Acura CL

fastdriver · June 2001

mdaniel-

Maybe the name is a misnomer. I'm not out racing everybody or doing jackrabbit starts at every stoplight! When I'm on the highway, I like everyone to get out of my way. I like to go about 75 or so depending on conditions. I now have 5,400+ miles since 3/28/01! The longest trip so far has been to Keene, NH- about 120+ miles or so. I have never gotten less then 20MPG since day one. I see that you go to acura-cl.com too. What's your user name there? Mine is the same as here.

canadiancl-

I don't know if you go to http://www.acura-cl.com or not, but you should. It's a LOT more active then this is and there are a ton of people to answer your questions. There has been a lot of talk there about some "actuator" towards the back of the engine that has been failing. It kicks in around 3,800 RPM's. If this is defective, this could be the cause of the sluggishness that you're talking about. Go to that site and do a search for that word. There are even pictures there to show you where it is and how to test it to see if it works.

Good luck.

fastdriver

mdaniel · June 2001

fastdriver, I go my mdaniel over there too.

canadiancl · July 2001

I go by CanadianTypeS over there.

mrdeeeno · July 2001

i find that the mb gated shifter isn't as smooth as the cl's. it's got a thinner shaft and is "springier" which makes it feel a lot notchier and noisier than the cl's.

i'm so used to it on both cars that i just pull it back without even looking, but the cl's has a more robust feeling on it's way back.

canadiancl · July 2001

But I've often wondered what really is the purpose of having a gated shifter? Does it have any practical or technical advantage over a standard shifter?

mrdeeeno · July 2001

i think the gated shifter things is just a "form" thing with no real functional advantage, except it makes it easier to incorportate sportshift into the lever instead of using separate buttons or paddles.

if anything, it's a luxury rip off of benzes considering the earliest benz i remember us owning has had it ('80something).

cyranno99 · July 2001

mdaniel - I should read my manual, thanks for reminding me.

canadiancl - I rarely look down when I shift. So I do it by feel. When shifting into Park, just remember to go slightly to the right and do it firmly. When shifting into other gears... of course, move slightly down and left. Quick firm shifts are fun... auto or manual

Another thing about gate shifters - Nissan/Infiniti is starting to use it as well. I believe the shifters reduces the chances of shifting into the wrong gears while cruising. I had a knuckle head passenger who knocked my gear into Neutral once in another car..... good thing she didn't knock it hard enough into Reverse. Another thing, Chrysler didn't use the gated shifter for their LH cars in the past when they have the autostick.

canadiancl - you might want to check your oil fluid level again since you mentioned that your car's performance changed after the oil change. Too much oil will do that.

canadiancl · July 2001

Thanks for the suggestion.

crownking2000 · July 2001

Just put down a deposite for a silver CL-S with nav, "decor" package, rear spoiler for $33388.98, TTL included in the price, is this a good deal or not? Thanks for any input from you guys.

obiwankenobi1 · July 2001

That sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Being an auto broker, I know you are paying probably about $300 - $500 over invoice, so go for it. I would ask to see the invoice price on the "decor" package, but they probably won't show it to you.

Obi
1990 BMW M3 Alpinweiss II

cyranno99 · July 2001

canadiancl - which suggestion? Anyway, glad to be of help

crownking2000 - Hmmmm, it does sounds like a good deal. Not sure what you meant by "decor" package. You didn't try to add the all-weather mat and trunk tray? Oh well, you'll love the car

canadiancl · July 2001

cyranno: the one regarding checking whether the oil was overfilled.

crownking2000 · July 2001

obiwankenobi1 and cyranno99, thanks for your timely response, can't wait to pick up my kissass screamer :)The "decor" package consists some sort of silicon sealant, splash guards, wheel locks, and tint window, I think, not sure on this though.

scimitar15 · July 2001

scimitar15 · July 2001

I own a 99 CALL 2.3 with a manual and I really like it. The performance is not great (but not bad) and I am seriously looking into a CL 3.2 or possibly the S version. I do have a comment on the fit and finish of both Cls. Has anyone noticed the rather poor fit of the body panels? On the older 2.3s the panels fit very bad where the passenger's front part of the door meets the back of the left front fender. On some cars, the fit is so poor the gap on the passenger's side is three times that of the driver's side. Also on many of the cars I've seen the door is noticibly further inside of the fender. Looks wierd.

