Honda Legend test drive since 2009 sedan

All photos of Honda Legend since 2009

Review of the updated version of the Honda Legend sedan

New Legend, Old Legend, what's the difference? At first glance, the updated business class sedan from the Honda differs from the predecessor only with the even colder squint of xenon eyes and slightly changed proportions of the radiator grille. And on the second
To feel the differences, you need to get behind the wheel, because the main attention of the engineers of the Japanese concern were paid to improving the engine, gearboxes and pendants. But first, look at the cabin. How is it familiar: a panel of devices with a characteristic bluish backlight, a steering wheel with convenient audio control buttons, and indeed everything that is possible, and a traditional central console from pseudo-metal silver-silver color. Fortunately, with a confusing algorithm for the work of the managing joystick, supplemented by numerous buttons, I figured out the last legend, therefore, in order to configure the new Bose audio center with ten columns (including the subwoofer), which is now equipped with this business class sedan and set the necessary positions of the divided In two zones of climate control, it took me a little more than half an hour. It is honest that you can’t call it intuitively understandable to control the legendary equipment, besides, traveling by buttons, I constantly stumbled upon a prohibiting function, the navigation system is not available here, but the cards have not yet been loaded. But, opening the double-leaf doors of the central armrest, I gladly found a real USB port on a short wiring, I don’t need anything else, I insert a flash drive with my favorite music and went! Although no, another second.
Those for whom the presence of a computer connector is not a decisive factor when buying a machine will be interesting to know that the new Legend for the very form is stuffed with high comfort technologies: the Bose Surround Sound audio system reads not only traditional MP3, but also the DVD-Audio format, there is a means of connecting Bluetooth, Handsfree, and climate control is so intellectual that it changes the power of blowing on the sides depending on the position of the Sun, using the GPS navigation data. After that, the presence of parking sensors, the rear view cameras and electrical adjustments of the driver’s and front passenger seats in eight directions seem to be granted. For complete happiness, they also remembered the rear passengers, they added spaces in the cabin and heated the seats, but the legend was used to be addressed for the most part for those who, at the first opportunity, pulled the steering wheel from the hands of the personal driver, because the most buzz is in the drive .

Go
Conveniently settled in a chair sheathed with perforated skin, and remembering my position using one of the two memory buttons, I squeeze the gas and smoothly leave the parking lot. The settings of the gas and brake pedals are friendly and do not make you twitch from the habit, thanks to improved sound insulation and active noise reduction inside very quietly. The Active Noise Cancellation system through two microphone sets in the salon catch low -frequency noises like a hum of release or rubber, inverts them and produces them in antiphase through the speakers of the audio system, so that the motor allows you to know about its existence only when the speed is exceeded in four thousand. The sightseeing is quite acceptable, in addition, the outer mirrors are quite informative, so orientation in the city stream does not bother. A suspension is a little harsh, especially for Europe, configured for better handling, however, it allows you to go through the bedridden without reducing speed without any problems, despite the 18-inch discs, shod in fairly low-profile rubber. There are double transverse levers ahead, a complex multi -link is behind. The enlarged energy intensity of shock absorbers and a more powerful rear reptile stability stability will be needed later on the highway, but for now we are just going, smoothly and leisurely, only at times breaking off the traffic lights to check the 5-speed automatic for thoughtfulness, it will think quickly, the delay at the start is minimal.
You will not often meet the legend on Moscow streets, the car attracts attention, and, tired of the annoying views of the owners of tuned with cheap plastic body kit, I get out in the region. On a completely empty new Kashirka, a 3.7-liter V6 has a 3.7-liter V6 where to walk around. Yes, yes, the legend engine added two hundred cubes in the amount of two hundred, and this clearly benefited him. Two hundred and ninety-five horsepower at 371 nm of torque accelerate Honda Legend to hundreds of seven whole and one tenth seconds of two tenths faster than the last 3.5-liter engine. At the same time, fuel consumption did not increase, according to the manufacturer in the mixed cycle, the engine eats 11.6 liters of gasoline even slightly less than the previous generation. A new 5-speed machine with sports and manual modes is just right for him, although in the Drive Legend position is quite energetic. Well, in the Sport, the box does not switch to an increased gear almost to the red zone of the tachometer, and the engine is in no hurry to drop the speed when you remove the leg from the gas, the legend becomes sharp, the stock of traction is enough at any speed, achievable on a regular highway. The ceiling, declared 250 kilometers per hour, I did not check, there was simply nowhere, but you also feel quite confident in two hundred. To start using a pen, you do not need to make unnecessary movements, just press one of two small petals on the steering wheel, and take control of the programs. I liked the manual mode especially, the ears are small and are very correctly, easily accessible, do not interfere with the steering and do not obscure the steering wheel switches, besides, everything is in order with honesty, the electronics does not seek to challenge the correct choice of transmission by the driver, though when it comes to cutting off , the limiter works very sharply and the car twitches slightly.

