deadohiosky

I am new to the community, and wanted some advice from mor experienced acura enthusiasts regarding the purchase of a 2001 acura cl type s. It is satin silver w/ ebony interior, has no spoiler/mud guards and 75,000 miles on it. The asking price for the car is 14,000 but is negotiable. The exterior/interior are in good condition, considering the high miles. I have not driven the car yet, is there any advice to what i should be looking/listening for when driving the car? Has any one had problems with this model year? Do you think this is a good deal for the car? All advice welcome. Thanx

Dan

Don't! Run awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

SG81

iTrader: (1)

find out about the tranny

123456SPEED

You have 25k miles left on the extended tranny warranty. I'd skip it unless you can get it closer to $10k. The auto trannies have issues and Honda extended the tranny warranty to 100k miles, but some owners have had 2, 3. 4... trannies.
Either get a lower mileage one with more remaining warranty or expect to pay for a tranny if you plan to keep it past 100k miles.
I'm biased tho, cause I have the 03 6 speed manual version with no tranny issues.
good luck.

phipark

I have a 02 CLS with 32k on it. I would not buy this car at $14k with 75k miles. Definitely try to talk them down.

123456SPEED

There's a 2003 6 speed on autotrader.com, 'asking' $17,000 has 60k miles.
There are a total of 60 2003 6 speeds on autotrader. That's where I got my 6 speed. I'd get one of those or a very cheap 01 automatic IMO. There are 333 01-03 automatics there too. keep looking.

CleanCL

iTrader: (4)

yea i have an 01, i was contemplating upgrading tot eh 6 speed bc of the tranny issues but im just gonna stick it out until i can afford my nsx ;] sure the tranny is a problem, but i love the car, i duno, weigh the facts, there is recall out for the tranny tho so they should repair it

allenn

You need to read through the many posts in this forum. I have a 2001 CL-S and there have been many quality isssues. I don't think you need the problems. Find something else.

oneilc

TRUE DAT ...

zamo

with 100k mile warranty, I would not worry that much, unless you plan to stick with it after 100k.

pooky

I just had the oil jet installed on my 2001 S.. The service tech told me of the
800 or so CLs they've inspected, only 2 needed new trannies...I've got just
32K on mine...i love the car..

momentum3.2

just be careful that you don't have an overzealous service tech who's trying to avoid replacing trannies...they are out there...

pooky

Hey, everything right now is running smoothly.. but.. as we all do with our cars, we
know every sound and vibration.. If something is out of place or that tranny starts
playing games... i'll turn green and it won't be pretty. With more lawyers down here
than populations of many countries.. it will be fun.. Anyways, just finished detailing
it and damm.. it sure is bitchen to look at.. (NH Black, tint all around, H n R Sports and
TL-S chrome rims) Yeah baby!!

tennistock

I really, really don't get why everyone is being so negative.

Please remember that we all have different entrance fees to this car...those of you who paid 30k obviously aren't as accepting of the issues we're dealin with as this guy who's gonna be paying <13k, or i myself who paid 17k for a car with 29,6 mi.

There is no better car for the $, absolutely.

Have you all noticed that the guys at 2nd gen a-tl.com don't complain nearly as much as everyone here? Why the heck is that?

They've got tranny issues, and all that we've got, yet everytime someone posts 'should i get a TL', it's a wholeee lot more positive.

allenn

on your first point. Less $$$ in, less to be picky about. But for those of us that joined the $30k club, this car sucks! I am not happy about losing $$$ on future resell. The tranny problem is a fact. If you own a CL with a five speed tranny, you will experience a tranny failure. If Honda had engineered a real fix, then lower resell value would not be a fact of life.

