The Acura Legend had a very long-lasting influence on my thinking. I was already a Japanese car fan, as I liked Nissans and Hondas. Acuras seemed to be the right mix of upscale luxury with some elements of sportiness but in a refined way. The first generation of Legend coupe was significant, but the second gen Legend coupe was a dream come true for me.
The first legends looked like a scaled up Accord, but the second gen was much more distinctive. I saw a lot of Nissan Skyline in the looks. At one time I could have bought a slightly used Legend, but I chose a Cadillac Seville instead.
Then I lost my chance.
Unfortunately, the Legend came to an end after the second generation. Scores of Boomers, like me, have loudly lamented that fact for years!
Now, please allow me a momentary digression.
This installment is out of sequence… I initially forgot about this car, since it was an inherited car, not something that I purchased directly for myself. When I decided to write it up I had already submitted some of the other installments, so I held it for the end; closing my COAL series.
So, I was looking for my son’s first car and wanted something that wouldn’t raise my insurance payments sky high. I had suggested a Mazda 6 sedan, which he also liked. We were at my favorite used car lot, Wheels and Deals, and we came across a ’97 Acura CL coupe. It was gray with a gray leather interior. It was equipped with a four cylinder engine, identical to the Honda Accord, and a five speed manual transmission. It had an amazingly plush interior, with gathered leather seats and door panels, wood panels, and thick carpeting. I was impressed by how everything looked, and conveyed a sense of real quality.
The styling was a bit demure, but the rear end carried a slight suggestion of a boat tail, which added a bit of character. The roof was nicely contoured and it had lots of glass for good visibility. This example had quite a few miles on it, 160,000 to be exact, but it ran and shifted beautifully. The interior was very clean and well preserved. It reminded me of a mini Eldorado. The a/c, moon roof, and other accessories all worked fine. These cars were known for impressive gas mileage.
My Son told me that he would rather have this car instead of the Mazda, even though it was older and had more miles. I had no reservations and agreed to buy it.
I inherited this car from my son after a few years, but by then was unfortunately a bit worse for wear. It now sported a lowered stance, since he’d swapped in a set of lowering springs. He had also run it into a dirt embankment on a country back road, and it was now missing the front bumper cover.
He would frequently drive home from college in So Cal. So he had put a lot of mileage on the car. My son is like me in that he loves to drive. Although the car was damaged, it still ran fine. He had driven to the East Coast and back, the summer before.
I made him drive the car in that rough looking state for six months, just to teach him a lesson. But I realized that the car would be a cop magnet, and even though my son is a really good kid, it’s best to minimize contact with the police.
He had found a replacement, a 2005 Acura TSX for sale in Marina del Rey. It was two years old with very low mileage; a beautiful car, bright red with a Palomino leather interior, It was fully loaded with built in Navigation, moon roof, and a six speed manual transmission. It was a bit expensive, but as I told my wife, our son could use a good car now, not when he’s forty years old!
He kept that car for well over ten years. The deal was that I’d take over the CL, as well as the ’75 Datsun 280Z that I’d bought him earlier. Of course, he had no problem with that.
I found a replacement bumper cover and fender on CL. After I swapped out the parts, I massaged the fit as best I could. I took it to Earl Scheib in San Jose to have all the parts painted the same color and came out looking pretty good. I advertised on CL that I would swap the lowering springs for a set of stock springs, and a young guy took me up on the offer.
Now the car was presentable looking and I began to use it as a daily driver. I was very impressed by the quality of the interior, and like my ’90 Civic, every control moved and worked in a satisfying manner. It had plenty of power that was teamed up with a five speed transmission and it shifted very easily. It was fun to drive and got very good gas mileage. It returned over 30 mpg. in freeway driving.
It was a coupe but it had a spacious back seat, and a fairly large trunk with a pass through. I found the styling to be handsome, but not as impressive as the larger, more expensive Legend.
