How was everyone’s weekend? It’s been busy around here as I’ve been getting back to my routine. Just two days after returning from the mega Florida trip, I had company in town from San Diego and San Francisco for a few days. My guest book is spilling over onto page 41 since I bought my house in September of 2016. Let me know when you want to book your reservation (rental cars are available).
I’ll let the photos tell the story below because there’s really not much else to elaborate on.
Ryan and I took the ‘homeless’ white Legend that I’ve been storing for about a year to brunch.
He has his sights set on the Vigor. At 6-foot-6, he barely fits in that thing.
We also took the 1992 Integras out for a spin.
I’d like to introduce my friend Michael’s new 1996 Prelude Si. It’s beautiful!
Ben and Smiley arrived on their way back to the Bay Area from Florida on Saturday evening.
Ryan’s Accord 6-speed was looking extra juicy.
I took the Legend for its emissions test last Wednesday. It passed the test without any challenges.
Here are the recordings for pollutants since I first registered the car in Arizona about 12 years ago. In some cases the numbers are questionable or inconsistent. Actually – the numbers this time were better than they were 2 years ago, for all 3 measures. Go fig.
I needed to juggle some cars around so I parked the 2 ‘reds’ in the driveway for a few pictures on Sunday. You’ll see more of the SLX in the coming months as it’s involved in a special project.
Similar gauge layout, vastly different driving experiences.
Do you prefer Formula Red or Radiant Red?
My buddy Chris from Maryland, who has the twin to my Legend GS sedan, knew that his recent trip to Florida would cause his car to surpass mine in mileage. So we figured out a way to commemorate the milestone. I took my car to Wendy’s and recorded the odometer after I parked it back in the garage.
The reading was 161,440 at the time.
So Chris, similarly, took his Legend to Wendy’s.
And he captured a picture at 161,440. At this point, Chris’ car is likely to stay ahead of mine for the foreseeable future.
I took a scenic drive on Sunday in the RL out to Saguaro Lake in the Tonto National Forest. I was scouting drive & lunch locations for a potential bid to host the 2020 NALM event here in Phoenix next fall.
More to come on that, but here’s a 3-minute preview video to the scenery & venues for consideration.
Have you been following any updates on the special Acura TLX PMC Edition? It’s a TLX built at the NSX factory in Marysville, Ohio, and they’re only making 360 units. The first one I saw in person was #026, on 7/26/2019 at Acura North Scottsdale.
And since that one was behind velvet ropes, the first one I actually sat in was #146 on 9/26/2019 at Acura of Tempe.
I’ve yet to get behind the wheel but it’s a pretty cool car because it blends Advance and A-Spec packages which historically have been mutually exclusive. Have a good week!
This past Friday was sweet. And not just because of the sugar cookies.
One of the best benefits of being affiliated with a local automotive media community is the chance to get behind the wheel of new vehicles each year to see how & where the industry is evolving. You may recall my prior involvement with a program called the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year (ALV) starting in 2012. ALV eventually evolved into a broader scope – focusing not only on certain types of vehicles but rather exposing journalists to a little bit of everything. It was phased out after 2017.
The Southwest Lifestyle Media Drive was then launched in 2018 to better align the Phoenix area press event with the key stakeholders, the vehicles in consideration, and the brilliant landscape that many of us call home. And instead of being a formal road test or evaluation event, it’s a no-strings-attached opportunity to put vehicles through their paces without worrying about needing to tally up scores in a mountain of paperwork after the fact. I like the evolution that this event has taken.
The host venue for this year’s activity was the Crowne Plaza San Marcos in Chandler, Arizona. It’s a historic and hospitable place to begin with, but it also at a crossroads of some great driving opportunities in both urban and freeway settings. Event Director Becky Antioco stated that there were 13 vehicles available to experience, and over the course of the day I was able to experience several.
The standout vehicle for me – and I never thought I’d say this – was a 2020 Toyota Camry with special “TRD” (Toyota Racing Development) add-ons. A Camry with sporting aspirations? Unheard of. But all it takes is one look at the aero treatment, the custom interior, and the stunning color to know that this Camry is a little something special. I ran it through the gears (8-speed automatic, of course) in a spirited launch up the Loop 202 onramp and enjoyed the 301-horsepower V6’s exhaust note.
