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Acura CL
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Comments
I prefer the front end styling over the rear. I also think the car looks better with a spoiler.
However, I will put my dislike for the S leather aside, when I return my Impala and get a TL-S. Horsepower wins over seating surface. I'll be driving that one!
I will be getting a spoiler on my TL-S, though. That's for sure. Definitely. No question. (If she says it's OK. )
Underbody kits? Nah. Not for me. I think they're for kids looking for that rice-rocket gang banger street racer look. The 2001/2002 CL/TL's aren't Civics or Integras. They are in a different class and, as such, should be adorned accordingly, IMHO. The same goes for 21 inch rims and tailight kits. To me, it basically shows the same taste and class as those huge tires and raised drive kits on pickup trucks and SUV's.
I love body kits. Actually, I currently drive a "rice-rocket gang banger street racer" car with a body kit and spoiler. 19" rims and no taillight conversion though. (garypen...no offense taken and none intended) Only major drawback about body kits, in my opinion, is that most of them are fiberglass, and the polyurethane ones tend to be ugly. Fiberglass cracks easily under stress, which looks ugly. I plan to modify the 3-series BMW I'm buying soon as well, but no body kits unless I can find a good polyurethane one. Definitely big rims though. The TL has a fairly nice factory body kit available, and I think the CL would look nice with one as well.
cyber_x - all you really should get is the sports package. The current 3-series looks nice without any add-ons. I know I guy who drives an M3 with a spoiler and another guy with an M3 without spoiler.... the car without the spoiler looks smoother.
It's funny that the Altima SE has a factory body kit while the Maxima SE doesn't. (they might have changed it)
I think the CL spoiler is $800 from the factory, right? That's just ridiculous. Reminds me...the other day, I went with a friend (shopping for a CL-S) to the Acura dealer. They had a RSX-S on the lot, with a set of 17" chrome (or maybe polished) rims on it. The dealer markup because of those rims was $5,000! I just had to utter a big "WTF" when I saw that. I wonder if people actually pay for stuff like that. Coincidentally, they also had a TL-S with 17" rims and factory body kit behing the RSX, sporting what I believe (if I recall correctly) was a $6,000 markup ($2,000 for the kit, $4,000 for the rims).
I LOVE this car! It's so much quieter than my old GTP and handles like a dream. It's got every bit as much guts, without all the noise that went with heavy acceleration. This car is so smooth and so quick, I constantly find myself doing 80 mph on the highway. Speed limit is 55-65, so I have to be careful. I just don't feel like I'm going that fast. I have to use the cruise control just to stay out of trouble! My radar detector is firmly secured to my windshield just in case I'm not paying attention or if I want to have some fun!
As far as the doors are concerned. I drove a Grand Prix GTP coupe for 6 years. You wanna talk about heavy doors! Plus they were much longer than the CL's. I guess perspective depends on what your comparing it to.
Dee
Congratulations! I got my red beauty on 3/28/01 and already have 6800 miles on it! I CAN'T stop driving it! I, too, absolutely LOVE this car. I think it's the best car I have EVER owned since I was 16! If you click on my name above, you can go to my website and see those past cars.
Luckily I just returned from 18 days in FL AWAY from my car. That has helped to keep the mileage down. The car stayed in the garage here in CT.
I know what you mean by watching your speed. It's so quiet that doing 80 feels like 60. My radar detector is also plugged in!
So far, NO problems! Only been to the dealer ONCE for an oil/filter change for $9.95! Was I ever surprised!
I look forward to 42 months of trouble-free driving. So far, so good. Hope you have the same.
fastdriver
Dee - don't worry about the red color. I managed to avoid a ticket when I missed a motorcycle cop camping out under a bridge. I guess I probably slowed down enough so that he just didn't bother with me.
Weird noise - I noticed a couple of times that when my car is in the garage, there would be a noise that sounds like a cat. Now I surmised that it was probably just my car having a little heartburn.
dealer's guesses are probably less accurate than ours...most aren't enthusiasts, they just sell cars. and it's surprising that they don't know much about the cars they DO have.
my dealer (worked for the dealership for 2 years) told me i have exxon headlights (being sarcastic, i said, "so they offer gas AND headlights now?", and he actually said, "yes.")and the strut tower bar was to prevent the engine from entering the passenger compartment during a crash (so i asked, "if i need to depend on this bar during a crash, why don't most cars have this standard?" and he said, "because it's a special metal.").
It's kind of like going to a restaurant. Check out the menu, ask others that have eaten there, be familiar with the type of food they serve, and you only need the waitress to place the order with.
