drivetofive

First 20,000 Miles!

Posted in ILX, Milestones on November 25, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 20,235

Family, friends, food, and a flashy new Acura ILX. This was a Thanksgiving to remember! My turkey day travels took me to southern Utah and Nevada in the ILX.

These were taken on Hwy 93 between Wickenburg and Wikieup, Arizona when I departed from Phoenix last Wednesday.

Fewer than 6 months ago, John Watts from Acura HQ handed me the key to my 2013 Acura ILX. Since then, the ILX and I have had our share of adventures together, and it’s proven itself as a worthy successor to the Legend for my day to day travels.

Here is a look back at some of the memories we’ve shared:

Est. 609 gallons of premium fuel
201 horses at my command
82nd ILX ever made (production number 000082)
32.8 miles per gallon observed
14 states visited
6 trips to/through Las Vegas, Nevada
5 favorite XM radio stations (BPM, 90’s on 9, 80’s on 8, Prime Country, Octane)
4 oil changes with 5W20 oil (#4 is scheduled for tomorrow)
3 concerts driven to (Metric x 2; Deftones)
2 younger brothers driving gas-guzzling trucks who are jealous of my MPG’s
1 National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) attended in Milwaukee, WI
0 unscheduled maintenance visits and 0 tickets! Woot!

There’s a lot to love about the ILX. To name a few of them:

Torque. I like being able to keep the car in 6th gear during a highway ascent. There’s one in particular between Logandale and Mesquite Nevada on I-15 northbound that always requires me to downshift to 5th in my Legend. The ILX pulls the grade without needing a gear change.

Style. The ILX carries with it a presence that is not found on other entry-level premium cars. A coworker asked me shortly after getting the car what its pricetag was and was surprised when I said $30k. The car “feels” like a substantially more expensive car.

Technology. The audio interface, bluetooth connectivity, and “smart” features. I love my dual auto-up / auto-down windows in the front. The one-touch moonroof. The three-blink turn signal. And the HID headlights which offer some of the best nighttime illumination I’ve ever seen.

Ease of entry. I’m really spoiled with the keyless access system. With just the fob in my pocket or backpack, I walk up to the ILX and enter the car and start it without having to dig it out.

Comfort. Even though I live in one of the hottest cities in the country (Phoenix), I still have greatly appreciated the heated seats in the ILX so far this fall. Climate controls operate easily and quickly. Seats are comfortable and for being a small car, even the back seat can accommodate an adult which is rare. The gauges are easy to interpret at a glance and are all intuitively placed.

Economy. There’s one thing in common with both of the Acuras that I’ve spent my time driving – they’re over-performing on MPG’s. My Legend’s highway rating was 26 mpg. I consistently get 28+. The ILX’s highway rating is 32. I’m getting nearly 33. Every bit of efficiency helps greatly when you drive as many miles as I do.

Handling. Even without the need for aftermarket suspension tuning, this car has so little body roll. I drove it to Tortilla Flat, one of the most technical roads in my area, and was amazed at how flat it corners at speed.

Here are some photos from this weekend’s travels. It was great to see my family again.

Here I am with my most loyal blog subscriber, “Mama Tia,” and the ILX. This is an overlook on the Black Hill with a great vantage point of my hometown, St. George, Utah. The community was settled in 1861 and its population is now over 75,000. It was a perfect day (around 70 degrees) for a moonroof-open drive before feasting on Thanksgiving dinner at my grandma’s house.

Speaking of grandma’s house, it’s worth nothing that the Acura affinity runs in the family. My grandma has been driving a Heather Mist Metallic 1997 Acura 3.5 RL since 2004. It currently has just 118,000 miles on the odometer. She’ll get to 500,000 eventually!

On Thanksgiving night, I met up with Chanc. Long-time Acura owner and enthusiast, he’s currently got an Integra GSR and a TSX. Chanc gave me the opportunity to test-drive his car. It’s a rare 70k-mile Arctic Blue with Black interior, 6-speed manual. It’s also equipped with navigation. This is one smooth ride! It’s powered by the same “K24” engine that my ILX has. His car’s a bit quieter and offers a tad more space, but otherwise I felt like they were very close siblings.

Chanc also took the ILX for a spin and said that he felt like the ILX captured some of the traits he loved about his Integra GSR, including a feeling of “light weight” and great handling. He also said the car felt like it had more pick-up than his TSX does.

I drove 100 miles and spent Friday night in Las Vegas, Nevada at the New York New York casino with some friends.

But first, I made a pit stop at Acura of Las Vegas. This dealership has been servicing my cars since 2003 when I first got my Legend. The performed its first oil change under my ownership at 97,000 miles. I thought I’d pop in and see what kind of ILX inventory they’ve got. It just so happened that they have a twin to my car in the front lot. This is a 2013 Silver Moon ILX 2.4 6-speed. Production # is 567.

It’s pretty striking to see the difference visually between a totally stock ILX vs one with some of the factory accessories installed.

Time to hit up NYNY!

At one point during the evening, we walked down to the Bellagio Casino. This 1998 addition to the Las Vegas Strip is known for its 8-acre manmade lake in front of the building.

There are water shows nightly and we happened to be in the area when one was just about to start. This is an impressive sight to watch! A series of 4,500 lights illuminate 1,200 water nozzles and are choreographed to music that changes with every season. Some of these nozzles have the capability of shooting 450 feet into the air! Here is a video I took with my iPhone.

Back in Utah on Saturday, I went to lunch with my mom.

Historic 1876 St. George, Utah tabernacle:

Time to pull out the Christmas decor. Random trunk-related discoveries about the ILX: It’ll accommodate a lot more than I thought it would! I got a few boxes of fake trees in there without having to fold the back seat down.