The surprise came when I pulled up the monroney spec sheet and realized it’s priced at $32,920. That’s some serious sticker shock in a positive way instead of a negative way.
One of the media drive’s main sponsors this year was Nissan. A product representative gave us a walk-around of the Versa “SV” – an impressively equipped sedan for its $14k-21k price point. Back in the day, the big competition was in the number of cup holders a vehicle had. Today, it’s all about the tech, and the Versa has 3 USB ports. It also has fancy things like “rear door alert,” to audibly notify the driver a reminder that they’ve put something in the back seat if the doors are opened in a certain sequence before starting a drive. Innovation at work!
Another vehicle that stood out to me was the latest Ram. The tailgate opens via the conventional method, but has also has a trick up its sleeve: You can open it down the middle like a set of barn doors, too. Think of the versatility here – especially if (as in our test truck) your pickup has a tonneau cover securing valuables being hauled in the bed. I like it.
Thanks to the SW Lifestyle planning team and to all the manufacturers who put the event together!
It’s about time. I’ve been home for over a week from the longest trip I’d taken since 2016, but I’ve been trying to play catch-up. Below is some event coverage I’ve put together already that you may wish to peruse.
If if you’re more a watcher than a reader, you can fast-forward all the way to the bottom of this post because there are 4 YouTube episodes there for your viewing pleasure a total of about 40 minutes’ worth of runtime. How about that? You get to experience a 13-day road trip in a fraction of the time. You’re welcome. Haha.
NALM – the National Acura Legend Meet – has led me to various parts over the country over the course of its now-15-year run. From New Jersey in 2011 to Sacramento in 2017 and Milwaukee in 2012 to Houston in 2015. Which reminds me, I need to rummage through my closet and see how many prior-year NALM T-shirts I still have.
This year’s voyage was unlike any other. As time goes on, long-distance road trips get more challenging: I’m older, the car’s older, parts are tougher to come by, and it’s more and more difficult to break away from work for such an extended period of time. But the reward – or the juice, as my boss likes to say – is totally worth the squeeze. In other words, if it’s NALM, I’ll be there. Plan it in Tierra del Fuego if you want to. I’ll probably drive there.
I stayed with a variety of friends throughout the trip, which took me through 7 states as I stayed on (or close to) Interstate 10 the entire way. One night was spent in the luxurious garage of Jason from Pawela’s Garage. A couple of days later, I got to drive the Guinness World Records “Longest Continuous Bridge Over Water” (that’s a lot of qualifiers) which runs 23 miles over Lake Ponchartrain in the New Orleans area. I’m a sucker for “world’s largest” anything, and most of you know that about me by now. And I got to meet a long-time blog reader and friend named Carlos in Miami who proudly showed me his stack of records on his 2005 TSX. Thanks, Carlos!
Key West, Florida is a destination that had been on my Excel “road trip bucket list” for some time now. It felt like something I should probably cross off since I’d already be in the same state, so my trip was lengthened by 2 days in order to allow me to visit the Southernmost Point in the Continental United States. And that side-trip was 100% amazing. Coincidentally, I had a couple of Arizona friends in the area who invited me on a catamaran for a sunset ‘dinner cruise’. Thanks again for that, Hy and Linda!
I checked in for the NALM festivities during dinner on day two of the event, while everyone was chowing down on tacos at Jimmy Hula’s in Ormond Beach. My favorite part of the program happened the next day, when our Legends swarmed Daytona Beach – on the beach itself. Daytona is one of the few oceanfront areas in the country where you can still drive your personal vehicles on the sand. I guess when you consider I had my Legend in Los Angeles earlier this year, it pretty much drove from the west coast to the east coast this calendar year.
And perhaps as a reward for that achievement, my car was one of five Legends allowed to park inside the showroom at AutoNation Acura North Orlando, where General Manager Rob Breedlove was gracious enough to roll out the red carpet for our entire pack of Legend fans. He staffed the BBQ grill outside while our group was addressed by Honda Brand Culture Champion Charles Schnieber about the history of Acura and some fascinating trivia. Thanks Rob!
All too soon, it was time to conclude our festivities with a beachside pizza party & awards ceremony. I was awarded a certificate for having the cleanest floor mats in the group, which admittedly was a little unfair because the mats I had in the car are only used for shows and I don’t actually daily drive with them!
