Likes
driveline; glorious interior; well-built and engineered
Dislikes
Not the segment’s best value; tyre noise on secondary roads
Honda Legend - Lots of kit and a great drive
The combination of smart packaging, extensive luxury features and typical Honda high quality engineering has resulted in the Legend sedan becoming a favorite of the Car Showroom team.
What You Get
The Legend is the flagship of the Honda range and has been boosted by a larger 3.7-litre V6 offering more power and torque plus some styling enhancements and larger 18-inch alloy wheels.
Honda’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system - which increases torque delivery to the outside rear wheel in hard cornering - has been retained and makes the Legend a mid-size luxury sedan sporty drivers will appreciate.
On the inside, front seats now have 10-way power adjustments, there’s a new steering wheel, upgraded audio and climate control systems and standard satellite navigation.
Under The Hood
Great engines have long been one of Honda’s hallmarks and the Legend’s new 3.7-litre V6 is the most powerful production engine in the company’s history.
Managed by a Drive-By-Wire (DBW) throttle system, the Legend now delivers 226kW of power at 6,300rpm and peak torque of 370Nm at 5,000rpm.
Typical of Honda’s fastidious engineering work, the new, larger engine is actually more fuel-efficient that its 3.5-litre predecessor – down from 11.8l/100kms to 11.3l/100kms (combined cycle) – and it complies with the Euro 4 emissions standard.
Drive is to all four wheels via a five-speed Sequential SportShift automatic transmission with sports mode and steering wheel paddle-shift controls. While some high performance sedans have their paddle shifters mounted on the steering column, the Legend – a luxury sedan – has beautifully crafted and shaped paddles mounted on the wheel for instant access even in cornering.
The Interior
Nice, high quality leather is plentiful in the Legend’s elegant interior. The Legend we sampled for a week had the ivory interior – the other colors are grey and black – and this delivered a real luxury look, feel and smell.
The 10-speaker BOSE audio system was highly commended by everyone on our team. It’s a six CD in-dash system with DVD and WMA compatibility plus a USB input.
A center console ‘mouse’ controls the audio, climate control, and satellite navigation – it’s straightforward to operate with bright on-screen color graphics.
The modern instrumentation is finished in a nice brushed metal finish and the whole front seat package is excellent.
Rear seat passengers will be astounded by the extremely wide-opening doors which make access easy. While legroom is not massive, two rear seat passengers enjoy nicely sculptured seats (the center passenger is not so lucky). Side and rear window sunblinds will be appreciated in summer months especially by families with youngsters riding aft.
The boot while not the largest in the segment is still a good size.
Exterior & Styling
Switching to 18-inch alloy wheels has given the latest Legend a much more purposeful on-road stance.
Further styling changes include a new aluminium bonnet (reduces weight), bi-xenon headlights, a new grille with a chrome surround and a new front bumper with integral fog lights and lower cooling intakes.
A new bootlid with subtle integrated lip spoiler, a new bumper and exhaust tips plus new, modern tail-lights complete a contemporary package that delivers a more aggressive look and increased car park ‘cred’.
On The Road
The overriding impression driving the Legend comes from the drivetrain.
Honda’s new, larger 3.7-litre engine is a very handy unit and acceleration is rapid. Match that with the slick shifts of five-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive and the result is spirited performance.
To be honest, the real benefits of the SH-AWD system come when driving hard around tight-ish corners (especially in the wet). In fact, pushed hard on windy country roads, the Legend really excels – and that’s not a trait many mid-size luxury sedans can boast.
Around town or on secondary country roads, refinement levels generally remain high and steering response is sharp. Noise suppression over bumps is good and our test car was nice and tight with so squeaks or rattles.
Challenges
Honda worked hard to provide the new Legend with enhanced refinement and reduced NVH. Efforts included a new ‘acoustic windscreen’ that sandwiches a thin film of butul alcohol between two bonded glass panels.
Maybe the Legend is now too quiet because we felt the tyre noise, especially on coarse secondary roads, was somewhat noticeable.
Verdict
Definitely one of our favorites, the Legend gives kudos to Honda’s strengths – engineering, build quality and attention to detail. It’s loaded with the luxury goodies buyers in this segment demand, nicely packaged and looks great.
The Competition
Although priced north of $70K, when compared with its likely rivals, the Legend presents a strong argument thanks to its powerful 3.7-litre V6, standard all-wheel-drive and high specification level.
The Audi A6 for example gets above $80K before you get a V6. There’s also the X-Type Jaguar but its V6 doesn’t match the Legend for power or torque.
Volkswagen’s Passat V6 FSI Highline is also definitely worth a look.
