My friend and fellow auto journo Tyson Hugie is the ultimate Acura fanboy. He owns a 2013 Acura ILX 6-speed with the personalized plate ILX, a 1994 Legend GS Sedan 6-speed and a 1992 NSX 5-speed which just hit 100,000 miles. He was honored by American Honda for passing 500,000 miles on his 1994 Legend LS Coupe 6-speed. And he is currently searching for a Vigor 5-speed in Arcadia Green.
Hugie clearly has a case of ADHD – Acura Definite Hyperactivity Disorder.
So naturally we had to take his orphaned Acuras along with the greatest discontinued Honda ever – a S2000 roadster, my 2008 with 32,000 miles – for a run up Tucson’s twisty Catalina Highway to Mount Lemmon and bemoan the demise of these late, great Honda cars. All in the name of automotive research, of course.
We were joined by the owner of a 144,000-mile 1993 NSX 5-speed and a group of Southwest auto writers credited at the bottom of this post. We tried in vain to find an example of the other great discontinued Acura, an Integra R or GSR. We recently wrote about this 1997 R in Phoenix, but it was in the process of being sold for $43,000, and every other one we spotted on Craigslist had aftermarket rear wings too tall for the low hanging trees on our drive. Apparently original 1990s Integras are as rare as original 1990s Legends.
Kulikowski joked about us doing a running Le Mans start to see who could grab an NSX for first leg. I hopped in Hugie’s 1992 and was first struck by how low the car sits; I was actually looking up at the S2000. The mid-engine NSX is simply sensational to drive, with 270 horses over your shoulder, the precise Honda stick shift and near-neutral cornering. Said Jason, “The NSX was intimidating to me at first but in typical Honda tradition, the car instantly felt familiar and easy to drive. Everything feels raw and mechanical. This is a sensation you just can’t find anymore.”
Both NSXs had over 100,000 miles on their clocks but you could barely tell, a testament to Honda durability. They were rock solid with not a squeak or rattle to be heard. I doubt there are many 100K Ferraris to be found in such condition. Whether you fall into the “it can’t be an exotic because it is a Honda” camp or the “it is built by Honda so it is an exotic that will not break” group, most will agree that the NSX is one of the greatest sports car ever sold in America.
Tyson’s Corner: Acura fanatic Hugie’s 4 Acuras have a combined 901,224 miles
I had one of the first Gen 2 Legend Coupes as a “demo” back in 1991 and I still remember what a sensation it was at the time. I doubt I will ever drive a 500,000+ mile car as strong as Hugie’s coupe. We only drove the car briefly due to a dying clutch. The suspension was also a little iffy but the silky 6-cylinder motor pulled as willingly as the sedan’s. Amazingly, this Legend has only been towed once – when its original fuel pump let go at 399,750 miles. The car has been through seven timing belts and Hugie’s goal is seven more.
It is no surprise that everyone loved the S2000. I told the gang that below 6,000 RPM, the Honda is the World’s Crappiest Miata: rough-riding, loud and not much torque. At that point the VTEC kicks in (yo!) and the motor screams towards its 8,200 rpm redline. This may be Honda’s greatest engine ever: 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 240 horsepower in the original AP1 version, 237 horsepower from 2.2 liters in this second-generation AP2, or 7 more than in the Legends’ engines. All agreed the convertible was the best car for the serpentine and smooth Catalina Highway and the sunny 70 degree weather we enjoyed.
As for that lack of low-end umph: I did have a ride in high school that had less torque. I don’t remember the model but I remember it was made by Schwinn.
We all agreed on the car that surprised us the most: the 147,000-mile Legend Sedan. The last flagship Acura sedan available with a manual transmission, it was quiet, quick and comfortable. Said Pawela, “The big glass greenhouse and low dash made for an excellent view out. When it came time to toss this big boy around some corners, I was amazed how composed and level the body remained.” Thanks to Acura’s designers and its stealthy Desert Mist Metallic paint, the sedan was also voted the car “Most Likely to be Ignored by the Highway Patrol.”