Secondly, when I went to shut my trunk lid with the same hand that was holding my key fob, the car wouldn’t let the trunk lid latch. It kept popping back open because it thought the key was inside the trunk. Seems like the sensitivity needs to be adjusted a little, or else I should just start closing the trunk without having the key anywhere in range.

Sunday was a 415-mile travel day to return home to the Phoenix area from southern Utah. The route that I took consists of mostly 2-lane back roads and it goes along the east edge of the Grand Canyon. Traffic was extremely light as I departed at 5:30 in the morning. The sun finally started to peek over the horizon over an hour later.

My path looked like this.

As I crept closer to Fredonia, Arizona, the temperature sank. For the first time since I got my car in June, I saw the dash display temperatures in the 20’s. At one point the temperature reached a low of 18 degrees. Heated seats, yes please!

Highway 89 “Alternate” creeps up from Fredonia to about 8,000 feet in elevation and offers some great banked curves and twisties along the way. This picture was taken at Jacob Lake, just before the road begins its sharp descent back to the desert landscape from the pines. Notice the snow on the ground here as this area frequently gets snowfall in the winter.

Suddenly the highway breaks free from the green & the trees and gives drivers a panoramic view of the red hills known as Vermillion Cliffs.

Here’s one of the roadside photo-ops I’ve frequently visited along the Vermillion Cliffs. This is a place called Cliff Dwellers, named for the Native Americans who historically have built their homes along the sandstone cliffs.

It took some nerves to get this next shot. I placed a bit of faith in the fact that this huge rock didn’t come tumbling down and make a pancake out of my ILX.

Just a bit down the road, the Marble Canyon Lodge greets travelers. From a Google review about this place:

As the closest accommodations to Lees Ferry, this lodge frequently fills up with rafters eagerly awaiting the journey into the canyon or fishermen stocking up for their next excursion. The traffic gives the place a busier, less personal feel than the nearby Cliff Dwellers and Lees Ferry lodges. The rooms here vary, but the ones in the 300 building are brightest and look out at Echo Cliffs. A restaurant and lounge are on the premises, and the lodge also has a selection of unusual books about the region as well as a jewelry store selling handmade silver, copper, and brass designs. Marble Canyon Lodge also rents eight two-bedroom apartments at prices ranging from $134 to $150. Hunting and fishing licenses are sold here.

Since much of this area lies within the Navajo Nation Indian Community, there are multiple pull-outs along Highway 89A where the Indians operate roadside stands selling their wares – usually jewelry, clothing, or artifacts. Today, the stands were closed but I used one of them as a temporary parking spot.

The long-awaited 20,000 mile mark happened in a remote town of “Gap,” Arizona. There’s truly little else there besides just a gas station and a trading post.

Here’s a video of the 20k roll-over, as is tradition:

Just for kicks, on this trip I tracked the per-gallon fuel costs at each of my stops. Here they are in order (these are all for 91 octane Premium fuel – the highest available in this area):

Scottsdale, Arizona: $3.70 at Shell
Kingman, Arizona: $4.05 at Chevron
Mesquite, Nevada: $3.96 at Rebel
Hurricane, Utah: $3.95 at Chevron
Flagstaff, Arizona: $3.89 at 76

I had a great trip and hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

This afternoon I visited the Arizona International Auto Show at the convention center in downtown Phoenix.

Acura was well represented at the show.

Among other models, there were three ILXs: A hybrid, a 2.0 automatic, and a 2.4 6-speed.

This is the Crystal Black Pearl 6-speed that was on display. Production # 1179.

All I want to know is: Where can I get one of those ILX rugs for my front room at home!?

I spoke with Brand Ambassador “Karla” who said she’ll also be attending the Los Angeles International Auto Show this upcoming week. I told her I’ll see her there!

Watch for the full write-up on the next installment of D25!

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Bon Voyage

Posted in Road Trip on November 20, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 517,090

Odometer (ILX): 19,056

One of my most loyal international blog readers is Francesco from Italy. I’ve been following his travels in his Fiat for the last several thousand miles. Italy, incidentally, is always one of the top countries viewing Drive to Five. Last week, it ranked third in the list with 37 viewers. Here’s a look at that week’s Top Ten.

Francesco recently turned over the 260,000 kilometer mark in his car. Congratulations my friend!

Keep the updates coming, Francesco.

The rest of today’s news is more of a grab-bag of stuff that surfaced this week. Consider this an intermission before a pending trip report from this week’s upcoming holiday travels to Utah in the ILX.

Meanwhile, in Florida it’s a red Legend invasion! Somehow the stars aligned at my friend Alan’s place in Floral City and he ended up with not one, not two, but three Milano Red 1994 Acura Legend LS coupes when my other Acura-hoarder friend Alex visited him. Two automatics (155k & 136k miles) and a 6-speed manual (203k miles) made up the trio.

Thanks for the pics, Alex! You guys are crazy but I love it.

Speaking of red Legends, it’s funny how some cars just keep popping up time and time again. Case in point: Look at this 1994 Legend LS coupe automatic on Ebay currently. With just 113,000 miles, it’s a low miler (that’s only 6,300 miles per year). But I’ve known this Legend since it had half that many miles, back in 2005. At the time, it belonged to my friend Steve and he’d taken it over from the original owner, his father. Here’s the for-sale ad that I posted to help Steve sell the car back in when it had 61,000 miles on it.

May 2005, Utah:

It’s been on quite a ride since then. As the Autocheck shown in the Ebay ad indicates, the car went from Utah and spent some time in Florida, then Texas, then New York, and now it’s in Maryland. Almost 7 years, multiple owners, at least two accidents, and 52,000 miles later, it’s back up for grabs on Ebay. The VIN proves this car’s identity.

