srehmat02

Hey guys,

I picked up an 03 Black CL-S 6MT, just last week, I already put in XS headers and an AEM CAI and still just doesn't seem quick enough to me. I am coming from an SRT-4 that put down around 270 to the wheels, which may be the reason why.

I was torn between an 03 350z and an 03 CL-S and the reasons I went with the CL-S was, it was $2500 difference, more luxorious, and no backseats on the 350z. Now that I think about it I could honestly live with a two seater and I see theres much more potential to a 350z. Either I can sell my car and buy a 350z or go for a Comptech supercharger or ZEX nitrous kit, because those seem to be the only ways to get this car moving.

One more question, say I do sell it within a month of buying it. Does the sales tax come back to me in the state of CA, or will I have to pay it again when I buy another car?

Please let me know what you guys think...

srehmat02

I am not trying to hate on the car at all. It is very nice, much nicer interior than the 350z. I just don't know whats more important to me speed or luxury.

03silvertypeS

buy this and you will have the fastest CL around:
https://acurazine.com/forums/car-parts-sale-361/sold-fs-turbo-kit-2003-cl-6-speed-363786/

srehmat02

7 grand for a turbo kit

deematic

iTrader: (1)

Did you test drive both cars before purchase??

spdy0001

There is no way the sales tax you paid is going to come back to you and yes you will have to pay it again, unless CA has some crazy ass loophole. Why would you even think this would happen?

To your main question you have to decide for yourself what you want out of a car. The CLS is perfect blend of comfort and moderate speed, which is why I bought it. The car can pull on some unsuspecting mustang GT's or whatever, and its still nice enough to take on a road trip or out for a nice night on the town.

spdy0001

Fixed

MarbleGT

Parts arent going to be as cheap as your Neon (:gheylaugh was.

The CL wasnt meant to be a superior handleing power beast, therefore getting it there will take $$$$$.

MarbleGT

That smiley was sopposed to be :gheylaugh:

Garkon

Here's my thoughts, if your buying a car, and you want it to be fast, your just not going to be satisfyed w/ the CL, it's not about SPEED, it's about having an overall nice car that is quick (read: not fast). If you wanted fast you jumped into the wrong car, as even if you do put a turbo/SC what have you, your still dealing w/ a front wheel drive car, and now it's pushing over 300HP(which is cool, but i think that it's wasted in a FWD car).

I say if your REALLY interested in a performance vehical, it should be RWD or AWD. If you are really in need of a fast car, get something else. Not to dog on you, but if you bought this car over a 350Z and you knew you wanted performance, you didn't think it through all that well (which i guess you've figured out already ) . Thats my story and i'm sticking to it.

typeS6S

You have just upgraded to luxury rather than driving a "kids Car" per say. Did you test drive both cars and see which one you liked better than buying it. The CL is not the fastest car on the road but it sure has the power when needed. I went for the CL because it is less suspicions to the police and people don't expect the car to be quick. I don't know about you but the gas is killing me by just being NA. I wouldn't want to imagine how it would be FI. Tax will not come back to you and you would have to pay for tax again on another car. However you might be able to get away without paying any tax by going to the same dealership you purchased your vehicle at

VIPCLS

Just to let you know the Nissan's are cheaply made vehicles, in my opinion I would stick to the CL, just my Thats what helped me to make a decision when I bought my CL. Just as the Infiniti, they are made by Nissan for God sake! (Nissan or Acura ) Simple decision! If you want HP go with all the other car comapanies out there like Chevy, Dodge, Ford ect! As far as Im concerned those all fall in the same category, with easy upgrades if all you are looking for is speed. You can either advance or not, put it that way in Acura 101.

srehmat02

Yeah I heard that if I trade in my car. I only have to pay the difference between the cars' values in sales tax. And yes I test drove both, I liked both equally, it came down to practicality, since it is my daily driver, couldn't handle having a 2 seater, and the G35c was out of my price range.

After hearing your responses, I am leaning towards keeping it, I think alot of people doubt their decision when buying a car, because there will always be one thats better in some way or the other. Thanks again guys.

