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2017 Toyota 86 Drivers' Notes | Fun, even with an automatic

The Toyota 86 is a car that enthusiasts begged Toyota to build for decades. It's small, lightweight and rear-wheel drive. Thanks to a partnership with Subaru that resulted in the BRZ, this stylish coupe hit the streets in 2012. In the U.S., the car was originally known as the Scion FR-S but was rebadged as a Toyota after Scion was axed last year. Along with a new name, the 86 received updated styling both inside and out as well as a revised suspension and a slight bump in power, at least for the manual models. This Hot Lava-colored car doesn't feature Toyota's slick six-speed manual. Instead it rocks a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters. While some enthusiasts may look down at that, automatics make up more than half of 86 sales. Still, the bones are there, and some people don't think the automatic is all that bad. Either way, we can't encourage enough people to buy these cars, as we want Toyota and Subaru to keep building them. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: When I first slid behind the wheel of the 86, I was surprised to see the gear selector and paddles. It's one of those cars that you don't think of as having anything but a manual transmission. Also, in an interior where all the controls and displays are underwhelming, a set of paddle shifters stands out as one of the few tactile objects in the cabin. I ended up using the paddles quite a bit, and found that I actually enjoyed using them, so much so that I'd actually consider opting for the automatic transmission were I to buy an 86. Despite shifts that aren't as razor sharp as they could be, the car's high-revving engine means that it still feels great to use. Riding an engine like this up to its redline, filling the cabin with noise, is the sort of thing that'll give you goosebumps. Being able to keep both hands on the wheel while shifting is a good thing for engagement in this car, based on my time with it. Plus, when I got stuck in traffic, I didn't have to wear out my left leg. The other brilliant thing about the Toyota 86 is its sense of balance. I loved the way it communicated its load distribution when cornering, whether on or off the throttle or brake. The fact that the nose of this car snaps right to where you want it when you start dialing in steering angle is satisfying. And its low stance and good view out the windshield make it really easy to place on the road.

Junkyard Gem: 1996 Subaru SVX LSi

Even as Subaru nailed down its position as the world's top maker of sensible all-wheel-drive cars, the company was willing to take a chance with a big, expensive sporty car with science-fiction looks. That car was the SVX, built for the 1992 through 1996 model years. Here's a final-model-year SVX, spotted in a Denver-area self-service wrecking yard. Because I live in Colorado, where just about everyone— myself included— owns at least one Subaru, discarded SVXs aren't so rare in my local wrecking yards. Before today's car, I have photographed this '92, this '93, this '95, and this '96. Unlike their XT and XT6 predecessors, the SVX had no manual transmission option; its big 3.3-liter boxer six engine made too much power for the three-pedal hardware Subaru had on hand. Those four-speed automatics were quite failure-prone, but this car's career was cut short by an ordinary wreck and not a bad slushbox. Subaru didn't make another engine this big until more than a decade later, with the 3.6 in the Tribeca. In 1996, this naturally-aspirated H6 was rated at 230 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive SVXs were available for a few years in the United States, but all of the '96s had all-wheel-drive. With all the horror stories about the transmission failures in these cars, 151,311 miles counts as an impressive mileage figure on an SVX. This car's owner or owners took good care of it. Well-cared-for older cars in wrecking yards often have the original owner's manual inside. Sometimes they even have the original window sticker stashed in the glovebox. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The Alcyone SVX (as it was known in its Japanese homeland) featured this dreamlike TV commercial featuring a cover of Hedy West's 500 Miles. Featured Gallery Junked 1996 Subaru SVX View 19 Photos Auto News Subaru Coupe Luxury Performance Classics subaru svx

Plans for 7-seat Subaru Tribeca replacement becoming clearer

Subaru is going to have its hands full at the Tokyo Motor Show next week, but while the Cross Sport Design Concept is expected to preview a Tribeca-replacing crossover, this new model could still be at least two years from production. It has already been confirmed that production of the Tribeca will end early next year, but in speaking with Yasuyuki Yoshinaga, the president of Subaru's parent Fuji Heavy Industries, Automotive News is reporting that there will be a lengthy gap between the Tribeca and its eventual replacement.
The next-gen three-row crossover wasn't included in an annual production capacity goal of 500,000 units expected in the US by the end of 2016, so it's likely that we won't see this much-needed CUV until 2017. While the details of this new model aren't known, Yoshinaga told AN that it will be "completely different" from the Tribeca. As we heard back in February, we do expect this seven-passenger crossover to grow in size in order to offer a larger cabin with more third-row space.
Automotive News even mentions that the Tribeca replacement could be based on the existing Subaru Exiga from the Japanese market. That three-row vehicle splits the difference between a minivan and wagon, with swinging doors instead of sliders, and a tall greenhouse.