My last stop before making the marathon trek westward was to visit an Acura enthusiast in Jacksonville named Andrew, who I can only describe as “me, but on the east coast.” Andrew has a significant collection of cool cars, including a Honda Odyssey, Honda Ridgeline, an Acura Legend, two Acura CLs, and an Acura NSX. He and his wife rolled out the hospitality in a big way and I felt right at home.
On my way home, I stayed another night with Jason in New Mexico – this time, celebrating a milestone with him. (We’re kind of making this a habit). This time, the achievement happened in his now-100,000 mile 2014 Lexus IS350. I was happy to be able to celebrate with him.
You’re all asking: How’d the car do? Well, it delivered 27 mpg and performed pretty flawlessly for its age and miles. The only maintenance items worth mentioning were a bottle of power steering fluid used up, a pair of new tires installed for precaution (they’d been a worn before I even left Arizona), an oil change, and replacement of a taillight bulb. My comprehensive fuel log is posted below – totaling about $640 in fuel expense.
And in Excel form for the nerds in the house.
When it comes to adventures, this was definitely one of the most memorable I’ve had. And I thank you for coming along on the journey with me!
Jason’s garage
“Prada Marfa” – a worthwhile offbeat destination in rural Texas: It’s a fake Prada store in the middle of nowhere.
This sure felt like a marathon.
Checking out my friend Michael’s TSX Sport Wagon in San Antonio
Dinner group at Flying Saucer in San Antonio
Rolling 567,890.1 on the coupe with 234.5 on the trip meter
Tire replacement needed in Tallahassee – Discount Tire had my size & brand in stock!
Carlos’ TSX and DJ’s MDX in Miami
Headed out on the “Overseas Highway” to Key West – remarkable scenery
My two-night stay in Key West – highly recommended
Southernmost Point!
Unreal sunsets on our dinner cruise
I stopped by Acura of Pembroke Pines on my way back through the Miami area, and one of the individuals I met was Jon in his gorgeous Monte Carlo Blue NSX
Sean stopped by too – he’s a NALM veteran, as he and I attended the first event in 2005 together!
Sunrise view from host hotel, Coral Sands Inn, in Ormond Beach
Daytona Beach scenes
Chris and his 1994 Legend GS 6-speed. He authored the last post on this blog.
“World’s Most Famous Beach”
No car club event is complete without plenty of good grub.
Dealer day photos
Presentation from Charles, with my Legend in the foreground
Greetings, blog readers. I arrived a day late to this year’s NALM so I invited a colleague, Chris Miller, to write about his experience that first day leading up to my arrival. See below for his words and photos.
My complete write-up on my 5,600-mile trip, and a series of 4 videos, are pending in the coming days & weeks.
Thanks for reading!
_______
NALM 2019, departure from Maryland to Florida and Day 1 Activities
This year was no different, 20-plus Legend enthusiasts and a few spouses came from all over the country, and even Canada to gather in Ormond Beach FL, just a few miles north of Daytona Beach. The drive for me this year was relatively easy: Get on I-95 South a mile from my house and take it to the Ormond Beach exit, 872 miles away. I had to work on Monday so I drove to DC, worked till 3:00pm and drive to Fayetteville NC for the night. Tuesday I drove from Fayetteville NC to Floral City FL to visit the famous Legend Land to visit the famous Legend Savior himself, Alan Jackson. Wednesday morning Alan, his wife Nancy, and I convoyed the 2 hours from Floral City to Ormond Beach via back roads through Ocala National Forest.
This year’s hotel was the Coral Sands Inn off Route A1A which is their main coastal road and was right on the beach with views of the ocean from every level. Wednesday night dinner was at Lagerheads about 4 miles north of the hotel. The special that evening was Mahi Mahi tacos which I found to be very tasty with a little kick. The veranda outside Thomas’ room was the place to hang out afterwards and catch up with old friends and our little Legend family.
One newcomer this year was Avery Tulak who lives in British Columbia. I spent some time talking with him about his travels to Florida. It started with a 7 hour drive from B.C to Seattle and then a 5.5 hour flight to Florida. Avery doesn’t own a legend…yet. He does have an RL, a Vigor and an Integra in his stable and knowing he was on the hunt I informed him of a famous NALM quip: For the right price, every Legend in the lot is for sale. We welcomed him to our event and ensured he got to ride different Legends throughout the events.
