Overview & Reviews
It takes confidence to name a car the Legend. If it had been forgettable with nothing legendary about it, Acura could have found itself derided for the irony. It would have forever become the butt of automotive jokes, or worse, part of an Alanis Morissette song. Luckily for Honda's luxury division, its bravado paid off with the Acura Legend, a car that's still held in high regard years after it bowed out in favor of an ironically forgettable replacement.
The Acura Legend was launched in 1986 alongside the Integra sport hatchback to create the Acura brand in North America. Actually co-developed with British automaker Rover (which named its version of the car the Sterling 825), the Legend -- available in sedan and coupe body styles -- was immediately a hit among consumers and reviewers alike.
Through its fledgling Acura brand, Honda successfully blended its penchant for reliability and engine expertise with luxury features previously unavailable in a car wearing the H badge. The second-generation Legend raised the bar even further and its introduction for 1991 saw the debut of Acura's own insignia -- a flipped Honda H with the top pinched to make an A -- that solidified the brand as more of a stand-alone entity.
When Acura discontinued the Legend name in favor of a new alphanumeric naming scheme for its latest luxury sedan, it unfortunately coincided with a drop in style and driving passion that had made the Legend such a success. The Legend's replacement, the RL, was certainly more luxurious and just as reliable, but hardly exciting.
As such, the Legend represents a '90s-era high point of Acura luxury sedan and coupe design. For used-vehicle shoppers, most Legends are getting up there in terms of miles but are still very viable choices.
Most Recent Acura Legend
The second-generation Acura Legend was produced from 1991-'95. The sedan was initially offered in base, L and LS trim levels, while the coupe stuck with L and LS throughout its run. The Legend's core engine was a 3.2-liter V6 making 200 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque, mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. In 1993, coupes jumped to 230 hp and upgraded their manual transmission to a six-speed, while all Legends gained dual airbags.
In 1994 a new top-of-the-line GS sedan debuted with the stronger engine and larger 16-inch wheels. The base sedan was dropped, and all Legends added a new grille, bumpers and a power steering wheel that could finally tilt as well as telescope. Its final year, 1995, saw the addition of a limited-production SE sedan with slight cosmetic distinctions.
As with all Acuras, options were limited. An automatic transmission, CD changer and an upgraded Bose stereo were the rare à la carte choices, with leather an option on lower trim levels. Standard equipment included dual front airbags, antilock brakes, alloy wheels, full power accessories, a power driver seat with memory, a sunroof and steering-wheel audio controls. Traction control, keyless entry, heated seats, a power passenger seat and two-tone paint were among the standard items on the upper trim levels.
The Legend was not only good-looking and well-equipped, but rewarding to drive as well. Performance was strong, particularly with the more powerful V6 found on some of the later models. The interior was well-constructed and attractive, toeing the line between luxury and sport. However, headroom was iffy for taller drivers, and the backseat was a little skimpy on legroom due to the Legend's rare longitudinal engine layout. The coupe's rear quarters were even more cramped, though that's typical for two-doors.
Although most Acura Legends on the road now have high mileage, its reputation for consistently strong reliability makes well-maintained examples an excellent choice.
Past Acura Legend models
The original, slightly smaller Acura Legend was produced from 1986-'90 and available in coupe and sedan body styles. These cars set the precedent for future Acuras with high feature content, quality engineering and impeccable reliability.
User Reviews:
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TRADE IN WORTH. - 1993 Acura Legend
By PAUL GEO - October 3 - 2:00 amHAS BEEN AN EXCELENT CAR.HAS BEEN IN ONE ACCEDENT,BUT WAS REPARED TO ORIGINAL.
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The Legend of the Legends - 1991 Acura Legend
By Phredd - September 25 - 2:00 amPicked up the car 8 months ago after my Hyundai got totalled. The Acura had 154,000 when I got it.. and with a little TLC to get the heat working, and fix some cooling system issues, the car is very nice. Its now got 167,000, and is going strong. About the two worst things are the gas mileage and the missing cup holder... But hey, its not an economy car, and Ive learned to live without the cup holder.
