drivetofive

Drive to Five Review: 2016 Acura ILX Tech Plus

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip, Vehicle Reviews on July 26, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 534,140

Odometer (2013 ILX): 135,215

Odometer (2016 ILX): 6,399

Trip Distance: 306 Miles

I’ve already had over 3 years of experience in road-testing Acura’s entry level model which debuted as a 2013 model in mid-2012. I can say with a certainty that over the last 135,000 miles, my ILX has been a real peach to own and maintain: Zero unscheduled maintenance, flawless performance and it still handles as nicely as the day I got it. But, as can be expected, inevitably automakers have to go back to the drawing board every few years and make updates to their vehicles to keep them at the forefront of technology and design trends.

Enter the newly-refreshed 2016 ILX to join the TLX and RLX sedans in the Acura sedan family. It was November 2014 when Acura first showed us the production-ready 2016 ILX at the Los Angeles International Auto Show which I attended with the Redline Reviews crew. Unveiled in stunning Catalina Blue in A-Spec trim, the ILX was a sight to behold.

Notable changes for the ’16 model year include both cosmetic and performance enhancements. Gone is the base model’s weak 150-horsepower motor, and now standard across all ILX models is the 2.4 liter, 201-horsepower 4-cylinder engine. It’s the same one that my ILX has, and which came standard on stick-shift-only models from 2013 through 2015.

The sad news is that the manual transmission, with its sheer perfection in its crispness and precision, is now eliminated as an option. For 2016, all ILX models will have an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, carried over from the car’s larger TLX midsize sedan sibling, which I’ve already reviewed. I’m a die-hard 3-pedal manual guy, but that new automatic left me impressed. More on that later.

Before even seeing the refreshed ILX itself, it only takes one look at the key fob to know what great lengths Acura went to on improvements. Gone is the “chrome” plated unit that gets chipped and ugly within months of normal use. Now the fob is a hard black plastic that feels quality and looks like it will endure the test of time much better.

My test model was equipped with three different package options, including (but not limited to!) the following:

Premium Package:

Leather Sport Seats
XM Satellite Radio
Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror
Blind Spot Information
Rear Cross-Traffic Monitor

Tech Package:

Navigation System with Voice Recognition
ELS 10-Speaker Sound System
GPS-Linked, Dual-Zone, Automatic Climate Control

AcuraWatch Plus Package:

Adaptive Cruise Control
Collision Mitigation Braking
Road Departure Warning
Lane Keeping Assist

All of the above brings the tally up to $33,820 including destination and handling.

Where to Today?

To put this new ILX to the test along with my “old” ILX, a few friends and I (okay, 16 of us!) headed for the hills of the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson, Arizona to a place where I’ve visited multiple times in the past – Mount Lemmon Scenic Byway.

In attendance were a wide variety of cars — ten of them, in fact: Two ILXs, a Mini Cooper, a GTO, a 370Z, a TL, an FR-S, an RS5, a 300ZX, and… a Corolla to round things out nicely! Brock’s orange Mini 6-speed was the cutest crowd pleaser of the bunch. Did you know it’s powered by only a 3-cylinder motor? If I’d taken my 1994 Acura Vigor on this drive, we would have had 3, 4, 5, 6, AND 8 cylinder motors all present on this 300-mile Saturday cruise.

No road trip is complete without proper fuel, and for some reason my friend Peter has a tradition of buying these orange-flavored Hostess Cup Cakes every time we take a drive together. He shared one with me. Thanks, P! Breakfast of champs.

Interior

Getting even more settled into the cabin with its “Graystone” colored leather appointments, I started to take note of the many things that were different from my personal car. Sun visors are made from the same fabric as the headliner, rather than from vinyl. There’s now a two-setting memory seat function with controls on the driver’s door panel.

The instrument cluster has a higher resolution display between the gauges and a lot more available information. The bezel around the cupholders on the center console are now a painted finish rather than chrome, keeping the reflective sunlight from beaming occasionally in the driver’s face as it sometimes does with my 2013 model. Even the seat belt buckles are a new design that’s easier to grab!

Love that rear camera which uses a much larger screen and with higher resolution than the one I’m used to looking at.

Overall fit & finish felt great, as is expected from a premium brand. I do wish the plastic lower part of the door panels was more resistant to scuffing, as my ILX at 3 years old is showing fairly significant wear there from getting in & out of the car.

Exterior

You’ve already seen those brilliant “Jewel Eye” headlamps which I adore, but the whole front & rear ends of the ILX have been reworked to give it a more aggressive performance vibe. The grille has been tweaked slightly and the ILX now has a new set of 17″ shoes. An optional “A-Spec” package offers 18″ wheels and fog lamps which further heighten the curb appeal.

My favorite thing about the outside of the car is the LED turn signals.

Driving Experience

Amenities and handsome looks aside, the driving experience is really of greater importance to me. Clearly the 201-horsepower, 2.4 liter 4-cylinder motor is a bulletproof powerplant, having logged well over 100,000 miles on mine without skipping a beat. Direct-injection is a new addition to that motor for 2016. For a lightweight car like the ILX, that kind of power is more than sufficient to get forward momentum at a brisk rate. I didn’t get the chance to have a flat-out drag race between my ILX and the 2016, but they feel right on par with one another in terms of acceleration.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to tell just how civilized the 2016 ILX has become compared to its predecessor. Where my ILX 6-speed revs at nearly 3,500 RPM at 80 miles per hour, the new ILX 8-speed only works the motor at a little over 2,000 RPM. This translates into a substantially quieter cabin thanks to diminished engine and exhaust noise. You can actually carry on a conversation in there!

Mount Lemmon was bustling with bicyclists and tourists as is typical on a Saturday, but the 26-mile stretch from Tanque Verde Road all the way to Summerhaven at 8,200 feet gave us dozens of curves to evaluate our diverse group of cars. When you’ve got a lineup of sports cars in your rearview mirror and you’re in the lead, you feel the pressure of setting a pace that’s fast enough to be fun but conservative enough to be safe. Both ILXs are well suited for canyon carving.

The 8-speed automatic transmission is a revolutionary dual-clutch unit, carried over from the Acura TLX model. Shifts are lightning fast and to be honest, I couldn’t believe that it got into 5th or 6th gear by the time it got to the end of my residential street! Eight gears sounds like a lot, but I was pleasantly surprised at how little “gear-hunting” the car had to do when commanded to accelerate. A drop of the throttle beckons near-instantaneous response from the powertrain as it downshifts.

The general consensus on the ILX was a hearty thumbs up in pretty much every regard. Donald, who owns a 2009 TSX, said the car felt more nimble than his car. Peter, who drives a 2004 TSX, said he was most impressed with the response from the transmission, especially in Sport mode. I have to agree with him. During descent from Summerhaven, the car would effectively hold its gear, avoiding the need to get on the brakes frequently. We stopped briefly during our descent to enjoy the view of Tucson from “Windy Point” rest area.

Safety Tech

The technology advancements in the new ILX are extensive, ranging from not only the “fun” stuff like the rocking, 10-speaker ELS stereo, to a full suite of safety features. The lane departure warning does a really nice job of accurately reading the road, the adaptive cruise control is a convenient way to “set it and forget it” with regard to speed maintenance, and there are six airbags in the cabin. All of Acura’s sedans are rated as top safety picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Final Take

While the ILX didn’t have the bloodthirsty growl of Kyle’s 400-horsepower GTO or the on-rails handling of the FR-S, in my mind it hits a bullseye in purpose and function. It’s a comfortable cruiser on the highway – quieter, more refined, and better appointed than the prior iteration. Yet it still has a thirst for a twisty mountain road and feels right at home with its Michelins gripping a tight hairpin on a mountain pass like the Catalina Highway. For anyone in the market for a fun-to-drive sports sedan, I’d give this one a nod of approval.

