Legend Mk3

Honda’s third Legend missed the mark completely, reverting to a bland style when rivals such as BMW, Benz and Audi were really accelerating ahead in design and functionality.

Now boasting 147kW and 284Nm from a 3.5-litre SOHC 24V V6 and four-speed auto combination, the Legend nevertheless kept up with safety, technology and equipment levels, but these still weren’t enough for it to make any sort of impact.

The slow-selling coupe too vanished from the range, so the Legend reverted to being a single model entity.

Dynamically this generation Legend was merely competent, set up for luxury and refinement rather than driver pleasure.

A host of minor suspension and trim revisions underscored the facelifted Legend from early ’99, which carried on unchanged until it was discontinued in Australia in early ’05.