Used 2003 Acura CL Consumer Reviews
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Sweet CL Type S
AWESOME RIDE, Whats Not to Love about it !!
I think I got a steal
I had been eyeing the CLS for about 3 months so I checked out ebay for used 2001's. I put a bid on a 2003 for the hell of it and settled outside of ebay for 20k! The car has 18k on it and is in pristine condition inside and out. I was expecting something to be wrong with it when it got to my door, but wow, was I surprised. I'm glad I didn't go for the 2001 and if this guy wants to sell any others at that price I will let you guys know!!
- 3.2 Type-S Coupe w/NavigationMSRP: $10,995388 mi away
- 3.2 Type-S CoupeMSRP: $8,788745 mi away
- 3.2 CoupeMSRP: $4,9951,287 mi away
This is the only car to consider for 30K
This car rocks. A Honda with acceleration that actually comes close to my friends 1993 300ZX twin turbo! What more could you ask for?
Luxury and performance
Purchased new April 2004, with incentives was virtually same price as Accord V6 6-speed. Although I slightly prefer the Accord exterior, in my opinion the Acura interior has better fit and finish and much better layout. Very happy with my black on black CL-S 6-speed, look forward to every time I drive it. Also get great service from local Acura dealer even though I did not buy from them. Manual transmission has beautiful feel and when engine hits about 4000 rpm hold on. Winter driving here in Ontario has been no problem with the change over to quality snows.
Last of the best
Sorry they decided to drop the CL series. The chip resistant paint job is great. Driving on the freeway I was to the left rear of a bus. It hit a pile of broken boards. They flew up and slammed into the right rear side of my 2003 Cl-S shaking the vehicle. I stopped to see how much damage had been done to my car with only 900 miles on it. I was elated. Absolutely no damage, not a scratch or blemish. I still look occasionally to see if I missed something. I am 220 lbs 6 feet and seat is uncomfortable, head close to roof, rear window very difficult to clean inside. Still love my CL-S
I Love My Acura
I love this car. It was one of many that i test drove, and i just fell in love with it... It is worth every penny!!!!
GOOD
GREAT FAST CAR, cool, attractive, drive like a 50~60k car..................................... ......................................
Bad Luck CL
Transmision went bad at 24,000.
The best for under $35,000.00
This car rocks! It really deserves a 9.5 rating. I have never driven a better car, but then again, I have never driven a Ferrari.
Wonderful car!
This is a well built, dependable car that is stylish both inside and out! Plus, it's a blast to drive! All of the features that usually cost extra on other cars, come standard on the Acura CL. The only negative is the design of the cupholders. They are too close together and do not hold different sized drinks well. However, if this is the only complaint about the car...I'll definitely take it!!!
6 speed makes the difference.
I really love the power of my CL. The 6 speed manual transmission really sets it apart from the automatic models. I would really recommend the manual model over the automatic model to anyone who is interested in buying a CL. The car is sporty and comfortable. It is a great mix between a luxury and sports car.
The best sport coupe value out there
The CL Type S 6 speed is simply the best sport coupe value available. It has it all: excellent performance, superb handling, luxurious, roomy and practical, FWD for the snow, absolutely reliable - all for less than $30k. This is the 3rd Acura CL we've bought. My wife and I bought a matching pair of 2001 CL's, and I loved them so much that I recently traded one in for a new 2003 Type S 6 speed. There was simply nothing else out there like it. The new Infiniti G35 Coupe was close - it's a very nice car, but RWD doesn't go as well in the snow, it has less room, and is about $10k more. It was a no brainer choice.
Fun to drive!
I've found the CL-Type S a joy to drive. I test drove the G35 also. The CL is a smoother ride. Even though is doesn't have as much horsepower, it has plenty. Bang for the buck, the CL is a much better buy.
First Impressions
From BMW to Saab to Honda to an 03 Acura CL-S. Performance and fun to drive are tops. Exterior design is not unique but than again that doesn't matter to me. This is one great driving vehicle on the open road which is becoming as extinct or sitting on the expressway???? heading to downtown Chicago!!!!
Opus1's review
Fantstic car and a great price to boot. Super looks and performance that matches. Bose stereo is second to none. Automatic transmission that turns into a manual one with no clutch is awesome. So much fun to drive and if you get sick of shifting you can go back to the normal automatic. Steering wheel feels great along with the leather seats that are heated. Acura should be commended on their effort here.
A Dream Come True
My second CL. First was a 99. A great car. My new 03 is a dream come true. I love the styling and comfort. Many standard features make this baby a real "bang for the buck". Looked at other comparable cars and none could match the features and comfort when compared to the purchase price of this gem.
Amazing
I love this car!
