Acura CL
Estimated99---
A short time after taking delivery of my 99 3.0CL
I noticed a funny burnt smell emanating from under the hood. It was especially notable upon coming from to a stop. At first I thought it was probably some coating on the engine (or spilled oil) that was burning off, but it did not let up after several weeks. I took it in to the dealer, who discovered a cut in the valve cover gasket(which had to have been there from the factory. They quickly replaced it and I have had no further problems of that type.
My CL is now 10 months old... a little over a month ago I decided to run the AC. I discovered that it did not work. A 'siren' type noise was audible when the AC was switched on. A trip to the dealer uncovered a broken seam in the compressor body.........all the refrigerant had leaked out. They replaced the compressor and related parts, and the critter works again. It took two days in the shop to repair this, as the parts were not readily available. I still like the car, especially because I got a great deal, and think I got a lot of car for the money.....BUT--- my last car was an Integra (made pretty much exclusively in Japan) and I had absolutely no problems with it (that were not caused by the driver) throughout its 165,000 miles. This makes me wonder about the quality control at Acura at present. Will I have more trouble? Does the fact that the CL is built in the US contribute deficiently to quality? Only time will tell.
A short time after taking delivery of my 99 3.0CL
I noticed a funny burnt smell emanating from under the hood. It was especially notable upon coming from to a stop. At first I thought it was probably some coating on the engine (or spilled oil) that was burning off, but it did not let up after several weeks. I took it in to the dealer, who discovered a cut in the valve cover gasket(which had to have been there from the factory. They quickly replaced it and I have had no further problems of that type.
My CL is now 10 months old... a little over a month ago I decided to run the AC. I discovered that it did not work. A 'siren' type noise was audible when the AC was switched on. A trip to the dealer uncovered a broken seam in the compressor body.........all the refrigerant had leaked out. They replaced the compressor and related parts, and the critter works again. It took two days in the shop to repair this, as the parts were not readily available. I still like the car, especially because I got a great deal, and think I got a lot of car for the money.....BUT--- my last car was an Integra (made pretty much exclusively in Japan) and I had absolutely no problems with it (that were not caused by the driver) throughout its 165,000 miles. This makes me wonder about the quality control at Acura at present. Will I have more trouble? Does the fact that the CL is built in the US contribute deficiently to quality? Only time will tell.
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Comments
Make sure you and your SAAB dealer have a good relationship - you're likely to get to know him pretty well. I might be more inclined to look to a BMW 3er, where at least you can custom-order a car without a SR, if you have the patience. As I mentioned in my other post, I like to sit as high as possible, and find the CL/TL to be a compromise in this respect, but it is not a show-stopper issue for me. Generally, EU cars are indeed better about this, and BMW in particular does not seem to flinch at the prospect of producing cars without holes in the roof.
I have read very mixed reviews on the Saab 9-3, and the fact that a redesign is due for 2003 will not help resale values. At least it has a bumper-to-bumper 50k warranty (I hear its needs it!). However my current car is 11 years old next month, 175k miles and counting. I need something new, and soon!
And dare I say it, the plain old Honda Accord [two of which are currently in our garage, at least temporarily], might be something to think about, though most of the 6s are EXs, which means the roof will have a hole. However, it is my experience that the EX V6 is a significantly and noticeably roomier car inside than the TL. Not much cachet, but most of the virtues of the TL at a price that will pay for a lot of vacation or whatever...[EX V6s in our neighborhood change hands pretty routinely at around $22.5-22.8k]. Std equip includes leather, side bags, CD [but no tape]...just a thought...
Solara just doesn't do it for me. Accord might be a possibility, but yes I was looking for something more upmarket this time... hence my original interest in the Acura without account for the headroom problem.
So far the Saab is the only contender... want more choices!
It is part of the speedo display. Only thing missing is an electronic compass.
But, I have no one to blame but myself!!! I saw many of these things when I picked up the car but I didn't want to wait to order another and didn't know if another one would be any better. [It probably would not have been!]
Let us know if your dealer is able to fix any of your issues! Also, you should use the Acura 2001 CL -- Part 2 topic as that's where we're hanging out!
I was looking into getting a corvette as well, and I would get so pissed looking at them. Everything was out of alignment on them, and the interior was cheap and rattled even when new. Not to mention I drove some a year and two years old, they were nasty.
Obi
99 3.0CL
White/Parchment
24,000 great miles
make it, I will check with the manager and see if we can get our own room. Bring your friends!!!
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When I place the car transmission in "reverse", a very loud "screeching" sound comes from the front passenger side wheel.
