Brendan Saur He was still right though, in the sense that it wasn't the first generation which was legend-ary. That didn't happen until the second generation. (And it's been downhill for Acura ever since.)
@@Jwdude123 I've test driven a TLX A-Spec and an RLX Advance back to back, both 2018 models. The TLX was a brilliant car, it feels and drives bit like a much more luxurious 9th gen Accord, which isn't a bad thing. I'd say it's well worth the 45 grand. The RLX, to me, just didn't feel any better than the TLX. It had a bit more of a "comfortable luxury" feel (like my grandparents' old 1994 Lincoln Town Car) but there just weren't enough meaningful improvements to make it worth the extra 12 grand or so. Still a good car, but I'd advise getting a TLX. Also, I was BORN when the 2nd gen Legend was being produced, December 25, 1992. Wonder if they were making '93 Legends that day or if they got Christmas off? March 15, 2019 5:04 am
@@whattheheck1000 I'm definitely looking forward to the TLX Type-S, personally, and miss the Type-S from the old TL in the 2000s. Nevertheless, I'm honestly optimistic Acura is making a comeback as a performance luxury car brand, and it, along with the reentrance of Peugeot in the American market (and hopefully Citroën's luxury brand, DS, makes it here too) makes me REALLY excited for some cars coming out. The only other cars I've been excited about in this category have been offerings like the Genesis G70-I've tried to get excited for the new Lexus IS, but I find the fact that Toyota is just refreshing it and not doing a full redesign a bit of a downer, especially since the design is quite long in the tooth (dates back to the 2014 model year), which even predates the CURRENT TLX design.
Look for the pilot on YT. He sounded like he was on Quaaludes - and too many. They shelved it for a couple of years, while he was on another show. When they brought it back, he was just as chipper as he still is, and it's been around since.
Mr. Céspedes they're not actually on "the verge of failure". they're going through an identity crisis right now, sure, but the sales of their MDX are still very good, and the introduction of a new NSX means that Honda is still willing to invest in their lux brand
My first car was an 89 Integra LS. Got it in 95 when I got my license. Same color as the one in the video. God, I loved that thing. The attitude at my school was still, hurr durr rice burner can't beat a Camaro. My response was, "Meet me in the curves"
earnedmystripes camaros were great in the curves as well. sheer size puts them at a disadvantage on the tightest turns but thats the case with all GTs of similar size.
we had one when I was a kid but I think it was an 89 or 90. I wonder if they updated the styling at all during this models run? It looks more dated now than I expected!
MrCarGuy20 I thought so too. If only we could travel back in time and tell them they had no idea what was in store just 5 years ahead. It would be hard to not spill all the details and let the cat out of the bag. But how awesome would it be to be able to ring up MotorWeek and predict exactly what the NSX would be like and surprise the hell out of them. You would be like Marty McFly in Back to the Future 2 with that sports almanac.
Its so nice to see two of the best name plates that Acura ever had. Anyone ever notice that ever since Acura decided to be more like the Euro market and dumped the names and just went to letters, their cars have gotten more and more ugly and their sales have plummeted. Maybe its time to revamp the entire line and bring back cars like the Legend and Integra. Acura and Honda imo is in a downward spiral these last 10 to 15 years, I could care less what they make now a days. So sad, they were so good:(
+Acc0rd79 I was just coming to that same conclusion too, I honestly don't find their current line up that attractive much in my opinion and the three letter model names are confusing. Its very probable their sales will pick up the day they use the name plates Integra and Legend again.
Matt Whitmire for sure, the letter thing was the beginning of the downhill trend for Acura. Look at where they are now, Acura would win award after award in the 90's, why the hell change your style to be more Euro? Oh well, they make nothing but ugly cars today that never win anything.
I had a 88 2dr Legend. There was so much I loved about it and some I hated, but IMO it wasn't the car's fault. Mine was an automatic and it had 130K when I got it. I admittedly drove the piss out of it. The 2.7 motor really ran sweet, but after a while the cylinder head design put more heat to the valve guide seals than they were designed to handle over time. That resulted in a motor that smoked enough to make it a calculated tweek endeavor come emissions testing time. About the same time the transmission decided it didn't need 2nd gear anymore and last three more years before the transmission went tits-up. Either way, it was fun and I didn't pay waste anything on it. Hell when it was done, it still had the original fuel pump, water pump, and all the other accessories. I had it till 186K and I forgot; I did replace the alternator at around 150K. If I had been smart enough to find one with a manual transmission; I believe I could still have that car. Sorry for the novel.
