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The suspension on the S5 is better in almost every conceivable way, so I would think it would handle much better than the CL. Not to mention the AWD layout and better weight distribution (55/45).
The car (S5) rides and drives really nice. Feels much more solid in the corners. I thought a lot of this was probably due to the all wheel drive and sport differential. The transmission is the smoothest, quickest shifting automatic I've ever driven. I really doubt there would be any improvement in quarter mile times shifting this automatic manually, and it would not surprise me if the car would be a little slower doing manual shifts. The straight line acceleration is incredible, and I've heard you can tune these cars to even get more. (maybe after all warranties expire) As it stands it is the fastest car I have ever owned. Took the CL to play golf on Sunday, and it felt "slow". The S5, however was purchased to be my wifes' daily driver and hopefully it gives us as good of service as her 3G TL has. (This will be a difficult bar to meet, as the TL has been the most reliable car we have ever owned)
did you get the torque vectoring sport differential though?
Yes. That was one of my requirements. Other must haves for me were napa leather seats and armrests and wheels no larger than 19" so we would have at least some sidewall (It's a daily driver). My wife required navigation package, side assist blind spot warning and of course automatic transmission. She also wanted an Estoril Blue car. The last year for this color on the S5s was 2014. I was able to convince her a 2014 was already 2-2.5 years old and if we wanted to find one equipped as we wanted with decent miles that was a CPO car we probably needed to act soon. So, the only way we were buying a car now was if it was Estoril Blue. Fine with me, as I really dig the color.
Just checking in to let everyone know I'm still upright. Had the CL out a few times to go play golf. Still fun to drive and still looking gorgeous. Drive the S5 some on the weekends when my wife and I go somewhere. And of course I'm busier than I would like to be at work.
Well, I still have the CL and it is still gorgeous. I got tired of looking at the wear on the drivers seat every time I drove it, so I ordered a seat kit from the only company I could find that offered one. I had it installed last week. Pros: The new leather is soft and supple. It feels very nice to sit on. I don't have to look at the worn bolster anymore. Cons: The fit of this kit sucks. I had a professional installer do the work (One that installed the seat kit on my 3G TL that came from a different vendor) He said he did the best he could and that this kit just didn't fit as it should. Here are some pics.
Really enjoy Your thread. Considering everything You've done, to make this car New again, it's depressing to hear that the seat kit, didn't work out as well as you expected. When searching for options, to correct the driver's seat issue, did you consider new OEM. I know, just the front seat backrest cover alone, lists for over $400, and was probably cost prohibitive, when compared to the option you chose, but I was curious, if you had considered it. Thanks for the update, I appreciate and respect your project.
Very nice job on the restoration, that car should give you many years of driving pleasure After driving my CL for a while and realizing it was about as mechanically sound as the day it drove off the lot, and the interior is gem mint, my first thought was an exterior restoration, but it just has too many spots of rust at this point, typical for a 15 year old Midwest car.
So I was having difficulty getting pictures from my phone onto my PC. I ended up texting them to my daughter and she put them on the PC. That didn't work so well, and I am definitely not very tech savvy. Hopefully these are better. As far as considering genuine Acura covers: I looked into it. Would have been nearly $2K for just fronts (backs, cushions, headrests and console armrest cover) I couldn't just do driver seat because there would be color variation due to fading and age differences. To include the back would have been another $1500 or more. Then I still would have had to pay the upholstery shop. It looks and smells better than it did before (the smell of new leather is awesome), I just had higher expectations.
I think your expectations were just too high, from those pictures...I would say you nailed it. Gave it a more relaxed and worn look to not be sooooo tight. I still think you are majorly winning at life.
Well took the CL to go play golf this morning, as I regularly do. An idiot runs a stop sign and tags me in left rear quarter. I anticipate a long drawn out battle with his insurance company. The car can be repaired, but one of the great things about this car is that it had all of its original sheet metal and that will no longer be the case. Pictures are of damage to quarter and how the trunk lid is now all out of wack. suspension on that side may have some damage too.