Here are the rest of my photos and a very short walkaround video!

402 combined horses at my command!

Graystone interior

Driveway duo

Sunset in Scottsdale, Arizona

Pre-roadtrip with staging at Chevron

Arrest-me-red Scion definitely was a crowd pleaser

Midpoint on the drive – Picacho Peak, at the Shell station

A few scenes from around Tucson

ILXs at a stoplight side-by-side

Brunch bunch at Viv’s Cafe off Catalina Highway in Tucson, Arizona

Kyle’s GTO getting ready to lead the pack upward from Windy Point rest area

Enjoying cooler temperatures at higher elevations north of Tucson

Matt’s 370Z NISMO getting surrounded by ILXs

Can I please have these LED taillights for my car? I wonder if they’re plug & play.

Rest area

Descending from Summerhaven

Photo-op!

Back to Tucson we go

Following Peter who was at the helm of the 6-speed 2013 ILX

Rounding up the gang for lunch post-drive

Still having fun with my “new” old Vigor, by the way! This week it got a valve adjustment, new distributor cap, and a full detail.

19 Comments »

San Diego, California Weekend Road Trip

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on July 16, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 534,065

Odometer (Legend Sedan): 146,991

Odometer (ILX): 134,665

Trip Distance: 734 Miles

I bet you didn’t know that the “official” Center of the World is actually in the middle of the desert about 10 miles west of Yuma, Arizona.

Detail on that sign:

Located in the far southeast part of the state, Felicity, California has a pretty bold claim to fame. The unincorporated community is home to a population of two along with a number of odd architectural buildings, including a pyramid that’s claimed to be the center of the world. Among the attractions is this 25-foot-tall section of the original Eiffel Tower staircase. It leads to nowhere and serves no purpose other than to attract people like me, and that’s pretty much all it’s done since it was planted there in 1983. This little roadside attraction is just one of a handful of sights to see along the Interstate 8 corridor.

How are real estate prices doing in your neighborhood? A median house in San Diego, California costs just a little over $700,000 (as of May 2015 data). If it wasn’t for the insane cost of living there, I’d consider relocation to that area. I can’t think of a more perfect climate – 263 sunny or partly cloudy days per year, average temperatures ranging from 55 to 72, and beach proximity within a stone’s throw. I was lucky to reside in San Diego County from 2001 to 2003 as a volunteer representative for my church, and I’ve returned to visit many times in the dozen years since. This past weekend, I took a few friends along with me for the ride.

Drive time from Phoenix to San Diego each way adds up to about 6 hours after you’ve made a couple of bathroom or fuel stops. For the most part, our route took us parallel to the Rio Grande River which forms the international border with Mexico. In fact, at times, it’s possible to look south from Interstate 8 and see the fence in the distance which separates the two countries.

Aside from our quick detour in Felicity, we were stopped once at an agriculture checkpoint just past the California state line and again about 50 miles from San Diego at a Border Patrol stop. Otherwise, it was smooth sailing. James was at the wheel of the ILX as we descended from Jacumba to the sea level elevation and watched the exterior temperature dip accordingly. It’s been quite some time since I was able to ride around in my car with windows down & moonroof open.

The “sunny San Diego” nickname didn’t hold true for us, as Saturday was filled with gushing gutters and intense thunder while the clouds unleashed from about 11 a.m. until at least 5 p.m. Still, we had a good time enjoying the sights & sounds of the bustling Hillcrest area around University Avenue and we found a few great places to dine, people-watch, and make a few new friends.

Thankfully, on Sunday morning it was back to business as usual and the clouds retreated long enough for us to enjoy some al fresco dining on the front patio at Huapango’s on 5th Avenue & Pennsylvania (best breakfast burritos in town!).

Thanks for coming along, and here are the rest of the photos from our quick weekend SoCal tour in the ILX.

Here’s the pyramid at Felicity. The center of this pyramid – which we didn’t enter due to it being after-hours – is said to be the official center of the world.

Proof! Established in 1985.

This seemed a little ridiculous. The distance from our hotel to a friend’s hotel was .4 miles. But when I plugged it into Apple maps on my iPhone to get directions, it gave me a 3.4 mile route, taking every possible roundabout way rather than just straight down the street. Sometimes “smart” phone technology is the dumbest way to go.

My car at the Best Western parking lot. Everything was so green compared to the desert landscape I’m used to.

Sunday morning, headed to brunch at Huapango’s.

Back to the car for our return trip eastbound.

Easy drive, straight out I-8 to Maricopa County, Arizona we went (via El Centro).

More time in the passenger seat for me. Good chance to enjoy the scenery and play around on my phone!

13 Comments »

The 90’s Are Back

Posted in Blog, ILX, Legend, NSX, Road Trip, Vigor on July 12, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend Coupe): 534,030

Odometer (Legend Sedan):

Odometer (Vigor): 104,384

Odometer (NSX): 100,807

Odometer (ILX): 133,489

Total Combined Miles: 1,019,680

Time warp. If you drove down my street last night at 7:40 p.m., you would have seen me standing on a step ladder in the middle of the street to capture a picture that embodied the essence of 1990’s Japanese car design. The Vigor, Legend, and NSX parked on my driveway were three of the four vehicles marketed by Acura Division of Honda Motor Company in the early 90’s under the “Precision Crafted Performance” slogan. I’m pretty sure the neighbors were peeking out from behind their blinds and making fun of me.

Some 20-plus years after they were introduced, each of these vehicles have aged well and are well on their way to becoming classics.

Ranked in order of price here, the Vigor was $28k, the Legend, $41k, and the NSX $65k when new. That’s $134,000 worth of cars, that I paid a total of $36,500 for. Did I get a deal or what?

In the background here were two “hiding” Hondas – my neighbor’s black Accord and my 2013 ILX.

Thanks for putting up with my craziness but this was a photoshoot I’d been wanting to do for some time now.

Today I have a grab-bag of features to share – no real “theme” but rather just a a few updates on what’s been going on this past week.

Automotive journalist Jeff Koch who did the photos for my Hemmings feature last November invited me to check out a car he was testing. It’s this 2015 Dodge Charger Hellcat in “TorRed” paint job. It’s an absolute monster of a car, with a 707-horsepower V8 engine that left me grabbing for a handle when Jeff gave it a little gas on the Loop 101 onramp.

Even just while parked outside the pizza joint where Jeff and I grabbed lunch, the Hellcat drew a crowd of Mopar fanatics.

Sometimes I wish I had 700 horses at my command, but then I realize that my 201-horsepower ILX is getting 34.8 over miles per gallon. I’ll take the fuel economy. You all know how much I drive.

On Thursday, my friends Chris, James, and I went over to check out a sweet custom home owned by our friend Shelly. Look at that lineup of garages! Real estate goal of mine, for sure.

Meanwhile, I’ve made some great progress this week with my “new” 1994 Vigor GS. I had to laugh when Chuck from Acura’s Public Relations team in Torrance, California made a comment on my Instagram post about picking up the Vigor. “You own more cool Acura cars than we do — and we’re Acura, for crying out loud!” Well, Chuck, come borrow the keys any time!

