- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.5i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
147kW, 284Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 12.4L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Perpetuating the Legend
FOR: smooth V6, equipment
AGAINST: Against: suspension still too soft
RATING: *** three (out of 5)
Last year, Honda's flagship sedan, the Legend, had its price slashed by a massive 13 per cent, dropping its recommended retail from $88,350 to $76,850. The cut, which was accompanied by some minor specification changes, better reflected the price that customers were paying once they had haggled with the dealer.
The price drop may have been significant, but it did little to lift sales. Twelve months later and Honda is once again attempting to spark some interest in the Legend.
The price has been kept at this keen level, but the mechanical and cosmetic changes have been made more significant this time around.
Most obvious is the front and rear end rethink. The bumpers are new and at the front the bonnet and front mudguards have been reprofiled, the chin spoiler modified and a new grille added.
The restyle gives the car a slightly wider, more hard-edged look and overall meets with most people's approval. At the back, the boot, tail-lights and area around the rego housing has been tweaked.
To cap off the changes, the alloy wheels, which were changed on the last update, have been redesigned and are larger than before. The side rubbing strips now offer more protection from shopping trolleys and the dreaded phantom careless door opener who appears when you're doing the weekly shop at the supermarket.
Legend owners will also notice that the headlights are new, bigger than before and use gas discharge technology. They burn 30 per cent brighter than standard units and deliver a wider beam spread.
Turn them on and they produce a blueish light and take a second or so to reach full intensity. They work better than the old headlights, but the beam is not as penetrating as, say, the gas discharge units used on the BMW 7 Series.
Inside, the car now comes with a "thinking" dual airbag system designed to minimise potential airbag injury and repair costs. Using a dual inflater, the airbag inflation matches the intensity of the crash.
The driver will notice some of the cruder-looking buttons and controls have been redesigned, giving the car a slightly fresher, more youthful interior look. The centre-section of the steering wheel, for example, has been redone and the big, rather ugly buttons on the side of the wheel (they control sound and cruise control) are now much more integrated and upmarket-looking.
Mechanically, the changes are small but significant. The disc brakes are bigger and are said to cut hot-brake stopping distance by as much as 10 metres when stopping from 100 km/h.
Refinement levels have also been upgraded, with the rear crossbeam now more rigid. The rear parcel shelf has been made stiffer to cut noise penetration into the cabin. The suspension, which was tweaked last year, has been reworked. The springs, dampers and bushes have all been made stiffer.
On the road, the car feels more controlled, with the ride more poised than before. Push the car at speed and on undulating tarmac and it still proves to be too soft and lacking the precision of its European rivals. But it is better and should please most buyers in this class.
The suspension gives the Legend a more sporty feel all round and while the power of its smooth V6 remains unchanged at 147kW, the car feels slightly faster and more alive than the soft boulevard cruiser of before.
The engine is first-rate and the four-speed automatic does a reasonable job of sliding from ratio to ratio. Driving the front wheels, the Legend prevents any histrionics on slippery surfaces by offering traction control as standard.
The steering is very light around town and firms up as speed builds, but it never delivers the subtle link between driver and tyre that enthusiastic drivers crave. Honda has struggled to find buyers for the Legend in the mid-price luxury market, with the big car failing to spark much buyer interest, but things should improve with the latest update. In '99 trim, it offers good value and the latest tweaks ensure the mechanicals remain fresh and competitive. It deserves a look.
Nuts 'n' Bolts
Honda Legend
Cost: $76,850
Insurance: Premium $586
$400 excess (NRMA, wholly owned, driver 30 plus,rating one, medium risk suburb)
Warranty: 3 years/80,000km
Engine: 3.473-litre, SOHC per bank, 24-valve, all-alloy V6. 147kW at 5200 rpm and 284Nm at 2800 rpm. Front-wheel drive.
Transmission: Four-speed automatic
Steering: Rack and pinion, 3.4 turns lock-to-lock. Turning circle 10.5m.
Brakes: Ventilated discs front, discs rear
Suspension: Independent, double wishbones, dampers, stabiliser bar front and rear
Wheels/Tyres: Alloy 16x5.5 215/55R16
How big? Length 4995mm, width 1820mm, height 1430mm, wheelbase 2910mm
How heavy? 1687kg
How thirsty? 13.5L/100km city, 10L/100km highway (Federal Government test), regular unleaded, 68-litre tank
Equipment: Airbags - yes, dual front and front side; anti-lock brakes - yes, cruise control - yes; central locking - yes, remote; power mirrors/windows - yes; security - yes, immobiliser; sound system - AM/FM radio cassette, CD changer, 6 speakers.