On your second point , there have been the rattles, bad brakes, warped rotters, bad throttle-body, premature wear on the leather seats, broken coin tray, etc. etc.

momentum3.2

have you ever had to pay for any of that? Resell values plummet with luxury cars. That's a fact. bottom line, you haven't lost any money on warranty work for the rotors, tranny, throttle body, sunroof squeak, trunk rattle, or broken coin tray. As far as teh seats are concerned, I'm not sure what you're doing in them, (hope you took pictures!) but mine are fine and I have two black dogs in the CL all the time...

pooky

I don't feel like a lot of you.. I think for the $$$ it's a great ride..I never buy new
cause it isn't worth it to take the natural depreciation.. like all cars..
you feel ripped off? Bad product?, Bad car? Bad Tranny?? Go join the lawsuit
club
http://www.acura-cl.com/forums/showt...30#post2080930

allenn

A difference of opinion makes the world interesting. Oh, I have lost both time and earnings revenue on the CL repairs. I do not consider the CL to be a luxury car nor do I think any of the automotive journals ever categorized it as such. I think you are confusing the Acura line with Merc, BMW, or Lexus. Have a nice day!

momentum3.2

lawsuit club? are you kidding me? momma, that man fix my car for free but I still don't like it, I'm gonna sue!

momentum3.2

time & earnings revenue? why because you had to drive your car to the dealer? So easy to place blame on someone else, isn't it?


btw, Acura is Honda's LUXURY line of vehicles...perhaps you were unaware of that...Sure they're not on par with Mercedes, but who is? There are differentiating levels of luxury vehicles, just like econo-boxes & mid-size cars. My insurance policy has my CL listed as a mid-luxury 2dr coupe. <-- all I need to know that it's a luxury car.

Rock2534

I know what you mean, I bought mine brand new for 31k. I was not happy at all to see the trade in value drop, but then again, i had planned on keeping it for the long haul anyway, so i really don't care that much anyway. I did have my tranny replaced and then a month later had the recall work done to it, so i am hoping that the problem was fixed on a new tranny and it should not cause any problems going forward. aside from that it runs great and probably will for many more years. my girl likes it, so when i do want a new one in about 2 years, i will give it to her and trade hers in. The car is not perfect, but is still better than a lot out on the street, in my opinion.

ccannizz11

I've had my 2001 satin silver CL-S for about a year now. paid a little under 20k for it at the time. I'm very happy with it. Just had the tranny recall service on it, and they said there was nothing wrong with it, and just added in the cooler. I've heard about the tranny problems, but never experienced any problems. I love the car. I couldn't be happier with my purchase unless I owned an aston martin or a mercedes.

Cruz_msl

I love my car too, got it at 29K at a little over $20K with NAVI. Yes they replaced my tranny...FOR FREE. Nice loaner too. They have done a fair amount of work on the car, but you know what? THEY DID THE WORK, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. Do you realize the value in that? My friend's Camaro SS is an 01 and he bought it new for 34K. It's only worth about 17K now, and his rear end is howling like a cat in heat. They won't touch it. Saying that it's normal. He has a stack of paperwork 20 pages deep on that POS and he's not happy at all. It rides like a dump truck and gets 6 miles to the gallon. My car is in the shop RIGHT NOW getting new rotors, pads, front seat re-covered, and the squeeky sunroof fixed. FREE. I'm also having it aligned, tires rotated and balanced for about $120.

ACURA RULES.

bgsm1th

Some people are just bitter about what they have went through, and I understand that. But to say that you WILL experience tranny failure at some point or another is simply uneducated, just because some have had 2-3-4, doesn't mean that ALL will.
I bought my car a year ago and will probably sell it next year for only $1-$2k less than I bought it for next year.
I can't think of a better car for the $14,000 I spent on it.
If I were you, I would check to see if the tranny is original, if it still has the original at 75k miles, chances are pretty good that you got one with a good tranny.
I absolutely love my CL-S and will til' the day I sell it.

pooky

Guys, i am with you on this.. I looked at a lot of cars and liked this one the best...
My mercedes friend are leaving the MB line due to all the problems and if you hadn't
noticed, MB has plunged way down on customer satisf. Anyways, i too love my
CL-S, get a lot of looks and haven't experienced any tranny issues..Like i mentioned
earlier, the service kid i talked to told me they'd only had to replace 2-3 trannies
out of about 800 they'd serviced....And whoever purchased any car thinking about
investment, resale etc.. you're in the wrong subject area... I bought the car used,
saving some $$$ but bought it cause, i liked it. If you like buying and selling, see
the options pages of your financial paper...

ueberholen

Outside of the above mentioned things look for this as well :

All newer cars have DOT stickers on most major body parts ,see that the front end fenders have them so that you are not buying a car that has seen some accidents .

