long I thought Subaru was an Australian automaker.
Because Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan was doing commercials... and the whole Outback name, etc. Can't blame you.
If they a model designated the “Outback” back then you’d have been thorough convinced ;)
I thought it was swedish because of the rally team 😅
I did too as a kid...
Thank you, Jason Cammisa, for making this video. Please contact me if you decide to highlight the SVX. I plan to own more of them because of what I've done in the one I had. 😈
The video when you were talking about the 1975 4wd wagon was of an early 1980s wagon with the US ski team graphics.
When I was in HS (early 80s), my friends said they wanted a small 4wd truck or an Alfa Romeo ragtop. I said I wanted a
Subaru wagon, and got strange looks from them. I pointed out we all went skiing together, and their dream vehicles couldn't get us all to the ski area an hour away. Today, I'm driving my 5th Subaru wagon.
Love the video, the best part is Honestly the end. That totally reminds me of my old racing wheel when the FFB got a mind of its own, or the time i maxed FFB Iracing on a g27 in the Mazda, entering the car immediately engaged a shake of death that looks very close to that. Makes me think some hardware devs might have driven the xt before.......
I had one of these back in the day. You know how sometimes you'll be turning the steering wheel and accidentally hit the turn signal or windshield wiper stalk. Imagine doing that at night and accidentally hitting the button that turns the headlights on and off. Back then, you didn't have daytime running lights. Nope. You'd be in the middle of a turn, hit the headlight button, and your world would go completely black, in a moving car. Yeah, that happened to me a couple of times.
My first car. Remember driving it off the lot - the loan had a 22% rate and I almost paid it all off before I crashed it three or four years later. Pretty cool for a 19 y/o. Held the corners well for a car of the time - much better than a buddy's Mustang. The stick shift was more like a fighter jet's than a chrome rod with an 8 ball screwed on it.
I had an 81? Brat, that thing was great! Used to put a beer ball in the back and run the hose through the rear window for our road trips to Vermont skiing. Had that thing airborne, through deep puddles, it was unstoppable.
Damn, I didn't realize how much awesome tech was in this old Subaru. Well done, Japan.
By the way, I'm loving the music in this video. Adding a koto to a soundtrack is never a bad idea.
I've owned three (3) Subaru XTs... an XT turbo, and two 6-cylinder XTs. And I have to say, while acknowledging the tongue-in-cheek nature of the video, the premise is just... wrong. Subaru WASN'T trying to be normal. At all. They were trying to be distinct because they were a smaller car company then (this was pre-Forester, pre-WRX, etc.). That's why they gave us the Brat. That's why Legacy wagons could be had with AWD (unlike the competing RWD Corolla wagons). And that's why their "sports car" was designed to be different... hence the XT and its half-window SVX successor. I love that the XT is getting some "love," but this video misses the mark.
Oh, and none of mine had that terrible shimmy, either... couldn't have found a better example that wasn't entirely laughable?
Agree with you overall that Subaru was definitely embracing the weird. Their attempts to be more normal, other than the drivetrain, were the Legacy and Impreza. They definitely succeeded, while maintaining a lot of quirkiness and utility! They also were peak reliability and maintainability in the 90s. The Forester went back to being even a bit more odd, but arguably kickstarted a whole market segment. The Baja went back to embracing the weird, but was also before its time. Now car trucks are all the rage again!
Had a loyale with cheese, then ended up with an xt-6. Kinda sorta really liked that car, but wasn't sad to see it go and wouldn't buy another? 11 subarus later, and i have lost my taste for 'em.
You and your team do a great job. You have great technical information and your enthusiasm actually makes me feel good. I remember the old motor trend show that use to come on weekends and the older guy (which is probably your age but I was young then) just reminded me of old men at a coffee shop talking technically about cars. I wanted to watch it but it was soulless. Keep up the great work.
worked on quite a few of these in the 90's, anything but the simplest problems whould become to expensive for the owners to fix it seemed. The suspension was a disaster when it got old and had some miles on it. Owned an SVX, loved them.
And when the Subaru´s isn´t weird enough, Citroën got your covered. You want computer controlled active self-leveling suspension? Check! How about drive by wire active steering? Check! Thirteen windows? Check! Lotus handling AND RR comfort? Yep. Did you want it in 1989? No problem. It´s name is XM.