Both Legends came standard with a cool now-discontinued feature: AN ACTUAL NAME rather than being an “Acura RTIGLX.” Stop me if you have heard this one before: if Acura had kept the name “Legend” and stuffed a V8 under its hood, the luxury car landscape would be vastly different today.
Honda and Acura still sell mainstream cars with a sporty twist, but none like these. There is a revived S2000 and NSX on the horizon but they will feature turbos and hybrids, be bluetoothed and 27 air-bagged, and probably even have power steering which two of our testers lacked. In other words: the days of basic (read manual transmission and normally aspirated) unique, fun luxury and sports cars are dwindling due to the realities of today’s auto business. Build a screaming 4-cylinder convertible that only gets 18 mpg in town today? No way due to CAFE regulations. Put a stick shift in a luxury coupe? Who would buy it? Build an exotic mid-engine sports car? Sure, that will be $150,000 please – or more like $250,000 after Acura dealers are done ADMing the new NSX.
The greatest compliment we can pay these classic vehicles is this: go check out the soaring prices being asked for clean, unmodified examples.
We plan to do Part Two this fall and it may take that long to find decent copies of an Integra GSR, CRX Si, CRX HF, and 4th generation Prelude. Or if Honda drops the CR-Z as they did recently with the Crosstour and Hugie finds his Vigor, we will find a Honda del Sol and take all four cars on another run – the Crappy Orphaned Hondas Tour…
Thanks to Tyson Hugie, James Lee, Jason Pawela, Peter Kulikowski, Kelvin Chang and photographer Beau MacDonnell for making this event happen!
I can still remember being mesmerized at the thought of a first gen Legend coupe with a manual transmission…
All that metal in the opening photo, and my eyes shot right to the Legend Coupe. That car has always just worked for me, especially with those wheels. Pity they sold so poorly because they priced them like a loaded BMW.
$43,850 in 1995 for a Legend LS Coupe.
For comparison, the 1995 M3 was $37,950. And the Lexus SC300 was $41,700. Both of these were better cars with RWD and excellent engines. And more prestige.
By the way, in today’s money the Legend Coupe = $67,536.48
“because they priced them like a loaded BMW.”
That would be the rapid appreciation of the yen in the early ’90s. Lexus could get away with their price escalation thanks to the impeccable design and build quality in the LS, but Acura and Infiniti were hard-pressed by the mid-late ’90s.
That makes sense. Japanese housing bubble, awaaaay!
Also, voluntary import quotas, the Plaza Accord, the ’87 market crash, and the pinnacle of Japan Inc., but these are all interrelated conditions.
“By the way, in today’s money the Legend Coupe = $67,536.48”
Nope. The CPI rate does not reflect new luxury cars and should not be used out of context. The context include basic food, gas, rent etc.
I would prefer to think it this way, most people have some form of investment in the S&P 500 (retirement fund etc.) It’s the default rate of return of investment. If you had $43,850 back in 1995, it’s $160k ~ish today.
That’s a fun number, but it makes even less sense than using the CPI. An S&P investment is not something you “consume” and use. It does not have wear and tear. You can’t touch it – non-tangible.
Things in the CPI are tangible. And you don’t get a rate of return when purchasing a car.
Ah, the belle epoque of ’90s Hondas. Lots and lots of Civic and Accord sales paid for the “just because we can” engineering in these cars.
It’s sad that just about every discontinued Acura nameplate (maybe not the Vigor) is more appealing than just about every current Acura nameplate.
I know it’s alphabet soup, but how about a 2003 CL-S in the next roundup?
It really is a shame that the company which makes the world’s best manual transmissions is hardly putting them in anything these days. Sigh…
I’ve said before, they might as well put a 6-speed in the RLX. It sure as hell won’t make sales any worse.
“Hardly”…that’s putting it kindly.
As of the ILX facelift, there are NO manual Acuras offered in North America.
Dang you’re right. I forgot the ILX/TLX dropped it. Makes me want a TL-SHAWD even more.
