Honda Legend: Losing the plot, the Legend was once a misnomer...but is it still?

A legend is a long remembered yarn of heroism, not some weak-plotted tale easily lost in translation. So the old Honda Legend was comically misnamed.

As a Japanese vision of a"sports sedan" for America, it never registered on the 5-series' radar.But with this new generation Legend,Honda-not a company known for geing stunted in ambition or retarded in technology-has decided to flex its muscles. The flabby old body is gone, replaced by something wider, shorter and wedgier. There's an all new 3.5-litre V6,backed up by a massive kit list.

It gets as standard a bewilderingly complex 4WD system, and an active cruise control that gently nudges you into keeping in the middle of your lance,as well as maintaining the right follow distance and braking if you fail to. Honestly, any more driver support and you could put your jim-jams on,doze off and let it get on with the job. It's even got active noise cancellation so your slumbers wouldn't be disturbed.

That 295bhp is smooth and potent-sounding, but not as snappy as you'd want. Blame the overgeared five-speed automatic.
The Legend stil feels like a cruiser, and when you're on a motorway, the lane-keeping works well. A camera watches the white lines, then adjusts the steering to guide your path.

Now, the "super-handling AWD"...In most cars, getting out of shape causes ESP to brake an individual wheel. Which is a negative approach. This is positive: It sends power to the opposite wheel. So it powers its way out of trouble rather than braking its way out. It works a treat on a slippery, snaking track, changing direction with supernatural confidence. Sadly,the steering is numb, and, in the Jap-spec version, the spring and dampers are pretty soggy too.

So although it can be hustled, it doesn't want to be. In the dry, you'd so much rather be in a BMW.
The cabin is swish, with deeply 3D blue-and-red dials and a swooping dash,all done to immaculate quality.Seats are a bit DFS-sofa,though.

Visually and technologically, the Legend has made strides. But, in this Japanese version at least, the driving experience remains strangely bland.
The Civic shows that Honda can make spiced up mainstream cars,so here's hoping the next Euro-Legend is sharper than this.