I had a few visitors this week coming to check out the car. One was Joe who drives a 1995 Legend LS.

One was my friend Armando who drives a sweet Subaru SVX.

And one was Phil who drives a 1992 Legend LS. Thanks to all you guys for stopping by!

The Vigor got some detailing this week. I took to the undercarriage with a high pressure wash so I could clean out 20 years’ worth of dirt & gunk that the car had accumulated during its lifetime in Colorado. Then I hit the paint with a hand-wax of Meguiar’s carnauba wax and buffed it off with a microfiber towel. It turned out nicely.

The interior doesn’t need much but I’ll probably condition the leather soon.

Exhaust tip polish: Before & After

Freshly painted wiper arms in black satin Rust-Oleum.

Oil change and full inspection at Acura of Tempe (couldn’t resist a photo with a new TLX)

And looking pretty shiny now.

Ben from AutoNation where I purchased the car sent me a follow-up email. It’s clearly a “form” email, but I had to laugh at how he offered to help me understand how to operate the “technology.” Thanks, Ben, but I can handle 1994 technology just fine!

In other Acura news, my younger brother Payton picked up a sweet ride for his daily driver. He’s now in a 1993 Legend L coupe 6-speed with just 135,000 on the odometer. He sent me this text earlier in the week to share the news.

After some fresh window tint and a quick wash, he had it looking great already. Congrats Payton!

Yesterday, a few friends and I went to Sedona for a day. It’s a nice escape from Phoenix – only about 120 miles each way – and offers cooler temperatures and nice landscapes all around. I’ve blogged about Sedona multiple times, including most recently in a Toyota & GMC pickup truck comparo back in May. James captured this photo of the ILX northbound on Highway 179.

Scenic viewpoint in Sedona

Couldn’t sit here long – parking not allowed along that stretch, and the lot was full with tourists!

Dating back to 1993, this McDonald’s on Highway 89A is the only one in the world with its arches painted turquoise instead of yellow. The city mandated the color change in the interest of preserving the “desert” color scheme of the town. Even the homes blend in. Here I’m with Jack and Donald, two of my road trip partners. Thanks to James from Six Speed Blog for taking the photo.

Rolling back into Phoenix on Interstate 17 southbound

And lastly: I don’t know where or how this photo was captured (and it wasn’t by me!) but isn’t that new NSX sweet?

Have a great week!

36 Comments »

New Addition: 1994 Acura Vigor GS 5-Speed

Posted in Colorado, Vigor on July 5, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,911

Odometer (ILX): 133,031

Odometer (Vigor): 104,259

Trip Distance: 909 Miles

Ugh, I’m obsessed. As if it wasn’t bad enough having 4 Acuras around, I’ve adopted yet another.

From a 1993 Acura Vigor sales brochure:

From the moment of its introduction, the sophisticated Acura Vigor luxury sports sedan has generated excitement, admiration, and respect from the most important critics of all its satisfied owners.

As the newest model in the Acura family, the Acura Vigor has an impressive reputation to uphold: a promise of luxurious comfort, inspiring performance, unquestionable quality and state-of-the-art safety engineering. And judging by the early returns, the Acura Vigor is proving itself more than equal to the challenge.

As was clearly published in Steve Lynch’s April 2015 article on The Truth About Cars about “orphaned Hondas,” I’ve been on the lookout for an “Arcadia Green” Acura Vigor GS for some time now. I’ve crossed paths with a few but they’ve been total junkers. Bad paint, torn-up interiors, worn-out clutches, theft/recovery, and salvage title history. It’s amazing what kind of wear & tear can be thrown at a car in two decades’ time. But as I was en route in my Legend GS sedan to Acura of Tempe for its semi-annual oil change last Saturday, I was notified by my friend Kevin about a newly-listed Vigor on AutoTrader that he highly recommended I consider.

This car appeared to fit the bill nicely. It was my #1 color choice, a stick-shift (requirement!), and a true certified one-owner with clockwork emissions checks every two years. Best of all, it was an extremely low-miler with just a fraction of the miles compared to some of the Vigors I’d been considering. This one had traveled on average fewer than 5,000 miles per year since new.

So, while the Legend sedan was in for its 146,914-mile service, I was on the phone with Ben from AutoNation Subaru in Centennial, Colorado trying to swing a deal on that Vigor. In the end, we did come to an agreement on terms. Included in Ben’s end of the bargain, he’d be picking me up from the Denver airport when it was time for me to retrieve the Vigor a week later.

What about this odd-looking, ancient, boxy Acura holds so much appeal?

The Vigor is extremely rare and only had a 3-model-year lifespan: 1992, 1993, & 1994
The car sold only 43,908 total units, and 1994 was the lowest year at 8,722 units
- By comparison, the Legend flagship was sold for 10 years and totaled 477,831 units
This car was powered by Honda’s only longitudinally-mounted 5-cylinder engine giving it 50/50 weight distribution
- The 2.5 liter puts out 176 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque
The Vigor came from an era when every Acura model was available with a stick shift transmission. Today, zero are.
This car was the predecessor to today’s best-selling Acura TLX sport sedan, filling the gap between the Integra & the Legend where today, the TLX bridges the gap between ILX & RLX
The 1994 model year saw improvements over the prior 2 years, including increased rear seat room & a softened suspension
Production of the Vigor ended on May 13, 1994. Since this car was built in April of that year, it was probably among the last few hundred cars off the line.
Every Vigor has notable and very distinguishable features: Yellow integrated fog lamps and “frameless” door windows.
- If you roll down the windows in this car and open the door, it’s like a convertible’s door
This Vigor is equipped in “GS” trim, making it top of the line. The GS got a power moonroof, full leather upholstery, and an upgraded stereo which set it apart from “LS” models.
Has there ever been a cooler name for an interior color than “Cognac”?

My flight to Colorado would be Saturday morning the 4th of July. On Friday, I slept as best as I could knowing that I had to be at the airport the next day at 5:00 in the morning. But when you’re anxious about getting a new car and you know you have an 850+ mile drive the next day and aren’t even sure if the car will make it, it’s tough to catch any shuteye.

Ben from AutoNation Subaru picked me up in a Legacy wagon promptly at 9:30 after my short flight on Southwest and we made the 30-minute drive to Centennial. We both kind of laughed a little at the thought of someone like me going to such great lengths to buy a 21-year-old Acura. The Vigor was backed in at the covered entrance to the showroom in a delivery area when we arrived at the Arapahoe Road facility.

Ben said he’d had the car detailed the night before, and I could tell. It was gleaming. Right off the bat, I did notice some flaws: both the front & rear bumpers were scuffed, the tint was purple and bubbling all over, and some of the wheels had a little clear coat failure. But the body itself was absolutely miraculous in its condition. For being a Colorado car and in an environment where winters are very harsh, it didn’t have an ounce of rust. I couldn’t detect any paint work at all, and everything was factory original. The driver’s seat showed a little wear on the side bolster but otherwise the interior looked like a brand new car.

While Ben rounded up paperwork with his finance guy, Mike, I had 10 minutes to chill, so I walked around the car and then started rummaging through the glove compartment. The leather-bound owner’s manual was there, and I noted that the original owner’s name (Kathy) & her information were handwritten on the inside of the front cover. Kathy bought the car from Riverside Acura in Little Rock, Arkansas on March 23, 1995 from salesman Jack Storey who left his business card there.

