Video Release: “Fabulous Fives” 555,555 Milestone; Visits with Joseph & Michael
Odometer (Legend): 558,967
Odometer (Vigor): 109,340
It’s no mystery that my friend Josh Clymer and I are Mileage Masters. We thrive on seeing that odometer turn just one more digit…. again, again, and again. About 5 years ago, Josh launched a blog called TSX Travels, and he began documenting his journeys in his 2005 TSX, just like I started with this blog in Spring 2011.
Josh and I have collaborated on drives and milestones in the past, despite the fact that we live 926 miles apart. In fact, we got together for a “Dueling Acuras” video production in February 2016. Somewhere along the road, we got the crazy idea that we should coordinate our all-fives roll-over for the same time and place.
Well, here’s the grand finale! Josh drove from Boise, Idaho, I drove from Phoenix, Arizona, and we met in the middle – St. George, Utah – for a monumental milestone celebrated together last October 7th, 2017.
It was a busy and fun weekend here, with a friend visiting from southern California and a trip to a new destination in Arizona to see another friend’s car collection. Years ago when Honda was first getting into the transportation industry, its first mobility tools were scooters and motorcycles that were sometimes sold under the advertising tagline “You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda.”
I think the same general motto holds true today for Honda and its other other brands, because my friends Joseph and Michael are two of the most quality individuals I’ve ever met. Joseph is the proud owner of a 1992 Acura Vigor and I first met up with him at last year’s Japanese Classic Car Show. He rolled into Phoenix on Friday afternoon in a newly-acquired 2003 Acura CL in stunning Aegean Blue Pearl with only about 60,800 miles on the odometer.
We enjoyed a night out in Old Town Scottsdale with friends, including sampling the dessert menu at Sugar Bowl, a landmark for the last 60 years since it opened in 1958. The hot fudge sundae was (as my mom says it) “T-D-F.” Or, in other words, to die for.
Saturday morning, Joseph and I took a road trip in the NSX about 35 miles away to the west end of the Valley near the base of the White Tank Mountain range. There, a small community has sprung up in recent years called Verrado. Though it falls within the broader Buckeye, Arizona city limits, Verrado is very much a self-contained and unified little town. Its cozy Main Street had a variety of restaurants, and we chose Tempo Urban Bistro for our meet-up with another Acura-owning friend, Michael. He drives a 2014 ILX 2.0.
Michael’s latest acquisition – which he shared as a surprise after brunch – was a 1988 Acura Legend L sedan Florence Blue Metallic. From the moment I opened the driver door and took a whiff of the interior, it took me back to some of my prior cars. That classic “Old Honda” smell is something so unmistakable. We took the Legend for a spin and it drove smoothly and solidly – a testament to its build quality for being nearly 30 years old. Can’t wait to see what Michael’s plans are for it.
Speaking of blue cars, I took the opportunity to do a little test-driving this weekend too. One of my local dealerships, in Tempe, Arizona, now has a 2018 Accord Sport 6-speed manual in stock. It’s finished in “Still Night Pearl” – a striking color shared with the TLX A-Spec. The driving experience left me overall pretty impressed.
The Accord’s motor is small: a 2-liter turbo, but it’s able to crank out over 250 horsepower. That made ample “oomph” to get up to highway speed on the I-10 onramp at Warner Road with ease. The clutch was soft and the car felt “big” to me – perhaps because I’m used to daily-driving my little Integra. I think it’s awesome that the Accord is still offered with a stick shift for those of us who prefer to row our own gears. For $31,200, it’s a lot of car for the money.
Here’s a video from the day trip to Verrado and some scenes with Joseph’s CL, too.
Group out at Sugar Bowl in Scottsdale
Saturday morning NSX cruise
1988, 1992, and 2014
The Accord that I test drove had a few miles on it, at 133
Have a great week!
drivetofive 
February 5, 2018 at 11:24 am
I think Sugar Bowl was just added to my destination list for 2019. I think the new Accord looks decent but the way they did that LCD screen and that it’s fixed I’m not liking.
Love the 555k video!
February 5, 2018 at 11:31 am
I totally should have taken a photo of my sundae. Fail! Sugar Bowl is a must visit. I guess I haven’t really introduced you to much of Scottsdale yet. Glad you enjoyed the 5’s! Josh will appreciate the feedback!
February 5, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Michael’s Legend is a pretty honest original car, it’s great that he picked it up for such a good price. It’s taken Josh a while to make his “dueling 5s” video, guess he’s been a bit sidetracked playing with his new toy (the NSX), haha! Any plans to add a new Accord to your fleet, or just quenching your curiosity by having a drive?
February 5, 2018 at 2:40 pm
Mostly the Accord thing was just a thirst quench. The Fives video took a little while to put together because of multiple side projects on all our parts. Glad it turned out though! I’m sure Josh & I will collaborate on a few more videos in the future.
February 5, 2018 at 5:16 pm
I’m not sure if I ever mentioned it but waaay back when I found a ’90 Legend LS in white for my dad here in Phoenix. After I spent a few months fixing it up I had a real hard time letting it go, yes it was that nice. Soon after I found an ’89 in the same model and color combo and did the same for my mom. It was their first non-GM product and after downsizing from a ’76 Coupe de Ville and ’77 Eldo Biarritz they really grew to appreciate these replacements.
