Wow, I guess interest in the CLS is fading, It makes sense for a 5 year old car design. If it wasn't for the 6 speed I'd be in another brand too. So many posts on this the main forum are about Chevrolets, VWs, Audis, BMWs. Seems like most interest is highschoolers wanting a cheap 01 CLS. I know an Acura owner who just went to a G35 coupe.

Maybe I'm getting a little bored with it too! I test drove a G35 6MT coupe (again) and was still not impressed, high price, low rent interior and no refinement at all, but you pay for that very nice body.
I'm still waiting on a new Acura coupe. Why no info at all from spies, or other info. What is Acura up to? I guess they make so little $$$ off coupe sales businesswise it makes no sense. Money is in sedans and SUVs. I still would like the option of a new nice looking Acura coupe with goodies from the TL/RL..
Even I am looking for something next, I guess.

 

i'm satisfied with what i have. Everything else is more expensive and gets worse gas mileage.

 

I'm with you. I'm just holding out for that next coupe. I'm content, so far, with my 02 CLS. I can hold out another 2-3 years I believe. People still tell me how nice my car is though.

 

I've spec'd out the G35c 6MT (and joined the G35 forums), but with the interior being what it is, I'd be hard pressed to buy one. The G's are RWD and made in Japan, so those are pluses to be weighed against the minuses (interior and price). I'd probably not get the prefered package (no sunroof), so that would lessen the price issue.

I'm happy with the CL for no (except for the water leak I saw this weekend dripping down the inside of the rear window ), so I don't think I'll be ready to get anything for another couple of years. It doesn't hurt to see what's out there either. With the way the CL has been depreciating, I might just hold on to mine forever and make it a winter beater. I think a dedicated RWD summer only car would compliment the CL nicely.

It might be time for me to start looking at sedans....

 

I’m always researching what my next car will be and I changed my mind several times over the last few years.
Sometimes you’re just never happy with what you got.

I just spent a good portion of this weekend washing up and waxing the ride.
Pulled off the snows the other week and put the 18” Blingers back on and she runs great.

After 2-Coats of Zaino I just stand back and say….. DAMN that car looks fine.
And the fact that it’s PAID FOR allows money for other distractions instead of worrying about a 400 or 500 dollar payment on some hot toy to drive.

Yes it sucks that these cars are tanking in the resale value, but as long as mine looks different then every other one on the road and runs great….I’ll keep it.

Shawn S

 

That's what I'll probably do too.

 

I guess I'm wandering cause of the guy I know who just got an 03 6MT G35. Those cars look great but then you get inside and go wtf happened! It goes from an Infiniti to a Datsun real fast!! and am hearing the clutch is mismatched to the power. but resale is unbelievable.

But the CLS is still a hard car to beat in so many ways. I too just clayed, ColorXed, NXTed, and put S100 wax on it, looks good. Maybe if I finally get some nice rims and fix the dark tint (to lighter) I'll be happy.

 

I still LOVE my CL. Of course there are other cars out there, but the CL has everything I need in a car and I love the fact there really aren't that many out there. With it being the last year made I also don't have that "upgrade" envy. I know that will change once a new Acura coupe comes back.

I was blown away last weekend when this guy in a brand new Long Beach Blue NSX gave me the thumbs up and said how nice my CL was. I actually looked at him like .

 

The grass can always look greener.

I still think this car is great. I don't believe many of us with the 6MT dumped it early, like those with the 5EAT made of glass.

 

I love my ride. It has it's faults, but it is still one of the nicest cars I've driven. Still turns a lots of heads and I get compliments about it all the time. I like the G35, but it's wat too expensive.

 

put some damn mods on your car and you will fall in love with her time and time again...

 

I was about to get rid of it and get the G35 coupe, all for what a nother bill! Got some toys on order for the CL, that got my head off G35 shopping...

 

Big here, every time I wash the car, wax/zaino or not, I look back and say "damn...this is a fuckin' nice car." I'd rather have a rare car than a common one like the G35.

 

everytime i think about dumping the CL for somethin else i just spend a little money on her and im head over heels all over again

 

i love that my car is different than most of the other cars out there

 

6MT resale value isn't BAD as the 5EAT.

 

I've been thinking about that... Smitty, have you run out of mods you can do on your CL yet ??

 

after a year and a half without a payment, you get used to it. i'll keep it until i have to get rid of it, or until i come into some more money.

 

I do miss my CL Type S. I always notice them on the road and still think it is nice looking ! Don't worry about "trendy" folks or society. If YOUR happy with YOUR ride it's YOUR life ENJOY IT !

I'm enjoying my "old fashion" 2004 RL !

It feels GOOD to be a LEGEND Snob !

 

When I started looking for a car in 2003, I narrowed things down to the CLS (which I knew was about to be discontinued) and the G35. I loved the exterior of the G35 but, at the end of the day, decided to go for the CLS.

For me, the selling features were the interior, winter traction (looking for FWD in this case) and a trunk I could actually use (two hockey bags OR one [disassembled] mountain bike). I wasn’t really crazy about how it handled but, with 1000 km on to odometer, I updated the suspension and bought a set of summer rims/wheels – problem solved. As far as resale goes, I keep my cars for 10+ years so it’s not a big issue.

Everyone is looking for something different – for me, it’s turned out to be a great car.