November 2012, Maryland:

Every Legend has a story to tell.

Haven’t seen enough red yet? How about a custom red interior in this 1993 Legend LS coupe.

Yowzas.

I love learning of other people who have driven their Acuras as far as I have, but I also recognize how cool it is when an ultra-LOW-mileage car shows up somewhere. One such example is this Canadian 1989 Legend L coupe automatic. It’s only got 840 kilometers on it (525 miles). Total! It sold to a gentleman in Calgary, Alberta.

Until it’s taken down, the ad is still here. Ad copy states:

WOW!! Check out this super rare Brand New 1989 Acura Legend V6 Sport Coupe Sedan..evry option available inc pwr buckskin leather seats, pwr sunroof, premium C.D stereo, alloy mags, only 840 original KM, brand-new from McFadden Honda Lethbridge AB CANADA, looks/drives/smells like new!! this car would be the loweset 1989 Acura Legend V6 Car in the World!!! phone for complete story and history..serious buyers only.. price is firm as we are not real anxious to sell this baby!!own a rare piece of Acura Legend History!!! SOLD TO A VERY NICE PERSON!!!

Wouldn’t it be cool to own a museum-worthy car like that?

I got a wild hair this past weekend and threw one of my 19″ Racing Hart C2 wheels on the ILX to see what it would look like. The C2’s are one of the only sets of wheels I kept of the 13 total sets I’ve had on my Legend over the last 9 years of ownership.

Anybody think they look decent on there? Cast your vote in the comments below.

The most common question I get at work as Friday approaches is, “Where you off to this weekend?” Well, my colleague Paul took it a step further. He went ahead and planned the mother all of all road trips for me. We’re talking about a circle-the-country, 10,314-mile drive that would take 8 days if I did nothing except drive for 24 hours a day. I think Paul has just slightly over-estimated my level of driving ambition, but I admit this would be a heck of a ride.

This was a very fitting fortune cookie to receive at Pei Wei during dinner the other night!

On that note, I’m off for a road trip!

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

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Deftones Concert

Posted in Concerts on November 18, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 516,965

Odometer (ILX): 19,012

Besides a luxurious Acura, the most important ingredient for any awesome road trip is good music. As some of my blog readers have seen, I’ve been to a few shows this summer. Last night, I saw the Deftones perform live at the Marquee Theater in Tempe, Arizona. It was the second time I’d seen them.

My friend Raul (who also saw Metallica with me earlier this year) drove out from Studio City, California in his white 2010 Acura TSX 6-speed for the occasion.

We had to get a few “sibling” pictures before sundown.

Though it’s not an Acura, Matt’s 2012 Nissan 370Z Sport 6-speed is a worthy ride, too (he’d waste us both in a drag race!) so he joined for the group shots.

“Enough with the cars; let’s get to the concert!” they said. On the way to the venue, Raul commented that the ILX felt just as large as his TSX inside.

Marquee accommodates around 1,000 fans and had been sold out (and even OVER-sold) long before this event. It was a shoulder-to-shoulder experience being crammed into the venue with so so many other people. Good luck trying to endure the line for the bathroom at a concert like this!

Me, Matt, Raul, pre-show. Ready to rock!

Opening act was Scars On Broadway, well known for songs like this one.

Finally, Deftones (established 1988) took the stage and the crowd lit up. My favorite song, which received a ton of fan involvement, was Poltergeist. When lead singer Chino Moreno took the stage and started clapping to the beat, everyone enthusiastically joined in. I loved it!

In all, we heard 19 songs. Chino spent very little time with “talk” and the band moved quickly from song to song. Just the way it should be!

Here is one clip from “My Own Summer (Shove It)” that I recorded with my iPhone. As one may imagine with a song title like that, there was a lot of energy in the theater and a lot of noise. It was one of only a handful of times during the show when I seriously pondered, “Should I put those ear plugs in now?!”

The inevitable post-concert traffic jam in the parking structure after the show. Folks were surprisingly courteous in allowing others to exit. I didn’t mind the delay – after having stood on my feet for the last several hours, I was just enjoying my plush leather seat.

After the show, we wanted to re-live the moment for a couple songs in particular so we blasted the ILX’s 7-speaker Premium audio system to some of the selections from the band’s most recent album, Koi No Yokan.

Enroute to Whataburger for a midnight hamburger. But, this wasn’t just any hamburger – this was a green chile double! Two beef patties, Monterey Jack and American cheese, and seasoned green chiles. This is only available in 3 states, of which Arizona is one of them! Great food to cap off a great concert and evening.

I’m having a blast with the ILX and excited to close in on 20,000 miles soon.

Quick pic at my grad school for a visit yesterday. T-Bird class of 2006!

‘Tis the season, right? Check out this ILX Santa commercial that was released this week.

Long-Lived Legend

Looks like there’s another Acura Legend coupe in the running for 500k status. My friend Alan shared with me this link to an Ebay auction for a 1994 L coupe automatic with over 418,000 miles on the odometer. Impressive status! Condition of the car leaves a bit to be desired, but I wonder how well it runs?

Holiday travels await the ILX this upcoming week, as I’ll be making my way to Utah yet again to spend time with family for Thanksgiving. For those who will travel before my next blog installment, be safe and have a great holiday!

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11-11-12

Posted in ILX, Legend on November 11, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 18,628

Odometer (Legend): 516,913

Tonight I drove 140 miles round trip for a medium strawberry malt at DQ. Typical! I needed to stretch my highway legs a bit so I met up with my friend Will there. He lives in Tucson and drives a 2011 Camaro. Picacho Peak’s DQ, right off Interstate 10, seemed like a logical midpoint between the Phoenix and Tucson areas.

And the malt was worth it.

