History/driving impressions originally published in Sport Compact Car, October 2000; republished by the author
It’s as if Acura had tossed a stone in a pond and saw it enter not only without a splash, it also without even causing a ripple on the surface of the water. Such was the impact of the Vigor when introduced in mid-1991 as a 1992 model. Sales soared to hundreds per month. Nationwide. No one, it seemed, cared.
Which is odd in a way. The larger Legend was a hit from the beginning, as was the smaller Integra. Splitting the difference with the Vigor should have been a no-brainer. And the Vigor literally did split the difference between the four-cylinder Integra and the V6 Legend with an all-new, in-line 5-cylinder engine. Fives weren’t unheard of. Mercedes-Benz had produced a five-lunged diesel and Audi had engraved the siren-like yowl of the five-cylinder gasoline engine into the memory of everyone who ever drove one. But this was an interesting development from a Japanese manufacturer, intended to get good power (176 bhp) from its 2.5 liters without the weight of the six or the vibration of a large four.
The engine’s length required that it reside lengthwise in the chassis, like the V6 in the 1991 Legend. The engine straddles the front axle line, actually situated well back for a front driver, with an extension shaft coming off the forward side of the transmission, along the engine to the differential. The right halfshaft actually ran through a tube in the crankcase directly below the center cylinder. The engine was inclined 35 degrees to the right to allow a low hood line, but the hood would be relatively long, thanks to the length of the engine.
The engine, with this distinctive five-fingered intake manifold, was thoroughly up-to-date with four valves per cylinder operated by a single belt-drive an overhead camshaft and rocker arms. A dual-path intake design insured abroad torque spread, peaking at 900 rpm, with horsepower maxing out at 6300 rpm and staying strong up to a 7100 rpm fuel cut-off. Transmissions included a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The result was a car that was quicker to 60 mph than the Lexus ES 250, Audi 80 Quattro and even the Nissan Maxima. Vigorous indeed.
The Vigor’s reason for being, however, wasn’t just superiority at the stoplight drags, but rather, according to Acura, to “offer sports sedans buyers (a) unique blend of performance, sophistication and advanced technology.” Some of the Advanced Technology came from the front and rear double-wishbone suspension “based conceptually on… design used in Formula 1 racing” and the 60/40 weight distribution made possible by its engine location. Front and rear disc brakes had ABS standard for the front and rear.
Sophistication inside came from “rich moquette” fabric with LS trim or leather inserts on the more expensive GS. The seats had generous lateral support and the instrument panel had large white on black dials. A wide center console flowed into a dash accented by strips of real wood that also graced the doors. A peculiar audio feature was an electronic mimicking of sound environments ranging from your den to the interiors of a cathedral. After listening to, say, Madonna performing in a church once, most owners probably never used the feature again. All in all, however, it was the model of what a near-luxury, four-door sedan should be, even down to its tasteful-if-not bland exterior styling.
But sales peaked at fewer than 14,000 in 1992, well less than the 50k units moved in the Integra and Legend lines. Sales slipped to 10,016 in ‘93 and then 8,469 in 1994. That would be the last year for the Vigor, as Acura replaced it with a slightly larger TL model that was powered by either the 2.5-liter five or the V6. In slightly less than four years of sales, the Vigor didn’t break the 45,000 mark, and its exit was as silent as its entry, not making a single wave.
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