Im looking to by a 03 CL type S 6MT

what are the top competitors to the 03 CL type S 6MT (luxury/power/handling)

 

^The 3G TL 6MT gives the CL a run for its money, especially since its newer and has a better interior.

they run about the same too.
about 13.9 seconds in the quarter mile at 101-103mph.

The TL will have the better brakes and suspension

 

thats the 08 right ?

 

but i want a coupe i have a 03 tl type S Aspec

 

i have a 2006 TL in 6 speed manual.

I will whoop any CL with mods, or will BE VERY CLOSE with the CL falling behind


i have brembo brakes AND better suspension than the CL. and my interior is better than the CL, since its newer.

 

I wouldn't say every CL with mods.. :wink:

 

The Accord coupe is very close. Other close competitors, though both RWD, IMO would be the RX8 and G35 Coupe. Both are extremely similarly equipped.

The G is quite a bit smaller than the CL, and the 8 isn't as efficient but 7000x more fun to drive. Would have to go do 04 to do either of the other two.

 

if not a 03 CL-s what coupe would you guys suggest from 04 - 08

 

just because its newer doesnt mean its better.

 

6 speed GTO

 

You haven't met the right cl6.

 

The only real comparison to an 03 CL-S manual in terms of performance, fun, and reliability was a BMW 330ci. At about 40% more (new) with the same equipment.

 

I have beaten a Cl 6 in my auto in the highway until I switched into 4th gear.

Man the look on his face one I told him it was auto!

Then he told me he had headers and intake!

I dunno how but I beat him to 100 mph from 40 mph so you 6 speeds arnt unbeatable. But my car is pretty much maxed out with mods.

 

I like the GTO suggestion.

or the G8 GXP in six speed manual!!!!

 

Accord Coupe 6-6 is my vote.

 

When you limit your target group to just coupes in the CL price range, not much. I'd say a good head to head would be an 02 6mt maxima se. But again, that's a sedan. I guess as car and driver saw it way back then and Starter already stated, the bmw 330ci is a good coupe comparo.

And justnspace, as for the TL being faster..simply nope-sorry. And the gap lengthens with bolt ons for the cl since tl's are far more limited by their exhaust setups. And no cl or tl is trapping 101-103 stock at sea level. I have pretty much every bolt on possible and trap 103 in my 6mt cl. Stock should be right around 98mph for both cars. I'll agree with you on the TL interior though aside from the most important part for me which is the CL's seats>>>

 

and what if my six speed is heavily modded too?



it'll be a close race.

 

Perhaps in a straight line. If you include braking and cornering, the combination of all three being the real test of both car and driver, I think your auto tranny will be looking at tail lights.

 

But not a whoopin...

Both are 3.2 with bolt ons...CL is slightly lighter off the bat. Both 6 speeds with similar mods it's going to close, never a whoopin.

 

a spankin'?

 

a2 heads>a3 heads. That's where the difference comes in. And you can keep your crappy drive by wire

 

A paddlin'

 

This gave me a good laugh. Where you being sarcastic?

How exactly is your suspension better? Only difference is the TL front compliance bushings which has proven to fail prematurely. CL suspension is same design as CRX which is a proven design in track and autocross driving. CL can just swap on RL calipers or stoptech BBK and be just as good or better. The 3rd gen TL has the electronic braking that is not ideal for real performance driving. I don't really see the 3rd gen interior as better, unless you like a cracked dash. Acura quality has gone down every year since the late 90's.

CL has better head design with true headers.

No point saying one is better than the other except for building your EGO.

CL is also much cheaper to buy than a 07-08 TL Type S.

CL does not really have any competitors. Can't really think of any other fwd, big, 2 door coupes besides Accord. There are sedans like 3rd gen TL, Maxima, and Altima.

 

Own both an '03 CL and an '08 TL. The front seats in the CL are much more comfortable than the TLs. My TL is just a base (no type-S). "Seat of the pants" feel definitely favors the stock CLS-6. The "drive by wire" throttle control on the TL makes it feel less responsive. I'm sure performance wise, both of these cars are rather close. But for my money I prefer the feel of the CL.

 

The G35 was my only other serious consideration but I had wanted a CLS6 for a long time. I wanted a backseat and winter drive ability. Ultimately it came down to price and the limited production. In hindsight I don't regret my choice but I have ended up parking it the winter and discovered the fun of track days so a G would not have been a bad choice.

I also have an auto 2005 TL and agree with Oldsman. They are different cars for sure. One much more fun to drive but the other a little more practical for my wife and the car seats if needed.

 

The Infiniti G coupes are definitely fun. My daughter has a g37x coupe, that I ended up with for a weekend last summer. Very nice interior, and feels pretty darn fast. Definitely faster than either of my Acuras.

 

Top competitor under just those three criteria? I bought mine for $2800. There is no $2800 car I can think of that competes. I'm not crazy about the FWD aspect but I fucking love this car and I've had some pretty cool cars.

 

Sorry about the f word but I don't see an edit option so if it's offensive a mod will have to edit it.

 

Lol I have a pocket full of cash I would use to bet otherwise. I have twin pot nissen calipers with ebc pads and rotors that stop better than your stock brembos AND Teins that laugh at stock suspension. Is a CLS the fastest car out there? Not by any means. But I guarantee I would whip a stock 3rd gen tl.

 

he's far from stock, and the mods you listed give you zero hp gains.

stock for stock they are very similar, even modded similarly it would be very close.

 

Lol yes I understand the mods I listed adds 0 HP but stock suspension would get killed in any type of race vs coilovers. The only reason I mentioned brakes and suspension is because that's what he listed as making the 3rd gen tl better. I'm also a little bit different than stock. I didn't list my mods because I'm just pointing out that the original statement is a bit exaggerated. I see swaps for the j32a2 all the time and never the j32a3. Maybe its because the a2 is older and cheaper to buy. But I think it has to do with the heads.

Also the cls 6mt is a unicorn. It was close when I bought mine between a 3rd gen tl a 95 legend coupe and the CLS. I went with the cl because its the rarest. But the legend is still on my list of cars I want to own.

 

GTO. Gonna cost more than a CL-s but its gonna be a hell of a lot faster and cheaper to mod.

 

When I was looking at cars I began w/ Cobras then extended that to z32TTs, M3s, and M5s. There was an M5 in the area that went down to $4g. It looked good but was a formerly totaled out rebuild and it was a future money pit. Also found an e46 M3 for $6G but it was too far away.
Twice the money but was it twice the car? Maybe.
A 400whp z32TT conversion in good shape for $5G but it came at the wrong time. I don't need 400whp anyway.
I'm satisfied with the CLs. I have to admit the power isn't as impressive now as it was at first. I hadn't driven a fast car since I sold the 240z several years ago. I had been driving a 3/4 ton 4.3 Chevy pickup for the previous 3 years and the CLs was like a rocket compared to that

 

The m3 is a tail happy beast. I actually learnt how to drive stick on my friends dads m3. Soooo bad I kno i kno, but what's done is done.... I would love to buy one, but I am sure I'd get quite a few speeding tickets in that bad boy.

Extremely fun car to drive tho. In that mustard yellow color too... I loved it.. Most hate it tho

 

IMO i think the CL's interior was pretty sweet for it's time, almost clasic. With an interior angled towards the driver almost Supra/m3 like. And lets not forget about those seats!

I've sat in my fair share of seats working for car dealers and let me tell you something, the CL's are up there for comfort and support....Favorite feature of the car by far