Acura Legend

Acura Legend: Which Version Should You Buy?

The Acura Legend Coupe in this catalogue spans two generations: the first generation from 1986 to 1990 and the second from 1990 to 1996. Choosing between them comes down to priorities. The earlier Coupe offers 2.5 MT, 2.5 AT, 2.7 MT, and 2.7 AT specifications, with up to 161 hp and 160 mm of ground clearance.

The Acura Legend Coupe in this catalogue spans two generations: the first generation from 1986 to 1990 and the second from 1990 to 1996. Choosing between them comes down to priorities. The earlier Coupe offers 2.5 MT, 2.5 AT, 2.7 MT, and 2.7 AT specifications, with up to 161 hp and 160 mm of ground clearance. The later Coupe standardizes on the 3.2 MT and 3.2 AT names but includes 204 hp and 230 hp specifications, lowers ground clearance to 140 mm, and provides the catalogue’s only measured 0–100 km/h result. For the strongest output, choose a 230 hp 3.2 MT or 3.2 AT. For the fullest set of measured performance, economy, and weight figures, the 204 hp 3.2 MT is the clearest choice.

Acura Legend generations compared

The first-generation Acura Legend Coupe was produced from 1986 to 1990 and contains six listed versions. Its engine choices comprise the 2.5 MT and 2.5 AT with 2494 cc, 151 hp, and 213 Nm, plus the 2.7 MT and 2.7 AT with 2675 cc, 161 hp, and 220 Nm. Every version is Gasoline, naturally aspirated, FWD, and equipped with a V-shaped 6-cylinder engine using 4 valves per cylinder and distributed injection (multi-point). Manual versions have 5 gears; Automatic versions have 4. Both front and rear suspension are independent, spring type, and ground clearance is 160 mm.

The second-generation Acura Legend Coupe ran from 1990 to 1996 and also contains six listed versions. Every entry is named 3.2 MT or 3.2 AT and uses a 3206 cc Gasoline, naturally aspirated, V-shaped 6-cylinder engine with 4 valves per cylinder and distributed injection (multi-point). Two output specifications appear: 204 hp with 285 Nm and 230 hp with 279 Nm. The 3.2 MT has a 5-speed Manual gearbox, while the 3.2 AT has a 4-speed Automatic. All are FWD, with independent spring front suspension and 140 mm of ground clearance; rear-suspension data is not measured.

Moving from the first generation’s strongest 2.7 specification to the second generation’s 204 hp 3.2 specification adds 43 hp and 65 Nm. Choosing the 230 hp 3.2 instead adds 69 hp over the 161 hp 2.7, although its listed torque is 6 Nm lower than that of the 204 hp 3.2.

Acura Legend engine specs and versions

Repeated names represent distinct catalogue records. In the second generation, the 3.2 MT and 3.2 AT must therefore be identified by output as well as transmission.

Output per litre helps separate specifications that otherwise look similar. The 151 hp 2.5 produces approximately 60.5 hp per litre, while the 161 hp 2.7 produces approximately 60.2 hp per litre. The 204 hp 3.2 reaches approximately 63.6 hp per litre, and the 230 hp 3.2 reaches approximately 71.7 hp per litre. On this measure, the 230 hp 3.2 MT and 3.2 AT provide the strongest output from the shared 3206 cc displacement.

The 204 hp 3.2 should not be dismissed merely because it has less power. Its 285 Nm peak is 6 Nm higher than the 230 hp version’s 279 Nm. Both reach peak torque at 4500 rpm and peak power at 5500 rpm, so the distinction is explicit: the 230 hp specification gains 26 hp, while the 204 hp specification retains the higher listed torque.

Acura Legend performance and fuel economy

Performance and economy data are incomplete, so unavailable figures are stated as not measured.

For a comparison based on measured consumption, the second-generation 204 hp 3.2 MT is the strongest all-round result: 9.8 L/100 km combined, which is 0.9 L/100 km below the first-generation 2.5 MT and one listed 2.7 MT, and 1.4 L/100 km below the other listed 2.7 MT. Its 7.6 L/100 km highway figure is 1.8 L/100 km lower than each first-generation Manual figure.