Thursday morning we went down the street to Alfies for breakfast at 7:45. We were the first and largest group in the restaurant and my breakfast choice, along with a couple others, was the French toast with Bacon. It must’ve been 6 slices cause I could barely eat it all.
At 9:30 we gathered across the street from the hotel to stage the cars and we promptly departed for Daytona International Speedway just a few short miles down Interstate 95.
Once we arrived we were greeted by our tour guide for the morning. We loaded into tram-like cars behind his pickup truck and we proceeded around the perimeter of the track on a road just above the jersey walls. Our tour guide gave us a brief history of the track since it first opened in 1959. The speedway is known for the most prestigious race in all of Nascar, the Daytona 500 which is held in February. The complex is not only home to 2.5 miles of nearly 200mph races, it also houses road races, motocross and superbike competitions on smaller tracks within the complex.
Our tour guide shared an impressive amount of knowledge with us during our tour. He told us how many light poles were erected, the number and wattage of the bulbs used during night racing and other interesting facts. He told us that when it comes to re-paving the speedway it takes over 6 months from start to finish. When they repave the speedway all the asphalt is ground up and hauled off, right down to the dirt. You wouldn’t think paving would take 6 months but a great deal of the effort is the preparation. The protective fencing above the jersey walls and safer barriers has to come down.
The banking around the curves is 31 degrees and to keep the paving equipment from sliding or tumbling down the bank they have equipment that runs along the perimeter roads alongside the paving machines with safety lines tethered to them. We weren’t allowed on the banked curves but we were allowed to get out and walk the start/finish line which is banked at a mere 18 degrees but proved to be a little difficult to climb. We also got to tour a few buildings in the infield which houses the press corps and we got a group photo taken inside Winner’s Circle. After a short elevator ride we went up to the grandstands to get a view of the entire speedway.
Our last stop was the Daytona Speedway Hall of Fame and Museum. Inside the entrance is Denny Hamlin’s Toyota which won the Daytona 500 this past February. It’s tradition for the 500s winning racecar to be put on display in the museum for one year until the next 500 winner is crowned. The car is displayed in the same condition as shown on t.v., soda, champaigne, confetti, and all kinds of asphalt and debris still clinging to the paint. The only thing done to the car is it’s drained of any remaining fuel. Inside the museum is the famous Hudson Hornet, cars from Dale Sr., Jeff Gordon, as well as a few funny cars, dragsters, and even a couple boats.
The next event was a short scenic drive and photoshoot in the local area but I decided I’d head an hour south and take a tour of the Kennedy Space Center. While watching the various multimedia exhibits and IMAX presentations I was keeping an eye on Tyson’s location. I knew he was heading north from Key West and I wanted to convoy north to Ormond Beach with him as our dinner that night was at Jimmy Hula’s. There’s something neat about following the coupe version of your car going up the highway; especially when we share the same car color.
Yes, I’m almost as nerdy as Tyson is in some respects. We fueled up at the Exxon station and headed north on I-95 through a nasty rain storm that lasted a few miles. The first day or two of NALM was very windy with scattered heavy rain showers reducing visibility to ¼ mile or less. We made it to dinner a little late but I enjoyed a Rice Bowl with Chicken similar to what you’d get at a Chipotle. Tyson feasted on a couple Tacos after making his rounds and saying Hello to the gang.
Posted in Legend, Road Trip on October 8, 2019 by tysonhugie
Hello! Let me blow the cobwebs off this keyboard because I’ve been too busy driving to focus on the blog.
This evening I completed the first portion of a massive cross-country road trip from Phoenix to Florida and back.
As I type this, I covered 2,743 miles over 7 states in the last 5 days. I reconnected with friends in every stop. I drove across the Guinness world’s longest continuous bridge over water in Louisiana. I drove under Mobile Alabama in a tunnel. I had to buy 2 new tires in Tallahassee. I got soaked in a thunderstorm in West Palm Beach. I fought Miami snowbirds in traffic. And now, I’m at the southernmost point in the United States. In fact, on a map, it looks like I could damn near throw a football and hit Havana, Cuba.
And don’t worry, I have about 400 photos and video clips of it all happening. You’ll see some of them in due time.