So, a car salesman is basically a waitress with a tie.
it's just that there are more people out there that care more about practicability, or if not, the potential that htey'll need it later (my grandma wanted me to get the tl 'cuz i'll have a family soon...I HAVE AT LEAST 5 YEARS OF FREEDOM LEFT!)
i don't think that's a bad thing though, it just makes luxury coupes more exlusive (clk will always be more exclusive than a c-class, especially last generations c, mb's cl will always be more exclusive than the s-class, volvo's c70 will always be more exlusive than the s80 or whatever model it was based on, lex's sc will always be exlusive to pretty much their entire line, and acura's cl will always be more exlusive than the tl).
i think the least exclusive from it's sedan counterpart would be the 3-series, but i'm sure the sedan still outsells the coupe.
and from "exclusive", i mean "seen less often".
No doubt it will come along at some point, just as an S Type TL did. There is obvious demand for it.
I like the SS just fine, but I don't get a chance to use it that much in stop-n-go traffic. If Acura makes a F1 shift, similar to the one in the future RX-8, then I would love it. I don't care about this purist view of shifting for myself in a car like this.
I posted a couple days ago about being the proud new owner of a shiny red CL-S. On my way to work yesterday morning, this moron behind me in a Mountaineer decided to reach for a piece of paper on his floor. A brilliant decision in stop and go traffic! I saw him coming in my rear view mirror and hit the gas to try to give him more room, but their just wasn't enough. He plowed right into the back of me. My poor car was only 5 days old. I'm devastated. The back of the trunk has a bad dent and the bumper is all torn up. The Acura emblem is hanging half off. Thankfully, the damage appears to be mainly superficial. They won't know about the frame until they get in the shop and check all the measurements. Damage estimate is about $2,000. I wasn't hurt fortunately, just a little stiff in my neck and shoulders this morning. I just can't believe this happened. Now I have to pay $450.00 a month for the next five years for a car that was only completely new for 5 days. This guy robbed me of my new car infatuation and euphoria. I only buy a new car every 5 or 6 years. This really stinks! My husband is already talking about selling it. We'd both like the guy's insurance company to get us a new one, but we all know, that won't happen. Now we have to take the loss, because of someone else's stupid mistake.
Oh well, it could have been worse. At least I wasn't hurt.
Dee
Sorry to hear about your accident. Glad you're ok though. I have the same car as you and know how I would feel.
FWIW, there was a discussion about the diminished value of a car once it has been hit in the Chrysler 300M topic area. I think that maybe you should look into this and let the insurance company pay you for this too. I never heard about it myself until I read it there. That 300M group is pretty friendly. If you go in there and tell them what happened to you and ask about this, I'm sure that they will advise you. Tell them fastdriver sent you- I used to have a 99 300M! ;-((
Hope this helps.
fastdriver
Thanks for all the support. My husband spoke to the guy's insurance adjuster for quite a while yesterday. He told the guy we wanted a new car to replace the one his client ruined. The adjuster told my husband that the law states that the insurance company is only liable to restore the vehicle to its pre-accident condition. My husband asked about the diminished value when we sell, who is liable for that? He said we could think about consulting with an attorney. If we decided to trade it, we should trade it at the dealer who is doing the body work. Afterall, if their work is the quality that they say it is, how can they penalize me? When asked about why I would have to take a Sunfire or Metro as a rental car when I was driving a $30,000 Acura, he replied that the law says the insurance company is only responsible for providing basic transportation and at least it wasn't a bicycle.
Ugh! My husband got absolutely nowhere with him.
I'm feeling better about the whole thing, though. I even gave the car its first bath last night. With some of the stuff cleaned off from the impact area, it actually looked a bit better. Not great, but better.
Thanks for the advice, fastdriver, I'll check it out.
Dee
I hope everything works out for you. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to consult a lawyer since your car is so new. No matter what the ins.guy says, your car will have diminished value. DON'T give in to these vultures! They collect their premiums, but they HATE to pay out!
Check with your state insurance commissioner's office to see exactly what your rights are re: rental car. I don't know how this works, but I wouldn't believe him.
fastdriver
I used to post in the Accord Coupe message board until I realized my dream and bought a 2001 CL-S with navigation today! It is so awesome. My friends and family think I'm nuts, cause I only had the Accord for 4 (yes...count them...4 months), but I'd been dissatisfied with the Accord from day 1. Nothing wrong mechanically, and I certainly don't blame Honda, it was just so darn bland. Even the spoiler I added didn't help.