Amazing what 10 years progress will do. I had a 96 Integra GSR and what a fun ride. When it was released in 1994 the DC2 model Integra GSR arguably started the "Sport Compact" craze of the 90s that eventually resulted in Fast and the Furious, etc. Nobody in 86 had any idea what was to come. Acura sorely needs a new Integra. Something hotter and a little more upscale than the Civic SI, yet still affordable. Actually that was what the original Integra was.
+Austin Frazier Im finding that out. They are just well built cars. Honda was never my thing. Iam partial to DSM, not JDM. However, I got a 90' Integra GS coupe in B-50m (Melbourne blue metallic) paint, and its been great as my first experience with JDM. Its got a cool, kinda silver looking paint with the blue interior. The car just drive on rails, your so low you really feel one with the car. I know its non-vtec, being the b18a1, but it drives so nice you don't even care its got 130hp. Would be cool to find a 92' with the b17. Those 94-01's were faster but the DA9 is a little "sexier" looking imo. Great cars.
Like he said in the video, the initial release Acuras had a feeling like upgraded Hondas. At the refresh (92?) when Honda saw the Toyota and Nissan luxury releases and knew what they were competing with they because cars of note. When they were new I got the impression Honda wanted to keep customers a little longer who were jumping up to BMW or maybe a Mercedes 190. The target market were people who had good memories of Hondas in college and were now professionals. They liked Honda, but wanted something that set them apart from their secretary.
OMG that two-tone Legend sitting in the studio looks freaking AWESOME. I really miss cars like this, especially Hondas of the period as Honda was really making great-looking designs back then. The late 80's Prelude and early 90's Accord come immediately to mind, but there's so many good ones.
"Future Acura products, including a rumored mid-engine sports car, will be more divorced from lower-rung Hondas." You got the NSX right... however, you didn't see the EL (rebadged Civic) coming.
The Legend became a lot more atractive in the 2nd generation, but the Integra was a hit from the first time! There was only a thin niche inbetween the market for the Honda Prelude (a 2 + 2 coupe with the +2 hardly worth mentioning) and the Honda Accord coupe (a by Japanees standards rather big 5 seater coupe) but the Integra fitted the gap remarkably well. It had a decent size back seat, offered the ride of the Prelude and had an engine that gave it performances on pair with the bigger engines found in the Prelude and the Accord. And they all 3 had pop up headlights, but somehow I always found the Integra to have the best looking front end of the 3.
Doktor Hachi Roku it was! I am from Belgium and my dad used to have a g1 integra. had a Different engine than the usa ones tough. The Civic 1.5 carburator
Well we are with 6 miljon People, not bad for such a limited amount of lebensraum ;) I have the impression you Germans like or small coast as much as we like your vast mountain woods ;-)
Yards and yards of blue velour! I remember looking at the Integras at the dealership after I started university in Fall 1988. There was a special all-white 3-door model coming in but it was already sold. The salesman told me the 5-door with sunroof wouldn't pass federal crash testing--although I had/have no way of verifying that statement. As much as I wanted one of these when they came out (which was pretty badly!), today I would rather have the Quint model with the trunk on it.
I remember being very sad in 95 when they announced that they would not be selling the legend anymore so I had went down to the dealer on my birthday and spotted mine a 1995 Acura legend a pretty sleek black 5 speed with tan interior and I was oh so in love I believe it was a GS I took her for a test drive and I asked for the price it was 13,500 and some change and I was appeased I went to the bank took 3000$ out put down on the car and financed my payment was like 75$ a month because credit wasn’t so widely used in the 90s and I still have it 211,000 miles on it and running like a champ my baby
Ben Davis Are you Jon Davis son? I'm a big fan of him, I'm from Brazil and I learn English watching him on Motorweek. Cheers from Brazil to my English teacher.
philarob80 91 MW test Legend black, Tan leather, 0 to 60 in 7.5 & 15.8 at 92mph, being almost 300 pounds heavier, grip is up but the softer ride means drivers must expect more body roll when pushed hard, Bmw 535i still has a edge in driver feel, mileage is EPA rated at 19 city & 23 highway average 22, Anti lock brake standard across the Legend line stops at 119 feet, however brakes faded notably after several repeated stops, 91 Legend sedan forgoes up class accord look with a more smoother European design , a near 6 inches longer wheelbase than last year.