The former generation of legends seemed unnecessarily soft on the road, now the longitudinal swing on the waves of asphalt, and the transverse rolls were reduced, and the steering, although it did not become extremely sharp, as the drivers used to the Bavarian cars, but a rather clear zero is traced, the steering wheel is not traced It becomes cotton at high speed and with exchange rate stability full order.
NOTIPICAL FURNITY ARE
Having moved from the road to a rather spacious, even platform, slightly powdered by a fresh snowball, I turned off the stabilization system (it really turns off), cut a dozen circles in a controlled sliding and several times passed the snake between the old tires caring. The way Legend willingly fits into familiar turns at speeds, much more than I got used to other cars, I also noted on the highway, and at the improvised Honda training ground with disconnected electronics instead of getting out of a heavy nose outside the trajectory, smoothly slides with all four With wheels, without losing control, it is enough to load the front axle with the discharge of gas and then slightly add thrust to refuel the car back. The behavior of the legend is predictable and completely devoid of nervousness, under the traction, the car seeks to maintain neutral rotation without sharp demolition of the front and the stern, for which special thanks to the original Honda transmission SH-AWD. This superdevice was on the previous generation, but it would not be superfluous to remind you of such an exclusive.
The Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system was developed by the Japanese wizard Yasuji Shibahat, nothing of the same, perhaps, used on Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Ayc transmission, but AYC has an interace differential, and the super-controlled full-wheel drive system is performed differently.
A lightweight cardan made of composite material extended to the rear axle ends with a planetary gearbox, which, at the command of electronics, switches from a direct transmission to increased. We can say that this is an additional two -stage box with a gear ratio of 0.95. Clutches with an electromagnetic drive are built into the rear half axes, they can be compressed and unclenched independently of each other, as a result, Honda Legend can play a very wide range. The only drawback to the rear axle is transmitted no more than seventy percent of the torque, but these percent can be completely adjusted to the left, even to the right wheel. A small display on the tidy shows how many Newtonometers are currently summed up to everyone. There is somehow no time to look at him during a controlled skid, but with ordinary driving you can see how the torque runs. In calm mode, the legend is actually front -wheel drive, but writing out, for example, the arc of the left turn, you can notice that the rear right wheel receives a large dose of power, the machine as if twists itself inside the trajectory, the slide barely begins, the control is carried out not only by the steering wheel, but also by the thrust .

Get ready for the shooting of the hood
In Honda, they are concerned not only about the safety of people inside the machine. In the Japanese versions there is a system of night detection of pedestrians, however, there is no one on our cars, but there is something, theoretically facilitating the fate of Russians who touched the legend too much. When hitting a person, sensors installed in the front of the car are triggered and the hood is shot ten centimeters up, softening the blow to the engine. Well, at the service of the driver and passengers, the new system of active head restraints in the front seats and the tough body structure of the Advanced Compatibility Engineering body, which does not allow to penetrate the energy from the impact during the frontal collision into the passenger interior. Front and side airbags and curtains with a tipping sensor are included in the standard equipment. According to the results of front and lateral crash tests, Euro NCAP and NHTSA Honda Legend received five stars, making the legend one of the safest cars of its class.
How much is the drive now?
Once upon a time, in October last year, the legendary business class sedan cost 1,785,000 rubles in official dealers salons. Those blessed times have long sunk into oblivion, and the ruble was pretty stubborn, so that according to mid -March 2009, 2,241,750 targets will have to lay out for Honda Legend. There is no choice of engines, the only equipment is all inclusive, which, of course, will scare away and so few potential customers crisis. But what else can you buy for close money? Among the European all -wheel drive sedans of the same class is empty and not so powerful Volvo S80 T6 for 1,693,200 rubles with a three -liter engine (it is strange that prices have not risen since last year), also a three -liter BMW 525i XDRive for 2 009 200 rubles. On a 6-speed pen or, say, Mercedes E280 4Matic from 1,995,000 rubles. But you will have to pay extra for a complete minced meat, or buy not so empty Infiniti M35 AWD Premium for 1,954,200 rubles or the same Infiniti M35 AWD, but in the Elite+Navi configuration for 2,119,900 rubles, in which there will be everything that yours that is your own The soul pleases, with the exception of the exclusive Hondovsky all -wheel drive. Agree, there is something to think about.

Technical characteristics of Honda Legend
External dimensions
Total length, mm 4 985
Total width, mm 1 845
Total height, mm 1 450
Wheel base, mm 2 800
Road clearance (with a driver), mm 150 (135)
The weight
Own mass, kg 1 8681 892
Maximum permissible mass, kg 2 310
Type-dynamic characteristics
Maximum power, L.S. at rpm 295/6 200
Maximum torque, NM at rpm 371/5 000
Maximum speed, km/hour 250
Acceleration 0100 km/h, from 7.1
Acceleration 0400 m, from 15.2
Acceleration 60100 km/h in 4th gear, from 5.2
Fuel consumption
City cycle, l 16.3
Zagorodny cycle, l 8.9
Combined, l 11.6
Gas tank, l 73
Engine parameters
The type of engine J37A3
Contact combustion chamber
SOHC gas distribution mechanism, VTEC 4-valve
Working volume, cm3 3 664
The consumed fuel AI-95
Automatic transmission
Type of automatic transmission hydromechanical
The gearbox is five -speed,
automatic,
with electronic
management
Suspension system
The type of suspension in front is independent, on double levers, independent,
mollycent
Shock absorbers in front/telescopic,
gas -filled