I had always thought Acuras were way out of my league, of course after I bought my Honda I found out there really wasn't that much difference between the top-of-the-line Honda Coupe and the Accura CL-S. (Should have been a little more thorough in my research...oh well..live and learn).
But, whatever, I don't need to explain to you-all, you know what an experience it is to own this car. I got the Agean Blue, it is just so beautiful. I think I'm going to sleep in it tonight!
Gotta thank the Acura Dealer for their efforts. They gave me more for my Honda than I could have sold it to a private party, plus sold me the CL at 200 over invoice (including wheel locks and mud flaps thrown in). They were great.
I am just amazed at the power of the CL. Cruising down the freeway is dangerous!!! cause I find myself going almost 90 without even realizing it (good thing I didn't get red)!
This car is just plain awesome, and I'm thrilled to join the ranks of CL owners.
Jan
I'm so sorry to hear about your accident.
I was reading my owners manual today, and it said that if you are in a collision, make sure the body shop uses genuine Acura parts. Tell them you will take your car back to your Accura dealer to verify that genuine parts were used, this might scare them into actually doing what they promise. If they don't, you might have a good chance at a lawsuit.
Maybe your Acura dealer can recommend a good body shop. Good luck...my sympathies are with you.
Jan
That particular dealer was overloaded with Type-S models for some reason this month. I don't think they had a single non type-S CL or TL.
I was interested in the CL and TL, but I don't like the hard ride and noise of the type-S.
You're also on target about their inventory. I think they may have had one non type-S CL, but I did see quite a few CL-S's on the lot (only one blue, though...now I have it!).
I really like the power of the Type S, and after driving the Accord Coupe for 4 months, I actually like the ride of the Acura better.
What else are you looking at besides the CL and TL?
I'm looking at many new cars in a wide price range. I was considering 2002 models of the VW Passat GLX, BMW 325i, Toyota Camry XLE V6, Acura CL/TL, Nissan Altima 3.5 SE and even the Accord EXV6 coupe. I generally prefer sedans, but for the Accord, I prefer the looks of the coupe.
If I get a TL, I will get get a base model with navigation. I do not like the Bose systems in the Acuras though and I am deciding whether navigation or a great sounding stereo is more important.
I can take an Accord EXV6 to GoodGuys and have them replace the front speakers with some high-quality Boston or Polk Audios, and add a subwoofer and an amp and I would have great sound, but the Bose system in the Acuras are more difficult to upgrade. Some stereo shops won't touch it at all.
I can order a 2002 325i and get a great Harmon Kardon stereo system AND navigation, but for around $35K plus tax.
I looked at a 2002 Camry SE V6, but it was outrageously priced at over $30K with leather, JBL stereo, moonroof and navigation and that is with no auto temp climate control! I am not going to spend more on a Camry than I could get a TL for.
Yesterday at the Lexus dealer I got, "well, the Acura is a nice car but you know what, I've had two people trade in CL-Ss, brand new, and you gotta wonder."
I love comparison shopping.
I am a little disappointed in the sound system, I always thought Bose was one of the best, but to me it doesn't sound any better (maybe not even quite as good) as the sound system in the Accord Coupe.
It sounds like you have a lot to choose from, but if you like a little fun while driving, stay away from the Accord Coupe...it just isn't an exciting car to drive.
It's not that difficult to upgrade, despite what you may have heard. My wife is happy with her CL sound, but I am getting a TL-s shortly, and I will definitely have to upgrade. The head unit is fine. It is the Bose amp and speakers, which work in tandem, that need replacement. I expect to pay around $500 for everything, which I will install myself.
BTW, I think CL's are priced to move in Northern Cal. We got ours for a few dollars BELOW invoice, plus free wheel locks, splash guards and logo mats. They're practically giving them away. ;-)
Plus, I got wheel locks, splash gaurds and logo mats too. (I think everyone gets that...my friends with the TL got the same add-ons).
Congrats on your new purchase! Did you get the CL Type-S with navigation? What color?
However, the perforated seats won't keep me from getting a TL-S. I want the extra 35HP, even though I don't feel any difference, quite frankly. I just want to know it's there. I'll slap in a K&N air filter, which'll give it another 10 or so HP. And, I'm getting the NAV. I don't really need it that much, but it looks cool. ;-)
I just hope I can get as good a deal on the TL. They're much more popular than the CL, so I may have to pull teeth.
i think it is viable for them to make it and they know it...because this will probably be the same 6spd in the next accord cpe (the one that is supposed to replace the prelude).