The Legend is running great but did give me a check engine light on the return leg. I suspect (in fact, I’m almost entirely sure) it’s related to a “code 12” (EGR system) fault. The EGR system on this car has been serviced regularly but I think it might be time for another check-up. The car still ran great!

Tunnel Bucket List

As a follow-up to the Road Bucket List that I put together a month or two ago, I also have a fascination with tunnels and bridges.

Check out this link for a list of some of the coolest places I’d love to take my Acuras.

Another one that didn’t make the Jalopnik top 10 list is the Gotthard Road Tunnel. At 10.2 miles long, at one time it was the longest tunnel in the world. It’s now in 3rd place. Guess it’s time to get my passport renewed and research car-shipping methods!

Alaska Round Two?!

I received an email this week that had the wheels in my mind spinning much like the wheels on my Acuras do. Back in 2006, my longest-ever road trip in the 1994 Legend was from Phoenix, Arizona to Fairbanks, Alaska – totaling around 7,600 miles round trip.

Upon arrival in Fairbanks that May (and unaware beforehand of exactly what types of vehicle services would be available there) I was happy to find a Honda dealership. Well, technically it was a Honda, Subaru, Toyota, Scion, Kia, Mazda dealership! Kendall Auto changed the oil on my Legend before my dad and I started the return leg of our adventure. I hadn’t heard from this dealership for years, until receiving this follow-up email this week entitled “Exclusive Savings for your Legend.”

Maybe it’s time to grab a current copy of the Milepost and start trip planning. Roll up there in the ILX, re-create some of the routes I took in the Legend? Who’s down for a carpool or caravan? Here’s what rush hour looked like on the Alaska Highway for us back in 2006. Traffic was pretty intense!

Welcoming A New Half-Million Miler

Back in July, I met Steve Stone who drives a black 1963 Corvette with a lot of miles and a lot of history. At the time, his car had 487,000 on it.

I extend to Steve my congratulations on hitting 500,000 miles in his car this year! Following is an excerpt from an update I received from him a couple of days ago:

We still needed around 1,000 miles to turn the half million mile mark, so this last week we went to Ely, MN and back. We turned the half million mile mark on Wisconsin highway 12, just south of I-90, I-94 and the Wisconsin Dells. This year we have traveled the Vette around 20,000 miles (so far) and visited 27 of the lower 48 states. We also attended numerous shows and car events.

ILX News & Weekend Updates

The results are in, and the ILX gets 5 stars in crash tests! Pretty nice performance there.

This weekend I hosted a couple of friends who were visiting from out of town. My friend Scott from Dallas was one of them. I met Scott during a cross-country NALM road trip in the Legend in mid-2011 and he attended the Drive to Five celebration last November.

Saturday was car clean-up day. Matt did a detail on the 2012 370Z and Jeremy worked on his 2006 GX470 while the ILX looked on and waited its turn.

Weather was unusually cool for this time of year with highs in the low 60’s. We took a hike up “A” Mountain – also referred to as Tempe Butte. This 1,500-foot elevation hill has a giant yellow A painted on the side in support of Tempe-based Arizona State University (ASU). (This picture pulled from Google Images)

The hike only took 15 minutes but afforded us some great views from the summit.

There’s a jokester in every crowd.

Jeremy raced us back to the trailhead and pulled the ILX around to pick us up.

First time this ILX has had 5 people in it! A tight squeeze for a compact car, especially considering that Jeremy (driver’s seat) is 6’6″ tall. But, Jeremy still was able to get comfortable and he commented on his approval of the smooth-shifting manual transmission. With temps having dipped down a bit, we also put the seat heaters to use. The ILX shuttled us around in comfort AND style.

Sending Scott on his way at Phoenix Sky Harbor airport this morning. Come back to visit soon.

Happy Veterans Day to my readers, and may your holiday travels be safe and scenic.

6 Comments »

Help find a stolen Legend!

Posted in Legend on November 6, 2012 by tysonhugie

Special Request Post!

Back in February 2004, I took one of my first big road trips in the Legend to a meet in San Francisco, California of 28 Acura Legends (a record, in its time).

Road conditions in the Reno/Tahoe area left my (then 126,000-mile) Legend pretty dirty.

But a trip to the coin-op wash and I was ready for the meet.

Lots of great people there, including Margaret with her LS 6-speed.

And Keith, with his Milano Red beauty.

A stop at Acura of Pleasanton (this one’s for you, Adam).

I interacted with a lot of great people at the meet – including Sara who had an immaculate 1995 Legend LS coupe 6-speed in Granada Black exterior and Ivory interior. A few days ago on November 3rd 2012, Sara’s car was stolen from a residence in the San Francisco Bay Area. The search is on. I know this blog reaches Legend owners and enthusiasts from around the nation so if anyone recognizes her car, do advise us. Here are some details she provided:

One piece JDM Headlights
VIN: JH4KA81700SC000547
California License Plate: 168 SJ
Airhorns
Limo tint
Factory 16″ GS wheels
Completely stock except for stereo upgrades

Here is a picture of her car.

To my readers from all over and specifically the Bay Area, please be on the lookout. The Legend enthusiast community is small so there’s a good chance someone out there might see and recognize this car. Follow this link for instructions that Sara provided on notifying the authorities or leaving an anonymous tip.

Thanks for your help on getting this car back to its owner!

3 Comments »

SEMA Show Recap

Posted in ILX, Nevada, Road Trip on November 4, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 18,367

Two million square feet of automotive accessory exhibits. Can you imagine how crazy I was to think I could experience all that the SEMA show had to offer in just one day? Not happening! But, I did have the chance to see the “core” booths that I had most looked forward to visiting. Among them, the Acura booth. If I’d gone all that way and seen nothing BUT the Acura booth, my trip still would’ve been a great success. In only 4 days since my most recent Drive to Five update last week, the ILX and I traveled 964 miles from Phoenix Arizona, to southern Nevada and southern Utah. Here is how the adventure played out. Be advised, there are a ton of pictures in here!