I’ll vote down the ’03 CL-S. One of the last models I drove during my tour of duty with Acura was a 6-speed with Nav. The manual gearbox was preferable to the problem-plagued autobox, but my overall feeling for this model was that of driving a Fusion if it were built with a manual trans, and the large nav screen in my peripheral vision was distracting with its constant screen image refreshing. As ordinary as some folks think it looks, I much preferred the first Gen TSX’s with 6-speed that I had prior to the CL-S. I never drove a 6-speed Legend coupe, so can’t comment on those. The S2000, while not strictly an Acura product is my favorite of the group above. I’ve owned a gen 1 Miata and loved it, but there’s nothing about the S2000 other than the droptop that’s similar to it, at any rpm-low or high. Yes, the suspension is almost gokart-like and folks riding shotgun sometimes complain about the ride, but I didn’t buy one for a Legend-like ride. Like the Miata, someone very connected to what makes a good sports car listed was needed to engineers and beancounters, and they listened and acted upon virtually every word. Same for the NSX, but then that one takes slightly more coin to keep the keys to.
Yeah, I’ll have to concur on the thumbs down on the ’03 CL-S. I don’t remember that car ever selling that well. Other than the Vigor, I think that was a miss from Acura from the styling department (similar to current Acuras). I think it falls more in the upcoming part II of this story.
Tyson was given his ILX by Acura wasn’t he? Or did they just pay for a portion and then make him buy the rest? In either case, this truly makes him Acura fan boy number. Maybe I can join the club some day with my TSX Wagon?
First off, Acura/Honda once had a desire to make fun cars. Now it seems they have lost some much of that energy. Such a shame.
“Both NSXs had over 100,000 miles on their clocks but you could barely tell, a testament to Honda durability”. That really doesn’t seem like much of a feat and you can really say this about almost any car. It’s a testiment more to people taking care of a car rather than one make over another. Not that the NSX wasn’t a great car…it’s just that a clean 100k+ on a car seems rather, well, average.
I always did like the legend. Surprised to see one in good condition. I rarely ever see one on the road and when I do, it looks like a complete embarassment barely held together for safe road operation. One of the biggest mistakes Acura ever made was getting rid of that.
I own a mint-ish and stock-ish ’95 Integra GS-R. I referenced it in my TLX review. Perhaps I should write more about it.
If you write it, I’ll definitely read it.
I almost bought an Integer in ’93, but bought a Saturn instead. Too bad. If I’d bought the Integer I might still have it. The Saturn started breaking down every two months after it had about 130 on the clock.
I currently have an ’08 Civic, stick, with 80k on the clock. It’s a fun car, except the visibility is lousy, as so many of them are now. I’ll see how it does.
There are seeral posts about it on Hooniverse.com. Just go there and use the search feature. I’ll have another update on it soon.
See this: https://twitter.com/CarGuyDad/status/591272223878569984
Is that the Saturn that was lowered or something with a story on here?
I too carry the Acura affliction.
Although not represented here, the 2003 Acura CL-S with 6 speed manual deserves to be in the group if for no other reason than the fact that:
– It is rare because it was only offered in 2003 and is the ONLY way to get a J32A2 paired with a manual transmission
– It has a proper helical limited slip differential
– With proper bolt-ons, would keep up and likely outrun all of the cars in this group except for maybe the NSX. I get flack for this comment alot but beleive me, from a roll in 3rd with proper bolt-ons, the J32A2 just rips to 7,000rpm with such ease it is a thing of beauty
I have personally put 100,000+ miles on 2 CL’s and plan on acquiring another.
I will also add another reason why some of us adore Honda/Acura. I have had Lexus V8’s, Chevrolet LS1’s, etc…. but none of those cars gave me:
– Motors that wanted to spin sooooo eagerly. Something about the Honda motors’ willingness to rev sky high with absolute smoothness and aural delight etches itself in your brain. It is quite literally a drug
At any rate, I am now the proud owner of a TL SH-AWD with again, the proper bolt-ons:
1. Comptech intake system
2. J Pipe with long runners and 3rd cat delete
And I must say, the sounds made by the J37 motor are beautiful when properly uncorked. It just loves to be wound out.