Poor Build Quality
Having been a long time Toyota owner, I am really disappointed with the build quality of my Acura CL. So far, my fog lights have burned out twice, my sunroof still rattles, my rear quarter panel had to re-welded, interior trim panels were falling off and still the car rattles and squeaks... I've told the Acura dealer that my 96 Corolla with 120,000 miles makes less noise than my 2002 acura.
hot cars
rides good roomy and fast GOOD ON GAS I HAVE HAD A VERY WONDERFUL EXSPERIENCE.
Acura 3.2 CL
Fun and good to drive!
good car
Owned this car for a while now and its a joy to drive
Best Car I've Ever Owned
The Acura CL-S, inside and out, has been carefully thought out in style, comfort, and luxury. Not an overly-built vehicle with unneeded or unnecessary knobs and "doo-dads" in the way to spoil the simplicity of design and use. This car has all the bare necessities and all the extra items built to fit the driver's and passenger's needs for a comfortable ride. Owned mine without problem for 9 months -- without even a rattle or squeak. Marvelous vehicle!
sunroof rattle fix
for those of u who has the same sunroof rattle/noise problem. put some armor all on the sunroof weather strip. it works really well. I don't hear a thing for a long time since.
Big Bang for the Buck
Excellent performance and excellent handling. Makes me want to get in it and drive. Excellent comfort and support on long trip. Easy to read gauges. Fun factor equal 10. So what are the downsides? I am a 6'and could use maybe another inch of headroom, but it is OK. Available colors are boring and dull. Best color I could find with tan. interior was white...enough said. Is the car a keeper? ABSOLUTELY!
Best Value
My 3rd Cl coupe, does get better each time
Type-S in Odessa
Have a rattle coming from the rear passenger side speaker. Dealership has not been able to fix it.
Great Car!
Great Car! Awesome to drive! But what were they thinking by putting a cupholder right behind the manual shifter, stupid.
A great car for the money in its class
To get any other car in this class was just simply not an option for me when shopping for my CL. The 6 speed is awesome, as is the navigation and the power, there are plenty of mods available, including a supercharger for this model alone, that make this car a substantial value for the 27,500 I paid for it. To get a identically equipped pre-owned Bimmer or Audi or Mercedes that would be slower, I was looking at 36+.
Primo
I have owned my CL type S for 8 months. Overall I am very satisfied with the car. Having been a previous owner of a Legend Sedan I was familiar with the quality and performance of Acura cars. As mentioned previously I dislike the low gas mileage particularly in the city. The auto stick does not allow you to shift into first gear the computer overrides this function. The turning radius is too wide. The fake marble interior is cheesy and the sound system is subpar for a vehicle of this price.
3.2CL Type S--Wonderful Vehicle
The vehicle has extremely comfortable seats and has a reasonably quiet interior. The interior is put together quite well with very few rattles or squeaks. The independent suspension soaks up potholes. The vehicle is responsive and appears to be very quick for a vehicle of this class. The exterior styling may be a bit dated for those who desire the latest new look. CDs sound clear and the base is great.
Awesome Car
Great luxury car with low price tag! You actually get all options with MSRP...no hidden mark-ups for options. The Type S gives you 260 horses that can put away most cars. Acura engine is tops in maintenance! Over-all fun car!
I LOVE MY CAR!!!!!
I love my car. I can't understand why Acura would discontinue this model. Shame.
A good surprise
Great Car, Great performance. I love It
Excellent Vehicle
I've only had the car for a week but I love it already. It's fast, fun to drive, and loaded with features. Minor drawbacks: the car has to be on to close the sunroof and windows, and the auto-foldup on the seats to allow people into the back is slow, and also requires the car to be on. Excellent features: driving! the car handles great at fast speeds, which it has no problem accelerating to. The sport-shift feature on the automatic is great - it allows you to manually shift for extra power whenever you want to (i beat a BMW 325ci off the line using it).
So far so good
I own a red 2001 CL-S. I now have 44,000 miles on her and she has not missed a beat yet. So far the only maitenence performed was the replacement of brakes. This car has been sooooo reliable as I drive the NE corridor on business all the time (that's from Wash to Boston). If your looking for a beast of a performing car with the refinements of a luxury car this is the one (make sure to get the type-S model). Nothing beats looking into the rear view mirror to the a dusty Bimmer trying to keep pace with you. I must say though I am going to be test driving the new 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe.....right now it is the only car I would turn mt Cl-S in for.
2003 3.2 CL Issues
Several recalls in short time frame (transmission, camshaft, fuel tank). Continually losing power steering fluid for 2 years before dealer figured out the rack & pinion unit was the source. CD player/changer operates sporadically - 90% of the time you get an error code on the display, but never when you take to the shop! Enigine has good power, but the curve flattens out to quickly (peaks around 4600rpm). Torque steer is more pronounced than in other cars in it's class.