I got a little hopeful that I’d find an original build sheet / window sticker inside the portfolio. I stuck my fingers down into the pocket and BINGO. Found it. Folded 6 times and ripping in multiple places, but clearly the piece of paper I’d been looking for. The MSRP on the Vigor was $28,735 including destination and handling, kind of shocking since the Legend flagship at the time was a full $10k more expensive. That paperwork discovery made my day as much as getting the car itself.

Unfortunately AutoNation wasn’t able to give me any other documentation on the car aside from an in-house work order showing that they replaced the sway bar bushings in the front suspension at 103,342 miles. They also provided a Carfax print-out but it didn’t show much more than clockwork emissions tests every two years.

Finance Mike and I completed our business inside his office. “Who’s the car for?” he asked. “Just me,” I told him. I mentioned that I already had a couple other Acuras and he said, “You should get an NSX.” He was surprised to learn that I already had one. It would be inappropriate to complete any car sale transaction without a proper key-handoff photo, so Ben and I posed for a couple of those before I drove off the lot. That drive-away, by the way, was the first time I’d even driven the car. I had declined a test drive upon first arrival because I already knew I wanted to buy the car. Probably not the smartest move, but it worked out anyway.

How’s it drive? The car’s 176 horses are elderly and I’m sure they hadn’t been pushed to a great extent in a very long time. As a matter of fact, the Carfax showed that the Vigor had only been driven about 1,000 miles per year over the last 4-5 years. I was about to embark on a nearly 1,ooo-mile trip taking place in a single day. Crossing fingers, I got on the Interstate 25 southbound onramp and gave it a go. The clutch felt good, the suspension tight, and the 5-cylinder engine gave off a unique growl upon acceleration. At 75 miles per hour, I set the cruise and noted the RPMs at right around 3,100 RPM in 5th gear. We were in business. I spent roughly the next 13 hours getting to know my car. Visibility was great, thanks to huge rear windows and a high seating position. I got comfortable easily.

It became clearly evident, though, that cars have come a long way in technology and amenities in the last two decades. I’d almost forgotten what it was like to set up climate control settings manually – as in, fan speed & temp – without just being able to dial in a thermostat. The Vigor has no radio controls on its steering wheel, and of course no connectivity for an iPod of any sort. There’s no keyless entry. And, unlike my ILX which has 6, there are zero cupholders. Upon sending a photo to friend and Acura conoisseur Scott, he replied with:

It wasn’t until about 100 miles into my drive that I even turned the radio on. I was too busy enjoying the sights and sounds that surrounded me in that “Cognac” colored interior. The motorized antenna mast went up on command, and I connected my tape deck adapter and iPod for a concert. Album of choice? Ace of Base “The Sign,” which was released in 1993. I wanted the first song to be a period-correct selection, so this was the obvious way to go.

I noted that the brand new Michelin tires provided an ultra smooth ride. I was also a little amazed that the frameless door windows did not have any wind noise, even at highway speed When asked by a friend how the car rode & drove, I replied: “Like a 21-year-old brand new car.” I pulled off I-25 just briefly when I saw a sign for “Greenland,” since I felt it only appropriate in my Arcadia Green car to document such a thing.

Since Ben had sent me off with a full tank of gas, I didn’t need to stop for fuel for awhile. While on the phone with my friend Chris from Maryland, I pulled into the Shell station just north of the New Mexico state line in Trinidad. The Vigor took only 5.6 gallons of Premium fuel to go its first 186 miles – netting economy of over 33 miles per gallon! Not bad considering the window sticker has an EPA rating of 27 mpg highway! I grabbed some Wendy’s to go, which I ate VERY carefully inside the car. No fries allowed under the seats here.

Raton Pass at 7,800 feet in elevation took me over the Santa Fe trail and on southward into New Mexico, where I grabbed a quick roadside photo and then continued on my way. For being a holiday weekend, the interstate was miraculously “dead” and I was able to set the cruise control at 78 miles per hour and enjoy the green, rolling hills. There were dark rain clouds on the horizon and I knew it was only a matter of time until my clean Vigor got dirty. Luckily it had brand new Bosch wiper blades that swept the windshield clean with ease.

It wouldn’t be a proper road trip unless I did a little bit of sightseeing, so I scouted out a place to get a picture in Albuquerque. Having seen the entire TV series “Breaking Bad,” I knew that the show’s location was in Albuquerque, and I’d been able to Google the location of the main home used in it. It took me about a 15-minute detour to get there, but soon I arrived at 3828 Piermont Drive and it felt a little unreal to be driving in front of a house I’d seen on TV so many times. I got out of the car long enough to take a “selfie” with the house in the background, and then a shot of the Vigor parked on the street in front of it.

Just moments before I was going to leave, another vehicle pulled up to do the same thing, and I saw the garage door of the home roll open. A woman stood there with her hands on her hips giving us crusty looks. I took that as an invitation to leave, so I happily headed back down Wyoming Street to Interstate 40 and on my way.

At this point, I was a little over halfway home and I was determined to press onward. I declined the chance to stop at other roadside destinations like the historic Route 66 bridge in Rio Puerco, but instead pointed the nose of the Vigor westward and decided not to stop until I needed food or fuel.

Daylight diminished and I had spotty rain showers all the way into Holbrook, Arizona where I grabbed a bite to eat and checked the oil in the Vigor while topping off the fuel tank. I watched 4th of July fireworks from the interstate in Winslow, Arizona (and yes, I’ve stood on a corner there!). The last stretch of road was Interstate 17, dropping down sharply in elevation from Flagstaff into the Phoenix metro area. Even at 11:00 at night, there was fairly heavy holiday traffic along this piece. It was 11:50 when I finally rolled into my driveway, grateful for a safe trip and happy to have finally made it home.

I’m not yet sure what the future holds for my new Vigor but I fully enjoyed spending 909 miles with it. Here are the rest of my trip photos and a video!

Early morning flight on Saturday at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Vigor on display in the delivery area

Ben filling out my temporary registration tag

Driving away!

That interior color is really bold! I do like the woodgrain trim which goes from the dash to the door panels.

A few pictures at the Greenland exit off I-25

Few bumps and bruises but not bad shape for its age

Love those integrated fog lamps

The AutoNation advertisements will be ditched soon

Headed southbound toward New Mexico

Revs at 80 in 5th gear

This is how you improvise when you don’t have a cup holder

Not the Vegas you’re thinking of! This one is a small town in northern New Mexico

Historic Rio Puerco bridge was once a part of Route 66

Arizona state line! And, apparently I have a taillight bulb out.

104,000 milestone

Christmas in July. Home the following morning with the NSX (and a piece of the Legend)

Going through paperwork

Here are a few more shots from that brochure for any who are interested!

There were 6 colors available in 1993. Arcadia Green was offered only with Cognac interior.

Thanks for reading!

50 Comments »

Urban Exploration: Beeline Dragway Part 2 – Disappeared

Posted in Arizona, ILX on July 2, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,911

Odometer (ILX): 132,763

Thanks, mom, for always digging up the best pictures to post on Facebook. This gem from about 1995 was shared today. I’m at far right, breaking every fashion rule imaginable in those socks & sandles. And didn’t I look thrilled to be waiting for the parade?

Happy 4th of July weekend, and I hope you’re all as festive as my family was.

Someone named Damon in Ohio is giving me a run for my mileage. He posted on Wednesday to Acura’s Facebook page after hitting 500,000 miles in his 2002 Acura TL. That comes out to a little over 38,000 miles per year. Impressive. Apparently he drives 200 miles round-trip to his job. Keep the miles coming, Damon.

