alright guys cl-s for right now i guess even though every guy is saying m3, but relaibility is where its at

 

to hell with your friends, unless they drive vettes and vipers, tell them to shut their hole. They are not driving it , you are.

 

id say get the bmw, theres just something about the way it rides.....

 

ok final deal im getting the cl-s for 5-6 years and then my dad hell pay 5 grand for a car which is probably goin to be a 2001 m3 so guys the cl-s is worth it, and that m3 is on the way to!!!!!!!!

 

as possibly the only person on this board who currently owns both cars (03 Type-S 6spd and 98 Estoril Blue M3 coupe) I'd say the decision ultimately depends upon what you want to do with your car and/or how you plan to use it. Most of these people who "state" that the BMW's are expensive to maintain don't know what they're talking about, or else they (or somebody they know) have abused the shit outta them and therefore have more issues than what normal service requires. Number of factors need to be considered - your age being the most important. As far as "cool" factor, your friends would think that the M3 would be a cooler car. If your parents are buying this for you, and had half a brain, then you'd get the CL with the auto (and all the inherent problems that will bring), but that car would be the safest choice since the temptation for someone your age to do the inevitable somethin stupid might have less drastic consequences for yourself, your friends, or the unfortunate person who will happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when you try to impress.

 

Ever do a brake job on them?? You can't cut the rotors on them. I think the rotors are about 80-100 a piece. Not too sure though. Not too many aftermarket company make parts for that car. Performance, of course, but not OEM like parts. So, if you have to do a brake job, your talking at least 300-400 from the dealer. That would be just for the front.

 

Exactly my thoughts too. Bad comparo pic.

 

yea so imma gonna geta 2001 m3 in 6 years , i really dont care that im not getting the m3 even though it was my dream car since 1995. also everyone has a e36 at our school, and the insurance on the m3 for a 16 year old is so expensive, so iv decided the acura it is, its fast enough for me also its reliable

 

you cant compare a CL-S to a E36 M3 in any category. Performance, handling, reliability, build quality etc. I know, Ive owned both. The M3 wins hands down, the interior on those cars are sweet, especially the seats. And as far as the CL-S being more reliable then a M3, that has to be the biggest joke ever. I had my M3 for 45k miles and my CL-S for the same. Never did anything to the M3 besides change the oil, the CL-S i wont even get into it. Ive seen so many members on here on their 4th tranny and rotors cut 3 times. Its pathetic, Acura did a terrible job building this car, and is reflected by the fact that it is discontinued. However for your first car Id stay away from the M3 because I guarantee you will wreck it. RWD and a manual transmission car with 250hp and a 16 year old is asking to get wrapped around a telephone pole. If you want something that will last 6+ years the acura will not be it. Your transmission will go and the amount of money you spend on rotors, rattles and all the other BS will end up costing you more. Go with a slightly used Lexus if you can, ES300 or GS300, those are great cars that are built well and Lexus has excellent service.

 

M3 gets much more respect.

 

yea but the insurance my dad said hell no, so did i tell u im onyl keping the cl-s for 5 years then gettin a used 01-02 m3 i think thats a great compromise thats fukin 333hp baby

 

in 5 years 333hp will be nothing

 

you need a perma ban

 

yea no shit, i gained too much weight lately. I need to get off my ass instead of living here

 

thats not my experience! i've burned many a m3's(e36). haven't been beat by one yet! they are nice cars though, but very out dated and very unreliable, especially if your buying it used you don't know what your getting into. the old m3's are not a head turner anymore. i get quite a few compliments on my car, from all age groups

 

BY WHO?

 

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN ABOUT? BESIDES THE TRANNY ISSUE THE CLS IS TROUBLE-FREE! your one of the lucky ones if all you've had to do was change the oil on the m3, i can't even start to count how many bmw's that have been in the shop compared to acuras!

 

Trouble free? Its built like shit, its american made. It rattles like a rednecks teeth. How many actuators went bad on these cars? Have you ever owned a M3 or are you speaking from "what youve heard". Ive had atleast 5 friends that had them and never had any problems either. And I ran my car HARD, I cant even begin to count how many track days at Limerock I went to. If the CL is such a great car why is it discontinued? Please dont compare the quality of a German made M3, to an I believe Ohio made CL-S. And the CL-S gets more respect then a M3, that has to the funniest thing Ive heard all year. Sorry but the CL is a joke compared to a M3. And having owned both a E36 M3 will beat a CL-S stock for stock. As far as the CL is more of a headturner then an old M3, please pass me some of that crack your smoking because from the sounds of it, its some good shit.