This was a fun way to break up the work week: My friend Chris invited me to meet up and check out / test drive his very rare model year 2000 Acura Integra Type R. The car had 48,000 miles on it and handled incredibly. Like many ‘B-Series’ powered Honda cars, the Type R loves to rev. Its tachometer goes up to a sky-high 10,000 RPM. I appreciated the opportunity!
I’m starting to become a ‘regular’ at some of the Southern California car scene activities each year. The Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS), now in its 15th year, has been a tradition of mine since I started going in 2014. Back then, none of my cars were eligible because the cutoff for model year eligibility was in the 1980s. It’s since been modified, and anything up through the mid-1990s is permissible.
The Key Lime del Sol made the trip this time. This was the first time it’s made an out-of-town voyage since I brought it to Phoenix from Salt Lake City back in May. I’m happy to report that the car did great. Here are write-ups from my prior trips to JCCS. With the momentum behind the event (growing so much that it had to change venues last year) I’m confident it will be a “thing” for many years to come.
I had a special guest at the house last Thursday afternoon: My friend Ken from Pennsylvania rolled into town in his vintage 1981 Honda Accord. His dedication to the event was impressive – even in the face of a breakdown somewhere in Wisconsin, he was able to put a spare fuel pump to use the following day and be back on the road without much time lost. Driving with an old car in adventure to say the least. It’s best to live by the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.”
By the time Ken and I made it out of Phoenix during rush hour, then completed our trek across the desert, our arrival in Torrance at the Holiday Inn was a little before midnight. The next day, we toured the Honda Collection open house (which I’d visited just recently in July). I enjoyed a night out with a few local friends before tidying up the del Sol and calling it a night. My wake-up call on the show day itself always comes very early – in this case it was 5:40 a.m. so I could be at a meeting point in Long Beach by 6:45.
(Why they had this sign up for the “14th” annual 2018 event from last year, I’m not sure.)
This was the largest JCCS in the event’s 15-year history. Over 400 vehicles were displayed in organized fashion at Marina Green along Shoreline Drive. The Honda section, as in prior years, was headquartered on the west end of the park. Luckily I rolled in around the same time as some of my closest colleagues so I got to park near them.
A few particularly cool vehicles caught my eye throughout the day. I enjoyed my friend Chris’ 1988 Dodge Ram 50 pickup truck. A Dodge at a Japanese car show? Yes. That’s because his Dodge was technically just a rebadged Mitsubishi Mighty Max. Which reminds me, speaking of rebadges, I think the SLX will make a JCCS debut next year.
At the conclusion of the show, some friends and I dined nearby at the Islands Burger restaurant and hydrated after a day in the sun. The del Sol got me home safe and sound to Phoenix later that evening. Until next year!
Rolling 88,888 miles at 88 miles per hour. I pictured Doc Emmett Brown from Back to the Future: “When this thing hits 88 miles per hour, you’re going to see some serious shit.” Well, I didn’t see any of that, but it was still fun to celebrate.
Visit to the American Honda main office
Inside the museum with David and David
Lineup awaiting in staging lanes
Running into friends from all over
My friend Ryan’s 1988 Daihatsu Charade – love it
My buddy Logan
Dave Heath from Honda who works with Auto Shows & Exhibits
The Honda display was nicely laid out
Ever seen a lifted Lexus LS400 on mud tires?
Primary colors? I think we were just missing blue
Dinner group before my return trip to Phoenix
Last but definitely not least: The automotive journalist community is pretty small, and is better described as a close-knit family. Recently, a colleague of mine named Miles Branman in the Southern California region was injured in an accident.
One of the media organizations (similar to PAPA, that we have here in Phoenix) called MPG (Motor Press Guild) has launched a series of auctions in fundraising support of Miles. Among the items up for grabs are some some exclusive collector items donated by Acura. Check these out:
Posted in PAPA on September 23, 2019 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 566,562
Do you have a friend or family member who uses a wheelchair? Having been a part of the broader automotive community for over 20 years and in the Phoenix region specifically for over 10, I was surprised to learn recently that one local Arizona company is an industry leader in mobility for folks with disabilities. It’s a place called Vantage Mobility International (VMI).