My dad had a '90 Integra GS-R, and that was a pretty cool car, though by then no pop-up headlights. Some similar things to be found like the folding rear seats and such. Then he traded it in for a '93 Vigor LS which him and then eventually the rest of use drove the wheels off of. Those cars were damn tough and reliable going through all those winters, trips out to the farm daily...and even at times, out to the field. Only negative was some rust on the body after about 15 years or so. I rarely see them or Legends anymore. Eric the Car Guy is the only other person I know of with one. Had about 540,000 kms on it before my brother wrote it off. He was fine and car started afterwards, but it was a loss :(
I have wanted a first generation Integra since I saw Chow Yun-Fat flog one around the hills of Hong Kong in The Killer. The car was a white sedan and I thought it just looked too cool. I can't imagine there are many of them left though.
I love how people describe Hondas as "boring". Boring is fine by me....boring runs forever - if you want exciting buy a Nissan, GM or a Chrysler. Every trip to the dealer service dept will have an exciting bill to go with it.
Black and dark grey interiors always have been more popular here in Europe. It's also much more neutral. Wrong shade of blue, brown or beige and people can be realy turned down. Leather interior also is much longer lasting and easier to clean if you tend to eat and drink while driving.
FrightfulAccountant I agree Leather easier to clean and repair Its really hard to match fabric seats when they have tears etc Leather is alot easier..... I'm not a fan of blue interior colours or red or even brown but I do like light gray and creams and beiges. As I said if seems pretty much all new cars are black interior.....its all a bit gloomy
I believe Honda and many other brands have the option of switching from black to beige interior (altough it is sometimes limited to combination with only some paint colors). still don't many people seem to to order and I see some good reasons. To begin with the dashboard itself is best as dark as possible as it reduces reflections of sunlight. If the dash is supposed to be black or dark grey, then most often it does not look good to have all beige leather around. also, and that is something many people don't realise: if you drive lots on long trips in beige leather seats, blue and black jeans (defenetly new ones) will start to give way their color on the beige leather. And those blue and black stripes are a pain in the ass to get out of your beige leather. Then there was also a time in the 90s French car manufactors started to add some bold color motives in the seats and the door trims (and then again copied by Japanees car makers, I believe most often Nissan and Toyota)... But that is a bit like the neckties everybody used to wear back then: It looked good on the moment you bought it, but after a few years the bold motive looks outdatet and again a few years later and you called it plain ugly. On the second hand market, people just walked away from cars organge dots, blue stripes or green squares on the seats. Eventually car makers stopped using motives. Same goes with wooden interior trimming. A 70s feature that had a revivavel from the late 80s all the way to the early 2000s. Many people tought it was fancy and elegant to have a wooden dash, but today that is not a strong feature to have in your car when it comes to reselling. Today most car interiors show resamblance with the early 80s European style of dashboards (just look up an old 80s Audi Quattro dash and see how simular it is styled to something modern). Is it groomy? Well it's minimal,it's neutral and it's in a solid dark color. For some people that equals groomy and they have right of speak. On the other hand, it's all put nice together, there are aluminiums and at night the dash gets a nice blue or red neon light. it's elegant. It's like wearing a tuxedo. ;)
+FrightfulAccountant sorry but I have to disagree. I have an 89 Honda Legend with beige seats and the seats are still in good condition, no colour transfers from or to the seats. The dash is brown and there is woodgrain LOL my tastes are more 80's love woodgrain HATE HATE HATE aluminium and carbon fibre highlights (personally think it looks cheap). Also have a Mercedes Benz W126 S class with beige seats and a black dashboard and woodgrain hehe love it.
Acura needs to bring back the Legend. This time it needs to be a RWD sedan with a turbo V6 and available AWD. The current TLX could be renamed the Vigor and still be decent.
