Due to my rising insurance costs, I must get rid of the 5AT TL.
I am very disturbed about this matter, and because I must have liability only insurance to keep rates low, expensive cars are not an option as this will be out of pocket. Onward, I test drove a 5MT 91 Legend LS Sedan last night. I was actually impressed! THese cars have our same 3.2L engine, but 200HP and 210lb/ft torque. I believe '91 was pre VTEC years, but this car 0-40 felt faster than the TL! In fact I'm sure it was as I drove the TL home right after. The only time the TL felt like it had more power was around 6K in 1st. I think this may be because the Legend peaks HP and TQ lower than the TL. Now I am fairly positive (although I didn't try in the Legend) the TL is quicker to 60, but the 5MT legend has been clocked around 7 sec for a manual. Not all that bad considering it weighs nearly the same as the TL, I was also impressed with the handling of the RL for it's size, although not quite up to TL standards, not bad for such an old car. I did like the fact the steering was more connected to the road and not way overboosted like ours. Brakes worked about as great as TL's. Did I mention this car had 160K miles on it?

As far as the rest of car, I was equally impressed. Although not as nice as ours, still nice for 13 years old with heated seats, buttons on the steering wheel, sun roof, and near equal interior size. Stereo still sounded decent which means it was probably very good by 13 year old standards. Good sized trunk too. The seats were quite comfortable and the leather still felt tender. From my experiences the leather seats are probably better than some 04 domestic cars. The exhaust sounded like a finely tuned riding lawnmower, but you can't win em all. The exterior although looking slightly box-ish, is still original which makes it stylish and for the time was luxurious. Anyone on this forum owned a legend previously and can share? How has reliability been?

 

i own a 94 6 spd legend couple, and before that i owned a 93 4dr legend. They are great cars, and was years ahead of it's time.

 

Their is no way that legend would ever be able to hang with the TL. The TL doesnt feel as fast because its soo smooth. If you put them toe to toe the Legend would back done before anything ever occured.

 

The 90 to 95 1/2 legends were way ahead of there times. The biggest mistake Acura made was discontinueing the Legend!! The Legends were 35K and up in 1993!!
I love my TL, but the Legend is the best car Acura ever made.

 

I sold my 91 Legend 5MT last month after purchasing a new TL. A 5 speed Legend is fairly rare, but I loved the thing. It went like a bat, even with 212,000 miles. The beauty of that engine is that you could get some great performance out of it without revving it to 3000+ rpm. Don't get me wrong, I love my TL. But a 5 speed Legend will give an automatic TL a run for it's money from 0-60 unless you go into sport shift mode.

I won't miss the noisy, rougher ride (except at highway speeds) and excessive body roll when cornering, but you could do a lot worse than a 5MT Legend if it's been take care of.

 

word

 

The only thing I would be careful about on a 91 Legend is rust behind the rear wheels. It's a problem with all Legends exposed to snow every year. Also, keep an eye on the cooling system. They seem to be prone to radiator blockages and overheating. They are otherwise excellent cars. I've had (2) 91's. My first one was new from the dealer, an LS and it wasn't cheap....$32K as I recall. I think that the 94's and 95's are great bargains if you can find a rust free one. An even better bargain (I think) is a 96 or 97 RL. You can usually pick on up for around $10K and if you like big fast cars, they really rock.

 

My first car was an 89 Legend and that car was awesome.. 5sp v6 ~190 horse.. it was fast.. and the car had a driver side airbag.. which thankfully in 96 saved my life.. now that I have the TL, I think I'm driving another Legend.. just 15 years later.. =)

 

The Legend is still my favorite Acura. I've never owned one, but love the way they look and drive. Not to mention, they're nearly bulletproof.

I'm sorry you feel you have to get rid of your TL, NightRider!

 

Legend owner here, and I couldn't be happier. The car gets a lot of compliments, the first question I almost always get is "what year is this?". My car hasn't needed any repairs in the 10k that I've owned it, but it can get expensive if something breaks. It does have some body roll in the corners, but the overall handling of the car is good for it's size and can be improved on with a couple aftermarket parts. The power is nice, especially with the manual trans. I'm very happy with the finish (made in Japan), driving feel, power, and reliability, but then again I am came from less prestigious 4 cyl cars. For what you get, the Legend is quite a bargain. Many of the guys on the legend board I frequent have racked up 200k+ miles with little or no trouble, a couple over 300. Other than an occasional headgasket failure (which can almost always be avoided with proper maintenance), the drivetrain is bulletproof and I don't think anyone knows just how long it can last.

I sat in a TL at a car meet, it was a very nice car and the interior is marvelous. However I don't think stepping down into a Legend would be a harsh downgrade if it better suits your financial means. Make sure you get an LS (or GS), and if possible a 94-95 model. The 94-95 has a better style front bumper and gets a 4-way adjustable steering column that ties in with the seat memory. IMO it's the coolest thing about the car.

The RL's are nice, but don't have the same sporty edge as the Legend.

 

I have owned an number of legends and they are great cars just different than the tl. TL is much faster lighter and handles more like a "sports sedan" than the legend. The best one I had was a GS model which is rare but has 230 HP and has a tighter and better handling ride. The legend is bigger and heaver than the TL and for its time had everything you would ever want. Get the GS if you can find one.

 

I have to agree that the Legend is the best car that Acura ever made.

I purchased a 95 Legend 6-speed coupe new and drove it 140,000 miles. I planned on keeping it forever, but the gadgets on the 04 TL won me over. My 6MT TL is a great car, but my Acura coupe is my favorite car of the 14 cars that I have owned over my 35 years of car ownership.

 

I loved my Legend, and like Johnnykuz said, they did have some radiator problems.....that was the only problem I ever had with my Legend until it got into an accident. Great car!!!!!!!!!

 

I owned a 91 Legend before buying the new TL.

Reliability? It had 245,000 miles on it. Case closed.

 

I've owned 3 Legends and the only reason I now drive a TL over the RL is because the TL is the closest thing to a Legend replacement that Acura offers with its nimble steering and array of advanced features.

Only question/suggestion to you is to consider one with 2 doors. The Coupes were really something special, and, because they don't make Legends anymore they really aren't aging on the roads as most probably still think they're being manufactured.







That one's a '94 with the nice GS wheels

BJ

 

i just got a 94 legend for 800$ but it's looking like it needs a headgasket so far. has no rust and custom rims that i hear cost more than i paid for the car.

 

Holy thread revival.

Congrats on the car, head gaskets seemed common for the Legends. There are a few members here who have/had them and love these cars.

 

winner for bringing up one of the oldest threads!!!

 

Pix please. Lots of Legend fans here.

 

A blown head gasket? Yeah, those happen with that motor. People don't do their coolant changes like they're supposed to.

A job well done on reviving a thread from eight years ago

 

Haha I read and thought "Wow, how bad is OP's math?!"

 

If Acura could put today's technology into that 90's body style. They wouldn't be able to keep them in the showrooms.

 

dont sell your car because of your insurance. get new insurance.

 

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