Ever since the original Chrysler minivan debuted in 1987 – and even a bit prior – the founders of VMI have tasked themselves with customizing vehicles to make them wheelchair friendly. The WAV, or Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle, industry has since become a large and important part of the automotive world that I hadn’t ever really thought about until I visiting VMI. It’s estimated that there are around 30,000 new WAVs sold across the nation each year, from a variety of manufacturers.
Organization leaders and public relations representatives from VMI took me and a handful of other members of the Phoenix Automotive Press Association (PAPA) on a guided tour of the facility in Phoenix. Our guide through the manufacturing & assembly line areas was named Brian, and he introduced us to the step-by-step process by which a new minivan – straight from Toyota, Chrysler, or Honda, usually – goes through a complete transformation.
What starts as a cookie-cutter family hauler gets stripped down to basically just a shell. The floor is lowered 10″ or more via installation of a new frame. Precision welds are made where the doors are extended, the ramp is installed, and the engine is dropped so that the vehicle’s center of gravity and sense of balance still remains largely the same. It takes about 2.5 days from start to finish for the conversion to take place and there are about 200 colleagues making it all happen.
Because of the vast number of unique needs that WAV customers have, the vehicles themselves are also heavily customizable. Some vans even have the ability to “kneel,” like city buses, to lower the angle of the ramp and make for easier ride-up. There are features available like an integrated remote for quick stow / deploy conversion functionality, power sliding doors, flexible seating configurations, and rust-mitigation coatings on all steel components. A van that’s intended to be driven by a caregiver, for example, will need to be set up differently than one that will be operated by someone who is in a wheelchair.
One of the great things about VMI’s customization work is that any factory warranties on the vehicles from the manufacturer still apply. VMI has such a great relationship with the automakers, in fact, that its engineers are invited to take part in the design discussions when new models are undergoing development. VMI’s Phoenix facility distributes its vans to dealerships only, but its Atlanta operation sells converted vans directly to end users.
The leadership & executive teams at VMI are all mostly new to the organization – within about the last 3 years – and they are all passionate about what they do. There is a huge opportunity and a need to enable the great numbers of people around the country who have mobility challenges. The more the VMI team can do to make readily-available solutions for those needs, the happier they’ll be. I greatly appreciated the chance to have a look around the facility!
I have a few fun features to share today. Mom planned a trip down from southern Utah in her new (to her) 2016 Acura RLX. We met up in one of Arizona’s red-rock gems, the town of Sedona. It was about a 2 hour drive for me on Saturday morning. We enjoyed the seclusion and solitude of an Airbnb room about 5 miles up Oak Creek Canyon from the hustle and bustle of the town’s shopping plazas. Saturday evening, we dined at Javelina Cantina and then enjoyed the sunset from atop the Airport Mesa.
On Saturday, after breakfast at Indian Garden (I highly recommend the “ranchero bowl”), we went to Slide Rock State Park, a recreation area just a few miles up Highway 89A from where we were staying. The place gets its name from the slippery nature of the Oak Creek’s bed – after years and years of erosion making the surfaces smooth, coupled with mossy deposits, there is some great slipperiness to be enjoyed. We saw a few people tumble to a very wet riverbed in what looked to be painful experiences!
The rocks were nice and warm, but the water was chilly!
The last stop on our weekend tour of the region was a quick jaunt out Highway 260 toward the small town of Pine, where we were anticipating the arrival of a friend who was running a 100-mile (!) race. Unfortunately, as the day went on our timelines were crunched and mom had to head back to Utah, and I had to return to Phoenix. I’m happy to report that our crazy friend did complete his event though.
ILX + RLX at the Airbnb
Shopping at “Tlaquepaque.” We love saying that one.
I decided to have a little fun bright and early on a Sunday morning and stage my cars in “brochure” fashion like a photo that might have appeared in a 1991 through 1993 full-line pamphlet from Acura, since the 6 cars included there are the full 6 body styles that were available during those years. Luckily I only had one neighbor drive by at 6:00 a.m. while I was on top of my step ladder looking like a goofball.