In forward gear, the sound is much softer, but still noticable.
This sounds to me (am I am not a mechanic) like either a bad wheel bearing or a stuck break pad.
At any rate, I will take to the shop tomorrow (Monday) morning.
I decided not to drive the car on Sunday, so my plans are shot.
I live 120 miles from the nearest Acura dealer, do I am going to take it to my local mechanic.
How does Acura reimburse for warranty work?
Should I have the car towed?
What does the problem sound like to you?
Thanks,
David
THANKS
I drove a Catera and an Acura 3.2TL at the Edmunds Live! event in LA last week. There was no contest between the 2, the TL was far and away the better choice. The Catera was surprisingly gutless, and handled poorly. My opinion only, of course.
As for buyer's remorse, I don't know if that's what I would call it, but yeah, the day after I take delivery of a new car, I would start thinking about what would it be like if I had bought something else. I think all car guys do this. It's like with women. Even if your wife looks like Miss America (mine doesn't), you would still look at, and think about, other women!
Sounds like you got some money you lil' bugger!
Obi
Everybody gets buyers remorse. Don't worry, people are looking at your ride and thinkin the same thing!
As far as my question .. I am ready to buy a black 97 3.0 CL Premium with 18k miles. The car is in decent shape cosmetically and the engine is very quiet. There is a scuff on the very back crease of the trunk which really bothers me. Also, the vinyl that meets the leather is starting to separate on the drivers seat. I also find little white dots on the leather. I feel that the dealer should take care of the cosmetic faults (which he said he would) but we all know how this goes. If they do an average job at fixing these blemishes, Is $18,000 a fair price to pay the dealer?
I won't pay that unless the trunk is touched up and the seats are taken care of. The car was a trade in by an older couple who didnt put many miles on it (6k per year). I think the driver was probably a heavier guy that didn't really take care of the interior. I'll wait until the dealer prepares the car for the final sale then take it from there.
I haven't seen any 3.0CL Premiums less than $18,000 with less than 20k miles. If you have, please direct me to that dealer!
As a loaner, the dealer gave me a '99 CL 3.0. It's nice to be able to compare the two, and to be honest, I'm pretty impressed by the '99's performance. It seems to be a little smaller than the new model, but that fact notwithstanding, it's a pretty quick car. Good, quiet acceleration - better than I expected.
I really like the styling of the '01 much better, but I can see why people would want to own the previous CL models as well. Just thought I'd throw in a good word on a car I had previously be skeptical on.
that and when i see yugos!!
About purchase price. I'll tell you my situation here outside of Philadelphia. Originally, I was going to lease the 2001 3.2 CL. With $1000 down, 15,000 miles a year for 36 months, the dealer offered $469 a month. I then waited (as you should) and I got him down to only 429 a month.
After more contemplating, I decided that buying would be the smarter thing to do. Right now, I am at a standstill. $1,000 down, $530 a month for the CL and $1,000 down, $570 a month for the CLS.
I have been bent over backwards deciding on this topic. I am right out of college and this is my first car buying experience. I don't know if I should spend 25% of my monthly disposable income on the payments or just buy an Altima or something and save up some money.
The price of luxury is costly, but I think it's worth it. This car is an absolute gem. The driver's seat wraps your back like a glove, the acceleration is surprising fast, the interior is very luxurious with all the bells and whistles. Acura is not sneaky since all of their accessories are STANDARD. No hidden charges for options like leather, heated seats and mirrors, 6-CD BOSE(cl) you name it. (except for navigation system).
I say go for it since I think I just convinced myself to do the same. Let me know what YOU'VE been offered so we can compare prices.
Someone above mentioned $429 a month w/$1000 down ... was that PLUS inceptions ??? or was the $1000 - TOTAL OUT OF POCKET ??? I'm also assuming tax was NOT included ...
I thought about buying, but it's just TOO expensive, plus I like new cars every few years. Even if you DO buy it, 4-5 years from now, you'll definitely be wanting a new car, if not SOONER.
My deal is for 39 months/12,000 miles per year, and my payment is $340 per month and that INCLUDES tax (here in NJ) .. my TOTAL OUT OF POCKET money was $2000. Around $1400 of that consisted of down money ...
This car CAN be had at INVOICE -- you just gotta shop around !!!
Hope this helps someone ...
Let me know
As for the person who is selling his CL-S for 26,500, it sounds like an ok deal, but I am more likely to buy new. After tax and financing, it would be just as much if I were to buy a new CL.