 

hmmm, let's see ... my M3 has been in the shop exactly 0 times because of a transmission problem, but then neither has my CL-S (both manny trannies); my M3 has been in the shop exactly 0 times for anything to do with a brake/rotor problem (of course, I've only got 66.5K miles on the M3), but then neither has my CL-S (although I've only got 27.5K miles on the -S, based on the numerous postings this is not the norm for this car); my M3 has received one recall notice in over 5 1/2 years (something to do with a potential problem with a premature release of the side SRS if memory serves) while I've had the -S in for a drivers side window regulator and now the Timing Belt/Timing Belt Tensioner/Water Pump recall work done within the past 3 months (13 1/2 months of ownership); have only started to notice some rattle coming from the passenger door in the M3 while there has been this annoying ratle in the -S from day 2 (probably the rear deck) ... all in all I can see how one could conclude that I need to get rid of this POS German coupe because it is soooo inferior in every way to the Marion built Accord, er, CL.






not

 

get the CL-S. if ur planning on keeping it for 7-10 more yrs the m3 will look reallly old and outdated compared to the CL-S by then.

 

Especially if you are young, stick with the CL S...if age/ insurance is not an issue get the M3

IMO I would get the newer car that happens to be a reliable make

 

yea so im keepin the cls

 

The CL is much more dependable, more roomy, fast as hell, there's a bazillion 3 series cars out there. Yea it's an M, but your also going to be paying for that logo. I just read a poll on upkeep on all major car brands, Acura was #1 (best out of all) and Bmw was #20. Tons more creature comforts too.

 

More creature comforts? Im sorry but some of you people have no idea what your talking about. This website has a WHOLE FORUM dedicated to the transmission problems these cars have had, but people still think the cl is more reliable.

 

M3 = sports car [in a sedan body]
CL-S = gentleman's car.

It depends on your preference the M3 has 240 hp but only weighs about 2900 lbs. The Cl-S has more power but weighs in at 3500+ lbs. A manual M3 is faster, handles, and stops better.

That model M3 is already starting to look antiquated though. But at least chicks will still recognize it as a BMW. The Acura on the other hand is such an anonymous looking car that I've had people ask me if my Sundance Gold '01 CL-S is the "new Chevy Impala." The ride is harsher and the engine is noisier in the M3 plus the cabin is smaller and tighter. If you do a lot of highway cruising I'd take the CL-S. It's quieter, more spacious, has taller gearing and is still plenty quick. If you pop it into third at ~75 mph you'll have plenty of passing power right up to about 110 mph. The xenon headlights are nice to have at night. I'm not sure if the old M3's had them.

One of my friends used to own a '99 M3 convertible and his car was a lemon. The abs computer was replaced twice, the engine overheated (the dealer replaced the gasket but not the engine), and his windshield cracked once when he was washing his car all in less than 50K miles. The CL-S is more reliable. I have 58K on mine and no major trouble with the tranny though it does shift abruptly sometimes when its cold it has never slipped (just take it easy on the tranny when the engine's cold). Acura extended the tranny warranty to 7 years/ 100K miles though. Also the CL-S has smaller rotors which do warp. I replaced them with Brembos and haven't had any problems since (if only I'd discovered this site earlier I'd have known that my dealer would've replaced them at no cost!)

Maintenance may not be that expensive on the M3 but just don't get it done at the dealer. They charged my friend $68 for an oil change. Every six month service was $500 to $1000 even though there often was nothing wrong when he brought his car in.

It's your choice, I think the Acura's easier to live with and won't look as dated but the M3 is more fun and is more prestigous than a riceburner (if that's important to you).

 

get a civic, thats waht i wanted as a first car, but rents said no to a 5 speed plus CL didn't sell privately and wasn't going to trade in

 

yea the cl-s is nice even though noone knows wat the fuk it is everytime yu say acura they think of an integra or legend, with bmw well its bmw, and its spectacular at performance, btw guys my dad just bought a 98 318is 5 speed with only 30k miles so im gettin the cls once i get my liscense, and i cant wait till i get stick down on my dads car its slow but its hella fun to drive and its in great condition

 

that's no m3....mirrors are wrong...not to mention the body kit...looks like a riced 318 to me. If it is a 4 door auto m3, it's been thoroughly defiled.

 

thats not a m3, i can tell by the side view mirrors