 

Thanks people for the positive comments on your CLs. I just need to relax and enjoy my rare, trouble free, refined and fast coupe. In 2 years or more there will be plenty to look at if I get the bug-
New coupes from Acura??, new Lexus IS coupe, new BMW 3 coupe, redo G35 coupe, new NSX! (yea...right).

 

I'm keeping mine as a second car/daily driver in traffic. This is my next ride:

2006 Z06 - 427, 500+HP, 0-60 in 3.6 secs!!!

I'm #2 on the list at a local dealer, and hopefully will have it by end of Sept.

 

Looks like everyone here went through the same thing, choosing between the G35 or the CL-S. I loved the G35 but the CL was almost equal in performance, had better gas mileage, gave me lower insurance and was least expensive. I started buying stuff the first week I had it. I think the only thing I use now are folding rear seats

 

that new corvette looks a lot like a modena

 

I have to say that Corvette is simply H O T !

 

Werd. I sometimes wish I woulda went with an Altima, especiaslly the SE-R's which is awesome looking. Mines been trouble free and they are rare, so I am happy with it. With some springs and wheels it will look a lot more sporty.

 

OK, I'm an old fart, but I know a great car, and my 01CLP (also after 3 coats of Zaino) draws stares. My Legend and RX-300 are wonderful, but they make the CL feel like a racehorse! With only a CAI and syn oil, it is still faster than 98% of the cars on the road. When you 03-6MT is 4-5 years old, you will find me a willing trade-up sucker.

Oh, yeah, when I drive my age, I get 32mpg easy in everyday driving. I love the CL mystique. Still like my Sportwing side moldings, too. The anthro color is the only one I like better than my black.

 

mines been trouble free,very few on the road and outperform 80%
of the cars on the road with it.

 

Same here. People tell me my 02 CLS is awesome, etc.. I haven't had the tranny issues, and so people tell me to calm down and shut up about it. I'm definitely going to stay in this car as long as I can. Hopefully my original tranny fails at a point where the replacement trannies are reliable enough to go a full 150k miles.

 

I'm with ya on that LEGEND snob comment. I'd love to get in a low mileagle 95 Legend coupe with the type II engine.

 

For the money, the CLS has the best performance and features (in my opinion at least). Even the 5ATs which I have are great cars, just drive the originally tranny in the ground and get a new one--you should be okay then.

I was set on the G35 Sedan 6MT a while back and almost walked out the door with a new 2004 for $27,800 (Aug/Sept 04 I think). Those cars look great with a moddest suspension kit and 18in wheels. Drop in a I/H/E and throw in my child's safety seat and I would have had one hell of a grocery getter! This still may be the plan in a few months as the 04 G35 Sedans drop in price. I hate car payments anyway and enjoy not having one.

But when you step back and look at the CLS after a detailing--damn what a nice car. Still turns heads, including mine!

 

There are two reasons that I dislike my CL-S. One there are too many rattles for a car of this nature. My 2002 Nissan SER-V barely had ANY rattles for the two years I owned her.

The second reason... The transmission. (Being mine is auto)

Everything else about the car I love. I would plan to keep the car well over a 100k, but it frightens me that the car will have the tranny die at 101k leaving me with a repair bill and no garuarantee on that transmission.

My car now has about 48k. Around 90-95k I will get rid of this car and get something else. All in all, if it wasnt for the transmission then I would keep the car till it died, which would hopefully be around 150-200k theoretically. It would be a nice second car to have around so I could get a RWD drive toy and not have to worry about the winter. Oh well. Hopefully Acura will improve their quality and indroduce more cars by the time im ready to purchase.

 

i <3 my car dude it cost me 2 arms and a leg to get it and i love it to death minus the tranny and gas prices but other then that its great what more could you ask for very smooth and slick design very comfy and roomy interior it looks great almost stock ( lowering it is a must ) when i was in the market for a car i looked at alot of different cars from the 98-2k gs-r to the 98-01 accord coupes i always wanted a g35 or a z but right now i really cant afford it.. ive worked summer and part time jobs since i was 16 and have been saving since then i finally got 19.5k and found the cl-s and ever since then i never regretted that decision i love my 01 CL-S and all my friends know it for sure this cars going to take me through college and maybe even into the new working world until i have to get a car because of family or something

 

Oh the memories. I do miss the car at times, and still wish finances would have let me upgrade to a 6 speeder The GS-R is fine for the time being though, allows more money invested into other projects.

 

I'm likin' all this CL pride up in here. Can't wait until I got the time to start modding.

 

I'm one of the guys who switched to the G. I have to admit, I wanted one the day it came out but already had my 01 CLS.

I bought a three month old 6MT/Navi/XM etc. 2004 from a divorcee for 31000$ with 2000 miles on it, so, price wasn't that bad for me. I specifically wanted the 2004 for the Brembos.

An earlier reader was right--the clutch and transmission on this car take away an aful lot from the driving experience--especially when compared to the CLS 6MT.

Other cons for the G35 are a lesser interior (but not as bad as some make it out), and less comfortable seats with lower grade leather.

Aside from that, the exterior styling, the Brembos, the handling and balance, the beautiful wheels, the exhaust note etc. etc. give you chills every time you walk up to the car.

Personally, though, if I had a choice between a modded CLs motor and manual tranny I would give up the extra torque of the G any day of the week.

Plus, the resale value really is off the hook compared to most cars. I think the 2004s will hold their value even better due to the Brembos.