Good day Acura owners. I just sold my 1995 BMW M3 to buy an 01 CL-Type S. As I research the CLS, it is making me not want to purchase one. The tranny issue seems to be a huge problem as I do not want to get stuck. Are there any VIN codes or another way to tell if the CLS I am looking at has had or will have tranny problems?? Also, I read something about the front brakes and the suspension??? This could be BS but I want to know EVERYTHING you guys know both positive and negative. I drove a few and LOOOOOOVE the car, but dont want to purchase a lemon. Please post as much as you know/advice/experiences. The M3 message board is a huge help I am hoping the Acura guys are the same! By the way, Im looking at an 01 CLS black/black spoiler but no navi. 38k miles $19k what do you think?

Joseph

 

Hey jj - I was gonna say - Ill be in the Sewell area later this week and you could check my car out - but ...Its in the shop getting the tranny fixed (seriously)....

I had an earlier VIN number so it was no surprise that mine went out...Some claim that the '03 CL-s's have had the tranny problem fixed...but its debateable.

Good thing is that if you buy a CL-s your tranny will be covered for up to 100k miles - and Acura does pay for a loaner, bad news is obvious, you wont have your car for ~2 weeks depending on the dealer.

Now, I thought the tranny issue was overstated on this board until it happened to go out on me...and my buddies CL-s which was not driven hard at all...He has since migrated to a G35, I however will stick w/ the CL-s because it is (other then the tranny) a great car....Good luck with the decision and once I get the car back I can let you check out my car....A nice quick jaunt up Rt. 55 is always fun!

 

Just Curious, why did you sell the 95 M3? The 01 CLS w/ 38K for $19K is not bad but I try to check around b/c there are a lot on the market. The transmission failure rate is about 3%. If you plan to stomp on the gas all the time, then I don't recommend getting this car and you might want to look into other cars. Overall I love the car, has enough power when you want it. I would recommend one with the Nav since there won't much a difference in price if you are shopping around for one.

 

Nav difference is only abouyt $500-$600 on a used CL!

 

I remember E36 BMW automatic transmissions were pretty crappy.

As a former 328 owner I will say you will miss the razor sharp handling and easy maneuverabiliy of the BMW. You do get a car that is more reliable overall though with the CL-S.

This forum is very helpful but you won't find as many CL or TL forums as you will find BMW forums.

Again, and this is in many topics here, the failure rate is not as high as the very loud complainers here will have you believe. But it is definitely worth considering. The 2003s are much better in terms of overall quality.

 

Coming from a performance oriented vehicle like an M3, I'd consider a six speed manual transmission way before an automatic. There are no recurrent failure issues (or any issues of significance) with the M/T. The gearing is great and the LSD a real benefit. Some used M/T 2003s are just coming on the market.

 

For what it's worth I have a 01 CLS with 53.5k miles and it has never missed a beat. Including the tranny. All I've done is change the oil every 5k miles and TSB017 for the rotors. BTW you are going to hate going from M3 brakes to CLS brakes. Good Luck!

 

If I were you, I'd look for a 2003 CL Type-S 6 speed M/T. I had a 2001 CL Type-S and never had a tranny problem after 31k. But traded it in for the 6 speed. The 6 speed M/T is so much more fun to drive than the auto. The gearing is almost perfect, 1st through 6th. Where as the auto's gearing is horrible - 1st through 3rd are okay, but 4th and 5th were way too tall.

Also, from what I've read on this forum (correct me if I'm wrong), most of the tranny failures were do to excessive hard driving which would probably cause tranny failures with most other makes with sport shifters.

 

thank you for all of these great responses! Sold the m3 because it was getting old, needed some maintenance and I want an automatic, but after reading these it is giving me 2nd thoughts...I dont want another manual because I sit in work traffic and it is enough to RUIN my day. I dont enjoy front wheel drive manuals anyway. I love the CLS and would buy the right one in a heartbeat but this tranny failure stuff is really making me consider something else....any suggestions? Looking for a COUPE only no sedans. Automatic, quick and around 20k or less. I may miss the quick cornering in the m3 but i wont miss going nowhere in the snow, driving slow over EVERYTHING bigger than a lady bug and high repair costs......grrrrrr