Just a quick post for today. Urban Exploration:

Urban exploration (often shortened as urbex or UE) is the exploration of man-made structures, usually abandoned ruins or not usually seen components of the man-made environment. Photography and historical interest/documentation are heavily featured in the hobby and, although it may sometimes involve trespassing onto private property, this is not always the case.

It was a little over a year ago (May 2014) when I let my curiosity get the best of me and finally went wandering around inside an abandoned automotive racetrack called Beeline Dragway that had been unused since about the late 1970’s. The dragstrip’s run in operation was short lived, at only a little over a decade.

There wasn’t much left to see when I stopped by 15 months ago except for a graffiti-ridden, concrete, 3-story tower which once housed the announcer and equipment. The quarter-mile asphalt lanes had long since been dug up:

Since I drive past that same location every weekday on my commute home via Highway 87, it dawned on me the other day that I couldn’t see the tower any longer.

“That’s odd,” I thought. Why would they decide to finally tear a building down that had already been abandoned for 4 decades? Was there some trouble going on in there perhaps? So, I pulled off the highway and started cruising around in search of any remains for the building. I found this particular concrete slab, but the location just didn’t feel right. I clearly remembered being further east than this.

Taking a step back. “Nope, this still doesn’t seem like where it was.”

So I went driving around on the dirt paths out there.

And a little more.

And, then I had an idea. Google Maps. If I pulled up the satellite view, it would probably have an older image that would still show where the concrete tower & staircase used to stand. BINGO. I zoomed in and saw the rectangular shape, and I drove my ILX over to park directly in front of where that building used to stand. I was the blue dot here.

These are the photos I took in that spot, where the building would have been in the background.

Nothing now remains aside from a few chunks of blacktop.

Another Phoenix landmark gone by the wayside, much like Bill Johnson’s Big Apple and Pinnacle Peak Patio.

EDIT: Thanks to loyal reader and local Phoenix resident Hy, I’ve been granted permission to post a few exclusive pics from the Beeline Dragway dating back to 1978. Hy attended the “Winter Nationals” event in February of that year and snapped these shots:

Special guest for the occasion was Billy Carter, brother of then-president Jimmy Carter. Here he is riding atop a 1978 Corvette.

Thank you very much for sharing these pictures!

Hope everyone has a safe & fun holiday weekend.

8 Comments »

Reader’s Ride: Wayne’s 1994 Legend GS 6-Speed

Posted in Legend, Reader's Ride on June 29, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,874

Odometer (ILX): 132,548

Odometer (NSX): 100,769

It was January 2007. I had just finished up graduate school of Thunderbird School of Global Management and I wanted to reward myself with something special. Posted on craigslist, I found a cream puff of a car in southern California that fit the bill perfectly: a Sirius White Pearl 1994 Acura Legend GS sedan 6-speed. Having owned my Legend coupe for about 4 years, I felt ready to expand the fleet a little. Now, I’d already owned a couple of other Legends in the past but this one was special because of its ownership history & condition.

The below pictures from the online listing stole my heart. The seller, Simon, had even installed the car’s original “Hoehn Acura” license plates for the pictures. He informed me that his mother Lorraine, the original owner, had named the car Bodecia. She had traveled frequently between Carlsbad, California and her cabin in Oregon and thus the car had over 200,000 miles on it at the time of listing but didn’t look even a year old.

On January 15th, I flew from Phoenix to Orange County airport and took delivery of the Legend at 207,100 miles from Simon. He gave me every single stitch of paperwork on the car – one of the most complete records I’ve ever seen.

Notice he’d even given me a CD with the maintenance records digitized. This guy was over the top, and I loved it.

Icing on the cake was getting ahold of the original window sticker AND a couple of pictures from when the car was brand new.

Starting odometer reading when I took delivery.

Back in Phoenix and meeting its coupe sibling for the first time.

It was at this same time that I got my first “real” job. I was working at the US Airways main office in Tempe, Arizona on the Domestic Pricing team. I was the guy who you either loved or hated when you got online to check airfares.

I exchanged several emails around that time with the original owner Lorraine. She was a sweet lady. Here’s her message dated May 14, 2007.

Tyson,

It makes me want to cry to see how beautiful Bodecia looks. Thank you for the pictures. Here’s the story how I chose her. I had, at that time, a white 1980 Mazda RX 7. She had a Weber carburetor, air horns, a straight through exhaust and a D-bar and a racing clutch because I blew the original clutch. You could hear her half a block away. I loved that car. Skip Gorman, Simon’s mentor, had worked on my car with all the add-ons and as Simon grew older, Simon put them on for me.

So, one day, an old Legend gave me a run for my money on the on/off ramp from 52 on to 805. I was intrigued and followed this car till I found out what it was. I needed a sedan as my Nissan Maxima of 10 years was past its prime. So, I test drove the 1994 Legend. I loved it. Loved the 6 forward gears, I was trained to use gears to slow down not the brakes. I wanted white and they had to search for her. Bodecia was one of 5 white models in the USA at that time. She was loaded on a semi and shipped down to Carlsbad from Los Angeles, especially for me. So, she may be the only white pearl GS left of the 1994 GS models in USA. This was the first car I had paid for and chose for myself after my divorce and she meant the world to me. Simon called her OJC (old Japanese car) and that hurt and it hurt to see her at his house. I still think I love her better than my new car which is an automatic for when I really am a little old lady.

Bodecia just has an air about her. She was a Legend so I picked the name Bodecia who was a British legend. She fought the Romans after her husband was killed in battle. Rallied her people but unfortunately they lost. You may see her on some of the old English coins, chariot, spear shield. So, you can imagine how happy I am to see Bodecia is getting the care she deserves. Congratulations on your Masters Degree. Quite a feat. Well done. I would love to meet you next time you are in California. Let me know. I am retired but babysit for my daughter in Yorba Linda and am a Senior Patrol Volunteer for the Encinitas Sheriff Department. I will definitely make time for you. Will mail off the window sticker tomorrow. Yes, I spell funny. I was born in Australia.

Lorraine

I owned the white Legend GS for fewer than 10 months, but in that one short span of ownership, I had so much fun with the car, some of which I’ve already shared on the blog.

Monterey Trip – August 2007
Photoshoot in Superior

Here are a few other pictures of memorable occasions.

February 2007 – Sirius White Pearl block party at Chuck’s house, with his 1993 LS coupe and 1993 LS sedan.

Neighbors were rolling their eyes I’m sure!

May 2007 – Legend 6-speed photoshoot near the home I was renting in Tempe, Arizona.

August 2007 – The sedan had become my daily driver while the coupe was being repaired from a couple of deer collisions. I took advantage of an amazing sunset one evening in the parking lot of the Arizona State University football stadium in Tempe.

On October 1, I was ready to sell the car. The coupe was coming back from the body shop, I had picked up a 3rd car (1991 Honda Prelude 4WS) that was sucking a lot of my attention away — plus I had limited parking space at my rental home. So, with great hesitance I posted the ad for the car with 216,000 miles for $5,990 on craigslist. My advertisement was several pages long and had at least a dozen detailed pictures.

I also included a screen shot of the maintenance records Excel file.

On October 26th, long-time friend of mine Wayne flew from Houston to take delivery of the car. We took the opportunity to rally another Legend lover, Chuck, for dinner in central Phoenix at Hard Rock Cafe when Wayne and his friend Terrell were in town.

Group photo at the restaurant

Key handoff to Wayne

Tyson, Wayne, Chuck, in the parking garage before heading out.