So I guess I’m biased when I say congrats to Michael and his choice to acquire one of these 1st Gen Legends. IMO these get far too little love and they certainly have their own charm.
As for the new Accord.. I believe the turbos will take some getting used to since is the direction for many cars now. My biggest concern of course will be long term durability especially in our torture test environment we call Phoenix.
But aside from the slight turbo lag and different style I can see where people will come to accept it as a more premium model than past Accords. One thing I do admit to liking is something some may consider heresy in a Honda or Acura… low end torque. While it truly is transformative not wringing out the engine to get it up to speed quickly I would miss that VTech kick. It will be very interesting to see where Acura takes this platform in the next TSX (hopefully there will be one and not another. CUV).
BTW… sorry I put so many miles on the tester before u drove it. It only 30 when I took it out 😉
February 5, 2018 at 7:25 pm
Wow, going from big Cadillac to a Legend is quite the downsize (but hopefully not a downgrade). I’ve owned 3 of the gen 1 Legends: a 1986 sedan, 1988 sedan, and a 1988 coupe. They were all solid cars. I’ll be interested to see how the new Accord does for Honda. It’s hard to believe that car is now in its TENTH generation! Been around since 1976. The salesman from Tempe Honda called me today to follow up. I told him I’m not ready to make any moves 🙂
February 5, 2018 at 7:26 pm
Also, I’m honored that you commented on your birthday! Hope it’s been a good one.
February 5, 2018 at 8:04 pm
Great videos! And loving the ’88, too.
February 5, 2018 at 8:49 pm
Thanks Mark! I’ve been going a little overboard with the YouTube activity lately – channel is turning into more of a “vlog” than I’d like it to, haha. The ’88 is so solid – alllllmost made me want to get into another G1 Legend but I’ve already committed myself to the G2s. What’s next on your automotive radar? Any sales or purchases on the horizon? Still bummed we didn’t get to see you out here for any of the auctions last month.
February 8, 2018 at 7:55 am
The videos are enjoyable, keep ’em up!
Yes, that ’88 L was identical to my dad’s old one, save for color.
Next? Well, my DD 9-3 will soon be getting a MapTun Performance ECU that will bring it up to Viggen-spec (hang on tight!). And the old 900 will have to go, come spring. We’ll see what happens with the MGB…
Any chance the NYIAS is on your radar this year?
February 5, 2018 at 8:43 pm
That 5’s video was very cool. How much planning did you both have to do to get the trips synchronized so closely? I’d imagine once the cars hit a certain mileage, they had to be parked until the day of the drive for the actual rollover.
Nice preview of the Accord. What were your thoughts of the turbo in comparison to the J-series V6 in your old TL (since that’s the closest you’ve had to the engine in my 8th gen Accord)?
February 5, 2018 at 8:52 pm
I for sure prefer the J-series V6 for a linear power band. The Accord Turbo you kind of have to rev up to the high RPM range to feel the “go.” My TL would just take off from a dead stop with torque for days. Just ask my friend Jake who burned a few layers off my Michelins last year during a drag race, haha.
As for the milestone – it was more planning than Josh or I would probably care to admit. Luckily for him, he was able to drive his wife’s RDX when his TSX needed to get parked, and I was spreading miles across other cars as well. Finding a venue with a closed road, ample camera crew support, good weather, and all those conditions took some effort. We had a great time figuring it out. And he promptly left me in his dust – I think he’s well over 565,000 now on the TSX but he drives it daily still.
February 7, 2018 at 6:41 am
Can confirm, the J-series torque was more than adequate off the line 😉
The problem I have with many turbo engines is that they are tuned for good low-end torque, but get breathless and fall out of the powerband quickly. Some can avoid that (BMW does an okay job with their “twin scroll” turbo) but it’s an interesting experience. My daily driver is supercharged and that power delivery is consistent and strong across most of the RPM range by comparison. But, for most folks driving around town (where you “drive torque”) a small turbo-4 is plenty.
February 7, 2018 at 1:00 am
I’m in love with that first generation Legend! But lets talk about the Accord… you need some new fancy wheels to start rolling some miles back on. Your travels have been lacking lately.
February 7, 2018 at 6:28 am
I know, that’s for sure. I’m itching to get out of town. Luckily this weekend I’ll be doing 1,000 miles on an MDX Sport Hybrid.
February 7, 2018 at 10:08 am
2.0T madness! Soon every car engine will be that size and configuration. Haha. Haven’t tried out the new Accord yet, but it supposedly outperforms the old J35 in some acceleration tests. I do know the latest 2.0T in the Audi A4/A5 (and others), and it’s a gem. Smooth and powerful throughout the rev range.
February 7, 2018 at 10:46 am
It is pretty incredible the kind of HP we can squeeze out of a measly 4-cyl these days. For reference, my 1989 Prelude Si was a 2.0 liter 4-banger and it had 135 hp. 🙂 I’m reading online and one of the articles states it was Honda’s most powerful motor to date. I wonder if that’s actually true! Probably.
February 9, 2018 at 8:42 am
That Accord looks sweet and I bet would make a great daily. Fab Fives turned out great! Glad I was able to give a little hand in that production. 🙂
February 9, 2018 at 9:04 am
For sure – and of course, you got your moment in the spotlight during the credits with your Arctic Circle pic! Well deserved 🙂 Looking forward to the next collaboration – drive, video, you name it. Let’s put something on the calendar soon.