drivetofive

Odometer (Legend):  521,877

Odometer (ILX):  35,228

Is anyone else out there as addicted to craigslist as I am?  Sometimes it’s just entertaining to browse and see what’s out there.  My friend Jason taught me an interesting trick:  Click into the “Free” section of your town’s craigslist page, then hit the button for “Map View.”  You’ve just given yourself a birds-eye look at anything within range that might be worth getting up off the couch or office chair to go pick up!  Around these parts, it’s usually just free dirt, but you never know!

Anyway, here are some nice finds from the Automotive section.  First, a sweet low-mileage Legend sedan for any Dto5 followers who might be interested!  It’s not every day you see a 1995 model year with only 28,000 miles on it.  Check it out here on craigs in Syracuse, NY.

Have you ever seen a nice interior?  This one is Type-E (Taupe) – the same interior color as my Legend.

The only thing that struck me as odd on this one is how the owner has “double-badged” the car.  Notice how the trunk lid has L E G E N D spelled out in the center (proper 1994-1995 badging), but then also the smaller LEGEND at top right.

And here’s another super nice coupe in New Jersey, for those who prefer 2 doors instead of 4.  This is a 1991 Legend LS coupe.  It’s got 45,000 miles and available for $9,000.  The pricetag is a bit of a shocker, but to a collector, it could be a bargain!

Random Legend-related video:  Remember Cash for Clunkers in 2009?  I know of a few people who “cashed out” by sending Acura Legends to scrap.  Here’s one Legend’s death caught on camera.  Looks like a Cashmere Silver Metallic L or LS sedan with 206,000 miles on the odometer.  It probably could’ve gone much farther.  This video gives me nightmares!

On Wednesday, my 2013 ILX received its 7th oil change, and still at the same dealership where I picked up the car new last June.

While I was waiting for the ILX to be serviced,  Acura of Tempe salesman “Josh” took the time to give me the complete tour of the all-new 2014 Acura RLX.  The Bellanova White Pearl RLX on display had over 600 miles on it; it’s been the demo car for the last several weeks.  It’s equipped with the Technology (Navigation) package but not the top-line “Advance” package.  Still, the car definitely impresses. It’s a $54k ride in this trim.

Here are a few of my observations from my short walk-around and test drive:

• P-AWS (“Precision All Wheel Steering”) does feel a lot like my old 1989 Prelude Si 4WS.  The back end “kicks out” a bit under very tight cornering at low speeds.  It can take some getting used to but the response is great!
• Acura has gone to great lengths to make this a quiet ride!  The side windows are double-paned – you can actually see both layers of glass pressed together when you roll them down.  The cabin is whisper quiet.
• This car has a ton of room.  Even with a 6′ tall driver positioned with more than ample leg room up front, I had tons of extra space behind him in the back seat.
• The trunk pops open ALL the way with the remote key fob, instead of just springing ajar lightly like most do.
• Power folding sideview mirrors are a nice touch.
• The center console / armrest opens MULTIPLE different ways (from the left, the right, and front).  There’s cavernous storage both there and in the trunk.
• I really love the high gloss trim on the interior.
• RLX has two different screens – one larger 8″ screen mounted high in the instrument panel (map) and another lower near where a radio would be.  The climate control functions are unique:  You can pull up a screen that shows a range of temperatures and just touch the “number” of the desired degree, instead of scrolling up/down.
• Radio volume on the steering wheel is a rolling wheel instead of a toggling switch.  I like that – it seems much more intuitive.
• Power on tap is more than ample.  This 3.5 liter V6 is Acura’s first direct injection motor.
• Capless fueling is innovative.
• The doors sound with a resounding “thunk” solidly.  This is the kind of thing we expect from a flagship model from a luxury automaker.  I like it.

Here’s a look at that capless fueling system.

The interior trim that I enjoy.  Notice that the RLX also has a push-button parking brake and a feature called “Brake Hold.”  The Brake Hold keeps the car at a standstill without having having a foot on the brake, whereas other cars would idle forward.  The feature can be deactivated.  It’d take some getting used to.

That double-paned glass I was mentioning earlier.

Logical gauge layout – something I’m already used to seeing.

Here dual screen layout of the instrument panel.

And that spacious rear passenger area.  All it needs is a footrest and it’ll be as accommodating as that Amtrak ride I took a couple months ago!

Overall, this car looks like a winner.  And even Motor Trend agrees.  Check out this article where the RLX was pronounced a winner versus the Cadillac XTS4.

The new RLX is nicely executed!  Well done, Acura.

Breaking News about “Breaking Point”!  

While I strive for maximum engine durability on my Acura from a mileage perspective, my brothers strive for maximum durability from a POWER perspective.

The gearhead in me has always wanted to see an engine blow up.  My brothers, Bentley and Payton, pushed a GMC diesel pickup to its limits today and had that very thing happen.  H&S Performance is a Utah-based company that specializes in diesel pickup performance.  The level of power that can be unleashed from today’s Ford, Diesel, and Chevy diesel engines is pretty unreal. Bentley is co-founder of the business and Payton drives the truck and operates the dyno.

Today, they achieved a whopping 1,086 horsepower and 1,911 lb-feet of torque from an “LML” motor in a Duramax truck that has stock internal components (injectors and the like).  These guys kept throwing more power at it by way of nitrous oxide (NOS) to see just how much it could possibly take.  In the end, this truck blew past the 1,000 horsepower mark and spewed oil all over the floor when a rod punched a hole through the engine block while the truck was running 3 shots of nitrous on a dyno run in 6th gear.  That’s some serious power!

This is the victim truck:

Bentley and Casey, H&S founders, pictured here:

The end result?  Carnage.  Oil and engine parts all over the shop floor.

The final video is still pending, but in the meantime, the entire 3-hour live feed from Breaking Point 2 available online.  The truck’s 1,086-horsepower run starts at about 3 hours 46 minutes, and the catastrophic blow-up dyno run starts around 3 hours 56 minutes.  Tune in.  It’s worth a watch.  Here’s the site link:  Breaking Point 2.  And the video, here.

Can’t wait to see what they destroy next.  And you can bet I won’t be handing them the keys to my ILX anytime soon.

This entry was posted on April 25, 2013 at 6:13 pm and is filed under RLX. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.