Pinnacle of Acura design

"MUSASHI66" (musashi66)
03/31/2016 at 13:37 • Filed to: None

I am thinking about writing one of these per day if I have the time - and every day, I will pick one car that represents the best combination of design, technology, speed and desirability for that particular brand - and it must have been sold new in the USA. Of course, many will disagree, and I’d love to see your counterpoints.

I will select from brands currently selling cars in the USA, in alphabetical order.

ACURA

Acura has been around since March of 1986. They made some nice cars in their early days - Legend, Integra, NSX. People always like to give them crap for being FWD or AWD, for not having a proper RWD car, for not having a proper V8 engine, but they seem to be doing just fine selling slightly nicer, reliable Hondas.

So, now you are thinking, this is easy, he will pick the original NSX, or Integra Type-R. I’ll throw a curveball and nominate 2008 Acura TL Type-S.

I still look after these when I see one on the street. Super clean design, aggressive enough to indicate something special, fast enough to justify the looks, bland enough to still be Acura. Those 4 cannons in the back, with the pipes cut at an angle, nice dark wheels before dark wheels were really a thing. 286hp from a 3.5L V6. In my opinion, one of the best proportioned front wheel drive cars ever.

Of course, finding an unmolested one is nigh impossible. There is one in my parking garage at work - missing a front bumper, stanced....I feel so sad every time I see it.

JDM Integra Type-R was on my mind, as I prefer the front end vastly to the USA version, but it was not sold here as new. Choosing between this and the NSX was hard though.

DISCUSSION (38)

EL_ULY > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:44

My FAV!!!!!!!! This car is so dang rad in any trim.

RyanFrew > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:44

Good, contrarian choice. You’ll catch some shit for not choosing the first-gen NSX, though.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:45

With you.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:46

The TL Type S of that era in that dark blue, with “waffles” and a manual are so so so rare. They sell for the low 20's still (assuming low mileage and untouched)

Nibbles > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:50

So damned attractive. The pinnacle, indeed.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:57

My dad had one. Put 250,000 on it. And now he’s just sold it and bought a Camry. In washing machine white. Sighs. He looked at the ILX and actually drove one around for a day. He didn’t get it. Not because manual but because he didn’t like the seats.

Party-vi > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 13:57

Honda made the NSX and put that damned A badge on it for US sales. The NSX is not an Acura product in the same was the TL was an Acura product, which was developed mainly in the US.

That being said, you should look for a TL manual transmission model, as they had Brembo front brakes, a limit slip diff, and thicker antiroll bars standard over the automatic models.

Steve in Manhattan > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:00

I would not kick one of these out of bed if I needed a car ....

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:05

Kinja'd!!!

That gen TL is darn good looking but I prefer the TSX/Euro Accord from that era.

Patrick Nichols > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:15

I always liked the tsx wagon just a little bit more but this is a handsome car

AMC/Renauledge > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:33

I think Acura’s last real gasp of advanced, enthusiast vehicles was indeed the 3rd gen TL.

But with that exception, Acura was pretty much phoning it in by then. The NSX was dead. They never seemed to figure out what to do with the RSX. The 1G TSX was great, but really just a rebadged Euro Accord. The MDX was a dull, if hot-selling CUV. And no one remembers the RL from that era because it was utterly forgettable. They also pissed away an opportunity to use the S2000 platform to give Acura their own enthusiast car.

IMO, Acura's pinnacle was about 1996. The last year of the Legend. The first year of the TL, with its funky 5cyl borrowed from the Vigor and its V6 from the Legend. The best Integra ever had just come out 2 years prior. The NSX was at the top of its game. And the SLX, although just a top-spec rebadged Isuzu Trooper, at least had some off-road credentials.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:40

omg, yes. The TL/typeS has been my guilty pleasure (for looks only) I just cant do FWD.

Also In these parts, every, and I mean every, TL is rice’d to the max. So the local stigma is a factor. Pretty sure I even have dash cam footage of me getting around a stancebro that was crawling down main st... I have no patience for idiots, not when it costs me time.

MUSASHI66 > Party-vi
03/31/2016 at 14:49

Well, I can see your point, but that is getting into too much nitty gritty of what car to pick then. Type-S manual transmission are the ones I lust for.

Party-vi > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:50

There’s no reason not to lust for a Type-S, but it seems like every one of them is overpriced and beat to hell.