The TL received so much bad press yet is simply an amazing car. The polarizing bits of design are very easy to tone down. The build quality is excellent, ergonomics are spot in, the interior is very roomy besting many cars claiming similar interior size, and the AWD system is a gem.
All I can say is, I put my hard earned cash on the TL AWD and I plan or putting significant mileage on it. With the AWD system, sonorous motor, and perfect ergonomics… its a car I look forward to driving each day whether for commuting or long road trips.
I only wish it had been a 6 speed manual :-(
I have the same car, but with the 6MT. It’s the sole reason I bought it. Don’t love the looks, but do enjoy the drive. Over 50k miles in not yet 2 years since new – zero issues and still very tight driving.
Maybe there’s a reason that Hugie doesn’t have a six-speed CL-S in his small fleet. I drove a new left-over at the end of 2003 as a company car, and after a week was glad to switch to a TSX six-speed. Personally, it wasn’t sporty enough for me. Some six-speed Acuras are cable-linked to the transmission, but this one would bind up enough between shifts that it just wasn’t fun for me. For me, the ingredients of six-speed, premium V6, and slightly stiffer suspension on paper didn’t work out as I’d hoped on the road.
And for the knuckleheads who repeatedly tell you that if you don’t rev the bejesus out of your S2000 and let the VTEC function kick in, that you basically driving an expensive Miata, you’re spewing total hogwash. I’ve owned both, and say they’re both fun, well-thought-out, well-screwed-together rides, no matter the rpm’s. I will say that your passengers will probably prefer riding in the Miata, because the ride is more compliant with stock tires, but from a driving standpoint they’re both extreme fun on curves and on the freeway. I didn’t appreciate the digital instruments on the S2000, reminded me too much of the problem-prone ’84 Corvette. However, I will own another S2000-it really is a drivers car, spouse opinions on the ride notwithstanding.
Carmax is so enamored with all things Honda and Toyota that they’ll probably pay you more for your TL than it’s worth. Then you can buy yourself one with a proper transmission. ;)
This has always intrigued me. As the “original” owner of a 1993 Accord SE (now with a little over 127K) and fully documented. I recently spoke with Honda to consider it for repurchase. They politely turned it down stating they didn’t believe it to have sufficient mileage for consideration.
The question is what makes a car more valuable. Purchasing it new and maintaining it in pristine condition (with relatively low miles) or throwing money at a high mileage car to fix it up and look new?
BTW, here are some pics and background:
http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=131822
You just have a clean old Honda, nothing that special about it that they wouldn’t already have with whichever one they saved from factory. And you’ve got aftermarket tints which probably would turn them off as well.
And all those years with leather seats and you can’t sit on them, because you’re too concerned about preserving a very common car. :(
You’re like Tom K.
Both extremes. A 127k Accord is a nice older car. A 27-mile Accord might be worthy of preservation (but Honda already has several on hand in various locations), and an 1127k Accord might also be worthy of display and preservation.
More and more I think about finding an NSX somewheres, project or turn-key. They are simply peerless, the best example of engineering sophistication and sensibility that sums up Honda’s – and Japan’s – automotive zenith.
Sorry, but you’re a few years too late. They have all rebounded in price – even ragbag examples. The only NSX that remains “cheap” is one with a salvage title.
The Legend Coupe was special, and is still a looker today.
My stock CRX Si could leave my brother-in-laws Vigor back in the day but for long distance the Vigor was quite a nice car in comparison…
100k NSXs are a dime a dozen. There are 300k+ DDs out there. And I think for all the reasons above they are appreciating, not as dramatically as some might think (i.e not in a E30M3 way), though a early <30k mi sold earlier this week in the high $40k. Mine has ~83k, and my earlier idea of replacing it with some sort of GT3 are starting to fade.
I’m just not quite sure why anyone would actively seek out a used Acura Vigor?
The novelty of the FWD longitudinal slant 5.