Wayne and Terrell made the 1,176-mile drive home to Houston the following morning. Not long afterward, Wayne sent me this picture of the car wearing its newly-issued Texas license plates.

For many years (nearly 8, in fact) Wayne lovingly cared for the Legend with regular maintenance. Then tragedy struck in May 2015. The Houston area was pummeled with rain and most of the city went underwater, including the garage where Wayne had his Legend stored. Despite efforts to bring it back to life, the car was pronounced a total loss as the water had become too deep. Sterling McCall Acura technicians delivered the somber news.

These are photos from the car as it sat while drying out in the service bay.

And this was the news I received from Wayne regarding the insurance company’s decision.

At 220,439 miles, this Legend was merely broken in and still had a lot of life to live. Post your condolences for Wayne in the comments box, and let’s hope he can find another replacement car soon. Thanks, Wayne, for letting me share your story!

EDIT: July 2, 2015

Wayne has already found a worthy replacement for his Legend. He is the proud owner of a 2003 Acura CL Type-S 6-Speed manual. As most of you Acura fans will know, the CL 6MT is an extremely rare find. His is an Aegean Blue Pearl model, one of only 230 ever produced. 2003 was the only model year to offer a stick shift in the 2nd gen Acura CL.

Congratulations, Wayne!

I have just 4 quick pics from this past weekend:

The ILX enduring a desert sandstorm just moments after I’d finished washing it.

The Legend sedan getting an oil change on Saturday and parked next to a 2016 ILX.

A congrats to my friend Jimmy on picking up a Legend. He got this 1994 GS 6-Speed with 166,048 miles on it recently. I took a test drive.

And a shot from a Sunday drive in the NSX. Even at 8:00 a.m. the heat was unbearable. I need to get the A/C fixed in that car.

Oh, and that’s the 62-foot-long “America’s Largest Sundial” in Carefree, AZ that I’ve blogged about before.

Have a great week!

28 Comments »

Final Visit: Pinnacle Peak Patio Steakhouse in Scottsdale, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, Restaurants on June 26, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend Coupe): 533,806

Odometer (Legend Sedan): 146,900

Odometer (ILX): 132,419

Trip Distance: 42 Miles

I got my necktie chopped off last night at dinner. Ever heard of a restaurant that does such a thing?

I’m on a roll here with visiting the “endangered species” of local restaurants. Just a few weeks ago, my friends Kevin, James, Devan, and I visited historic Bill Johnson’s Big Apple in Phoenix the day before it closed for good after being in business for 59 years. This time, Kevin and James and I wanted to check out another long-lived Phoenix landmark on the brink of extinction: Pinnacle Peak Patio.

PPP opened in 1957 in what was then a very remote part of town far north of Scottsdale, Arizona. Back in those days, it was a rest stop and general store, mostly visited by people headed to the nearby lakes. Oddly enough, there are cows perched on roof, just like Bill Johnson’s had. The restaurant’s last day open will be this Sunday.

Even today, the location of the restaurant feels way out there. It’s a solid 20 miles from “downtown” Scottsdale and I can only imagine how much further it must have felt 58 years ago, before urban development encroached upon it. The homes in the surrounding area are high-dollar estates with names like DC Ranch and Troon, a luxurious master-planned golf community. That’s why Pinnacle Peak Patio is so refreshing — in a sea of hoity-toity high-class homes, it’s a place that embraces a kick-back attitude. Which is why, as you’ll understand, neckties are outlawed.

From the company’s website:

The “no necktie” tradition was started one night when a Phoenix executive came in for dinner. The original owner, wanting to keep the atmosphere in his restaurant casual, told the executive, “Either you take that tie off, or I’ll cut it off.” The executive did not take heed and was appalled when the owner pulled out a butcher knife and promptly cut off the offending cravat.

We headed out around 7:00 p.m. in the ILX and took Loop 101, then Pima Rd, and then eastward on Happy Valley Road (had to put a smile on our faces as we rounded the corner). It’s pretty easy to spot the location of Pinnacle Peak Patio at the intersection of Thompson Peak Rd & Alma School: It feels like you’re back in the wild west. Even the parking lot remains unpaved after all these years.

Right at the entrance to the swinging wooden doors, a hand-painted sign gives a warning: BEWARE: WEAR TIES AT YOUR OWN RISK. I wasn’t (that) afraid. We were seated right away by the hostess in a back room and started admiring some of the artifacts on the walls: Rodeo trophies from years gone by, sheriff badge collections in display cases, wall after wall covered with license plates, and oh — the severed ties: hundreds and hundreds of neckties of every size and color were stapled to the wooden rafters above us. Most of them had small yellow tags on them indicating the wearer and the date it was collected.

Our server, Tanner, recommended the “Wrangler” 10 oz. Top Sirloin for $17.95 and that’s the selection I went with. It was absolutely one of the juiciest steaks I’ve ever eaten. It came with homemade wheat bread, a side salad, and a baked potato which I paid a little extra for. Meal quality = top tier. Our meal was accompanied by a live musician in the other room, playing twangy honky-tonk country which was especially fitting for a venue of this type.

It wasn’t until we were almost ready to get our checks that I realized the waitstaff hadn’t seemed to take note that I was wearing a tie. Tanner came over to see how things were going and I replied, taking a tug at my collar and loosening the tie a notch, “It’s a little warm in here, to be honest.” “Ohhh!” he exclaimed, and he scampered off to get his pair of scissors. “I didn’t even realize you had that on!” So, in a ceremonial ritual as I’m sure has taken place thousands of times before, Tanner took the clippers to my silk blue tie and sliced it in two.

It’s too bad that places like PPP are a dying breed these days. I really enjoyed the vibe of eating at a non-chain place that teleports you away from the hustle and bustle of 2015 and feels more like 1985. The last thing you see as you depart the restaurant is the phrase “Y’all come back now, ya hear?” painted on the backside of courtyard entrance sign. Well, Pinnacle Peak Patio, unfortunately I won’t be going back. You won’t be there.

Thanks for joining on this Thursday night adventure!

And thanks to Kevin and James for being good sports and giving this place a whirl with me.

Happy Valley Road eastbound

Entering the restaurant courtyard from the parking lot

Checking in at the front desk. There’s a gift shop area and a mechanical riding horse for kids.

If you’re local to Phoenix and you get this message in the next 48 hours before it shuts down permanently, go check this place out!

12 Comments »

200-Mile Run in Utah: “Wasatch Back” Ragnar Relay Race

Posted in ILX, Road Trip, Running, Utah on June 22, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,769

Odometer (ILX): 132,222

Trip Distance (Drive): 1,434 Miles

Trip Distance (Run): 194 Miles

You’ve got to be kidding me – 200 miles? Who would be crazy enough to run that? Not me. Well, unless I had the help of 11 other people to slice up the distance into smaller pieces.

That’s the concept behind the Ragnar Relay Series. First launched in 2003, the Ragnar races have expanded to include 15 different events in various locations across the country. This past weekend, I joined forces with some friends and family members to compete at the 13th annual “Wasatch Back” Ragnar Relay which started on Friday morning in Logan, Utah, and ended Saturday afternoon in Midway, Utah near Park City. The race’s name comes from the fact that the course runs along the back (east) side of the Wasatch Mountain Range, a section of the Rockies that borders the Salt Lake City area.

I took yet another jaunt to the Beehive State aboard the ILX for this occasion. In the 10 years I’ve lived in Arizona, I’d guess I’ve taken the drive to Utah at least 7 times per year. So, this is a well-known route for me. I left the car at my friend Jeremy’s place in Sandy, Utah and carpooled with my mom & stepdad the rest of the way to the race’s starting location in Logan, a couple of hours north.