The first-generation 2.5 MT and one 2.7 MT both return 10.7 L/100 km combined, but the 2.7 MT supplies 10 hp and 7 Nm more. The other 2.7 MT has 11.2 L/100 km combined consumption and a measured 214 km/h top speed; the separate 2.7 MT record reaches 217 km/h while using 10.7 L/100 km combined. The only measured acceleration figure is 8.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h for one 204 hp 3.2 MT, which also has the highest measured top speed at 226 km/h.

Acura Legend dimensions, weight, and clearance

Exterior length, width, overall height, wheel sizes, and fuel-tank capacity are not measured for every Acura Legend version in this dataset. Those values cannot be used to distinguish the cars.

The first-generation 2.5 MT has a measured kerb weight of 1396 kg, producing approximately 9.2 kg per hp. One 2.7 MT weighs 1401 kg, or approximately 8.7 kg per hp, while the other weighs 1407 kg, also approximately 8.7 kg per hp. Kerb weight for every first-generation Automatic is not measured. Gross weight is not measured for all first-generation versions.

One second-generation 204 hp 3.2 MT has a measured kerb weight of 1567 kg, equivalent to approximately 7.7 kg per hp. Its gross weight is 2150 kg, as is the gross weight of one 204 hp 3.2 AT; kerb weight for the 3.2 AT is not measured. Weight data for the 230 hp 3.2 MT and 3.2 AT is not measured, so a reliable weight-per-horsepower comparison cannot be calculated for them.

Ground clearance is consistent within each generation: 160 mm for every first-generation version and 140 mm for every second-generation version. The earlier Coupe therefore offers 20 mm more clearance. All listed versions use ventilated disc front brakes and disc rear brakes.

Which Acura Legend version should you buy?

Choose the first-generation 2.5 MT if the lowest listed displacement is the priority. It uses 2494 cc, produces 151 hp and 213 Nm, and has the lowest measured kerb weight at 1396 kg. Its measured 10.7 L/100 km combined consumption matches one 2.7 MT, however, so the smaller engine does not produce a measured combined-consumption advantage over that particular 2.7.

Choose a first-generation 2.7 MT if you want more output while retaining 160 mm of clearance. Compared with the 2.5 MT, it adds 10 hp and 7 Nm from an additional 181 cc. The stronger catalogue case is the 2.7 MT record with a 217 km/h top speed and 10.7 L/100 km combined consumption: it matches the 2.5 MT’s measured combined figure while adding power and reaching the highest measured speed of the first generation.

Choose the second-generation 204 hp 3.2 MT when documented balance matters most. It combines 204 hp, 285 Nm, 8.1-second acceleration to 100 km/h, a 226 km/h top speed, and 9.8 L/100 km combined consumption in the most completely measured entry. Against the 161 hp 2.7 MT with 10.7 L/100 km combined consumption, it adds 43 hp and 65 Nm while using 0.9 L/100 km less in the combined measurement. The trade-off is 20 mm less ground clearance.

Choose the second-generation 230 hp 3.2 MT if maximum listed horsepower is the deciding factor and you prefer a 5-speed Manual. Choose the 230 hp 3.2 AT for the same 230 hp engine output with a 4-speed Automatic. Both deliver approximately 71.7 hp per litre, versus approximately 63.6 hp per litre for the 204 hp versions. Their acceleration, top speed, consumption, kerb weight, gross weight, tank capacity, and wheel sizes are not measured, so the extra 26 hp cannot be tied to a measured performance or economy gain here.

For an Automatic, the available data supports a gearbox preference rather than a complete performance comparison. The first-generation 2.5 AT and 2.7 AT and the second-generation 204 hp and 230 hp 3.2 AT all use 4-speed Automatic transmissions and FWD, but their acceleration and consumption figures are not measured. The final decision should therefore rest on the documented engine outputs: 151 hp for the 2.5 AT, 161 hp for the 2.7 AT, 204 hp and 285 Nm for the 204 hp 3.2 AT, or 230 hp and 279 Nm for the 230 hp 3.2 AT.