Acura CL

canadiancl · March 2002

The info is from the Acura brouchure. It says the CL-S has a 100-watt system.

fastdriver · March 2002

canadiancl-

Thanks. Didn't see that. My previous car had 320 watts, but if you turned it up, everything vibrated! ;-)) The best BOSE I ever had was in my 94 Infiniti J-30!!

My car is ONE year old today!! 13,500+ miles and NO problems. Hope it continues this way!

fastdriver

canadiancl · March 2002

The best BOSE that I had (actually the best system that I've had) was the 200-watt unit in my old '95 Maxima. I hear even the BOSE in the current Max isn't as good. I've often wondered why the BOSE in the CL-S sounds so sucky. Maybe the extra 100 watts makes all the difference

[Deleted User] · March 2002

The Nissan/Infiniti Bose systems have the best reputation, I've noticed.
FYI, the TL/TL-S Bose system sounds just as sucky as the CL/CL-S, despite the additional sub-woofer.

Personally, I have never been a fan of Blose products. There's an old saying: "No highs, no lows? Must be Bose!"

mo9 · April 2002

Just took delivery of a Silver 2003CL-S automatic after driving and comparing Lincoln LS Sport V8 and Cadilliac CTS. Both Lincoln and Cadillac were fun to drive but for value and performance you cannot beat the CL. The Cadillac was under powered and was very noisy. My car seems to be perfect so far (350 miles)

canadiancl · April 2002

Any new features on the '03 that weren't on the '02?

fastdriver · April 2002

mo9-

Congratulations! Drive it in good health! I hope your CL-S turns out to be as good as my 2001, 1 year old, 13,800 mile CL-S. Best car I have ever owned!

fastdriver

sphinx99 · April 2002

First, is there a confirmation or denial on whether the differential in the 6sp CL-S is essentially a variant of the ATTS unit from Prelude SH or not?

If it is, any speculation on why it is not offered with an automatic transmission? The reason I ask is that the Prelude SH's miniscule availability was often attributed to Honda's reluctance to pair it with an auto transmission. They felt the market was a bit too small. However the CL-S is a much stronger product (sales-wise) and in spite of that Honda seems to be following the same course by keeping the auto drivetrain and the trick differential at arms length. I guess I'm finding myself wondering whether there's a technical or mechanical reason behind this.

danny25 · April 2002

The 03 now has On Star with the nav system, and of course the new 6 spd. Other than that and the small exterior changes, the features are the same as on the 02.

micks2 · April 2002

so...i've read reports that overall cl sales are rather slim = good deals. but now there's the new, hot, 03 6-speed = no deals?

the dealer i visited had 1 silver, 6 speed. there was no markup, but no talk of discounting.

cars direct is marking up the '03 cl, so i take it that's a bad sign.

the lease deal looks okay, 2.9% 53% resid. for 3 yr 36k.

i want to make an offer on the car, but i don't want to look like an idiot when i ask for a 1,000 off sticker.

what to do?!!!

fastdriver · April 2002

micks2-

Have you checked here in Edmunds? They will give you the TMV for the car. Good place to start.

fastdriver

canadiancl · April 2002

You forgot to say how much you love your CL-S and that it's the best car you've ever owned

jwilson1 · April 2002

Sit tight. Wait. Cool your jets. Chill. Try one each month, a total of four, then go back in and see if you can strike a deal. Having a few on the lot, as always happens, will "surely increase his ardor" as Jane Austen would have said.

How many times has Jane Austen been worked into the discussion?

Take care.
Joe W.

[Deleted User] · April 2002

Ms. Austen is known for getting amazing deals on all her cars.

mrdeeeno · April 2002

according to the helm service manual, the stereo is 180w, not 100w.

[Deleted User] · April 2002

Doubtful. Bose designs their systems to work at lower wattages. That is why the impedance of their speakers is usually so low.

The 180w rating is undoubtadly a peak rating. I'll bet the RMS is no more than 20 watts or so per channel, for an 80 watt total.

It's really a miserable sounding stereo. Honda should be ashamed to put it in the CL/TL. And, Bose should be ashamed to have their name on it.