1992 Integra GS-R 251,000 Miles
1992 Integra GS Sedan 73,000 Miles
1994 Legend LS Coupe 566,000 Miles
1994 Legend GS Sedan 161,000 Miles
1994 Vigor GS 114,000 Miles
1992 NSX 115,000 Miles
Lastly, I took the chance to pay a visit to “DVAP” – better known as Desert Valley Auto Parts. It’s a junkyard that was featured as part of a TV series called Desert Car Kings back in 2011. I visited in 2018 with my friend Dane, and the video that I captured became quite popular, so I decided to go back and give it another whirl. I filmed 20 minutes’ worth of banter and it received over 10,000 views in its first 10 days online. A box office hit!
Have you ever heard of a Dodge Seneca?
Nice looking old pickup truck!
Some cool back ends on these next two Chrysler products.
This one looks pretty mean.
And some Chevy Bel Airs for good measure.
Guess what? The SLX got new leather. Here’s a pic and video as the saga continues.
Thanks for reading, watching, and following, as always! Have a great week!
The other day, I was enjoying a rare, quiet, movie night at home and ended up picking the 2006 flick “Employee of the Month,” starring Dane Cook. One of my favorite lines in that movie refers to a Honda Civic. A 1981 Civic, to be exact. After a golf ball attack ensues, the proud owner of a rickety old Civic proclaims, “This is an ’81 Honda – how dare you?!”
That car (and clip) make me think of this brilliant magazine ad from back in the day.
Certainly there are many of us who can relate to the protective attitude about our vehicles. My younger brother drove a hand-me-down 1984 Civic 1500 “S” hatchback in high school – a hand-me-down from my great-grandmother. This was what our family’s driveway looked like 20 years ago. Two Legends, a Prelude, and a Civic. Those were the days!
The Civic has been around as Honda’s compact vehicle offering since 1972 and it has been in its current (10th!) generation since the 2016 model year. My current 2013 Acura ILX rides on Civic underpinnings and so I can already attest that the level of reliability is all it’s cracked up to be. Where the Civic differs greatly from its Acura sibling is in sheer volume of sales: In August 2019, here were some select stats:
Civic: 34,808 units
Accord: 30,558 units
ILX: 1,439 units
RLX: 38 units
NSX: 25 units
The only vehicle that sold more than the Civic was the CR-V at 44,000 units. Honda has a home run on its hands, and I set out over the past several days to find out why.
My test-car was powered by turbocharged 4-cylinder engine coupled with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Touring trim level brings nice amenities including leather interior, 10-speaker audio system, and a host of tech like cameras and navigation. It also has nice looking 18″ alloy wheels, LED headlights & taillights, and a rear decklid spoiler to set things off cosmetically. Total MSRP including destination and handling runs $28,220.
I had the chance over the past 7 days to put about 500 miles on the car in a combination of city and highway driving environments, and took the chance to assemble some ‘goods’ and ‘bads’ along the way. To keep things simple, I’ll just dish out the review in that format.
Likes, in random order:
Tech – The window sticker on this car reads like Acronym City. Check some of these out, and study them for the quiz later:
ACC – Adaptive Cruise Control
CMBS – Collision Mitigation Braking System
LDW – Lane Departure Warning
LKAS – Lane Keeping Assist System
RDM – Road Departure Mitigation
FCW – Forward Collision Warning
EBD – Electronic Brake Distribution
VSA – Vehicle Stability Assist
Basically, this Civic almost drives itself. Do you like all that “helpful” tech, or are you against it? I’ll let you decide for yourself.
Audio – SXM, bluetooth compatibility. I was driving along and heard an amazing song I liked on the radio. When the song concluded, I pulled into a church parking lot, paired my iPhone, found the song on YouTube, and blasted it again. That kind of tech compatibility is awesome!
Camera (right side + rear). Did you know that this car activates a passenger sideview mirror-mounted camera every time you turn on the right turn signal? It’s pretty sweet. The back-up cam also has nice resolution.
Looks – LED front end – to me, the car “looks” high end from many angles. The whole front end is graced with LED lighting treatment. I like the black grille, and the wheels seem borrowed from the sporty “Si” trim model and have a nice look to them.
Value / Packaging – I remember being excited about some of the aforementioned features when I first tested the 2014 Acura RLX (a $60k car). Here we are a few years later talking about how they are available on a < $30k compact. It’s pretty sweet.
Interior Ergonomics – The more I got acquainted with the Civic, the more I liked how things are placed inside the cabin. I was pleased that there is a compartment for a cell phone below the instrument panel. And the center armrest opens up to a HUGE storage bin with removable cup holders.