MUSASHI66 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
03/31/2016 at 14:50

I loved the TSX when I fist came here. I4 engine with a manual was great. When the wagon came here, I was super excited, but they didn’t offer the best combo here - AWD with a manual.

MUSASHI66 > ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper
03/31/2016 at 14:51

I hate the stanced ones, it just hurts me to see them...

MUSASHI66 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/31/2016 at 14:51

Why didn’t he look for the new one, whatever it is called, TLX?

MUSASHI66 > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
03/31/2016 at 14:52

They are super rare, and finding an unmolested one might be close to impossible for any reasonable price.

MUSASHI66 > RyanFrew
03/31/2016 at 14:52

Surprisingly, not yet :)

MUSASHI66 > Patrick Nichols
03/31/2016 at 14:52

I loved the TSX wagon, but no wagon+manual option existed in states if I am not mistaken.

MUSASHI66 > AMC/Renauledge
03/31/2016 at 14:53

I thought about a Legend or Vigor, but I vastly prefer the look of a TL Type-S. But I do agree, they had some great vehicles 20 years ago.

MUSASHI66 > Party-vi
03/31/2016 at 14:54

Lusting is a very personal and subjective thing ;)

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Patrick Nichols
03/31/2016 at 14:58

The biggest problem with the TSX wagon was the engine/transmission combo. It was trying to rev the hell out of itself. When I was looking at replacing my 3G TL a few years ago I test drove the TSX wagon and really wanted to like it, but the way it drove... no me gusta. It was not a light car and the little 4 banger in there was always going crazy to get the thing moving. It would have done better with a 6 or with lower gearing/a manual. The shift paddles were okay though - that goes for all the TSXs. Fairly responsive for what they were.

'Wägen, EPA LOL > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 14:59

Not only no manual, but only available with the 4cyl and no manual... :\

'Wägen, EPA LOL > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 15:03

3G TL was the last Acura worth owning. They were already on their way to soft and mushy, but this was a last gasp. It moved and it looked great. Not the fastest, but fast enough. Not the sportiest, but the suspension was stiff enough. The other great Acuras of old were really Hondas rebadged. This one was just different enough from other Honda products to be its own thing.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 15:10

My dad wanted an Accord Type S so bad, but the ones for sale were either too expensive or too abused.

AMC/Renauledge > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 15:17

Yeah. And the 2G TL and CL were so dull. When the 3G TL launched, I thought Acura was back. Turns out it was a temporary resurgence.

MUSASHI66 > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
03/31/2016 at 15:36

They had a V6 in the second gen, but no manual with the 6 either I believe.

Patrick Nichols > 'Wägen, EPA LOL
03/31/2016 at 15:39

I wonder how hard a 3.5 V6 swap would be and add the manual

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Patrick Nichols
03/31/2016 at 15:44

They did have the 6 for the sedan. I assume the front clip is the same so it engine should fit.Also they had a manual4 cyl. for the sedan, so I never understood why neither of those options made it over. I always assumed/attributed it to the cost of EPA certification. The EPA must have viewed it as another model requiring cert as opposed to being similar to what they already offered.

The TSX wagon is one of those cars where I would try to endure the world of hurt that is a modern engine swap Between the bcm and ecu there are straight miles of wiring running through that thing...

'Wägen, EPA LOL > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 15:49

The sedan got the 6 cylinder, but I don’t believe the wagon ever did. It was the K24 through its whole production run.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 16:20

I don’t know. He was tired of shopping so he bought a Camry.

Mr. Giraffe > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 16:40

Kinja'd!!!

Found my unmolested, garage kept TL last year with 44,000 miles. I see good deals on stock ones all the time around me.

MUSASHI66 > Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap
03/31/2016 at 17:15

I actually don’t mind a Camry - it will run forever. I hope he got the SE at least as it looks decent.

MUSASHI66 > Mr. Giraffe
03/31/2016 at 17:16

Stock Type-S with a manual, and a good deal? Buy it and resell it :)

Mr. Giraffe > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 17:28

I would be driving a type-s manual if I could afford a decent one, not selling it. Sadly, mine is just a base model.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 17:38

He got the XLE. It's not bad, it just doest feel connected.

Maidee > MUSASHI66
03/31/2016 at 21:23

Loved these when I was little and still like them today. They seem to have aged well. Would definitely consider one if I wasn't so locked on needed a car with warranty still.