I arrived in Las Vegas after the 300 mile drive on Thursday evening. The 4,750-room, 45-floor Wynn casino is where I stayed the next two nights. There’s even a Ferrari dealership inside the main level near the gaming area! This is truly a high rolling kind of place. My friend found a great rate when he booked it way back in February. View from the hotel room at the Wynn (and my reflection!):

The Las Vegas Convention Center which hosted SEMA is just a few blocks from the hotel (and visible in the above picture), but after having walked a few miles on the Strip on Thursday night, I wasn’t about to do any more hiking. On Friday morning, we drove over in the ILX and left it in a $10 parking space while we wandered with wonder through as much of the SEMA show as we could possibly see.

Thanks to my brother for allowing me his entry pass!

Arriving at the convention center.

After a solid 20 minutes of hunting (and trying to decipher a 4-page SEMA directory) I finally found the Acura booth, #24987, right behind the Honda one.

Matt and I acting like we run the place, behind the Acura Concierge counter.

What do you spy in the background here?

That’s right, the star of the Avengers movie: Tony Stark’s car.

It drew a ton of crowd attention!

But the cars I was more interested in seeing were modified Acura ILX’s.

This one is going to compete at a 25-hour endurance race called Thunderhill. It’s been built by Team Honda Racing – West, which is based in Santa Clarita, California.

No heated seats or leather in here! This car is all about weight savings & speed.

The bars on the hood are high power LED lights for nighttime racing.

The Thunderhill “Endurance Racer” is a sweet ride, but it’s the blue “Street Build” ILX is the one that has me wanting to make some modifications to my car. Pictures do the car no justice; it’s absolutely stunning in person. The upgraded Tein Coilover suspension alone runs $874! Well out of my budget reach for now — which is probably a good thing, because if I did anything with my suspension it’d void the car’s warranty anyway. Here’s a walkaround video of this gorgeous Fathom Blue ride.

I reconnected with Daniel Yong who works in Auto Accessory Marketing at Acura’s Torrance headquarters. The last time I had seen Daniel was in June when I got my ILX.

Some other goodies in the Honda area. 2013 Accords, all tricked out.

There were some interactive displays.

Here’s the race-ready Honda Fit that Acura Senior Manager of Public Relations, Sage Marie, took first place in recently. He participated in the SCCA National Championship Runoffs in the B-Spec class.

Some other sights from around the show.

Loved this Lexus LF-CC coupe concept car.

Ran into my friend John Bazay who’s helped me with some photography in the past. John was working the Giovanna wheels booth.

Nice name for a transmission company!

There was a drifting event going on outside.

Fighting traffic on Las Vegas Blvd (“The Strip”) after leaving the convention center. Thank goodness for a light-effort clutch!

On Saturday, I set my sights on southern Utah for my next destination. A birthday party and a wedding reception awaited me there. But I took a moment to snap a shot of the ILX in front of the Trump tower and the Encore casino – adjacent to Wynn.

On my way out of Las Vegas, I had to pay a visit to my friend Jeff. It’s hard to believe it, but I’ve known this guy nearly a decade now and we met — you guessed it — through Acura. Back in 2003, I was driving my 1994 Legend coupe and Jeff was driving a 1993 Legend coupe. We met at a Las Vegas Acura “meet” and have kept in touch ever since. This picture of us with our Legends was taken in July 2003. That year, Jeff traded his in in Legend on an Acura CL.

Here are our current rides. Jeff’s Nighthawk Black Pearl 2003 Acura CL Type-S is a rare 6-speed manual (one of only 480 vehicles produced in this color & transmission configuration). It’s also equipped with some highly sought-after Comptech upgrades under the hood. His car today is at 92,300 miles. Thanks to his meticulous care, it looks and runs as great now as it did back then. Even the leather interior is supple.

I encouraged Jeff to take the ILX for a spin so we took a test drive with his son Cody. Jeff observed that the slick-shifting 6-speed felt a lot like his CL but the clutch effort was quite a bit less. He liked the small diameter, thickly padded steering wheel. His son Cody was impressed that the ILX comes standard with push-button start and said, “I really like this interior!” Cody also offered to wash my car, which I respectfully declined since I had places to go and more bugs to kill. Next time, Cody! I’ll take you up on that offer.

The drive from Vegas to St. George is only about 100 miles and it’s straight freeway. Boring! In Mesquite, Nevada, I decided to detour a bit. Instead of taking I-15 the remaining 40 or so miles, I instead took my ILX on Old Highway 91 — the road that was the main north-south highway before completion of I-15 through the Virgin River Gorge in 1973. I love taking a step back in time and traveling the old roads because they offer so much more “flavor” to a trip than an interstate.

It would’ve been only 38.9 miles had I taken the freeway.

Instead, it was 47.1 miles and took quite a bit longer.

Narrow bridge on old Hwy 91.

About halfway to St. George, I breezed past some old rusted-out car hulks in a ditch alongside the road. I was intrigued so I turned around and went back for a few pictures.

Amazingly, even the chrome rear bumper on this car is still shining like new.

Can any of my Drive to Five readers identify these cars? I’m guessing something from the early 1950’s.

Time has truly taken its toll on these.

Onward I go! Here are a few other pictures from my backroads adventure.

See how much more fun this is than a freeway?

Upon arrival in Utah, I approached approached the Jacob Hamblin home on the outskirts of Santa Clara. Jacob was one of the more famous Mormon pioneers who settled the area in the 1800’s. Tours of his home are offered but I didn’t have time for much more than a picture of the ILX in front of this two story home made of adobe, sandstone, and ponderosa pine which dates back to 1863. Hamblin only lived in the home until 1869 until he set off for some missionary work and never returned. The home is in remarkable shape for its pioneer era vintage.