CL MEANS VALUE
Value is not a meaningless word to me and I translate it into my word with virtually everything. When it comes to autos, the Acura TV and CL simply beat the competition hands down. The BMW, the Lexus, the Audi and Volvo want to compete but they fall short in drive, fit and finish and performance. The CL could be light years ahead with so little attention on the part of designers. Why create a car that wins the VALUE competition yet let some other areas fall so short?
Slightly disappointed
I really like my car especially the performance from the engine. Faster then everything but a vette. Its like a wolf in sheeps clothes. HOWEVER, I only have 13,000 miles and I am on my 2nd transmission! What is that? This new one is starting to act up too. It jerks at 40 and 60mph. There is a little too much wind noise for $30+ car.
Not bad for price
Ive owned this car for about 4 months and am enjoying. I use to own a 01 Altima so I consider this a real upgrade. Although I love this car I have had quite a few problems with it in just these 4 months of ownership. I have already had to replace the transmission and starter. I have an exhaust leak so my check engine light is always on. Acura says it will take time to find the leak ($105 an hour just to diagnose and see where the leak is coming from). The 2003 automatic CLs are also known for transmission problems. Luckily mine was 2 months away from the warranty expiring so I did not have to pay a cent. Other then those things I am pleased with this car and would recommend for the price.
Kick Ass
This is the most fun I've had driving in a long time!!! However, the new Accord is almost just as fun and will save you a few thousand.
I'm very happy
I actually have a 2001 CL and I have only had one problem with it. The sunroof rattled a little, about an hour to have it fixed. Fun car to drive and for the price I really don't see how you could go wrong. My one thought is something has changed since I bought mine. I have a Blue CL w/tan leather which seems to have only been offered the first year the model changed. I have no build quality issues at all. Also I bought my CL from Southern motors and so have a few poeple who live near me and I haven't heard anyone one having a problem with their service dept. But on the other hand I haven't used it much. Just my 2 cents.
AWESOME! buy it!
Excellent car! I upgraded to wider and bigger tires and now it drives on rails! Get the Type-S! That's my only 'complain'!
Acura 2003 3.2 CL
Great car to own. great to drive. Comfortable interior and good looking outside. Fuel efficient and easy to maintain so far after 36000 miles.
Worth the wait!
Waiting for the 6-speed manual is definitely worth it! The shifting is easy to handle, and acceleration is terrific. I'm usually going 80 MPH before I know it. The seats are very comfy, but it's not a car meant for more than a driver and a passenger. Spacious trunk and easy to use in-dash 6-disc changer.
So much fun to drive!!!
Traded in my boring 2002 A4 for this 03 Type-S, sportshift. It is so much fun to drive this car, incredible sounding VTEC V6 (deep, throaty, muscular sound). Lightning quick acceleration. Excellent leather seats, 8way power seat for driver is amazing. Smooth leather.
Power/Performance in Disguise
When I first showed my new 2003 CL Type S to my friend, he wasn't impressed. "Looks like an Accord" he said. Admittedly, this car's exterior styling and sightlines haven't revolutionalized the industry. The true heart and soul of this car lied under the hood & in it's wonderfully sporty suspension and chassis system. Once I took him on an edge-of-the-seat 70-80 mph joy ride, he no longer saw this car as an Accord. I've also suprised many a city stoplight-racers in my area. After I blow them off the line with lurching tires and screaming acceleration from the VTEC 6 cylinder, I suspect they won't look at an "Accord" in the same light ever again.
Acura CL
This is a very good car. I traded in an Audi A4, and although it was a fun car to drive, the repair bills were gettting to be very expensive. I also test drove a BWM 3, a Volvo S60 and Lexus IS300. Each was an excellent car; however, the Acura was the best choice, in my mind, when factoring in the price.
BEST ACURA
Too good to have munual tranny!
Too many Problems
The good things about the car are its awesome transmission and the engine power. It also looks great. OK enough of that. The low profile tires have given me nothing but trouble. So far I've had to replace two of them at over $200 each due to sidewall bubbles. No, the tire manufacturer does not warranty the side wall. The guages are crude. The sunroof only opens about (what seems) six inches. What a waste! The cupholders should be called cupholder (singular!). And I've had to have the drivers side interior door panel replaced. In addition, I don't think that the "auto" rearview mirror is working. Probably wont buy another one.
I thought Acura meant reliability!!
Don't get me wrong...this car is fun to drive and performs great..when it is running, that is. After only 1700 miles, my brand spanking new Acura was in the shop for over 3 weeks. The dealership had to replace the short block on the engine AND brake rotors. I think their quality control guy must be sleeping. Once a car has engine work, I don't consider it a new car. Very very disappointed with Acura, their answer, and the overall experience. I was a repeat customer. Will now re- evaluate them for future purchases.