This was the kind of car that I liked; luxurious, but smaller and still fun to drive. Mileage was over 230,000 miles when I inherited the car, but it lived up to Acura’s reputation for longevity.
It was primarily used for commuting and local trips, but I did take it on one long road trip to Southern California. The first leg was driving to Solvang, where we would be based for several days. I had driven down with my BIL, and my son drove up from Ventura to join us. We attended the West Coast Kustoms Nationals in Santa Maria, and then we drove down to Los Angeles to visit the Petersen Museum. We were all quite comfortable in the CL. I was quite satisfied with the car, but knew that it was getting up there in miles.
I had started to think about getting a convertible, so I sold this car and eventually bought my ’96 Mustang. Mileage was now at 236,000.
Ultimately, the CL continued for one more generation. The Integra morphed into the RSX before it too faded away. The CL as well as the Legend coupes were nearly the last gasp of the Personal Luxury Coupe concept; American manufacturers had thrown in the towel at the beginning of the Millenium. While, high end European makes have continued in the game and you can buy a Mercedes, BMW, or Audi coupe. There are also a couple of Lexus coupes available.
Even the Pony cars are coming to an end, with the Mustang becoming the last horse standing. For me, the bloom has been off the Acura rose for a long time; the RL was not an answer for those desiring a Legend. It is a bit clumsy looking and doesn’t have a coupe counterpart. The ’05 TSX that I bought for my Son to replace the CL was quite beautiful. But it never set my juices flowing like the Legend.
I frequently scan CL looking for a second gen Legend coupe. Occasionally one will show up with high mileage and at an outrageous price.
I might be tempted if I found the right car, but chances are that I’d be disappointed. One of my automotive “Holy Grails” for many years was the Mercedes SEC coupe. I finally got to drive a somewhat shabby example. I ended up asking myself. “What was the big deal about?”
Time marches on for every car, and I would hate to have my legendary dreams shattered by reality!
…
As I close out this series, I’d like to update my current car situation.
My F150 is still in my fleet and doing well. It still runs fine and I still enjoy driving it, and it fulfills my need for a work truck. Mileage is just short of 179,000 miles.
The Flex is now up to 65,000 miles and still looks very good. I keep after it, but I don’t fuss over it as much as my hobby cars. This is the car that my wife drives, so I consider it the family car.
The ’96 Mustang is still enjoying a favored position in my collection, as well as in my garage. It gets moved into the driving rotation regularly. Mileage is at 218,000 miles.
I bought a new set of tires for my ’06 Mustang, and now it is getting driven regularly again, Mileage is up to 121,000 miles.
My Navigator spends more time covered up, than being driven, but I do take it out for weekend trips. My last outing was a long weekend in the Santa Rosa area. Mileage is now up to 115,000 miles. Yes, I still love it!
My ’97 Riviera was driven extensively after I bought it last Summer. This resulted in my other hobby and family cars sitting around unused. I’ve put almost 1,500 miles on the Buick since I bought it.
My current vehicle count is at six. I have decided that every one of my hobby cars is up for possible sale, though I’m not in a big hurry to sell any of them. I would eventually like to reduce the number of hobby cars by at least two.
I’ve had a lot of fun sharing my stories with my fellow Curbivores. I only hope that you all have had a chuckle or two, or groaned in sympathy, or shook your head in disbelief, as you read about my experiences. I want to thank Rich Baron for his assistance and acceptance of my writing installments. Finally a big thanks to Paul Niedermeyer for developing and nurturing this site for so many years.
I will still be around as a reader and commenter, and I’ve got another series of “general interest” contributions that I’d like to share.
This was a GREAT series, Jose. You are a true gearhead.
The CL is one of those cars that filled a very specific and small niche just right. It didn’t set sales charts alight, but it sure did a lot for brand perception and loyalty. Glad you enjoyed yours.
Excellent article, Jose. Over the course of this series, you’ve provided a lot to admire. Particularly notable is your voracious appetite for pursuing the cars you want, finding them, and then putting serious miles on them. Frankly, I’m not sure where you find the time to drive six or more vehicles but for the most part you do and I think that’s great. Thanks for bringing us along via these posts.