The Accord stereo sounds better!

fastdriver · April 2002

micks2-

Forgot to tell you- car one year old on 3/28, 14,000 miles and the best car I have ever owned! I love this car compared to my 99 "Motor Trend Car of the Year!" LOL...

fastdriver

canadiancl · April 2002

fastdriver · April 2002

canadiancl-

Thanks for reminding me. I'm just not used to saying those words after 33 months with my previous award-winning car. Sometimes I forget. ;-))

fastdriver

janjohnson · April 2002

I have a 2001 CL-S, Aegean Blue. I have always washed it myself except one time I took it to one of those no-brush wash places and got a car wash along with a spray-on wax coating. It was dried off by hand. As I walked towards my car, I noticed that the paint on the left rear panel was pockmarked in an area of about 2 square inches. I don't know if it had been like that before, or if it was caused by something in the detergent or the wax.

I ended up calling Acura and talked to the service manager. He agreed to have the panel repainted even though he wasn't too happy about it, but because he couldn't tell me for sure it wasn't a flaw in the paint he finally agreed to fix the problem.

It looks like new now (paint matches perfectly), and I haven't had any problems since. I'm never taking my car back to that car wash though!

verozahl · April 2002

What do you guys think about the rumors that Acura wants to drop the CL after 2003/4?

fastdriver · April 2002

verozahl-

Coupes aren't big sellers no matter who makes them. There will always be something to replace the CL even if it's not 2-doors.

fastdriver

verozahl · April 2002

Well, the CL and TL ride on the same platform, so the CL is basically a coupe version of the TL.

Someone who lives in my building has a new silver-metallic (same color as my Integra) CL. Very sharp, but I like the TL back a lot more.
Interiors on both cars are great-what you would expect from Honda-Acura.

I'm still trying to convince my uncle to replace his old 1989 Lincoln Mark VII with a new CL...

fastdriver · April 2002

verozahl-

See. That's why they make different models. I like the back of the CL better. It's different. To each his own.

fastdriver

verozahl · April 2002

... I'd make a car with a CL front and a TL back!

Aren't too many CLs at the dealer here in Ann Arbor... mostly RSXs and TLs. Of course, they don't carry many cars... sell too fast. There was an article in the student newspaper about it.

Sounds like Acura is going to up the price of the CL... dunno if that is the right move.

letsrock · April 2002

You haven't updated us on your CL-S for awhile. Still the best car that you've ever owned?

fastdriver · April 2002

letsrock-

YEP- still the best car ever!! I was in FL for a week, so I had limited access to this topic. So far, so good. If anything ever goes wrong, I will post it here. I have no allegiance to any car. I buy what I like and what I can afford.

Have a little over 14,000 miles. Almost time for the 4th oil/filter change and another tire rotation.

There is one thing that I will agree with in relation to my previous 1999 Motor Trend Car of the Year- this car is "boring"!! Nothing to complain about or make a webpage about except that ZAINO shine!!

fastdriver

[Deleted User] · April 2002

You use Zaino? I didn't know that.

fastdriver · April 2002

garypen-

You can't tell from the SHINE?? ;-)) Damn, I keep forgetting that you like me to remind everyone about the Zaino. I'll TRY to remember next time.

fastdriver

letsrock · April 2002

So what you're saying is that the CL-S is your best car ever from a reliability point of view, since in terms of driving dynamics you find it boring? Actually, what aspect(s) of it do you exactly find boring?

fastdriver · April 2002

letsrock-

You missed the "" around BORING! I don't find anything boring about my CL-S. People in the 300M topic like to say that my car is boring compared to the Chrysler 300M. While I loved the LOOKS and color of my previous 300M, it was ANYTHING but "reliable". Yes, it started almost every day and never left me stranded, but there was ALWAYS something wrong with it.

While I keep saying that the CL-S is the best car I ever owned, that's not really true. ALL my other cars were great/reliable EXCEPT for the 1980 Olds Toronado DIESEL and the 99 300M!

fastdriver

letsrock · April 2002

How could I have missed that?! Gotta get a bigger monitor!

