Acura Owner Gets Red Carpet Treatment for Legendary Milestone

PEABODY, MASS. (11/15/2011)(readMedia)-- Hitting 100,000 miles in a car is an achievement for some, but on November 4 Tyson Hugie was declared by Acura to be their "newest Legend" when his 1994 Acura Legend LS Coupe hit the 500,000-mile mark.

With his mother in the passenger seat, Hugie drove his Legend from Phoenix to Acura's Torrance, California headquarters, making sure that his odometer rolled over to 500,000 as his car arrived at the red carpet reception in his honor. Acura, in support of Hugie's achievement, presented him with vehicle-related gifts, including a certificate to cover all of his maintenance through 2012, a timing belt and a water pump. Acura also gave Hugie a tour of their heritage museum, where he was able to see historic cars that could not be found on the lot of an Acura dealer today.

"Of course, you can extend the lifetime of your vehicle by keeping up with regular maintenance and using common sense while driving, but 500,000 miles on a car is almost unheard of," said Joel Avery, general manager of Greater Boston Acura dealer Acura of Peabody. "The fact that Hugie drove an appropriately named Acura Legend makes the story that much more epic. It goes to show that Acuras have the potential to serve their owners for decades."

Hugie put more than 400,000 miles on the 1994 Acura LS Coupe himself, having bought it from the previous owner when the vehicle was already close to a decade old. During that time, he kept up with regular maintenance, claiming that the Legend has had 142 documented oil changes and gone through five timing belts and five water pumps. The Legend still possesses its original engine, clutch and transmission, however, which is a remarkable feat for a vehicle with such high mileage.

Although Acura ceased production of the Legend in 1995, the Legend Coupe won a variety of awards during its time. Motor Trend named the Legend Coupe its Import Car of the Year for 1987, and the Coupe also appeared on the Car and Driver 10Best list three years in a row from 1988 to 1990. However, as celebrated as it was, the Legend was eventually replaced by the Acura RL for the 1996 model year.

Since then, Acura has relentlessly perfected the RL, earning it accolades like the Legend before it. One of the awards the RL was given was from Popular Science, who named the RL's industry-first Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive the Best of What's New in Automotive Technology in 2004. The 2011 Acura RL still utilizes Super Handling All-Wheel Drive, an ideal feature for New England drivers who want to effectively unleash the RL's 300 horsepower while driving in often treacherous winter weather.

"The Legend attained a status that the Acura RL has only continued to build on," added Avery. "When we hear stories like Hugie's, we know that the reputation of the Legend is well earned. Even if new Acura buyers aren't looking for a Legend when they come to our dealership, they know they'll pleased by what Acura is putting out today."

About Acura of Peabody:

Thanks to a complete commitment to the Acura Total Luxury Care (TLC) philosophy from the sales, parts and service teams, this dealership has the best customer satisfaction and retention rates of any Acura dealership in the Northeast. They offer an extensive inventory of new and used Acura models, backed by a service center with the highest customer loyalty in the Northeast. Visit their website at www.acuraofpeabody.com, like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/acuraofpeabody, visit their Acura showroom and service center at 233 Andover Street in Peabody, MA, or call them at 888-825-7965.