I am an unabashed Honda fanboi to the point that
– I have had THREE 92-93 Accords
– I sold my 350Z for an 09 Civic EX sedan
Honda may have lost the plot on its performance cars and with Acura, but their meat and potatoes cars are still good, and more importantly still receive immense aftermarket support. I’m planning to do some upgrades, which include streetable solid suspension bearings (!!!!!), a brand new $3500 turbo kit with essentially a standalone ECU (!!!!!!), a cheap, cheap, cheap OEM BBK (from the TSX), and a low enough weight that measly 225/45R17s will probably have it pulling a g in skidpad grip with mild shocks/springs and a RSB. Out of the box though it has the same playful bouncy but controlled suspension tuning as my 93 Accord, along with surprisingly quick steering and a decent degree of feel through the chassis and rear end playfulness. They still make great cars. It’s just that now folks are more about headline numbers that don’t make the cars more fun to drive or make the cars much faster (look up the straight line times of a Civic Si vs Focus ST).
All that said these cars are still representative of Honda at its peak. A high school buddy of mine had an automatic 2nd gen Legend sedan with the base 200 HP engine. Even loaded up, to this day I still remember how perfectly the powerband crescendoed as you went up the rev range, without giving anything up anywhere on it. Theres not much to be said about the NSX that hasn’t been said already, aside from the fact that the J series V6 and a 9th-gen-Civic style “FMC” could have kept it more than relevant. But thats all in the past now.
+1 to the above
I was considering one of the recent 370z’s. Any reason you did not personally take to the Nissan? Just curious.
Wait, so what youre saying is that Im not the only one who pines for a 5-speed Vigor? Awesome. This makes the movement twice as strong as before! Lol
Now there are three!
As a follow-up to this story, I just got one over the weekend. 1994 Vigor GS 5-speed, Arcadia Green on Cognac, 104k miles. Here’s my purchase story in full detail: https://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2015/07/05/new-addition-1994-acura-vigor-gs-5-speed/
I’m so glad to see TTAC doing a piece on these cars, I happen to know Tyson from the Legend forum as well and was at Honda’s headquarters to witness his coupe breaking 500k.
All those early 90’s cars were imbibed with exquisite engineering that really showed that Honda put its best foot forward. I remember removing the rear deck in my ’93 Accord and marveling that there were ten screws securing the shell over the third brake lamp.
I have owned cars from different makes but my all time favorite is the Legend, so much that I have owned six of them so far. Those second-generation coupes, with the roll down rear windows and sweeping styling evocative of an airplane, are in my opinion one of the most enduring designs to ever come from the House that Soichiro Built.
This is great to see, all that’s missing is shots of the interior and engine bays!
I’ve got a stock 5 speed Prelude with 80k miles you might like to drive, although it’s a 5th gen and in the Pacific Northwest.
Nice, love the Prelude.
Say what you will about the Legends handling, a Popular Science from Dec 1991 compared the Legend sedan to a Buick Park Avenue and the Buick out performed it. MUCH easier finding a nice Buick too.
Up the road from me theres a late 90’s practically mint Integra, all stock, only good Integra I’ve ever seen. If I knew the owners I’d love to take it for a spin.
Hopefully articles like this will encourage Honda owners to quit screwing with their cars.
As I’ve asked before, “If Hondas are so great why do people modify them so much?”.
That Legend Sedan blows my mind. It’s one of my favorite cars ever. I wish Honda would go back to a longitudinal FWD platform for its biggest sedans, even at the cost of some packaging efficiency. Put SH-AWD on a car built like that and it would shut up every “fancy Accord” complaint ever.
It certainly doesn’t hurt Audi.
Honda did longitudinal front drive in a totally unique way. The engjne sits next to the diff ahead of the transmission.Thats how they got that BMW RWD look in a FWD car. Better weight distribution too. Honda really used to do some clever engineering.
The 1991 Legend layout wasn’t much different from the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. Fore/aft engine and its differential was also alongside the engine and had a halfshaft going through the sump. But Oldsmobile reduced package length by laying the transmission alongside the engine as well.