Since I was still feeling in a historic mood, this morning after breakfast I swung by Judd’s Store. This place has been around since 1911 and is still open today. They have some of the best breadsticks around!

Another “key” structure in the St. George community is the Mormon temple, which was constructed from 1871 to 1877 under direction of church president Brigham Young. The temple has a total floor area of 110,000 square feet. Its exterior finish is red sandstone (native to the area) which has been plastered white. The building and its grounds are immaculately maintained. Hard to believe it’s over 135 years old!

Just past the Arizona state line lies an exit called Black Rock Road. There’s nothing there, except for this one building that’s totally boarded up. This sign welcomes (and warns) visitors. Needless to say, I didn’t venture inside the structure!

Hopping back on Interstate 15 southbound which would lead me through the Virgin River Gorge.

And home sweet home in Scottsdale I’ve arrived. Thanks for following along!

EDIT updated 11/5/2012: I can’t believe it took me until now to realize I posted this entry on the one-year anniversary of my completion of 500,000 miles! It was one year ago, on 11/4/2011, when I rolled on the red carpet at Acura headquarters in Torrance, California to celebrate the milestone in my 1994 Legend.

I appreciate all of you who have come along for the ride since then. Here’s to many more miles of fun!

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Car of the Year Contender & Vegas Voyage

Posted in ILX, Nevada on October 31, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 516,653

Odometer (ILX):

Happy Halloween! It’s trip time here. I’m off yet again tomorrow to Sin City (AKA Las Vegas, Nevada) for a few days of car-related fun. On Friday I’ll attend the SEMA show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. My ILX knows this 309-mile drive well as we’ve done it a number of times already this year.

This year’s SEMA show promises to have some great features, including some souped-up Acura ILX’s. A press release distributed on Tuesday gives us a sneak peek at the “Street Build” car that will be on display.

Specifications:

Company Name: Evasive Motorsports
Name of Vehicle: 2013 Acura ILX Street Build
Powertrain Modifications: CT Engineering supercharger kit, CT Engineering intake, Hondata FlashPro, Greddy SP Elite prototype exhaust
Chassis/Suspension Modifications: 19 x 8.5 (+45 offset) Volk G25 wheels, 235/35ZR-19 Pirelli P Zero tires, Tein Street Advance Coilovers, Stoptech big brake kit, Evasive Motorsports corner balance and alignment
Exterior Modifications: Acura Genuine Accessories front underbody spoiler, Acura Genuine Accessories side underbody spoiler, Acura Genuine Accessories rear underbody spoiler, Acura Genuine Accessories deck lid spoiler, Acura Genuine Accessories body side molding, Rays Dura-Nuts lug nuts, S&A Design vinyl stickers
Interior Modifications: CT Engineering short-shift kit, Acura Genuine Accessories illuminated door sill, Acura Genuine Accessories trunk tray

Can’t wait to take a peek!

Weather (at least on this side of the country!) has been prime the last couple of weeks so I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity to get the cars out. Friday after work I took a quick jaunt up Arizona Hwy 87 toward Payson with the moonroof open and rear windows down in the coupe. Lots of saguaro cacti out that way!

Car of the Year & ILX News

Acura has known how to build quality cars for a long time now. The original Legend coupe which debuted in 1987 took home the title of Import Car of the Year. Now, 25 years later the 2013 Acura ILX is in the running for Motor Trend’s highly coveted Car of the Year title. Read up on it here.

I’ve had a blast with my ILX since I got the keys in mid June, and my friends know how much I love showing the car off. My buddy Nick works graveyard shift for a local towing company and was sure to let me know when he’d found his first ILX victim this week! D’oh! To the unlucky new ILX owner in Tempe – keep an eye on those parking restrictions!

The ILX movement is catching on, and it’s fun to see the enthusiast community grow. Facebook ILX Owners group member Luke from Columbus, Ohio just picked up this beautiful Crystal Black Pearl 6-speed.

Check out this new ILX commercial demonstrating the car’s abilities to read text messages, a feature I experimented with awhile back.

Aaron’s New Ride

Finally, I’m sending some well-deserved congratulations to my good friend Aaron on today’s purchase of his 2013 Audi S5. I had the privilege of shuttling Aaron from central Phoenix to Audi of Chandler tonight where his 333-horsepower, “Monsoon Gray” sports coupe awaited delivery.

The Acura feels a bit out of place in this parking lot but still proudly shows off its innovative design.

Aaron’s car as it awaited him in the “Delivery Area.”

And getting some hands-on training from the salesperson.

Since I had a bit of time to kill while Aaron took care of paperwork, I watched another gentleman take delivery of the below car, a 2013 Audi A8L. This monster is a 500-horsepower, 463 lb-ft of torque luxo-ride powered by a W12 motor. The pricetag? Only $154,000.

I watched with a bit of wonder as the salesperson showed the new owner, a boots-wearing cowboy from Tucson, a special feature that assists closure of the front doors and “sucks” them in once they are lightly closed. I didn’t have the heart to tell the guy that my 18-year-old Legend had that same feature in 1994, and Acura called it “Active Door Strikers.” Didn’t want to spoil his fun.

🙂

Finally, the customary key handoff and send-off!

Aaron’s making a huge upgrade from his black A4 and promised the salesperson he’d keep the speeds reasonable as he got acquainted with his new ride.

34 miles and just a baby.

Aaron let me drive his car back from our celebratory dinner, and I must say it was one sweet ride. The flat-bottomed steering wheel was one of my favorite features. As much as I’m not usually a fan of automatic transmissions, this one is a 7-speed dual-clutch unit and actually is quite fun to drive!

