Road Test: 2011 Honda Legend

Review by Phill Bertolus - 28/November/2011

A new six speed sequential paddle shift transmission heads up Honda's range topping 2011 Legend model refresh.

The already sporty yet conservatively styled car now launches with even more ripsnorting acceleration than the 2010 version it replaces thanks to the company's highest powered production engine coupled to “Super Handling” all wheel drive via even more ratios than ever.

As a product clearly designed to compete with the like of BMW, Volvo and Lexus, the Legend is somewhat at odds with the market positioning many perceive for the marque here in Australia. Different passengers expressed surprise at the quality and feature levels as they sank into the sumptuous leather upholstery. “Wow this is pretty good for a Honda”.

The company brands its high end luxury and sports models as Acura in other geographies, for example in the US this car is the Acura Legend. With a price tag nearing the $80,000 range, many buyers would start questioning the brands position since most Australian Honda sales are in much lower market segments.

However, a short sharp squirt of fly-by-wire VTEC sequentially paddle shifted SH-AWD power soon answers that question.

Drive: 4.5/5

As with the earlier version of the Legend there's a hint of the bristling-with-technology ride given away by the LEDs lighting the door handles.

Getting setup to drive in the Legend is a question of locating the controls for the power adjusted seat with forward, aft, height and tilt. Then there are electric motors to adjust the height of the steering wheel, and the mirrors.  In short it's pretty much electric everything.

Once positioned the driver presses and holds button 1 on the door to save the settings. Driver 2  can do likewise (I'd only need one button – as driver 2 can get their own car). 

The driver identification system even extends to “his and her” keys where the act of unlocking the door triggers the electro-mechanical servants.

The electric seat adjustment features are also found on the passenger side, although it stops short of passenger recognition and memory.

Maneuvering in and out of parking spaces is made easier by the reversing camera, but it lacks the various lines drawn on the screen indicating how far the car is from objects.

Road noise is often worse with low profile high performance tyres like those used on Legend. Noise from rough road surfaces are dampened with tyres that have high sidewalls. To compensate designers go to great lengths using special bushings and subframes to isolate vibration. 

Wind noise is another intrusive noise source. To defend against the intrusion an acoustic windscreen dampens vibrations caused by wind.

Using the sound system to actively cancel out noise is another line of defence. What do get if you cross noise cancelling headphones with a car? A Honda Legend. 

External microphones pickup noise that is normally heard in the interior of the cabin. These signals are played back through the Bose 10 speaker sound system “out of phase” removing the intrusion in precisely the same way a set of noise canceling headphones would. The result is simply stunning.

The days of a car radio being just a humble radio are long gone. As well as listening to external microphones to cancel noise, the sound system also adjusts the volume level according to the cars speed. The radio is, however, still stuck in the analogue era with AM and FM but overlooks DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) which is available in BMW offerings.

Reviewing the extent of the SH-AWD's performance capability is waaaayyy beyond this reviewers driving powers.

SH-AWD is obviously years ahead of those early active torque distribution systems found in cars like the early model Nissan GTR. Legend boasts the ability to split power left and right as well as forward and aft.

Accelerometers measure the G-force in all the various directions and then in tandem with other sensors the computer decides which combination of wheels should receive what ratio of propulsion. The net result of all this computerized wizardry and torque distribution technology is vehicle that would be at home on club day at the raceway with astonishing powers of stability.

The closest I came to using anything of the SH-AWD's ability was on a rainy day at the traffic lights when a Yamaha R1 motorcycle pulled up in front of the traffic. Where the R1 fishtailed at the limit of its single rear wheel's traction, the Legend just launched with breathtaking computer controlled fly-by-wire SH-AWD 6-speed sequentially shifted  acceleration. And the exhaust note sounded great! The Legend earned a “what is that thing” look.

SH-AWD is in a world of its own on slippery surfaces, which let's face it, we don't get a lot of in Australia. While sophisticated traction control is more of a necessity in North America, Northern Europe and Japan where snow and ice are common hazards for months of the year, it really seems like a very expensive luxury here with very limited use. I dare say the snow button on the dash would literally never be activated by Australian drivers.

Engine: 4.5/5

Power for the Legend comes from a 3.7 litre V-TEC V6 engine.

Unlike other V-TECs in Honda's range this one has the ability to adjust cam timings for both the inlet and the exhaust valves, whereas previous engines could only do this to the inlet side. However, unlike the V6 engine found in the Accord this one is not equipped with the fuel saving ability to shut cylinders down.

Where the Accord can configure its engine to 3, 4 or 6 cylinder modes, Legend's J37A2 version is more powerful, at the expense of fuel saving, engaging all 6 cylinders full time. In fact the consumption is so heavy, this reviewer felt guilty driving it about town. Honda claims 14 litres/100km in town, but I was able to do better, regularly seeing a miserly 13.6 on the screen. But my grandmother may've asked me to speed up a bit. Legend's all wheel drive also contributes to the guzzler type numbers.