I wonder if it’s a West Coast thing where you are able to sell cars that have mileage as high as some that you have or have had. It seems that for the most part cars – even rare cars – that have more than 100K miles out here are considered mostly give aways or scrap. I’ve personally had the experience of providing “assistance” to people in buying and checking out used cars, and in nearly every case mileage over 100K sends them running away quickly. This has usually befuddled me as a guy with no vehicle in my garage/driveway that has under 200K. I get that I’m a bit extreme…but it does seem that cars that have more than 100K on the East Coast are about as desirable as 2 week old lettuce. So I wonder if buying and selling 150K+ mile vehicles is a SoCal thing.
Anyway, good on you for keeping your fleet running and rotating. I do look forward to what comes next.
And yes, I think that CL is a sharp car. One of the few Acuras that has tempted me over the years.
It’s a generalization with its inherent limitations, but there’s little doubt that California rather pioneered the long freeway commute, and the inherent high mileage. This is precisely a key reason Japanese cars took so well there, as they were ideal for those circumstances: they could handle higher mileage, they were economical, and rust was a non-issue.
In the mod-late ’70s and early ’80s cars like the Accord became legendary for rolling up high mileage without breaking a sweat. Many were rolling up 250-300k miles on them. Word got out. This is precisely why Hondas sold so well despite their substantial price premium. The same applied to Toyotas, and other Japanese brands.
Out here, 200k is no big deal. Even 300k in some circumstances, like say a Tacoma or Tundra, which will still fetch very good prices with that much mileage. And a 250-300k mile Camry is a preferred beater.
Given how much commutes have grown in other parts of the country and rust isn’t quite that big of an issue anymore, I am actually surprised to hear you say that folks in the east think 100k miles is an issue. Don’t folks in places like greater Atlanta run up big miles?
THANK YOU for the articles ! .
-Nate
The CL is a high point stylistically for Acura, a very pretty shape, quite elegant and sort of demure in a good one. I well remember when it debuted and thought it was attractively priced as well, albeit out of my then-budget. Still, one I admire to this day.
This has been an excellent series with a LOT of variety. Being familiar with the areas you’ve trodden (and especially your favorite Used Car Lot, the same place where I bought one of my own favorite cars) was a highlight and always adds something as well.
Enjoy your six vehicles, something that is a bit of a rarity in the Bay Area, and I’m sure there well be more to come as you rotate some out and check some new ones off the list.
Thank you Jose for your extensive series. I was exposed to snippets of your cars in your comments over the years, but your series brought them out into the full CA sunshine. You’ve brought a remarkable spirit of adventure and commitment to many of them, and have lived somewhat vicariously through them. I remember vividly feeling the desire for a big old Jaguar sedan; you actually did it, for better or for worse. Congratulations on not holding back, even if they didn’t all turn out ideally. You’ve made a lot of memories and now you’ve shared them with us. You represent the CC’er to the highest potential!
Regarding the Acura: yes, I loved the two Legend coupes; they were very different from each other and I’m still not sure which one I prefer. And like you, the CL was an attractive follow-up, if not quite in the same league.
Regarding Acura’s rather fragile “leather”; yes we’re experiencing that in Stephanie’s TSX wagon. The previous generation, like your son had, is the one I really liked. I could have seen myself in one of those.
Lots of high mileage cars here in the Pacific NW. When we’re looking for a car, we almost universally eschew any car/truck from further east than, say Cheyenne. Anything more distant is considered a rust bucket. Even if it’s not. California autos are of course, OK.
I don’t know the year, but there’s an Acura that has a rear very evocative of an Avanti.
I had a 93 Legend years ago, a great car, but I prefer the FIRST gen actually. For years now one of my spare cars “that I like too much to sell but don’t need” has been a 97 Acura RL – also ‘Legendary’ in my mind LOL
I thoroughly enjoyed your stories Jose and I remember some of them from your blog such as your experiences with Jaguar suspension rebuilding. As a San Jose native your stories were extra vivid for me. Looking forward to more future posts here on CC!