On then ewer Cls the door/fender gaps are better but still marginally worse than what I've seen on American cars. However, the gaps around both the hood/fenders and trunk/fenders are off by quite a bit from side to side. It's not what I would expect from a more "high line" car. Maybe it's just me but the difference in gaps does not match the otherwise excellent reliability and execution of both versions of the CL line. Has anyone else noticed these as well?

cyranno99 · July 2001

for some reasons, I imagined there would be some sort of gold trim included in it. Gold trim looks nicer on white or black color cars - definitely not good on the old Sundance Gold.

scimitar15 - you're right about the gap. My car's hood has enough of a gap on the left side to stick a pen in there. Only if they can make is fit like the Maximas that we have. Other than that, I am ok with the rest of the fit in my car.

jrent · July 2001

SCIMITARI15 Just got my CL/s in March enjoying the car but I'm really irritated by the gapes and poor fit. My trunk has a wider gap on the left side vs. right side which is a hair line fit. The doors do not fit flush and every time I look in the rear view mirror the lack of smooth lines is distracting. Any one have any suggestion on how to remedy? I traded my Infiniti, and the fit and finish were excellent however preformance was lacking - did I trade quality for power?

fastdriver · July 2001

Current edition of Motor Trend- Long term test of the CL-S- NO problems, no expenses for repairs! I have to concur. I NOW have 6,000 miles on my car since 3/28/01! Way more then I should have and way more then any other car I've owned in such a short time. I love driving this car! The best I have ever owned!

Also- 6-speed manual IS coming for the 2002 CL-S according to Motor Trend.

fastdriver

scimitar15 · July 2001

Jrent, cyranno99, thanks for the feedback. I wonder if this is a design problem inherent with the car or if it just shoddy workmanship. I have not seen other Acura products with poor fitting panels on other models, just the CLs. With the price they charge I would think the panels would be more towards (granted, not quite) the BMW/Infiniti crowd. Jrent, I know what you mean about the spacing around the trunk. I have seen some CLs that have virtually no gap on one side of the trunk or hood. It makes me wonder if the trunk/hood lids scrape against the fender. Course, on the other side the gap is indeed wide enough to put pens, pencils, and even my little finger through it.

canadiancl · July 2001

I could go on and on about the poor fit and finish on the CL & CL-S. It spoils what could have been an excellent car. On mine, the hood is skewered slightly to the right. So the gap on the driver side is noticeably wider than on the left. There is also a gap between the driver-side headlight assembly and the front edge of the fender. Also the front of the driver door sits about 1/10th of an inch lower than it should, so the horizontal crease does not line up with the crease on the front fender. The dealer has made 3 separate attempts to fix the problems, but they have only been able to make marginal improvements. In fact, after trying to re-align the hood, the hood now requires a couple of slams to close. So I don't really want to risk further "adjustments". It may do more harm than good!

drrobert · July 2001

I'm considering a 2001 CL-S and have a few questions.
Any help would be very appreciated.

1- Price - I was quoted $28,200 w/out nav. (NY area)I didn't even haggle yet. But since this is late in model year, I should be able to do better, what with 2002's coming soon. Anyone agree?

2- Transmission - I test drove the car yesterday and I noticed the same transmission characteristics as I did with my '93 Legend, and also '88 Civic. I floored the car at about 10 mph and no surge in acceleration, like there's a "dead spot" in the tranny. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

But the sport shift cures that. The thing is, can you use the sport shift 100% of the time? Can the tranny take hard use on a consistent basis?
I test drove the Solara SLE-V6 and the auto cranny was super smooth and always ready to rumble. Not sure the CL's tranny is as good.

3- Handling - The steering seemed a little light.
I though my '93 Legend handled great, perhaps better than the CL-S, but maybe because of the feel of the steering, which is heavier on the Legend. Any thoughts? Also, I now have '96 RL, (lease is up in a mo.) The car gets a little ponderous over 90 mph. Not so with the Legend.
How is the high speed handling/stability on the CL-S?

