TL_Type_S

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2003CLTYPES

I test drove the 6 speed then the 5 speed auto. I was not that more impressed with the 6 speed over the 5 speed. The main reason why I chose the 5 speed was I got bad knees, so shifting is not the best thing for me.

Overall, after having my CL-S for about a month, I am very happy that I went with the 5 speed auto over the 6 speed. I am not into street racing either. If you are, do the six speed IMO. Although the 5 speed gives you more consistent times.

PM me if ya got more questions.

Paul

adfeek28

I test drove the 6mt about a mounth ago. i had the car for alittle over 3 hours. if you are a really i mean really good stick driver then you will enjoy this car. there is added power in a 6 but when i got back in my car the smoothness of a 5at shift is wonderfull. i really didnt feel like the 6mt had enough added power to get me to take it over the 5at. also the clutch was not as smooth as i hoped. my friend has a vw beetle and his clutch in comparison is alot easier. i was hoping for a lower clutch, just my opion. also with a 6 speed you are constantly shifting , were a 5 speed you can relax alittle more and let it set in a gear.

just my $.02

Zapata

Well, I am a former 5EAT owner who jumped to the 6MT. If you enjoy the stick you will love the car. The HLSD is amazing to say the least; It made more of a difference in the handeling than all my suspension mods ever did. I can't wait to get my sways back on the car.

Clutch engagement, yeah it's low and VERY abrupt in 1,2,3 gears....after that it's not so bad.

The car is quick! It takes some time getting used to the gearing but after that you are sitting fat. Passing in 6th gear is relatively easy.

JasonT

I test drove it for fun. Zapata is right, the clutch is VERY light, & low, & abrupt. You do need to get used to it. For me I drive a 5 speed manual truck, & I'm glad i didn't wait for the 6 speed. I'd have a real hard time driving it, cause that clutch, & the truck are so different. The acura 6 speed is not like other manuals. It's very smooth, & short, A very different clutch then say a BMW, or Nissan. It was nice, but not for me.

civic4982

well I've driven the 5AT and I just got a 6MT myself... honestly the 6 clutch is a pain in the ass... I dont' know who the hell designed this thing... it kicks and springs back near the top and is placed too high... I love my car when I run it hard but when I'm just trying to cruise around or take the folks out somewhere it's a bitch... very hard to make smooth 1-2-3 shifts... The thing I am happier with is that the MT is not known to have the kinds of problems that the AT is... The reason I didn't get the 5AT is b/c I was worried about problems with the car later on...

scalbert

I went from an '01 5-Speed to an '03 6-Speed and love it!!! It certainly has a different feel and engagement point than other manuals but IMO, it is one of the better. I switch between my 6-Speed and my wife's E46 328i manual and this is like night and day. The Bimmer's engagement now feels awkward and way too high.

In fact, I can get off the line much better in the Acura when not going full out. Having a lower take up allows for quicker and more positive engagement. But that is when getting off the line moderately, I can't hang with the Bimmer for the first 20' when revving and dumping.

The only area I have found issues with is when shifting hard. I have not had the clutch in all the way or out too soon when shifting putting me in the 'Can't-find-it-grind-it' crowd...

Zapata

I still trying to get it so it's smooth.....maybe it will loosen up a little?

purplehaze

i have driven both the 5at and the 6 spd..and i bought the 6spd!
The diffeRENCE, HUGE!!

If i wanted to rate both cars on the FUN-TO-DRIVE factor, i would give the 5at 6 out of 10 and the 6SPD 9 out of 10.

The clutch can be a bitch in the beggining but once u get used to it...no problems.And yes, u do notice that nice LSD which makes the car a better handler then a 5at.

PH

drscoop

I could use a little help on the subject of gas mileage with the 6 speed. My last 5 tankfuls of gas have averaged a low of 14.7 mpg (95% city) and a high of only 19.3 mpg (50% city 50% highway) the overall average for the 5 tankfuls was only 17.4 mpg. My San Marino Red beauty has less than 3000 miles on it, and I have not been heavy into the accelerator (although the temptation is mighty, as this car is unbelievably quick, and the 6 speed tranny is a beautiful piece of engineering). Is this the best I can expect, or do you think mileage will improve with more miles? On the highest tankful of gas I actually drove like the proverbial "little old lady", and never took it over 4500 rpm. On the other tankfuls, I have only ocassionally taken it anywhere near redline. My drive to work is only 8 miles each way, and my gas guage needle will literally drop a click as I watch. Since 91 octane gas in the Denver area is about $1.75, this is getting a little costly. Any suggestions, or should I just get used to it?

mlrspwr

Good to see another CL-Ser in Denver!
I have the 2001 CL-S 5AT, also red. Bad ass!
But, I've gotten pretty respectable MPGs all along. The best I've gotten is 31, and I routinely get 25. I VTEC a lot more after the mods, but still my worst is 22MPG.
You don't VTEC all that much and get that teen MPGs? Man, bummer. All I can say with the 5AT is that there was no "break in period" for gas mileage. Mine has always been fairly consistent, and fairly good, considering the near 300HP engine that I wake up daily.
Better luck with the MPGs. But as winter comes, I've noticed that cold zaps a MPG or 2 from me.
Hope to see you on the road!

mlrspwr

Oh yeah, my driving is generally 50% city and 50% hwy. Once in a while, I'd say 25% city and 75% hwy.

