I got the Legend when I was in New York a few months ago. I paid $250 and then when I got home, spent a few evenings downloading City Navigator Europe 2008 from Rapidshare. It's fiddly to defeat the Garmin protection, but quite possible - even for a numpty like me.
My reasoning on not paying the extra $50 for the Vista was that I wear a compass on my watch when I'm riding anyway and the compass and altimeter function is known to use more battery power. The Legend will tell you if you're climbing or descending, based on GPS signals, but it won't be as accurate as the barometric altimeter.
My Legend has been BRILLIANT. It's maiden voyage was on the Dun Run and thanks to an expertly put together route, it performed flawlessly. Since then, I've mainly used the postcode auto-routing and it's been really great. I don't miss a compass, because as soon as you're rolling, if you're going the wrong way down the road, it soon becomes obvious. Before I set off, I just check my old fashioned compass if I'm not sure. Pay the extra for a Vista if you like, but if you buy a Legend, you won't really miss any of the fun