4- Stereo - The stereo sounded ok, but not quite as clear and powerful as I expected. I would expect something better for a car in this price range. (But it did sound better than the Solara's
JBL.) Am I right about this?

Thanks a lot for any advice.

mdaniel · July 2001

You must have driven a defective car. If I floor it at 10mph in either sportshift or full auto, it will downsift to 1st if its not already there. Then it accelerates so hard the front wheels almost come off the ground. And if I keep it floored during the 1-2 shift at redline, the tires will chirp. I have a CL type S.

drrobert · July 2001

Thanks mdaniel

Yeah, maybe the car was defective. Good to hear that you haven't had a problem. Before I buy the car, I'll check it out carefully.

What about the handling, is it as good as I've read?

mdaniel · July 2001

I think the handling is very good. My previous car was a 92 Integra GS hatchback. My initial impressions were that the CL has much less understeer than the Integra. Compared to the Integra, the CL turns like its on rails. I've never done any real high speed runs, but it cruises geat at 80. Feels more like 60. I've done 100 a couple of times and it felt fine. My dad has a 94 Legend sedan. My CL blows it away in every respect but one: He can make a U turn in a residential street. I cannot.

drrobert · July 2001

Yeah, I've read about the large turning radius.
But you cant have everything, I guess.

Well, the dealer just called me a minute ago to see if i was ready to buy. This may mean I can negotitate the price down. He said dealer invoice was 28,000, and he wanted 200 over that but I checked and it is 27,700. Also, a 2001 should be discounted as it is late in the model year. I'll maybe offer 27,200 and start from there.

By the way, what color should I go with?

mdaniel · July 2001

I got silver. The choices for the Type S were white, black, silver, red, or gold. I just had a white car for 8 years, so I was ready for something different. Black is too hard to keep clean. Red and gold aren't me. So I got silver.

phatnastycat · July 2001

It has been reported on Acura-cl.com that you can get a Type S in Blue, though most dealer salespeople aren't aware of this.

I recommend checking out this site, as it has been a world of info to me (someone who is also looking at the CL for my next car).
Later-
PNC

mdaniel · July 2001

Yes, the Type S is now available in blue. But I think its a 2002. So if you're looking to get a deal on a 2001 because its last year's model, blue won't work. You can have my silver 2001 Type S with navi and 23,000 miles if the 6 speed ever shows up.

mb710327 · July 2001

Having had both a silver and black colored honda. Silver is elegant and easier to maintain than nighthawk black. But the choice is yours. Can't wait till the 6-speed CL Type S comes out. Can you say 0-60 in just under 6 seconds. Yeah babe.

obiwankenobi1 · July 2001

Not every 6 speed is faster than the automatic!

If the CL Type S has a 0-60 time of 6.7 seconds, then a 6 speed will most likely do it in about 6.0 to 6.1 flat. Just an opinion, but I would put money on.

I have heard that some auto Vettes are faster then their 6 speed counterparts!

Obi
1990 BMW M3 Alpinweiss II

mdaniel · July 2001

What would make an auto faster 0-60 than a stick? Do you think maybe it only applies to high HP, high torque cars where manually controlling all that power is difficult. Either that, or they blew it designing the gear ratios on the manual.

cyranno99 · July 2001

Well, the automatic that claimed to be faster than a manual comes from Audi. They are saying that their new CVT will be more efficient and better performance than your standard manual transmission. Yup, some 4-speed auto Vettes are almost as fast to 60, but the 6-speed is still better overall.

But the time of 6.7 sec is not carved in stone - conditions vary.

mdaniel · July 2001

The CVT makes sense since it can hold the engine at max torque and let the car catch up. How much power are they pushing? Honda's cvt is limited to something like 120hp which makes it useless in most cars with decent performance.

cyranno99 · July 2001

Sorry, I can't remember, but someone gave me a link to an Audi website, somewhere on their site, that stated the CVT will be mated to the V-6 in the A4 that will come out next year. We'll see.