Highway Driving Dynamics – The Civic is super smooth at anything above 55 or so. It would make a great long-hauler. Perhaps why my friend James took it to LA and back when he tested it a few weeks ago.
Anonymity – Sometimes you just want to blend in, and this car does a good job of that – especially in the color that I tested. I’m also going to put this attribute on the ‘Dislikes’ section.
Dislikes, in random order:
City Driving Dynamics – As much as I tried to make the most of the Continuously Variable Transmission, I just couldn’t love it. One morning on my commute to work I was so discouraged to get blasted off the line by an aggressive-driving old Altima. I didn’t stand a chance. I like my torque delivered more rapidly when hitting the accelerator.
MPG – I admit to being heavier on the throttle than most people would be, but I still only got about 29 mpg which is quite a bit lower than the 33 mpg combined on the EPA rating.
Tech Nitpicks – I didn’t like the clicky sound the steering wheel volume audio button made, or where it was located. I also think there should be a “manual” button or knob somewhere on the dash to advance the track / radio station. It would mean being able to keep eyes on the road a little better. Finally, when the right-side cam is activated via turn signal, you can’t do anything with the audio system unless you hit the Home or Audio button to go back to that screen.
Anonymity – This is on the bad list, just like it’s on the good list. Since I was driving a Civic, I started noticing Civics, and, they’re everywhere. I guess that goes back to the fact that Honda is selling over 30,000 of them every single month. I like to stand out a little more.
Main takeaways:
For a comfortable, tech-packed compact commuter, it’s tough to do much better. The Civic is economical without being completely uninspiring. It looks good both coming and going, the connectivity is modern, and the chassis is nimble and precise.
As an enthusiast, I need a little more engagement from the powertrain – quicker off-the-line swiftness and more tangible connection with how the engine is revving and when. Perhaps there’s a way to configure an Si model (manual, please) in a way that blends everything I like about the latest Civic into one package. I’d say go ILX for about the same price, but the ILX doesn’t have a stick anymore.
For now, I am happy to recommend this car to anyone who wants a compact car with exceptional bang for the buck and effortless reliability. A little anonymity on the streets isn’t always a bad thing either. The sheriff will never even see you coming.
I’ve left town every weekend for the last 6 weeks. Exhausted doesn’t begin to describe how I feel. But when it comes to making the most out of my summer, I live by a motto my mom emphasizes: Carpe diem! For this past weekend’s excursion, I ventured to the Sitgreaves National Forest in the mountain ranges about 2.5 hours northeast of Phoenix. It’s a spot where temperatures typically range about 20 or more degrees cooler than the Phoenix valley.
Four friends and I found a great campsite just off Young Road, a couple of miles down a narrow dirt road that overlooked the Mogollon Rim and offered fantastic views to the south. We set up camp and stoked the fire, then cooked burgers & brats over the flames. Nobody had any particularly good ghost stories to tell as dusk fell, but we spent a good chunk of time proposing potential names for my friend Adam’s soon-to-be new dog. More to come on what he ended up deciding.
We managed to avoid any run-ins with local wildlife, and the overnight low dipped to a pleasant 60 degrees. Woody whipped up some delicious breakfast burritos with ham, bacon, and green salsa for breakfast the following morning. All too soon, it was time to pack up the site and head back down to civilization. The ILX fared well on the dirt road, though high grass in the median occasionally tickled the undercarriage due to ground clearance issues.
Thanks for coming along!
Camp all set up
Evening sunset looking south across the Mogollon Rim
Breakfast is served!
A relaxed Saturday morning
Soaking in the view
Headed out toward Payson, then Phoenix
Turning 218,000 miles
The vehicle I probably should have taken on this trip is the 1996 SLX. I’m still getting comfortable with it – trying to gain a little more confidence in its roadworthiness. I actually took a 350-mile road trip with it on Saturday, including a stop in a little mining town called Superior about 70 miles east of Phoenix. It did great!
I like this old dealership. Maybe a good investment as a place to store / display cars for someone?
I rolled 140,000 miles on the way home.
I also spent some time this weekend working on the RL. Here’s an update video I filmed today, illustrating current condition and recent maintenance. The engine bay got a detailing!
drivetofive 