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:

Showing 181 through 190 of 273.00

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  supposed to be a good one... - 1993 Acura Legend
  By bon911 - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Like to the look and performance. but Ive had too many problems with cooling system and it does cost a lot of fix those problems.

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  Easily my favorite car ever - 1994 Acura Legend
  By legendsareborn - July 30 - 2:00 am

  Of all the cars I have owned in my life, the Legend is my very favorite. I owned an L model prior to owning the faster, six-speed GS, and other than being only slightly less sporty, it was just as fun to drive, and equally reliable. I have owned a 5 series BMW before, and it equals the fun-factor of the Legend. Performance wise, the Legend beat the BMW though. Fun, very fast, and above all, the Legend, unlike a lot of Japanese cars, in my opinion, has loads of character, charisma, spirit. The stereo is simply astounding. Ive never been so satisfied with a car before, and I am not interested in selling it.

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  Great Car! - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Legendary91 - July 26 - 2:00 am

  My friends had an Acura Legend, and I just had to see and ride in the vehicle to know that I liked it. I myself sell cars, and I preferred driving my 91Legend over the several different cars that I sell. I have had no problems at all, and I have 256,000 miles on it. Can a Ford beat that??(NO) Performance on this car is outstanding! Sometimes I like to gun it here and there, especially when Mustangs are around. I have raced 2 Rustang GTs and Beat them both and did I mention that my family car has 256,000 miles on it with the automatic transmission? An 02 and a 98. Its an all around Great car.

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  Mmmm reliability. - 1991 Acura Legend
  By petexii - July 25 - 2:00 am

  I have been researching used cars for around 10 months now, and a few days ago I finally got a Legend.Beautifully styled, loads of features, power, space, unbelievable reliability, it has everything I could ask for in a used car.The ONLY problem I have with the car is the gas mileage.I was an idiot and hadnt checked to see which grade to use so I filled it up with regular, while it takes premium.It isnt the end of the world, but from here out premium gas at around 20 MPG may not be too fun...just motivation to not drive as much and keep the car in better condition!I really believe there is no better car for the money.

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  Legend an excellent car - 1993 Acura Legend
  By Bob T - July 20 - 2:00 am

  bought used in 1997 with 53K miles. Now have 125K miles. Have had no mechanical or electrical problems. Starting to show a little rust. Very happy with car and dealer service

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  CAs Acura - 1990 Acura Legend
  By CA - July 17 - 2:00 am

  Wonderful, reliable car. Good looking, head turner. Maintenance requirements minimal. Good fuel economy for luxury sedan.

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  LS 4dr - 1992 Acura Legend
  By Q. Riddle - July 16 - 2:00 am

  Bought used with 90k, at 93k now and loving it. Everytrhing about the car is just as good as he day it rolled of the line..

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  Pocket-rockets beware! - 1995 Acura Legend
  By 6 Speed Manual - July 14 - 2:00 am

  To sum this up in one sentance: these cars rule. Once owned a 92 L coupe (which I loved), and after the accident, I went and picked up the 95 LS 6-speed. Even for a heavy Japanese car, it flies with the manual (which makes up for the low end torque). 0- 60mph in 6.3 seconds means youll have so much fun smoking ricers and giving 5.0s a run for their money. On top of that, styling is immortal, fuel economy in 6th gear is great and tranny stable (even 30mhp cruising!), and reliability is better than the that of brand new cars. They are Legends ....enough said.

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  Very satisfied owner - 1991 Acura Legend
  By Miquelle - June 28 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the 1991 Acura Legend for almost 3 years. It was 10 years old when I bought it, with only 32,500 miles. We sold our first Acura Legend after 12 years and 200,000 miles of excellent service, with very few problems. The 1991 is better looking with similar comfort and reliability.

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  thought would share - 1994 Acura Legend
  By Cez Z - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I have 210k miles. Looked up some cars in the past but none would drive and look like this. People still stop me to say how great the car looks or if I want to sell. Always do the scheduled maintenance, now only every 30k miles (this is much much I drive a year now). Except for this I didnt spend more than $1k on problems, and the car had to be towed just once over its 210k miles when the ignition messed up. So what I do? I repainted it, just put new leather on the seats, will replace mats and a few things, and drive another 210k miles I guess. And then give it to my son.