Safe travels to all this weekend and make every mile Legendary.

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A Meet, Some Maintenance, and a Magazine Feature

Posted in Legend, Maintenance on October 25, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 516,358

Odometer (ILX): 17,284

Twenty three years ago, Drive to Five looked a little different. I was writing about cars at age 8, but my entries were a bit shorter. This old 2nd grade notebook surfaced the other night.

Some things never change. It makes me feel a little better about my obsession with Acura when I interact with other folks who are just as crazy as I am.

It was high time the local Arizona Legend-ers got together for a meet-up since the last time this happened was in April 2011. This past weekend I attended a lunch gathering in Tempe with some fellow enthusiasts. It just so happened that everyone who showed up was driving a 2nd Generation (1991-1995) Legend coupe.

Left to right in the above picture:

Gabriel: 1992 Legend LS coupe 5-speed, 3.5 Liter
Spencer: 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed, 3.2 Liter Type II
Chuck: 1993 Legend LS coupe 6-speed, 3.2 Liter Type II
Jason: 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed, 3.2 Liter Type II
Jordan: 1991 Legend L coupe automatic, 3.2 Liter Type I
Tyson: 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed, 3.2 Liter Type II

Gabriel’s interior

Stock 500k miler here!

Jordan shows some of his custom work under the hood.

Gabriel’s motor was transplanted from a 2006 Acura 3.5 RL

The mileage on Chuck’s Sirius White Pearl coupe is just over 30,000. Remarkable for a 19-year-old vehicle! He and I definitely had today’s records locked down for lowest and highest mileage at a single Legend meet.

Over the weekend I also visited my friend Ari. He knows every nut and bolt of a Legend, and he recently picked up a project car. This Milano Red 1993 LS coupe 6-speed only has a little over 200,000 miles on the odometer, but it appears to have lived a pretty rough life!

Brace yourselves for a look at the interior!

A little bit of leather conditioner ought to have those looking brand new again.

Remarkably, it still starts and runs great – and the A/C is ice cold!

Brake Work

I’ve had some amazing luck with my old Legend when it comes to brakes. Miraculously I was able to squeeze over 200k out of a set of pads thanks to careful driving and nearly all highway travel. Here is everything that’s been done to the car related to brakes:

5/15/1997 – 34,832 miles – Machine front rotors
1/7/1999 – 54,400 miles – Replace brake master cylinder cap & switch
9/2/1999 – 62,675 miles – Replace rear brake pads
7/25/2001 – 80,000 miles – Replace brake master cylinder
5/7/2005 – 169,155 miles – Replace front and rear brake pads
8/3/2006 – 237,592 miles – Replace front and rear brake pads
10/5/2010 – 443,245 miles – Brake fluid flush including ABS
11/20/2010 – 449,904 miles – Replace front brake pads
12/7/2010 – 452,466 miles – Replace rear brake pads
9/21/2011 – 495,693 miles – Machine front rotors
10/23/2012 – 516,346 miles – Replace front brake pads & rotors

Fresh OEM rotors and pads thanks to my friend Wes at Highline Import Auto in Mesa, Arizona.

At my request, Wes also saved the original rotors that lasted 516,346 miles. They were well worn out. I got a lot of vibration and feedback through the steering wheel when braking at speed. They’d been refinished twice and there was no way they could’ve been refinished a third time.

Side 1

Side 2

Here’s a summary of what ALL my post-500k maintenance has included (screen shot from my maintenance spreadsheet):

Finally, I decided it was time to ditch the worn out original key to the car. It’s so smooth that it’s difficult to turn in the ignition sometimes unless you get it just right. I had a brand new OEM key that works perfectly, so I replaced the old one. Compare the new and the old!

Acura Style Magazine Feature

“Inspiration for the way ahead” is the tagline under the title of this publication that’s been around since almost as long as the Acura brand itself. I remember reading the magazine when it was called Acura Driver back in the 1990’s (and still have a handful of issues from that era). The Fall/Winter 2012 issue’s “Insider” section on page 60 features an article about my Acura addiction and a picture of my ILX and the Legend coupe.

Upcoming Travels

Next week I’ll be heading to the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s all about cars! Each year’s show is all about showcasing the latest trends in the automotive aftermarket industry. I learned that the Acura ILX race cars will be on display there so I look forward to getting a close look! I’ve been following the build of these cars since they were announced earlier this year by Team Honda Racing-West.

Now THAT looks like a fun ride. But for now, I’m perfectly content with my bone-stock ILX!

Even used my seat heaters for the first time today during a chilly (for us Arizonans!) 55 degree morning commute.

Over and out!

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Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year

Posted in Arizona, Vehicle Reviews on October 21, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 17,119

Unsupervised test drives are the best! Even better, how about a unsupervised test drives in a couple dozen brand new 2012 & 2013 models? That’s how I spent my Saturday.

The “active” people of the world have a different set of standards for their cars than does the every day consumer. Can the car accommodate a bunch of gear? How’s the off-road capability? Is it durable? Does it keep up with my fast paced lifestyle? Now in its 9th year, the Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year (ALV) program brings athletes and automobiles together to determine which model(s) of new cars best align with an active lifestyle. When I attended the National Press Launch event for the 2013 Acura ILX & Acura RDX in March, I met Nina Russin who pioneered the ALV event. She’s the journalist behind Carspondent.com.

Nina asked me to be one of seven team captains for the 2012 event. I assembled a team of 10 people to evaluate the new vehicles that were submitted by auto manufacturers to compete in the “Green” category. The event was held on Saturday in Chandler, Arizona and I was excited to play a role!