Glad you are ok, that is the most important part. So sorry this has happened. Since I sold my red one, I knew I could always come on here and drool over the pics of yours. I hope you receive adequate financial compensation w/o to much hassle.
Thankfully it wasn't personal damage, just material. Although it is a big bummer and if I were you I would not be very happy about it, it appears to be fixable. Besides this little incident. great restoration! Your CL is probably one of the best in the country.
Update on Repairs: It turns out the insurance company of the guy that hit me has assumed full responsibility to fix the car. I'm sure this is due to my "agreed value" policy. Basically if my car was to be totaled, through something called subrogation, my insurance company would pay me the agreed value then collect it from from the other guys' insurance company. So his insurance company is on the hook for about 3 times the amount they would pay if I only had an ACV policy. Also, the body shop (same place that painted the car) is going to be able to save the quarter panel. I stopped by yesterday, and the big gash in front of the tire is already pulled out to almost perfect. They still have some more tedious metal work to do on the fender lip and a few other dimples and "eyebrows" . There will be no more than a skim coat of filler in a few spots on the quarter. This is really good news to me, as the car will still have all of its original sheet metal. Other parts that need replaced such as rear bumper cover, inner fender pieces, etc. will be with new oem Acura parts. Probably should have taken a picture, but I didn't.
Things coming together. Car came out of paint on Tuesday. They are still trying to figure out what all needs fixed on the suspension, but the red car will be back in service soon. Here are some pics (some were taken by the shop manager)
It’s a damn shame that happened, but such is life. It’s near impossible to keep a car flawless if used on the public streets. It’s something I’ve had to bitterly accept myself.
Hope everyone has been safe and healthy during these incredibly strange times. Local stay at home orders have allowed me to get some much needed work done on the CL as well as other cars in the stable.
It started with an oil change on the CL. I started cleaning the under carriage.
I spent the better part of 4 weekends working the CL over. But it kept me at home and safe. Hope everyone gets through the tough times in good shape. A few more random photos. A car I owned for 32 years Picture taken July 2019 Keeper of the plains and "ole Blue" July 2019 The new owner driving off July of 2019 The Rocket wagon Another "clean" under carriage pic My 6 month old grand daughter The reason I'm here
Thanks Rockstar. More cars than I need keeps me out of the bars and other venues where I could get into trouble. And of course I think my grand daughter is a cutie
They came Thursday. Cleaned up a set on Friday and installed the. The look AWESOME. Thank you Greg D for finding that eBay listing. A few pics. As they came After a cleaning and dressing In the car In the car
Went to the cemetery today to decorate graves of parents and grandparents as well as a good friend that left us way to early. Took the CL. It was a little sloppy as we've had some rain, but it will clean up. It was the 1st time this year I've had it out. It gets out occasionally This may be one of the best pictures I've taken of this car
They came Thursday. Cleaned up a set on Friday and installed the. The look AWESOME. Thank you Greg D for finding that eBay listing. A few pics. As they came After a cleaning and dressing In the car In the car
Those mats look killer! Such a nice touch on your already mint interior. I’m glad these types of NOS parts finds are still out there. I’m gonna hunt for a set of splash guards but haven’t found anything yet.
Those mats look killer! Such a nice touch on your already mint interior. I’m glad these types of NOS parts finds are still out there. I’m gonna hunt for a set of splash guards but haven’t found anything yet.
Yeah, while looking for mats on Acura parts sites I noticed the mud flaps were no longer available. This is what happens to OEM parts as a car ages. I can only guess that several of the parts I bought to restore this car in 2013-2016 are long gone now. What is still available seems to be priced much higher. I looked yesterday at the steering wheel I bought in October of '15 for $235 plus shipping is now $350 plus. That being said, at some point Acura will decide to close them out and they will be dirt cheap (like the all weather mats), and then they will be gone forever. I don't think these decals are available anymore either.
After driving my CL for a while and realizing it was about as mechanically sound as the day it drove off the lot, and the interior is gem mint, my first thought was an exterior restoration, but it just has too many spots of rust at this point, typical for a 15 year old Midwest car. 
Bad day for the CL
