Howdy, new guy here. Thinking about a 2001 CL-S for my 16 year old son. Probably more car than he needs, but he's a pretty cautious, responsible kid for 16. Local dealer took it on trade, it's white with plenty of rock chips, door dings, and a little peeling on the rear bumper cover but no rust. The interior is black leather and in great condition. Runs and drive great which is a little surprising considering it has 306,000 miles, yea I said 306K. I am aware of the trannie problems that have plagued CL owners and while the dealer has no service history, I did notice that someone wrote "repair 11-10" in yellow paint marker on top of the transmission. As you would expect, they are pretty hot to get rid of this car and I think I could get it for $2500 or less. I guess the only question I have is how long can a 3.2 be expected to go? Replacing a motor doesn't scare me, I have done many motor and/or trannie swaps and the 3.2 seems to be fairly inexpensive and plentiful at local auto salvages. Thanks to this site, my apprehension about the transmission has been reduced by reading that the 04-06 Odyssey is a suitable donor in the event that it takes a dump. Oh, and the ABS and VSA lights are on. I assume that a wheel speed sensor is most likely to blame. I took it home last night and have driven it like I stole it and so far I am blown away by how good it handles and accelerates. If someone covered the odometer you would swear it's at the most a 150K mile car. Are there any other areas I should look out for? If I do end up buying it, should I run for the auto parts store and replace the timing belt and water pump or can they be visually inspected? Thanks for all the great info that you have already provided.

 

transmission WILL EAT ITSELF PERIOD...


so make sure ur kid knows he will be without a car for a week or two at least within the next year or 2.

its the hard truth with these cars.... u either build the trans up so it's able to handle the heat or u change the trans altogether when it fails... WHEN IT FAILS lol

 

We have spares around, a couple of farm trucks that don't get driven much, so it's no big deal. I just don't want him driving them all the time. They have no ABS, air bags, etc. To most people, the car is one moderately expensive repair away from being scrapped. To somebody crazy, like me, who will tear anything apart and fix it myself, it could be a decent deal. If I end up getting it, I will keep an eye out for wrecked Odysseys and just get a trannie to have it waiting.

 

Wow...that's one lucky 16 year-old! I didn't get a car until I was 17, and it wasn't anything like a CL.

The sellers don't have the maintenance history? I'd go ahead and do the timing belt, water pump, replace transmission fluid, etc....you know. The VSA and ABS could be from a wheel sensor, but you'd have to get the codes to be sure.

 

Wow, very cool gift to your kid.


As some peeps have said, the transmission is a bit flaky. That is the only caveat. Otherwise, the car is a joy to drive. I still miss the CL-S.

 

I'd Be Worried That It Would Be Too Much Car For A 16 Yr Old. We All Did Stupid Things When We WeRe Young. Why Not A Cheap Civic....Good On Gas, Cheap To Fix.

 

We send our kids to school outside of our district so we are on the hook for transportation. Just makes more sense to have him drive himself and his sister. Between baseball, cross country and cheerleading, it'll be nice to have the extra driver. I would put him in a pos Taurus or anything with air bags and ABS but the prices people want for beat up junk these days is crazy.

 

If the tranny, the condition of the vehicle, or the miles don't scare you then I don't think we can talk you out of getting it.

 

I paid 10k for my cl-s at 18, so I think I earned it ! But I definately would have crashed it somehow at 16 .

 

My thinking is a 16 year old has a much better than 50-50 shot at crashing whatever they drive, at least the CL is safe. Hell, my first car was a 1981 Grand Prix. Pulled the junk diesel motor out and dropped in an Olds 455. It's a miracle I lived. Fortunately, the boy takes after his Mom when it comes to the brain department.
Talked to the service manager at the Honda dealership, his theory is that the motor has to have been well maintained just to make 300K. So just drop in a new timing chain immediately and drive it till she blows. If the trannie fluid looks good and it shifts fine, cross your fingers and hope for the best. Might go 20K, might go 100K.

 

From what I've read there is no sign of blown trans until about 1k before it wont drive anymore. Drives fine now can be toast very soon possibly.

 

Do a 105k service on it, which includes timing belt, plugs, all the fluids, cam seals and a valve adjustment. I won't quote prices since it seems your capable of doing jobs like this yourself but the parts could come out to about 200-300 dollars.
You seem to know quite a bit of the tranny problems, just be prepared for it and the cost.
A couple of things I noticed that you wrote in error:
The bumper is plastic, not metal so it won't rust.
The engine has a timing belt, not a chain.

The engine can last a very long time as long as it is maintained properly. One example is how high the mileage is on your current engine. Plus highway miles are easier then freeway miles. It is the transmission that is the weak point of our drivetrains.

 

I am 18, started driving at 16, the most mature amongst my friends and more mature than my 20 something year old siblings.

If I had started off on a CL, I would be dead.

I'd recommend starting him off on a $800 beater to let him get the skidding and donuts and all the fun things out of his system. Let him get to a 3.2L V6 as a second car or after some driving experience.

 

Caution ! Side view mirrors are blind spots at a glance.
Other than that it's all good.

 

306k... wow! I wouldn't touch it.

Get him a babied 2003 CLS 6 speed.... Hint... look below.....

 

I got my CL when I was 16.. it was rawsome.

 

I would not worry so much about the car, these things are great. However as everbody knows the tranny is the weak link. Knowing how I drove when I was 16, I would not count on that thing lasting very long. And I was the "responsible" one of my group. Alhtough the car is very safe, I'd be concerned about the amount of power it has for a new driver. At least it is front wheel drive so it is easier to handle (other than torque steer).

 

lol...you guys are acting like the CL is a Ferrari or something...

Bottom line, the CL is a safe car with plenty of airbags to be on par with many modern vehicles. You can wrap a 90hp Volvo around a tree just the same as you could any other car. As for the tranny, yes most of us have had issues, but given the amount of CL forum browsers vs how many CLs there are out there, we are a small percentage. A lot of us, me included wouldn't have even found this forum had we not googled "tranny failure 2001 Acura CL."

I had my CL when I just turned 17, and it was a great car. Make sure he pays for some aspect of it so he understands the value of it and takes a little more pride in it.

 

u cannot do anything in the cl without crashing LOL so in that regard i don't think the kid would even be willing to see wtf is gonna happen. when i got my cl it felt like it was riding on STILTS

my first car was a probe kl-ze intake, headers, exhaust, ecu, udp...with like 220hp... that thing was super fast 0-60. (well... back then ahah) matter of fact it's as fast as my cl is now 0-60.. but that's it heheh.. however it handles like it was on rails OMFG i could merk anything with my k sports on that beast.

I'm still alive! lol

however i did almost total my buddy's dad's 911 S. That had a lil too much power for me at the time LOL.

back on point tho... the kid will be fine in cl.... if u think about it cars are only getting faster. where i live most rich kids have a 335ci or there daddy's benz or even WORSE.

so really it all comes down to whether you are willing and able to fix the thing when she breaks...

it's such a shame they put a bullitt proof motor with a ceramic transmission... my 3rd on is holding out tho.. 126000kms-184000kms.. and to think i am happy about it shows you

 

Does anyone else get a headache from CL-S progression's posts?




OP I should add that there is one thing I recommend you do before giving the car to your son. Upgrade the brakes! Pads at a minimum. I never had a problem after replacing the f & r pads with more aggressive ceramics.