They are just well built cars. Honda was never my thing though . Iam partial to DSM, not JDM. However, I got a 90' Integra GS coupe in B-50m (Melbourne blue metallic) paint, and its been great as my first experience with JDM. Its got a cool, kinda silver looking paint with the blue interior. The car just drive on rails, your so low you really feel one with the car. I know its non-vtec, being the b18a1, but it drives so nice you don't even care its got 130hp. Would be cool to find a 92' with the b17. Those 94-01's were faster but the DA9 is a little "sexier" looking imo. Great cars.
It’s really too bad they didn’t go as far compared to lexus or any other high end cars that have rich luxury sedans. I would be more interested if Acura if they brought back the legend, intrega.
Acura was made by the Japanese for the Japanese. American men are typically taller than the average 5’ 8” Japanese man. Sophisticated cars were made for sophisticated people. Not cave men. The Legend was made to be treated gently and kindly. It’s not a muscle car meant to be handle by brutes. Honda is good but Acura is best. Owner of an Acura Legend LS Coupe. 194k. It’s literally a space ship.
Personally, I feel sorry for Honda for not daring itself with Acura. It could have done so much better. Front wheel drive this, front wheel drive that. No wonder they're not right up there with Lexus and BMW! Of course, I do applaud them for breaking new ground with the awesome NSX, but still, it's not enough.
Not daring itself with Acura? Ever heard of the Integra Type R?...a.k.a. the car with more horsepower per litre than the NSX, a.k.a. the best front-wheel drive car ever made! If Honda made a bunch of rear-wheel drive Acuras, they would've been following the rest of the pack, which is NOT daring to be different.
Honda kicks ass. Anybody that wants to s*** on a 32 old vehicle can suck it. My Fit is probably better than this vehicle, but there's no denying that Honda was pushing the envelope at this point.
Neither am I fond of that material (nothing beats black leather) but many many cars where even trimmed worse. Many cars had seats in materials that were realy itchy if you sat in shorts or short skirts in them. That never was a real problem with the Honda. And you could also order black or grey interiorcolor. The blue was also allright, just, but the brown interir was a plain ugly thing.
SerenityNow the front end does not sit higher than the rear, its an illusion most cars share due to the front wheels needing space to turn, the arches need to be larger.
another lousy review, the Legend slayed them all and became the best-selling imported luxury sedan in the US from its inception and stayed the best-seller to its end.
Picture it: It's 1988, my friend just got her new Integra 5-door in plum with gray interior. She scoops me up, we pop in the group Exposé on the tape player, and listen to "Let Me Be the One" while we zoom around at night with the windows down and howl at the top of our lungs. Best times.
I don't count these as real Acuras. The 91 Legend and 94 Integra were legit players. These weren't legit German competitors. More like temperature testers. Cars like the V8-powered Lexus LS and Infiniti Q45 easily jumped over these low-bar warmed-over Hondas.
Sure enjoy watching the old shows. John really tells it like well, it really is with cars and I would like to see him do some more of theses on current shows!
Here in the UK, we took the Legend, made it a bit better looking, took out all the reliable Honda bits, replaced them with British Leyland junk and got the crappy Rover 800.
funny thought, I still prefer the sterling 827 version that had more luxury. However those bumpers seem to always scratch easy and parking light would break.
I love the Rover 800 (Sterling in the US) but they really ruined it in the States by rushing it into production and selling a whole serie of cars that should had been used for testing only. They were still a huge improvement over English cars made just a couple of years earlier (hardly any SD1 was build the way it should had been build), but Americans just had no compassion for an expensive luxury car that had pieces of its interior falling off and rain pooring in through the seeling. Things in Europa were finally settled when Honda got involved in rovers production management and the later Rover 800s offered realiability and durability of BMW standards. But for America it was too late.
I had a 1985 Honda Integra. It was my 3rd car. It was the 3 door model with 5speed manual gear box and a sunroof. Those cars went and handled very will for their age. I just had two problems with mine. The sunroof always leaked when it rained and heater stopped working, which sucked during winter.
these would be too old for me to contemplate but what i would do for one of the last ones ever made.not a lot sadly exist on the second hand market though.it's a cheap way into something sporty for similar money to crappy dull micro cars.
Still see a good number of these on the road today. Hard to beat Japanese quality and workmanship. The Legend looks smaller than a current Accord! Great video MW..thank you!