Thanks to my involvement with the ALV program, I also met Joe Sage, editor of Arizona Driver Magazine.

Here’s my look at how the day went. Right off the bat, I reunited with my friend Brenda, of Brenda Priddy & Company, who was doing photography for the event.

Brenda’s plate has some spy-related meaning in German, but I can’t remember what she said it was!

I team-captained the “Green” category of cars, which included the following finalists:

Mazda CX-5
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Prius Plug-In
Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI

The venue was Local Motors. LM is an auto manufacturer that has micro-factories in various locations of the United States. This particular location in Chandler, Arizona builds the “Rally Fighter” (background of the below picture). The team there has constructed about 40 cars so far and are taking orders for more. They also allow the customer to spend 6 days working with the assembly crews to help build his or her car! Local Motors will be representing at this year’s SEMA event in Las Vegas next month.

Chuck checks in at the registration table.

Nina kicks off the event.

This is Beverly who came from LA to represent Mazda. She told us about the CX-5 with SkyActiv Technology, allowing it to get 35 MPG on a traditional combustion engine, making it the best in its class.

Team Green gets a lowdown on each of the 4 models we were going to evaluate.

Next we learned about the VW Sportwagen TDI (diesel) which returned as last year’s ALV Green category reigning champion.

Finally, Randy Hunt from Toyota instructed us in the features of the Toyota Prius Plug-In. This car (at just over $40k) gets 50 mpg in hybrid mode and also has an all-electric mode which has a range of 15 miles.

Some of the vehicles in the Luxury On-Road event. In all, there were 35 vehicles in the competition in 7 different categories.

It’s not every day you meet a Honda celebrity! Chris Martin has been with Honda for over 20 years so he’s seen a lot of advancement there. Chris came to Arizona to represent the company’s 2013 Honda CR-V which competed in the Best Value On-Road category.

“Cosmic Gray” I think Randy called this Camry color.

Catered Mexican food for lunch for all participants – yum!

Pictured here with Green team member Chuck, as well as a representative from Nissan, Craig Pike. Nissan competed with the Xterra Pro-4X and the Infiniti JX35.

Taking the Grand Cherokee Overland Edition for a drive on the off-road course.

A few of the Green team folks – thanks guys for your help!

Kyle, Jim, Woody, Tyson, Matt

Here’s my feedback on each of the cars in the category that I was asked to evaluate:

Mazda CX-5:

Pro: Great MPG for a mini-SUV. Impressive value for $30k. Easy to navigate center stack.
Con: Power is lacking. The push-button start is located directly behind the wiper lever! Difficult to even get to.

Volkswagen Sportwagen TDI (Class Winner):

Pro: Sunroof is (as they used to say in Acura SLX advertising) “safari sized” — huge. Engine runs really quiet. There’s a plug housed in the center console facing the back seat. Ride was a nice mix of comfort and sport.
Con: Leatherette interior felt cheap. In order to fold the back seatback down you actually have to use a tool (which the demonstrator didn’t have) to remove the rear headrests!

Toyota Camry Hybrid:

Pro: This thing has guts. As Green team member Kyle discovered and I verified, it’ll lay down rubber on command!
Con: Floaty boaty suspension and numb steering, “blah” styling.

Toyota Prius Plug-In:

Pro: 15 mile all-electric range. 50 mpg in hybrid mode. Whisper quiet at 80 mph.
Con: Yawn! Feels so “detached.” Information center in the dash is overload. Our test car had a tire pressure warning, and the battery pack wasn’t charged. Visibility’s not all that great.

The rest of the winners (and all of Brenda’s pictures) will be posted on the ALV Facebook page, so check there for more highlights.

This was a great way to see where the industry is going and to truly get an idea of just how fierce the competition is these days. It made me appreciate driving home in my Acura ILX – for me, the ILX is the right mix of comfort, performance, economy, and style. The ILX was parked next to Local Motors during the event and got a lot of comments and question from event participants. I should’ve entered it as a competitor…

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ILX Under Construction

Posted in ILX on October 18, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 516,247

Odometer (ILX): 17,041

17,000 down; 483,000 to go.

How cool would it be to see your vehicle during its assembly process? Back in April I visited the Honda Manufacturing of Indiana (HMIN) facility in Greensburg, Indiana just south of Indianapolis. There, I was able to watch the line-off event of the 2013 Acura ILX and get an exclusive tour of the facility.

Just a few weeks later, my very own ILX (Production #000082) was set to roll down the assembly line. The date fell on a Thursday and I was not able to be there in person for its birth, but I did ask the nice folks at HMIN to document the occasion.

They followed through and provided me these amazing pictures of my ILX being built in exactly the configuration that I’d ordered it: Silver Moon exterior, Black interior, and equipped with the 2.4 Liter engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Come along with me and enjoy the pictures as much as I did.

Pretty sweet. It’s been about 5 months since my ILX was born and the people in Indiana have been busily producing more. My local dealership looks like this now. They’ve got 6 0r 7 ILX 2.0 automatics, 3 hybrids, but zero 6-speeds currently.

My friend Brent is working on a deal to pick up a 2013 ILX in Polished Metal Metallic now that the lease on his 2009 TL is up. Hope he joins the ILX fam son!

In Legend news – The old high miler got an oil change this past weekend at 516,168 miles from Acura of Tempe. In contrast to the days when I used to drive this car 1,000 miles a week, this time it took me 5 months to rack up 3,000 miles! Needless to say I’ve put the ILX to use and given the Legend a rest.

Dana, my service advisor, knows the drill well! No wash, 5W30, and I’ll be waiting in the customer lounge until it’s finished!

Here’s the report that was provided. Some oil leaks were noted but they must be slight as I’ve never seen a drop of oil on my garage floor and the level’s always good when I check it.

Happy Friday!

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