Rolls-Royce licensed Citroen's hydropneumatic suspension because it was the most comfortable. If I ever have Jay Leno money my collection is going to have several Citroens. Renault made goofy little cars, Peugeot was the French Mercedes-Benz, and Citroen just engineered and built whatever they wanted to.
My Citröen has a fixed hub on the steering wheel (turn the steering wheel and the centre part with airbag and buttons stays in the same position) so that they could put a square airbag on the drivers side for better driver protection. luckily i've never tested it (would probably right the car off, not being able to find a replacement 15 years later).
And yes it's still as much fun to drive as it was new.
How freaking cool!!! Citroens are non existent in my area. Sounds so fun though
@@olliefoxx7165 I guess you live in the US? It´s a different story in the rest of the world. I live in Sweden and have 14 of them. I think Citroën pulled out from the US because the US DOT told them that the bumper has to always remain at a certain height from the ground. That´s the most stupid ban in history. Yes when parked for a while it sinks down as the pressure drops in the suspension. But when driving, the height stays the same regardless of load. They even have anti-dive/anti-lift. So the best "bumper height car" ever made was banned because of it´s bumper height when being parked overnight.
Your videos are always compelling, love the info you present, some unexpected comedy this time going with the weird.... all that aside if you show footage of a hidden light in the middle of a front grill-explanation is needed.
I definitely remember seeing the XT around, it was different but I am certain I have not seen one in over 20 years.
The chuckle and pat on the dashboard at the end is lovably hilarious!
I had a friend who worked at a Subaru dealership for many years. He had one of these and it was fantastic !
I've actually seen one of these in person - my local Subaru dealer actually has one in their lobby
Thanks Jason! That was your usual high standards and fantastic!
Loved the retro quotes, I remember most of them but always thought the writers never really understood the cars they were testing.
You absolutely nailed it. Hmmm... Perhaps the benefits of hindsight!? 😁
Subaru (FHI was dropped quite some time ago, I think?) has basically mastered niche/quirky and popular, which is no mean feat in the Automotive industry.
I am reminded of Saab and what might have been, while thankful Subaru still exists, even if it never gets the credit it deserves.
Modern and ubiquitous, monocoque SUVs or Crossovers all owe a debt of gratitude to the 1972 Subaru 4wd Wagon.
Had a used one of these when I was 19. In black.
It was more powerful than anyone expected. Friends called it my batmobile.
I owned an XT Coupe from 1986-1990. I loved it. I wish I still had it.
I’m one of the weirdos that owns ones of these. I have an 1987 Manual XT Turbo sitting in my driveway. 😁
I am utterly jealous.
Sweet!
Wish i still had my 86xt fun car to drive
Subaru is basically Asia's Saab. Much less so now than in previous years, but I'd much rather be "No longer quirky and interesting" than "No longer around"
Daihatsu maybe, we in asia (+62) never have an subaru.
@@reevvveey Indonesia used to have Subaru dealerships tho, brought in by Motor Image
@bhandra yes, but not for long and it was imported here. So it's not cheap anymore
@@reevvveey I mean more that it's the Saab of Asian automakers
@@reevvveey oh yea they definitely ain't cheap 😅
I love how Subaru re-engineered from weight forward awd to weight rearward awd.
My mother had an '87 Turbo GL-10.
I later learned what the alarms meant when I was over-revving that motor.
Loved that awd, and the lift mode!
my mother bought one in 1985 i remember going to Holmgren Subaru and sitting in the show room wile my mother looked at the catalog because they didn't have any on the lot. i was only 6 years old at the time so you can imagine how board i was. when the car arrived from japan weeks later i hated it. it was red and slow (she had traded a firebird) and i remember it had to warm up otherwise it would only creep. it didnt have ac and as soon as the warranty ran out the passenger side electric window stopped working. then the passenger door would stick. really the only thing that i can remember my mother saying about it was the 4wd worked in the snow when others failed, and she liked the steering in it. for years after she sold it she would say that it was her favorite car even with all of the expensive repairs it would need. so i guess thats good enough for me. I miss you mom