http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIy1V0QSWmo

 

Brutal, those Brits.

He mentions the lack of a "sport shift" when you get tired of the paddles ... doesn't the Legend have the +/- tap-shift like ours?

Also, I find it interesting he says the suspension is jiggly and transmits every road imperfection. Makes me wonder if the Euro version got a stiffer suspension ... or if maybe the one he drove was some kind of A-Spec (even though it doesn't appear to have the bodywork).

Last but not least, he cited the "light steering", with no feedback from the road. I dunno, maybe I'm just getting old, but I find the RL's steering nicely weighted. Now, if you have too much air in the front tires it does get a little light, but I run 31 at most, and I get excellent feel and good weighting.

Again, maybe the Legend has some different suspension bits for the European market, or maybe the Legend and the RL are different in several ways.
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I think the Euro version does have the A-spec suspension. I don't know about the sport shift, though. I must admit, though, the car's steering is a little light for my taste. I would at least like for the steering to get substantially stiffer as the car goes faster.

 

The Euro Legend is tuned completely different.

 

Yeah you guys have to remember that over in Europe they are allowed to actually drive, like in Germany on the Autobahn you can drive as fast as you want outside the city limits. What I would do to go over there just once in my RL to see what it can really do. I bet the Euro version can get up, I had a Mustang GT over there and I had it up over 150 MPH.

 

pull it backward to downshift, when in the Manual mode. So the RL does have this option, right ?? DanF

 

Thanks for the link!

As an A-Spec owner, I don't think they had an A-Spec.

I can tell you, having driven my RL with and without A-Spec, that what he says about the steering is true of the non A-Spec RL. With A-Spec, the steering is much less soft, much more precise and the car is easier to keep in a lane as a result. More road imperfections are transmitted with A-Spec, as you would expect, but without losing comfort even on mildly bumpy pavement.

What the reviewer said about the shifter is dead wrong. He describes shifting the lever into manual mode prior to his using the paddle shifters. He obviously wasn't aware that he could use the shifter to do manual shifting. The reviewers, though they have only a short time with the car, should get their facts straight before publishing.

 

yeah, i agree. man...these people. whatever.

they said the thing about the suspension transmitting every road imperfection, they obviously haven't driven other cars taht are even worse. they should drive a chevy s10, and then they'll feel EVERYTHING, i mean, everything on the road. i driven one prior to the RL, and trust me, it is that bad.

they have too much of good things there probably, too picky. so and they take things for granted.

but the bmw 5 series's suspension can't beat the RL's for sure.

 

I do business in the UK four times a year and here is my observations:

1) Outside of major cities, there really isn't that much opportunity to fly. One they have cameras everywhere for ticketing. Two, England infrastruture is way older then US with many two lane roads.

2) Roads are tight and narrow, the RL IMHO is ideal for a wider roads

3) Suspension, if your not on the M-ways, the roads throughout England are not great, or even cobblestone in older towns like Cambridge. Yes you can feel every bump but the roads are not like the US.

4) Another gear I agree with totally.

5) Roomy in the back? They're ok for passengers but overly roomy, I don't think so. Roomy believe it or not is my fathers Toyota 06 Avalon.

As the speaker said, the car was designed with Americans in mind. Why not, the market is alot bigger.

And can you really take the word of people who drive on the wrong side of the road. I had to say that, I have a number of Brits I work with.

 

Actually the car was designed with Japanese in mind. If the RL/Legend were designed with Americans in mind, it would look at feel like the MDX or the TL. The RL is VERY Japanese.

 

I am a fan of German car suspensions. The Germans seem to have mastered the art of great handling and smooth ride. The Japanese have not quite figured this out yet. An example is the '04-'06 TL; handing is excellent, but the ride is generally too stiff.

In my opinion the RL tuned for the US market comes closest, so far, to achieving that terrific German balance of handling and comfort. Toss is Honda reliability and the decision was easy to go with the RL. As for reviewers complaint about numb steering feel, I disagree.

Bob

 

I was responding to the video from the quotation from the commentator.

 

I owned a BMW330xi for 9 months and traded it in for the RL. The ride was so bad that the car would hit bottom on even minor bumps. Very few people complain about it because that don't want to admit they paid so much money for such a bad ride. BMW owners are like a cult that think they have the best car. Hate to tell the BMW folks that the car is not the best or even close.

The RL ride is far superior to the BMW 3 series and has many other features that top the BMW like the Nav and audio controls. Price is also lower for a bigger better car. I would not buy another BMW. Lexus, maybe but passed on a GS350 for the RL 06 which has just as much power and larger interior with lower price among other things.

 

The Rl's ride IS far superior, but the BMW isn't THAT bad either. Compared to the TL, the BMW was better, but compared to the RL, which you get better suspension and so forth since the cars aren't competitors, the BWM wasn't that great. the GS wasn't that great at all, lots of power in the new 350, but i didn't like it. Felt like i wasn't going to get around the bend or that the car didn't want to go around.

 

What, you mean, like they do in JAPAN?

 

BMW isn't the only German out there! How about Mercedes? We also have a VW Jetta that has a terrific suspension balance. Most BMW non-sports are also pretty nice. It usually seems in order for the Japanese to get excellent handling they sacrifice comfort. The Germans find a better all-around compromise.

Bob