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Dont Sell Yours, Youll Be Sorry! - 1993 Acura Legend
By AC Coupe Lover - September 9 - 2:00 amMy friend and I bought our 93 Acura Legend LS Coupes Type II automatics at the same time. He sold his 1 year later because he wanted to get the Lexus SC400. He said the SC400 had more status. Needless to say, I advised him not to sell. Now that Lexus has more problems than I can keep track of, and thats just the problems I know about. I still have my Legend and I have done nothing but routine maintenance (brakes, tires, oil change, brakes, tires, oil change, brakes, tires, oil change)!
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The last car I will ever buy - 1995 Acura Legend
By msmchele - September 2 - 2:00 amI just barely squeaked in my 3rd Legend at the end of the 1995 model year. Although I dont drive a lot, every one of the 39000 miles I have put on this car have been enjoyable. Even after 8 yrs, I still get comments on it where ever I go. The service managers at the Acura dealers want to buy it from me on the spot and they tell me NOT to ever trade it in on anything else,even a new Acura because the Legend is a legend in its own time and will never be duplicated. I love this car! No problems of any kind, I will never give it up!
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LEGEND - 1991 Acura Legend
By dizyblonde2k3 - August 29 - 2:00 amWhen i bought my Acura, i didnt know how good of a car that it was. I had it for like a week and everyone was telling me that i had a great car. Everything was awsome in my car,the sun foor,the sterio,the gas,everything. Well eveything exept it didnt last through its first accident. I had it for 5 months, and my boyfriend got into an accident with it and totaled it.
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Legendary - 1994 Acura Legend
By Legendary - August 27 - 2:00 amTimeless looks, good from any angle. A smooth ride combined with good noise dampening takes your mind off of whatever traffic conditions you are in. Add to that an 8 speaker Bose sound system with an excellant climate control system and you are in drivers bliss.
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Rather nice value - 1991 Acura Legend
By bpeterson272 - August 21 - 2:00 amPurchased from private owner. Very clean, no corrosion. Leather seats holding up quite well, particularly for 218,000 miles. Tight handling, peppy acceleration for a large sedan. 23-25 mpg highway, 20-23 mpg city. Noticable wheel vibration traced to lug nut torque. AC tempermental, traced to temperature sensing circuit. Radio antenna retraction a bit erratic. Not too many 12+ year old cars I have driven feel like this much life left in it. Would buy another tomorrow.
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Beautiful, Dependable Car - 1990 Acura Legend
By mrs_rockefeller - August 18 - 2:00 amI bought this car used in 1992 with 12,000 miles on it. I put probably 50,000 miles on it in the next 3 years, but now work out of my home, so put very little mileage on it presently. It has always been great fun to drive, and the styling is so nice that I cant tell you how many offers I have of people wanting to buy it -- even now! The best part though, is that this car has never EVER been in the shop for anything other than scheduled maintenance. It has never broken down and left me stranded somewhere, or failed to start on a cold winter morning.
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Awesome - 1995 Acura Legend
By Sarada - August 18 - 2:00 amThis car has kick, very comfortable, has every feature imaginable, safe, large trunk, and classy. Wish it got better gas milage for the environment, but this is the cost for a powerful car. I got up to 110mph easily, and I felt like I was going 60mph! Its smooth riding, and the Bose sound system is awesome. I have really found my dream car!
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A Classic - 1994 Acura Legend
By JayGee - August 14 - 2:00 amI bought this certified used car from the dealer in 1997 with 30,000 miles. I now have over 100,000 miles, with no major problems. The reliability of this car is awesome. My only problem is rust. I have to take it to the body shop every spring to stop the cancer from spreading. As a result, it still looks beautiful, and it runs as well as the day I bought it. I plan to keep it indefinitely, because I just dont see any other car that I like as well for less than $50,000.