Zapata

yeah i'm getting pretty crappy gas mileage as well but it seems i get on the gas alot The one tank i did shift real low in the RPMs i got 306.

gsrblack

I bought the 6 speed but they gave me the automatic as a loaner until my spoiler was put on (had the car for 2 or 3 days). Well, what I noticed was that the auto was very very smooth and did deliver power as you wanted. It was just a tad bit sluggish, but overall the sport shift was responsive. I liked it...if I didn't know how to drive a stick or if I was too lazy to drive a stick, I would consider the auto...actually, I probably would get the TL-S instead. The TL-S will give you comparable performance since they are basically the same car. Actually, the first day, they gave me a new TL-S and took it away and gave me a CL-S for the rest of the remaining days. The TL-S seemed to be a little faster, but I guess all in all they are really close.

But hell, the 6 speed is a lot more fun than the sport shift!

As for mileage, I drive about 5 miles to and from work and have filled my tank a couple times. Each case, I calculated my mileage to be about 19 mpg and all this is about 75% city driving. I just passed my break-in period of 600 miles.

Kalin

I got around 27mpg during the break in period. Now... 19-20. That's what CompTech does to you.

drscoop

I am a little overdue for the first oil change and tire rotation. I guess I will ask the Acura service manager if my 17-19 mpg average is about what I can expect in Denver. I'm not sure if we will be going to oxygenated fuels for the winter or not, and what effect that might have. I can say with 100% certainty that there is NO WAY I could get 400 miles on a tank of gas...and that's with the 6 speed!

mantis23

I have an 01, drove the 6 speed, and decided was wasn't worth the 10K they wanted after trade in. I'm much happier with no car payments.

Fabvsix

Mantis:
SAME here !

JZ

First off, the thing I noticed most was that the entire car felt much lighter and more nimble in handling. I'm sure a Comptech suspension upgrade would make the 6MT handle incredibly well.

Secondly, the gearing was much better. There was instant power anywhere you needed it. I'm sure this was part of the reason that the car felt faster and lighter.

Lastly, I absolutely loved the clutch!!!! I hate clutches that you have to let out so far that you are biting your knee by the time it catches. A tight clutch makes a car feel so much more responsive.

If that drivetrain were mated to a smaller, RWD coupe that thing would be awesome. Well, I guess that thing would more or less be the NSX.

Zapata

I traded my 5at for my 6mt

As everybody has already said. The car is hands down.....top to bottom better than the 5AT. Styling, engine, tranny, handling etc.,

Engine note is MUCH different. Exhaust sounds fantastic as well. I can't wait to install the CAI. The car simply sounds BADASS as it climbs through the RPM band. The car seems much lighter and much more responsive in turns and in highway maneuvering.

Clutch/stick. WOW!!!! Awesome Acura really hit the nail on the head with this setup!!! I've driven the new civicSi and the s2000 and their setup's aren't as nice and clean as the Acura. The spacing of the gates is perfect. Not too close. Not too far. The shifter has a FIRM feel......nothing soft and mushy. You know when you are shifting in this car. The clutch grabs low and hard.........perfect for performance driving. It can be a pain in the ass when you are low in the revs but i'll take the trade off for the quick shift in the upper RPM range.

Gearing..........crap, these changes alone the make the car take advantage of the power!! Passing is easy in any gear. Shifting during hard acceleration results in the RPMs falling right in the peak power band.

Styling:
I have the anthracite. I had silver before and the two cars just don't compare. The changes Acura made on the car are well suited for the image that Acura is attempting to portray. The disposed of the chrome accents on the handles and the grill. Painting the headlight housing black was a great move. Especially on the darker colored cars!.

I HATED the rims when i first saw them. However, I must say that they are MUCH MUCH better looking than the bulky looking 01-02 rims. They are much easier to maintain and have a nice glossy look to them.

Nihilistan

Okay, I'm going to get sh|+ for this comparison, so flame on...

When we went car hunting we test drove the CL TypeS 5AT. Nice car.

We drove a BMW 328Ci (same price as CL). Boring car. Couldn't hear any sporty exhaust notes. Couldn't feel the clutch. Couldn't feel the gears. Everything was waaayyyy too easy/refined. I like a car with character. The bimmer drove like a Lexus, not like a sport car.

We drove a Audi S4. Awesome fun. Couldn't justify spending $35k on a 2-yr old car w/ 43k miles... knowing someone drove it hard and knowing those twin-turbos could be a beast mechanically. If you can afford it, wait till the next redefined //M3 and //M5 killer.

