- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.7i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
226kW, 370Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 10.7L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Legend airy stuff
FOR: Highly refined drivetrain. Spacious, safe and very well equipped for the price. Comfortable seats. Better than average handling. Great brakes and headlights.
AGAINST: Expect to do a lot of dough at trade-in time. Ordinary ride quality. Backlit instruments indistinct in sunlight. Dated, derivative styling. Space-saver spare.
VERDICT: Extensive tweaks elevate it amid costlier rivals. Resale value is problematic.
RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)
Honda was talking big at the 1996 launch of the 3.5-litre V6 Legend, claiming it had a legitimate Lexus LS400 competitor on its hands for $65,000 less than Japan's flagship luxury sedan.
It was wishful thinking, both on the road and in the showrooms. Last year Honda cut $11,550 from the Legend's $88,350 sticker price, taking recommended retail down to a more competitive - against its real rivals - $76,850.
Buyers who got in quick are now wearing poor resale values, a weakness which has dogged the Legend since the original model in 1985. On a two-year-old Legend, for example, industry valuer Glass's Guide quotes a residual of 65 per cent as against 82 per cent on a BMW 523i, 71 per cent on a Eunos 800M and 82 per cent on a Saab 9-5 SE.
A recent Legend update has brought additional features, styling and mechanical changes but no price increase. Its resale price may be problematic, but the 1999 Legend certainly stands up as good value for money, with performance, refinement, comfort, quality and equipment levels comparable with some more expensive luxury sedans.
The drivetrain - a 3.5-litre V6 turning the front wheels through an adaptive "Grade Logic" four-speed automatic - is unchanged. Elsewhere, tweaks abound.
The usual cosmetic make-over fails to lift the Legend's visual impact. It still looks like a grown-up Civic crossed with a W124 ('86-'93) Mercedes E Class - there must have been a Benz in Honda's design studio, because the rear-end treatment and many interior features are almost straight copies. Under the skin, the body has been strengthened, and extra insulation lessens noise, vibration and harshness.
In an attempt to lift the car's dynamic ability, Honda has fitted heavier springs, firmer dampers and bushes and slightly lower profile tyres. Larger discs and more rigid calipers improve braking efficiency.
Safety gets the major boost. Automatic levelling gas discharge headlights provide brilliant night vision on high and low beam. Extra fog lights are also fitted.
Sensors in the sophisticated restraint system determine the strength, direction and type of impact, firing only the appropriate front or side airbags and controlling the rate of inflation according to crash severity, while similarly activating seat belt pre-tensioners.
Additional sensors in the front passenger seat detect the size and position of the occupant. If a child is leaning towards the door, the side bag is de-activated to prevent head or neck injury.
Inside the Legend, there's more real wood, beautiful leather upholstery and a lightweight magnesium-core wheel with audio and cruise controls.
Honda engines are often relatively peaky devices, but the Legend's V6 is quite the opposite. It has Honda's customary free-spinning sweetness and pleasantly angry note at high revs, but a variable induction system contributes to excellent low- and mid-range responsiveness. Torque peaks at only 2,800rpm.
A 90-degree vee, balancer shaft and electronically controlled mounts give the V6 exceptional smoothness. When cruising, the Legend is as hushed as they come.
Its hefty 1,687kg is the main reason for the Legend's slowish 10.2 seconds over the 0-100km/h sprint.
The Grade Logic auto, using inputs from the driver's right foot and terrain to vary its shift points, slides unobtrusively between ratios. With plenty of torque on tap, the adaptive feature is spot-on at picking when to shift or hold a gear.
The previous model's independent double wishbone suspension was tuned primarily for a supple, pothole-cheating ride. On the open road it still was a respectable handler, but in tighter bends its dynamics became rather ponderous.
Much more taut and athletic, the new model has less body roll and is more stable. It is still no 5 Series - no front-drive car gets close to the BMW for sheer precision, balance and responsiveness - but in the class it is probably the best of the rest.
The steering is light but sharp, with good feedback through the wheel. Quick, repeated changes of direction can catch up with the power hydraulics, resulting in some loss of feel. For power and progression, the brakes are outstanding.
Comfort, especially around town, suffers a little from the stiffer suspension settings. The Legend's low-speed ride is now rather choppy by luxo sedan standards - cheaper locals such as Holden's Calais, and direct rivals such as Saab's 9-5, are more compliant and comfortable.
Cabin ambience suggests a six-figure sticker, with Howe leather, soft-feel dash plastics and a control layout modelled on one of the best in the business (the old E Class). The Lexus LS400-style permanently illuminated instruments are indistinct in direct sunlight.
The large glass area and relatively high seat position creates a pleasant sense of space and good vision for the driver.
Standard equipment is in the no-options-necessary league. Automatic air-conditioning, a six-stack CD player, power adjustable wheel, comprehensive security and electric sunroof are included.
The Legend's luxurious electrically adjustable, heated driver's armchair is great on a long day's drive, but lacks cornering support.
Similarly soft and comfortable, the rear seat has average leg room and a fold-down armrest/storage/cup-holder, behind which is a lockable porthole to extend boot capacity. Boot space is adequate; there is a space-saver spare.
The Legend looks dated, but on the road it is a very competitive drive by 1999 standards. Apart from the ride comfort issue, the Legend has no serious weaknesses. It is beautifully built and finished, and as a value-for-money proposition is probably the pick of the class. Until trade-in time, when the four-star buy could be a two-star sell.
ENGINE: 3.5-litre 24-valve fuel-injected V6. 147kW at 5,200rpm (average).
PERFORMANCE: 0-100 km/h in 10.2 seconds (slowish).
BRAKES: Discs with ABS (outstanding).
ECONOMY: 15.5 litres/100km city; 10.7 highway (average).
PRICES: Recommended retail: $76,850. Street price: $4,000 off, and up to $10,000 off a demonstrator.
MAIN OPTIONS: None.
ALTERNATIVES:
Audi A6 2.4 V6 - $79,800
BMW 523i 2.5 V6 - $85,900
Lexus ES300 LXS 3.0 V6 - $70,600
Mazda Eunos 800M 2.3 V6 - $74,150
Saab 9-5 Griffin 3.0 V6 - $86,900
Volvo S80 2.9 - $79,936.