My mom and aunt Jodi acted as team captains for us. Our team was code-named “Athens 2 Sparta” in a tribute to the first marathon – undertaken by a guy named Phidippides in 490 B.C. during the Persian/Greek War. He was sent as a messenger due to his running speed and endurance, often completing distances of 140 miles or more. He eventually died from exhaustion after one particularly taxing route! We hoped for a dissimilar fate.

There were 946 teams registered. At 12 people each, that’s 11,352 people. Plus two drivers per group, so that’s another 1,892 people. We are talking about over 12,000 people engaged in this craziness. Although, I guess I should mention – not all teams chose to go out with 12 participants. Any team considered “ultra” had 6 or fewer people on it. In other words, the people in those groups were running twice as frequently (and therefore, twice as far) as “normal” participants. I can’t imagine what would compel anyone to do such a thing!

Race Time

Due to the volume of people involved in this event, start times were staggered in waves. We reported at 9:30 a.m. as instructed on Friday, June 19th, checked in, showed the race administrators that we had appropriate safety gear, and watched a short instructional video. My mom was our first runner for our 10:30 a.m. start. We had to send our all-star out first to get us off on the right foot! It was perfect weather for a run and she took off in a flash.

My three assigned legs were as follows:

Leg #4: 4.3 Miles, Net Elevation Gain 127 Feet, est 2:00 p.m. Friday
Leg #16: 5.9 Miles, Net Elevation Loss 922 Feet, est 3:00 a.m. Saturday
Leg #28: 2.7 Miles, Net Elevation Gain 320 Feet, est 1:00 p.m. Saturday

When the rest of us we weren’t running, six of us (5 runners + our driver, Mark) rode along in a rented black 2015 Chevy Suburban (“Van 1”) and provided “support” to our team member who was on deck. I spent most of my time in the back seat trying to avoid motion sickness as we frequently did U-turns and re-routed to find our way around. A second Suburban (“Van 2”) carried the other six members of our team and started after Van 1 members had each completed their first leg. Logistics confusing enough yet? As a first-timer to this event, I was amazed at how seamlessly it worked.

Despite only being 4 miles long, the fact that Leg #4 was a slight uphill and took place in the hottest point of the day made it a doozy for me. I was relieved when I finally saw my team members at the next exchange and I happily chugged a chocolate milk after passing the baton (which was in fact just a 1980’s-esque bright orange slap bracelet) to Damon who picked up the next segment after mine. Poor Damon ended up running 8.8 miles on an uphill, dirt road, while eating the dust of vans passing by! Torture.

We got up over Avon Pass and back to pavement in the tiny town of Liberty, and then we made our first “big” exchange when Van 2 took over. Meanwhile, Van 1 had about 6 hours to spare. We traveled to our next starting point in Morgan, Utah and sprawled out on a grassy field near the high school while having our lunches. I rolled out my sleeping bag and did my best to rest my eyes but it didn’t do much good. Mom tried the same.

It was a little after midnight when mom took Leg #13 and started our van off again. I was already exhausted when Jeffrey passed me the torch a little before 3:00 in the morning. I had been standing at the summit of State Highway 65 near East Canyon Reservoir and trying to jog in place to keep the blood flowing and to keep from getting cold. Once I finally got rolling, I’d forgotten all about the temperature. I had a momentary emergency when my “taillight” clipped to my reflective vest fell off and lost its battery, but my van quickly came to my rescue when they drove past. This was my attempt at a picture.

The next 6 miles were bliss: Steady downhill grade, perfectly clear night with the brightest stars I’ve ever seen, good music, and refreshing temperatures. A remix of the Cranberries’ hit “Zombie” was just what I needed for motivation at 3:05 in the morning when I took this screen shot. Good song!

That was a refreshing way to spend the morning and it definitely helped wake me up. Once again we filed through our segments and tried in vain to catch shuteye when we weren’t the ones pounding the pavement. Soon, the sun started peeking over the horizon and Day 2 had begun. We arrived in Coalville, Utah at North Summit High School for our next group break. They were selling hot showers for $2 and pancake breakfasts for $4. I gladly paid up! After that, we rolled our sleeping bags out onto the floor of the gymnasium and shut our eyes for a little while.

My last leg was along Highway 248 where I awaited my turn to take the bracelet and run with it. I was standing in parking lot at beautiful Jordanelle Reservoir and should have been enjoying the view, but instead my eyes were transfixed on a massive hill ahead of me — one that very soon I’d be attempting to run up. It seemed like an eternity before Jeffrey came down to pass me the reins, but he finally did and I took off as briskly as my legs allowed me to.

Water bottle sloshing in hand, I did my best to keep a consistent pace up the grade, but I had to slow it down to a power-walk a couple of times to keep from overheating. My van waited for me at the top of the hill and my mom threw a water-soaked cloth around my neck. That gave me enough motivation to press onward. It was an amazing feeling to finally crest the summit and be able to see the next exchange location within view. I gladly passed Damon the bracelet and felt a huge sense of relief, having completed my last part of the relay race.

It was several more hours before our “Van 2” team members finished their parts, and I wasn’t able to stick around to see them at the finish line at dusk, but they shared the good news that our team, Athens 2 Sparta, had completed the 194 miles in 34 hours, 10 minutes. That put us in 278th place out of 719 co-ed teams. Top third placement – not too shabby!

This was one of the most challenging physical things I’ve ever done, probably second only to the 26-mile Grand Canyon hike I did a few weeks ago. But the neat thing about the Ragnar concept is that you’re a member of a team, and each person contributes something to the overall outcome. It’s a lesson in working together to achieve a common goal, and feeling great about it when you’re done. Huge thanks to Mark, Nicki, Jodi, Tia, Ben, Jarrett, Isabelle, Roxie, LaReen, Damon, Jeffrey, Muriel, and Jandi from my team for playing a part in this!

I enjoyed my 10 hours of reflection on that topic while driving home to Phoenix. Now, if only I could’ve taken a team approach to the 256 unread email messages that were waiting for me at the office on Monday morning. Sigh.

Here’s a short video with just a few scenes from the race. Thanks for coming along for the run!

Rolling northbound with mom on I-15 in central Utah on Thursday morning

Drive-by at the Utah State Capitol while in the truck with mom & Todd

Decorating our rental Suburban with writing on the windows and our “Athens 2 Sparta” team name

Checking in on Friday morning at the Utah State University stadium in Logan

Watching a safety briefing video

Saddled up in the Suburban while one of our runners takes a turn

A friend sent me this screen shot shortly after we got underway. This race is serious business.

My first leg, a 4-miler on pavement from Paradise to Avon, Utah

The exchange where I handed off the reins to Damon who was runner #5

Waiting for Damon to finish his leg on Avon Pass

LaReen taking her turn on the dirt road now

Back on solid ground, arriving Liberty, Utah

Photo-op with mom

Passing Pineview Reservoir while driving to our next exchange point

“Mormon Muffins”? What would that be?

Here they are. With honey butter!

My view upward while lying on the grass in Morgan, Utah and resting

“M” on the hill stands for Morgan

Daybreak the next morning in Coalville, Utah at North Summit High School

Pancakes never tasted so good

Next exchange, sitting next to Aunt Jodi

Isabelle, Jandi, Jodi, Jarrett – from our “Van 2”

Dying!

I loved the clever names that some people came up with for their vans.