Still considering nitrous however, lol. What do you guys think on a car with 78k miles. I will go for a compression and leakdown test first. Anyone in the SoCal area running a nitrous kit? I am planning on going to the meet at the end of the month. Hope to see you all there

rp_guy

if you drove both and found you liked them equally, how is the 350z gonna be better ? if you have headers and intake, you're already pushing the same HP as them.. probably .5sec slower in the 1/4 as well.

VQPower37

nissans are cheaply made cars??? ... i beg to differ, i agree the interior is not as nice as it is in hondas aka acuras, but the vq under the hood in my opinion is much better than a vtec

and as for the look of thier cars ... its different, but in a good way

LIPPSTUH

iTrader: (2)

the 350z and cl are two different cars...

cl = luxury sport (heavy fwd)
z = sporty (rwd, not sure about weight)

SuperTrooper169

iTrader: (2)

I'm thinking someone's just a little too indecisive. I feel your pain! But seriously, if it's a dalily driver and you're worried about practicality, why would you even be considering a supercharger or nitrous? For the money you're going to spend on either one of those a G35 could've been in your price range.

pits200

Ya man, you are comparing completely different cars. The CL is the total blend of performance, ride quality, handling, and gas mileage.

Coming from your SRT, that thing only has speed and is nothing that will impress anyone.

As for the 350Z, those are terrible daily drivers.

gc86

The 6MT is just as fast as a stock SRT-4 and 350Z/G35, they run low 14s with a good driver. Not to mention with the Comptech Supercharger and High Boost Pulley your pushing 330 to the front wheels with all bolts ons and good engine management. Do some research on power and you'll be much faster than your 270WHP Neon.

VIPCLS

I agree also but Infiniti is just coming onto the luxury market scene. Where as Acura has been here awhile. They just remind me too much of a Nissan made car, without a Infiniti emblem. Im not hatin now don't get me wrong! Just watin to see the G37 on the road.

hemhaw

You can find a used SC'er for under $2500, throw another $500 for headers and incidentals and you'll have a stone reliable, comfy DD with 250 - 300 FWHP.

SC CL FTW!

g1underground

iTrader: (1)

.......and maintainence and insurance are lower with the CL.

GreenMonster

260hp is enough for me... Heck, If I could find a lighter RWD 2+2 coupe, I'd sacrifice some HP for the weight savings (hoping bmw brings the 1-series over sooner than the 2009MY).

I had the same feeling about not getting a 2 seater (s2k or 350z), but like pits200 said, the CL is a great overall car...

It's a "jack of all trades" kinda vehicle. It's sporty enough, quick enough, and I can still put 8 bags of mulch in the trunk if I have to. I've even brought 2 2x4's home using the pass thru in the rear seats. I'll probably be getting a couple of rolls of sod this weekend with it (thank god for the trunk tray)

It the 6spd isn't sporty or fast enough, headers, intake, and springs will bump it up a notch..

Tweek

I agree with a lot of opinions that were posted above. I have numerous friends that have 400-500hp street monsters. One is a SRT4 with 3 inch side exit exhaust, new fuel injectors, upgraded clutch, blah blah blah. The other is a VW GTi that was making 5xx hp and has been down tuned to make 3xx just for street ability reasons. They hate them. The time and effort and money that they invest into keeping those suckers healthly enough to be street driven is insane. They love CL.

The luxary of this car is superior to almost every car ive gotten to drive/sit in. Like many people said, this car IS NOT the faster, sportest, car on the road by any means. It will damn sure give other cars in its class a run for its money, thats for sure. I would much rather have my power memory leather heated seats, heated mirrors, automatic climate control, HIDs, etc over a SRT4 or the 350z/G35. Ive driven a lot of G/Z's and there no where as near as comfy as the CL. The SRT4 is great for the power end of the spectrum, but with that loud annoying exhaust note, and cheaply design interior that is exact to a base neon, being you I would never look back. With that said im going to end my rant because a 350Z just pulled into the bay. Back to work I go!


Enjoy your car

o1s

are you kidding? infiniti has been around since 1989, almost as long as acura. they are doing a much better job of keeping up with the luxury market than acura is.

VIPCLS

All it was, was an opinion, if I were to buy any other luxury vehicle,other than a Acura, it would be another Acura, BMW, or Mercedes or any other high priced vehicles if I make it big. To me I dont think Nissan/Infiniti has there shit together!

tnobori1

Write it off as "buyer's remorse"! If you decide to sell the car and get another one, you can write off the sales tax on both for your taxes as long as you itemize. It might not work out to your advantage tho, depending on your situation.