The wife didn't want a manual, but I asked her to humor me and drive the CL 6MT. She drove it off the lot and hit it hard right around the first corner... tires squeeled and then the car pulled hard through the rest. I'll never forget the smile on her face. Priceless.

Regarding the 6 spd itself. You get used to the clutch. The engagement is early and long and linear. I prefer early and short but it's easier to modulate this one. You learn how to smooth out the quick shift into 2nd after driving for 10 minutes. Don't know what the others have experienced, but launches are always smooth (we've never come close to stalling or smoking the clutch). The wife accidentally started out in 3rd and I didn't notice until she didn't shift

The shifter is very tactile going from gear to gear and lets you know when it's in place without offering significant resistance (I like that). Once in gear, the close-ratios allow you to lay on the power and stay on the torque curve. On long cruises, there's enough power in 6th that you don't have to downshift for passing.

The 6MT redefines the drive. The HLSD redefines the handling. For aggressive drivers, I think this is a no-brainer.

We live in LA and while a 5sp manual (my other car) is a little less shifting, you are either annoyed by shifting or you're not. If you bitch about 6 gears, you'd bitch about 5 or even 4.

On gas, it seems like I'm at the pump a lot. Then again, I'm used to getting 30 around town. I'm sure part of it is cause it's fun to drive too.... cost of ownership is direclty proportional to fun.

Last thing I would mention is keep in mind the tranny problems the CL is having in previous years (see the other forum). I'd get the 6 spd outta fear alone... you'll learn to love it

If you're really on the fence, I'd say go for the 6spd. The 6 spd is in higher demand at the dealerships... and when you go to sell it, it will be more appealing to someone looking for a sporty coupe over a luxury sedan.

-- Nihil

PS. If you get Anthracite, and want silver, I'll gladly trade!

Wires

What, are you kidding? I dumped my '01 for the 6 speed.

They gave me a pair of cool black jackets with "Acura" on the front, and "Type - S" on the back. Really sweet.

So, everyone I meet that says "Heh, I like your jacket! It's awesome!" I always reply with "I got another in the closet. I'll sell it to ya for $5k. That's what the depreciation cost me per jacket!"

Shawn S

FOUR words………

SIX SPEED FUKIN ROCKS !!!!!!!

oghondaman

Traded my 03 5 for the 03 sixer.Lost some coin, but the smile on my face when I drive my sixer is worth it.Totally different cars.

scalbert

I can't agree on the Bimmer comparison but all aspects were not mentioned. I own a '99 E46 328i Manual and a '03 CL-S6, all purchased new. The BMW does have a more sedate sound but is very linear, hardly like any Lexus I have driven. It screams to be driven hard unlike many Lexus vehicles. In fact, more so than the CL.

The clutch on the BMW does grab high but that aids in on speed shifts. It does hinder launches but that is not what the 3 series is about. It is easier to shift at speed; less travel means you can grab the next gear sooner!!

Just IMO, there is something amiss about the 3-Series you drove. I will admit it costs more and that difference is hard to justify when less than 80% potential. But when pushed the Bimmer does respond better. The 3-Series drives nothing like a Lexus. If anything our Acura is closer in that relation.

Now as for the CLS6 in its own right; that HLSD is amazing. I love to push it just to feel it come into play. I recently took and on-ramp at speed and loved the throttle on response it gave me. In my old '01 5-Speed CL-S I would have pushed wide but in this case I pulled through exiting at about 5 - 10 MPH higher that I would have been able to.

allmotor_2000

The clutch does need a little getting used to... its like a feather compared to my NSX! I never drove an 5AT, but was a passenger... the 6MT is much quicker and has very good throttle-response (its a good idea to adjust the throttle-cable here... there is some play before the throttle-cable actuator touches the cruise-control actuator and finally turns the throttle-plate!!)

Car is nice... could use more power (although 1st gear is probably at its max right now!)

Nihilistan

Just to clarify a bit of what I meant....
I wasn't comparing the drivability of the BMW. The handling was great and overall the car was very responsive. During the test drive, I was constantly 20MPH+ over the speed limit (including in a 35) because the car simply went... The CL will let you know immediately if you're pushing it.
I like tight short clutches. Had no problem w/ the BMW other than it does grab little high. One thing I didn't mention before is that the BMW didn't offer any sensation when puttin the car in gear. The CL has a very tactile feel and noticable audibles.Agreed. I guess my overall impression was the car was too refined. To me, the grit of the CL Type S was more appealing and more fun. I agree you could push the bimmer harder and it might have turned out to be a better car, but we're happy w/ the CL.

Klamalama

Something is not right. I've never gotten below 20mpg and typically get in the high 20s on the highway. Mine is not a daily driver but is used for puttering around town so plenty of short (less than 5 miles) trips are involved. I too hardly ever take it above 4500rpm because I don't want to push on a usually cold engine. I use any brand of 93 premium which is widely available on the east coast.