Nothing new under the sun – and only 25 years later, when the obvious methods had been clear for some time. All to save 3% weight off the front axles.
I must say, I found both this car and the Vigor were dull, dull, dull to drive. At least this guy doesn’t sugarcoat:
http://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/acura-legend-rover-800-sterling/4/
My 320k mile 1990 Integra LS sedan is the best car I have ever owned. Only under hood things I have ever done to her are replacing the distributor, alternator, half-shafts and 2 timing belts and water pumps. Bought her 12 years ago with 80k on the clock. It’s simply the best beater car you could ever imagine and she slips under the radar, the uninitiated look at it and think it’s a similar vintage Accord. This has to be one of the first of that generation off the boat and sold here, serial number ends with 000397. Surely the oldest one remaining that hasn’t been riced to hell and back.
Completely stock too, except for removing the airbox resonator from behind the bumper. Every kid that has heard it and asked what kind of intake it has lost $10 when I pop the hood and it’s all factory instead of some ebay tube with a cone filter on it.
Somewhere, hidden away, a relative has a CRX Si. It is pristine, not hacked, and even has the euro market rear spoiler. I know, I went to an industrial area of Berlin to buy it. (euro sales and service tend to be in different locations over there due to real estate values) His other car is a first gen TL, about 200k, also perfect.
A friend bought the first acura integra. Wow.
All sorts of interesting things sold in Europe.
The frustration is that, unlike some other companies, Honda CAN do it. In the US, they choose not to. It’s almost like Toyota Jan does their product planning.
The S2000 is truly an amazing car.
And I’m not saying that because of the “I-have-one-so-I’m-biased” syndrome.
It is just an awesome car.
I recently got a bonus form my company. I did look at everything that was available new on the market.
And then I got the front bumper repainted.
I just can’t sell this thing.
I can just stop driving it. It’s the only car I actually enjoy driving. Even for daily work commute.
This car is just simply amazing.
I’ve owned an rare ’00 GS-R sedan before. It was a great car – small, light, with a fun engine, good handling and 30mpg average. Only downfall was the low end torque of which it didn’t have much but that is the price you pay for 8100rpm redline. Loved that car but it did start rusting in New England weather at the age of 8 or so.
After I traded it in on a WRX I forgot Honda existed. Not because Subaru is so good but because Honda currently makes yawn-inspiring crap. An occasional S2000 is fun to look at but as a former Miata owner I’ll take the latter over the former any day of the week. And yes, I’ve driven both AP1 and AP2. But it is rather sad altogether that Honda makes nothing I want to own anymore.
A friend of mine had a Legend coupe, A/T… with a wet nitrous kit. Then he bored the TB. He played around a bit with it.
Boy it was fun. He eventually would rip the engine mounts, and adapted some dirt cheap F650 ones to fix that.
I still remember the aid to close the doors: you placed them and the mechanism would shut them. Neat.
Acura/Honda never came out with an 8 cylinder motor, so their vehicles have limited performance. I think even their trucks are 6 cylinder.
Even when Honda did plebian sedans around 1990, when they started the “EX”-grade cars, they were special…
..my Mom’s 1990 Civic EX (even with a 4-speed slushbox) was just a CRX Si with a sedan body! That thing would simply REV!! I’d hoon on the thing mercilessly, and it just asked for more!! Never over-revved, and the transmission was bulletproof! (That little B16 was awesome-sauce, and the VTEC in its successor (’92-’95) only made it better!! My ’94 Civic EX Sedan (Torino Red Pearl FTW!), with a dash of E-Class in the rear three-quarter view, was da bomb! Unfortunately, the slightly thinner carpeting in the 5th-Gen Accords that year was a harbinger of things to come!)
It’s impressive to see so many older Acura models still out there. The Legend coupe is a stunningly cool car to look at inside and out. It doesn’t look out of place even in 2015. I wish I had one!
I know of a perfect CRX Si, unmolested, and mostly stock. Send me a PM and I can hook you up with the owner.
I just love my “unicorn” Acura TSX V6