Yeah, Subaru used to have CVTs on their 4-bangers as well.

obiwankenobi1 · July 2001

I'd rather have a 5 or 6 speed myself. Just feel like you are more in control of the vehicle.

Obi

mdaniel · July 2001

Obi, I feel the same way. I miss the control and fun of the manual. I can't wait till the 2002 CL-S shows up with the 6 speed. Assuming the rumors are true of course.

drrobert · July 2001

Too bad the blue is not out until 2002 or I would have gone with it.

From what I've read, the CL-S paint quality is not as good as it should be, and that it chips easily. Is this correct? If so, another reason to stay away from black. What about the stuff I've been reading about, from Zaino? Should I get this?

mrdeeeno · July 2001

the blue is out for the cl-s. i think it was the replacement color for the pimpgold.

canadiancl · July 2001

would diminish the fun of having a manual, IMHO

mdaniel · July 2001

The stories about the paint are true. It is pretty thin. Zaino is good stuff. I use it on my silver CL-S. No wax will deflect stones, but it will make it shine. Silver is a neutral color. It never looks terrible, but it never looks as good as say black or red. See my web site at www.msdcomputer.com/cl for some pictures. I've noted which cars have Zaino. That includes my silver on page 3.

The CL handles well for a big car so I still think a stick would be fun. Not in the same class as an RSX-S or S2000, but still better than what we've got.

fastdriver · July 2001

drrobert-

The blue is out now and has been for several months. Finding a 2001 model in this color could be a problem, but the dealer can do a search for one. OR you could get the red.

Click on my name above to see my CL-S AND that ZAINO shine!!

As for the paint, I find it 1,000 times better then what was on my 99 Chrysler 300M! I had chips on that THING the first week!

You'll love this CL. I already have 6,200 miles on my car and I JUST got it on 3/28/01!! Just can't stop driving it! Also, have never gotten less then 20 MPG in all kinds of driving- mostly around town.

You're better off getting a 2002 model because the 2001 models are already a year old and have depreciated. The BARGAIN you THINK you're getting now, isn't really a bargain. You most likely can do just as well with a 2002 model.

fastdriver

drrobert · July 2001

Fastdriver

Thanks for all the advice.

About the depreciation, this is true, the deal I get on the 2001 is front ended, I'll lose on the back end as the car is worth less when I sell it.

For me, I'm maybe ok with that, because I plan to keep the car for a while, and money now may be worth more than money later (I hope!).

Unless you think I can get the same kind of deal on the 2002?

obiwankenobi1 · July 2001

How much does the CL-S weigh? That will definately make a difference in how the 6 speed will mate with it.

If it is too heavy, it will be like driving an 850i with manual (which I have heard is like controlling a whale with a stick!).

Just my 2 cents.

Obi

bc01cls · July 2001

Really no heavier than a Mustang Cobra. Acura CL-S is around 3500# and change. After owning mine for a year though, I think the 5spd auto suits the character of the car. Not a "slot racer" by any means; with the Comptech sways it does very well. I won't be running out to buy a 6 spd version CL for the '02 year since they'll probably be harder to sell in this kind of a car.
Would be a tick faster though.

canadiancl · July 2001

I wouldn't have bought a manual CL-S even if it was available for '01. The CL-S is more a grand tourer than a street racer. The sportshift works just fine for the type of car the CL-S is. I'm not saying a manual is not fun, but it has to be in a smaller/lighter car, something no bigger than a Bimmer 3-series or a Prelude.

cyranno99 · July 2001

Well, I just hope that they could trim the weigh a little more so that they can stick a 3.5L engine without making it as heavy as a Caddy

canadiancl · July 2001

have to relocate the parking brake if they put in a 6-speed?

s852 · July 2001

Besides the 6-speed manual transmission, that I've already heard about and don't want, what else will be new for 2002?

mrdeeeno · July 2001

why would they ahve to move the parking brake?

mercedes has a foot parking brake for their manual cars, except the slk which has a hand brake for auto and manual.

mdaniel · July 2001

I'd feel safer if the parking brake wasn't a few inches away from the clutch. I don't have eyes on the bottom of my shoe. I'd hate to accidently catch the corner of the e-brake with the left edge of my left shoe.

Acura CL

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