The other side of the coin of course is power. At 226 KW with a torque curve which is essentially flat between 3500 and 5500 rpm and peaks slightly at 370Nm at 5000rpm this car goes and does so very smoothly.

Added to this mix the fact that there is no cable between the accelerator pedal and the engine's throttle. The engine management computer “listens” to the driver's commands from the accelerator pedal and decides how best to respond, adjusting inlet and exhaust cams, fuel injection and ignition timings, while taking into account exhaust gas sensors, RPM sensors to name but a few of the myriad on board this machine.

As the engine revs out with the car propelled to an obscene speed within seconds the exhaust note impinges on the tranquility of the cabin. It's about this time you begin to wonder how much effort the engineers went to making sure it sounds good. I would defy anybody to remain unimpressed with the experience, particularly as the outward appearance is so conservative.

Power from the grunty V-TEC engine is handled by an all new 6-speed transmission, dubbed a Sequential SportShift. Changing ratios can be done by using the “gear stick” mounted in the console or by using, what Honda terms, the “race inspired steering wheel paddle shifters”.

Essentially the paddle controlled Sequential SportsShift isn't a manual transmission in the style of Volkwagen's computer controlled manual DSG system. It's a very clever computer controlled conventional architecture automatic gearbox with a locking torque converter.

The six transmission ratios operating in conjunction with a torque converter either locked or unlocked produces a myriad of combinations. The computer is always overseeing the driver's every command ready to override any sudden urge the pilot may have to hit the paddles too often. In fact the manual states that transmission management won't stand for anyone going beyond +2 or -2 of the “correct” choice.

Acceleration of this car is pretty new to the Legend considering the old 5 speed transmission copped a lot of criticism. Honda says the new unit is able to perform so well because they've beefed up the torque converter with a multi-clutch design that can handle higher maximum torque as well as a new larger lock-up assembly.

Heat buildup is reduced with new multiple lockup disks and so now activates under more conditions. Honda says one of the benefits of locking out the torque converter more frequently is improved fuel consumption.

Once the engine management and transmission management computers have tuned all the various bit and pieces and selected the right gears, it's the turn of the SH-AWD to figure out which wheels should be driven.

Exterior: 3.5/5

While the deceptively small looking profile disguises its Ford Falcon like dimensions, this car is tad on the podgy side tipping the scales 1875Kg.

The overall look of Legend's 4995 mm long, 1843 mm wide body tends towards conservative end of the spectrum. The current shape was originally introduced in 2009 when many of its design elements were refined from the earlier version but translated to sharper more modern language while retaining an unadventurous anonymous flavour.

While the shape is bolder than its predecessor most people would simply walk past just another vehicle in the car park, which would delight its potential buyers. There's no doubting that this car can be left anywhere without the risk of being “keyed” despite the integration of a rear spoiler.

Safety: 5/5

A number of safety features come standard with the Legend, including:

Airbags (Front, front side and full-length curtain), EBD (electronic brake distribution), emergency brake assist, active front head restraints, ESP (vehicle stability assist with traction control), seatbelt reminders and headrests and front seatbelt pretensioners.

Combine these features with a 5 Star Ancap rating and you get one very safe car from the people at Honda.

Interior: 4/5

The car interior is the part of your car you spend the most time looking at and in contact with.

The Legend features an elegant leather upholstered interior with seating for 5  people. The front seats have electric heating for those cold winter mornings, while the rears get an electrically operated sun shade and even side shades (but those are manually operated).

Aircon is a dual zone dual mode climate system complete with a pollen filter perfect for hay fever sufferers (like this reviewer).

A sun/moon roof with various air foils to prevent wind noise together with a roof liner colored cover to hide it away when you don't want a skyward view through the glass.

Legend is bluetooth friendly. Once “paired” with the audio system  the driver's phone becomes a hand free unit controlled by steering wheel mounted buttons. As long as the phones bluetooth setting is set to “always on”, getting in the car while leaving the phone in your pocket has Legend magically taking control of it.

The elements of car interior design—comfort, noise level, aesthetic appeal, ergonomic layout, durability—have a great impact on a consumer's purchasing decision. Plastic auto interior parts address all of these aspects, and more, in a remarkably effective and efficient manner.

Overall: 4/5

A classy, safe, reliable car, the Honda is best summed up with two words, "Super Handling". Navigating the road with grace, the Legend has superb traction control through the use of all 4 tyres.

The main problem with the Honda Legend is not with the car itself. It stems from our perception of the Honda brand. Too often we think of Hondas as reliable, value for money, well priced cars. With the Legend pushing $80,000 AUD, this hardly meets these expectations.

Here is a common conversation we had about the Legend:

"Wow, this is a great car, it's so smooth and sounds amazing, how much would one of these cost?"

"About $80,000"

"80,000 for a Honda? No Way".

Despite the hefty price tag and the high fuel consumption, it still is a classy, safe, beautiful car.