I really enjoyed your series, Jose. I have similar automotive tastes and philosophies, this was fun.
The CC Effect is in good working order. I just saw a CL in a parking lot 2 days ago and remember remarking to myself how long it had been since I had last seen one.
I have really enjoyed this series. We have not met, but I now feel like I know you. Your car choices have been all over the map with something for everyone, and each has made for a great story. I look forward to reading more from you!
Acura of the 90s was killer in my mind. That’s the time I was starting to pay attention to cars and learning to drive, and they were in their stride. That Legend–more so than the austere Bimmers or engorged Cadillacs–set my reference point for attainable luxury. The clean modern styling inside and out, good build quality, and the gathered leather you mention were just so spot on-target. The Legend, the Vigor, the Integra, I wanted any of them.
I sat in a 2015-2020 generation Acura TLX after test driving the overhyped current generation. I couldn’t believe either was from the same company that made the Legend or your CL.
It’s funny, I always found the rear ends of both the second-gen Legend coupe and the CL to be the weakest part of those designs. But after looking at these pictures and reading your impressions, Jose, plus some of the other comments, I’m coming around to liking it. The CL that is. Legend coupe, nope. At least not yet. But then I prefer the generic “Accord-like” first gen Legend anyway.
Thanks for such a great series of articles – I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of them, Jose.
Your eclectic tastes in both cars and motorcycles have made me think again about some vehicles I had overlooked – the 2nd gen Legend coupe being one of them. Great proportions and surfacing and from all accounts, a wonderful steer as well.
all the best to you and your fleet and looking forward to your future contributions….
I’m surprised that you didn’t find the Acura TSX that interesting.
We have a 2006 Acura TSX 6 speed manual that we bought 2007.
I have owned and modded tons of Honda’s over the years and the 1st Gen TSX is my idea of peak Honda.
I find the older Acura’s to be very uninteresting!
The only Honda or Acura that interest me these days is the Type R Civic.
The 1st Gen TSX (Honda Euro Accord) with a 6 speed manual trans is a fantastic and engaging car.
210HP legendary K24, an outstanding 6 speed manual trans.
That’s just the start. An excellent SLA front suspension, excellent 5 link rear suspension, good size brakes, stiff chassis, excellent build quality.
There is a huge following for the 1st gen TSX and huge aftermarket support.
There are tons of upgrades for these cars, plus the ECU has been cracked by several companies.
BTW, the 1st Gen TSX with an auto trans is a complete dog.
The 2nd Gen TSX was a failure and a complete dog.
Just my thoughts!
Edit: I can’t edit my previous post.
I see now that the TSX was your son’s. Sorry about that.
My comments and passion for the 1st Gen TSX still applies though!
Have to agree – that Euro Accord was quite popular over here too.
The 2nd Generation lost the plot and the Accord promptly disappeared from the range.
These were a great looking upgrade from the Accord coupe. Extending beyond this model, I thought the next CL and the 1st generation TL were Acura at its peak.
Not that it’s all been downhill from there, but Acura really hasn’t caught my fancy until the new Integra arrived. Once they hybridize it, I’d certainly consider one….
Thanks for all the kind comments. This series covered almost forty years of hobby car ownership, from approx 1985 to the present day. I do have a wide range in my automotive interests, from vintage machines, to sports cars, to PLC and luxury cars. Currently, I may be slowing down a bit, and even simplifying my stable. But you never know, I’m getting a strong curiosity about Pre War cars, I’ve never owned one. I was telling my Wife that I should get one before I get too old to enjoy it!
It seems that as I get older, new cars hold less and less interest for me. I know that they are better than ever, and I will buy a late model used car if I really need one, but those are just for transportation. I’m planning to move up to ten years old or newer models in my next phase.