[Deleted User] · April 2002

Don't worry. Size isn't everything.

jinmo · April 2002

Hey guys don't know if my car is too dated for you new CL-S owners

, but maybe you can help me out. I just bought a 98 acura cl 3.0 with 24000. I'm extremely happy with the car, but there seems to be a slight vibration when I lightly press the gas between 1500 and 2000 rpm. The vibration goes away as soon as I hit 2000 rpm. I took it to the dealer but they said everything was alright. I even went on a test drive with them, but they found nothing wrong. Am I just picky? Is this normal? Or is there something wrong?

bjrich · April 2002

We bring home the black Solara tomorrow nite and are really looking forward to it. I drives better than the Cl by a wide margin. The reason I am posting this is to tell you why we left Acura after five years and 60,000 Miles. The service on the CL was so terrific that we gave no thought to any other car, up until 2 weeks ago. The two service writers are really nice people, and when we thought of a new car we went right away to the dealer.The salesman we spoke with was so rediculous and so insulting in the way he talked price to me that I couldn't believe my ears. He must have presumed I was an idiot. I left the lot feeling so insulted, and I was amazed. We drove the New Solara, fell in love, made the deal and feel happy about the situation. It is black with a light two tone taupe interior and drives like a Lexus... much better than the CL..We CL.. We can't understand that as we loved the way the CL drove. Anyway, the ignorant saleman insulted a customer who loved the service, loved the car, and wanted a new one..... just not enough to listen to his bull.

fastdriver · April 2002

bjrich-

Good for you! I did the same thing when the lease was up on my Infiniti J-30. The salesman was a JERK and acted like he couldn't be bothered! I walked out and bought a supercharged Buick Riviera. They never saw me again!

I'm sorry that you're not getting another CL, but I can't really say that you made a mistake getting a Solara. This will be another trouble-free car. Lots of luck!

fastdriver

sphinx99 · April 2002

If you're going from one car you love to another car you love, well, nobody's going to hold that against ya

letsrock · April 2002

but you're not concerned about the current controversy with the oil sludge problem with Toyota?

bjrich · April 2002

Wife just drove off in the new 2002 SLE V6 and she looked terrific in her terrific new Solara! When it comes to rumored or actual problems, I am rather relaxed. The car has a great warranty and I trust the Toyota people to take care of it, or else I guess I will. A car is not perfect and certainly the dealers are not perfect, so why sweat it. The Solara drives absolutely smooth as can be and we are very pleased.

wilcox · May 2002

Is the TL Type S smoother than the Camry SE V6?

letsrock · May 2002

I wouldn't think so. The Type S engine actually has a fair bit of engine noise, especially when you hit about 4000 rpm. It's a nice growl, mind you. I think you will find the Camry V6 quieter and smoother, but less exciting. It's probably not even as exciting as the Accord V6.

planes31 · May 2002

I love my 2001 CL Type S but boy, do I hate that rear bumper! I had to leave my car out on the street for one week while the asbestos in my garage was removed and the rear bumper is now so marked up with chipped and scratched off paint that I'm taking it in to be done over. It seems that just about all manufacturers are color-matching the bumpers with no bumper strips to prevent this expensive annoyance. My dealer is very aware of the situation and is making lots of money doing bumper repairs!! Any comments or information on attractive bumper strips would be appreciated.

letsrock · May 2002

People are only hitting you from the back?

[Deleted User] · May 2002

Where the hell do you live?

letsrock · May 2002

What kind of inner-city neighborhood is that?

fastdriver · May 2002

WHAT cars these days have ANY bumper protection? Best bet to avoid this is not to parallel park and only park in parking lots. That way, all you'll get are door dings that the Dent Wizard can get out for less than the body shop wants to repaint the bumpers! Makes sense to me.

fastdriver

PS 14,200+ miles in 13 months on my CL-S, plus 16 coats of Zaino. Best car I ever owned! ;-)) Did I forget anything?

letsrock · May 2002

between racking up the miles on your CL-S and applying all those layers of Zaino, you probably wouldn't have time to go to the washroom.

[Deleted User] · May 2002

Any more Zaino and you'll HAVE TO parallel park. You won't have enough space to open your doors in a parking lot.

fastdriver · May 2002

letsrock-

The only washroom I'd let to get to right now is one where I can wash my car! Our weather has been lousy here for weeks- rain every other day. The car is a mess, but still shining. Would have washed it today, but the wind is blowing like a banshee here in So. CT AND I have my first cold of the year, so the washing will have to wait. Looked today- have almost 14,400 miles, not 14,200! Yikes! Having so much fun driving it that I didn't even notice the mileage!

garypen-

Did you forget? You use very THIN coats of Zaino! Plenty of room to park in a parking lot! ;-))

fastdriver

vonlinz · May 2002

I know that this topic has been posted before but I have been unable to locate the thread. I recall that someone else who was having this problem applied something to the moonroof seal to solve it. Of course, I forgot what that something is. Could someone please post it again? Thanks.

Acura CL

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