Do a carfax report ,these things are pretty revealing about mileage accidents insurance losses etc.

Look over the front seats for cracked pleather (only the actual seating areas are leather the rest is plastic)

If the car is lowered check the condition of the springs (quite a few CL owners lowered their cars and many with Comptech springs which in some cases have corrosion issues)

Ask the dealer to run a vehicle history on the car for open service campaigns or recalls .

Drive the car and listen for rattles (these cars are notorious for rattles from the sunroof)

The transmission is a real sore point on these cars ,do look at the trans fluid and inspect for color and smell .Trans failures are this series worst issue and though the transmission has an extended warranty on it it is still a hassle when it fails .

Brakes are the other big sticking point .Many CL's reported brake issues such as pulsation and odd wear patterns in the rear .The road test (highway especially ) should reveal flaws ,do not accept a spoken promise to fix this .Get it in writing or better yet make sure the car has new rotors and pads on it .

Beyond this have the common sense for an independent opinion on the car .An opinion from a person who has no interest in the car other than looking out for your best interests is well advised (a mechanic friend as an example) .Or ask the dealer if you can bring the car to a trusted mechanic for an independent assessment .If the dealer balks at this you may be well advised to walk away .

Jens

Tosh

I really like my 2001 CL-S (64k), and even though I've had the tranny replaced and the discs are warped again and I have cured my share of rattles and the IAC valve sticks, I can't think of any other car I'd rather have for the money. I got mine used at 29k.

But regarding the purchase of any used car in general, don't fall in love with any one particular used car sitting at the dealer. Be patient, thoroughly examine (in the daylight) and do your research about each car, and if any red flags come up, then walk away. There are LOTS of 01-02 CL-Ss available. So for $14k, you should be able to get a garage kept creampuff with 50k miles from a private seller. There is no reason, even in Florida, why these shouldn't look BRAND NEW. Except for some little scratches, mine does, inside and out. You need to feel out the previous owner for pride of ownership and trustworthiness. The dealer will tell you ANYTHING to sell a car! Don't get me started about the shit I've heard. Assume every word is a total LIE.

Regarding this particular car, you might ask yourself why it doesn't have mudguards: they were standard equipment. Bodywork?

Final advice: Be patient. Don't be in a hurry to buy a car. Your deal is out there somewhere. The CL-S is a great car, despite its handful of issues.

GCora

question...if i bought my CL somewhere else [not a dealership] Am i still elligible for that 7yr/100k warranty? if sumthing happen to the car i contact Acura right? btw it has 63K...got it for $7500...good deal right?

NightRider

Yes you are fine, the warranty is good across the board for anyone with this car. If something happens take it to Acura deifnitely as they have the most leverage to take care of the issue. I just found out from my mechanic who is in tuner mags (TC performance) my tranny needs replaced and was thrwing check engine lights. They suggested dealership as the process would be much easier. 7500 even for an 01 CL is an amazing deal if that is the case.

BTW refer to the other tranny thread for more recent news:

https://acurazine.com/forums/audio-video-electronics-navigation-22/dash-monitor-184811/

YeuEmMaiMai

i have a 02 cl will need a new trans but warranty coverage will take care of that........great car otherwise. awesome performance, great fuel economy, and quiet ride

E JR

thanks for advice i been looking for a black on black with navi. i look at one this weekend and guess what no mudflaps. some thing told me to keep looking some where else. i will keep looking until i find one

E JR

look at this this this has too many miles.http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.js...e=&cardist=100

drzbabe05

be careful with your tranny mine already got fucked and its not cheap at all