“Ready, Set, Sweat, Regret.” “Kiss our swass.”

“Shitter’s Full.” (name that movie)

“Run? I thought you said rum!” (and notice the tally marks below where they were marking their “kills” – all the people their runners passed along the way)

“Cropdusters.”

Near Park City, Utah, at the final exchange to Van 2

Finish line pics courtesy of my cousin Nicki

9 Comments »

Legend Spy Shot Roundup #5

Posted in Legend, Spy Shots on June 17, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,736

Odometer (ILX): 131,174

I know the mileage-mania has gone too far when even my mom is posting things like this on Facebook:

She’s recently picked up a hot little red 2010 Volkswagen EOS convertible and she’s already racking up the miles AND offering gift card prizes to her friends who most closely guess the date & location of her 50,000-mile rollover. Did you notice the 44 mile per hour speed to align with the 44,444 odometer? Now, if only she’d hit that at 4:44 p.m. and with 44.4 on the trip meter. Keep trying, mom!

(Her car is at right, and the other one is its twin – owned & driven by my aunt Connie)

Now for today’s feature:

Bring out those spy cams. My readers have been at it again. I present to you, in alphabetical order by submitter, the latest in Acura Legend spy pics from around the country. It’s only been 3 months since the last Spy Shot Roundup, but there were FIFTY (5-0!) pictures submitted since then so I figured it was time to go ahead and post the latest ones for you all to see.

Beau in Arizona (6 submissions – Legend Spotter Extraordinaire Award Recipient)

Chris M in Maryland

Chris G in California

Conor in New York

Check that rearview!

Daniel in Arizona

Dillon in North Carolina

Grant in Utah

Ian in Arizona – spotted my friend Joe!

Ira in Washington

Jack in Arizona

James in Arizona

Jim in Arizona

Clever shot here!

Joe in Arizona

Kyle in Arizona

Nice attempt at a rearview mirror shot here, Kyle!

Matt in South Carolina

Yours truly! Came up behind this guy on Cave Creek Rd in Phoenix a few weeks ago. Nicely kept Milano Red 1995 L coupe.

Nate in Idaho

Paul in Georgia

Ruben in Arizona

Ryan in Arizona

Scott in California

Sunny in Utah

WINNER! Toby in New York

Special features! Jason in New Mexico captured a 1987 Chevy Celebrity Classic, much like my first car. It even had the same vinyl roof. Bonus points, Jason!

We have a few Vigor features this time, too.

Chris C in Florida – blurry, but we can tell what it is!

Chris G in California

Kurt in Arizona

Thanks again everyone for playing!

15 Comments »

Weekend Cruise: Round Valley, Arizona in the White Mountains

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on June 15, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 533,734

Odometer (ILX): 130,675

Trip Distance: 462 Miles

Annnnnd the Phoenix oven is now fully pre-heated! Just looking at the 10-day forecast makes me break a sweat.

There’s only one logical solution: Get out of town. And that’s exactly what I did this past weekend, along with 3 other friends. The destination of choice this time was the White Mountains, a range in eastern Arizona near the border with New Mexico. While Phoenix sits at a little over 1,000 feet in elevation, the town to which we’d be heading, Eagar, has an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet. And along with that added height comes a 10-day forecast that’s a lot less intimidating (think: High temps in the 80’s).

From my place on Saturday morning, three of us including James from Six Speed Blog headed out on US Highway 60 through the “East Valley” part of the Phoenix area. We made a fuel stop at the Chevron on Idaho Road and then continued eastward to the small mining town of Superior where we met up with Jason of Driven for Drives who had come out from Las Cruces, New Mexico to join for the drive. At this point, our caravan of 3 cars now consisted of the following:

2016 Mazda 6 Grand Touring: 2.5 liter 4-cylinder, 184 horsepower; 6-speed automatic
2004 Mazda 6: 3.0 liter V6, 220 horsepower; 5-speed manual
2013 Acura ILX: 2.4 liter 4-cylinder, 201 horsepower; 6-speed manual

After grabbing a Red Bull and Moon Pie at the Chevron gas station in Globe, we played musical cars and I got to pilot Jason’s 2004 Mazda 6 for the next stretch. For being 11 years old and having 164,000 miles on the clock, the 5-speed Mazda was a solid ride. Jason recently upgraded to an all-leather interior. Bradley and I couldn’t figure out how to pair his audio system to our iPhones, but it didn’t matter because Jason had Linkin Park in the 6-disc changer to keep us company.

We pit stopped at the base of the Salt River Canyon which I’ve blogged about a number of times before. (Acura TLX Review, Christmas Day trip to name a couple). From the river level, there are two massive bridges passing overhead. We climbed back up to the parking lot (got my cardio in for the day) and did another car swap. This time, I got to take control of the Mazda 6. Ringing in at a pricetag in the low $30’s, I must say the new 6 offers great bang for the buck.

The styling is attractive from any angle. Projector headlamps and foglamps offer supreme nighttime visibility. The leather stitched pieces on the dashboard exude a premium feel. And the car comes up with a head-up display – all of which are class-leading amenities for a vehicle in this segment. From a performance perspective, the 2.5 liter needed to be coaxed a bit on the grades, and the transmission seemed slow to shift when prompted, even with the paddle shifters. Even so, the car scoots – and even with a 36-horsepower deficit compared to its older sibling, we found out that acceleration time is pretty on par: Mazda is delivering V6 power with 4-cylinder fuel economy.

We had lunch in Show Low at Licano’s and then headed out toward the small towns of Pinetop & Lakeside. There’s a special place I needed to see at the intersection of Highways 260 & 73: Hon-Dah casino. Oh yes – of course we stopped in to check the place out. Jason tried his had at the 25 cent slot machines and scored a $15 gain after James had lost $20 in a matter if minutes. Ha! I don’t know why it’s called the Hon-Dah casino but maybe the folks on the White Mountain Indian Reservation are Honda fans.

A jog southward on Highway 273 took us past the Sunrise Ski Resort (which had closed for the day just minutes prior, or we probably would have taken a chair lift ride to the summit) and then through some scenic, rolling, grassy hills. It took about 20 minutes until we met the intersection with Highway 261 near Crescent Lake. There was so little traffic out there. I made the comment at one point, “If I worked in car advertising and ever needed to shut down a road for filming, this would be the one.” Highway 261 was full of all the right curves in all the right places. I captured 9 minutes of GoPro footage where you can see just how isolated, yet fun, this road can be.

Want to drive that 9-minute distance with me in only 34 seconds? Here you go.

Eagar and its neighboring town, Springerville, comprise what the locals refer to as “Round Valley.” The population of the two cities combined is fewer than 7,000 people and there are only two stoplights. It’s a neat town and the people are friendly. When we told the front desk agent at Best Western that we wanted to go see a movie, she said, “Make sure you see Gloria. She’s the owner and she’ll take good care of you.” Now that’s hometown hospitality!

We did decide to catch a new release at an old theater. The El Rio theater, formerly known as the Apache theater, opened in 1915. Even after 100 years, the place was well-kept and had a great vibe to it! Last year, the theater was converted from 35mm film to digital projection after the community raised enough money to keep the theater in business. Movie tickets were $6 concessions were dirt cheap too! $5 for a soda and a large popcorn. I could get used to prices like that. Oh, and the movie? Jurassic World. Highly recommended.

I had a great time enjoying a drive in the hills with a few friends and hope you did too. Here are a few pics.

Fueling up in Globe with the two Sixes and the ILX