IMO, this is the best all around car you can get for the money. If you're looking for speed, buy an older Eclipse GSX or Eagle Talon for 6-8k and dump another 4k on it in mods. If you want total luxury, buy an older LS400.... otherwise, enjoy a really nice, reliable, and moderately fast CL-S.

o1s

you can say that but, their current lineup is definatly more appealing than acuras at the moment. they have better platforms to start with.

Presto

When I went to buy my last car I was looking at 7-9k 2k1-4 eclipses and I stumbled upon a CL for only 10,250. I convinced my dad to spot me the extra money and I have been happy every day of my life, mostly because there will never be on that was better in some way or the other, I got the absolute best car I could

VIPCLS

They definately have there looks, all I think appealing is the fake iced out grill they come with, aaaaaaaaaaa thats about it.

fuzzy02CLS

iTrader: (2)

Dump it. Seems like it's not what you expected & you'll never be happy in it.

Tosh

Life's too short to drive crummy cars! Get what you really want!

mordor110

Couldn't have put it better myself! The CLS-6 has the same 0-60 time as a 2000 Mustang Cobra. Probably rides and handles a lot better though!

And yes while Nissan makes a good product compared to most, I don't think they're as well engineered as a Honda/Acura. Interestingly enough though is that when I was trying to decide what to buy, the only three late model cars (2000 or newer) that interested me were the Infinity G35/Nissan 350Z, BMW M5 or the CLS-6. The CL-S was just so much better value for money and in my price range compared to the others. I'd have had to finance the others, where as the CL-S I was able to pay cash for. I did get a REALLY good deal on it though. I think Nissan should take that 5.6L V8 in their Titan truck, tune it and shove it in the 350Z body, then they'd have me looking into getting rid of the CL-S6

andre

i agree 100%.

infiniti has surpassed acura in all apsects, imo...

Joe5.0

The only Cobra in 2000 had 385hp and ran high 12's, fwiw.

And even if you meant 99 or 01, you'd still be way off. Heck, the CLS6 is slower than the 99+ GT's with similarly skilled drivers.

Sorry, just had to point that out.

Ralphie917

Im new here but Just to throw out my .02 -

I was also considering the G35c and 350z until i test drove my cousins 350z - Its nice as a sunday car, but more than that i wouldnt be able to deal with it is like driving a go kart and while its fun every once in a while driving it everyday gets old fast.

There is no practicality with the 350z, it wasnt designed for it. Its a tight uncomfortable vehicle. It looks good and performs well, but thats where the buck stops.

He paid a high dollar amount (and he got a good price) for a base model car with a no frills option set... He doesnt even have cruise control - i couldnt live with that as im on the highway alot.

When i sat in the cl i felt comfort and quality - when i sit in his cloth seats i feel the inferior fit and finish - the interior has to be one of the ugliest ive seen (take a look at the drivers side door panel)

And the absolute one thing i cant stand about the car is the vibration through the shifter - from what i understand its normal because of the design of the clutch? But its enough to make my hand go numb and something i would need to fix or i would not be able to deal with it.

to cut it short after only driving the car 4k miles he nearly hates it - he loves the way it looks and loves being able to go fast here and there but he hates the car overall.

Hes at 14k miles right now and needs a new clutch, he doesnt beat on his car, and the guy he bought it from wasnt a kid and seemed pretty meticulous about maintenance and taking it easy on the car. When he brought to nissan under warrantee they claimed that 15-20k miles for a new clutch is normal and that they dont warrantee the clutch over 12 months or 12k - after looking more into the problem for him i found a plethora of owners on the internet with the same problem.

Now the g35c i never test drove and theres a good reason - i couldnt find one for anything near a price i was willing to pay.

srehmat02

Thanks for all the opinions guys, after considering all my options, I am planning on keeping the CLS-6, its just too rare and nice of a car to give up, just want to finish the basic bolt-ons rather than boosting it and losing reliability If I ever feel the need I will buy an old school neon and do an SRT swap I miss my turbo neon!!

cbusAcuracls

good call.
let the neon srt be a project car.