2003 Acura CL consumer reviews

I owned 2001 Acura cls nighthawk black, let me tell its one best car decision I ever made! Its Sporty , luxury , Super fast , sleek, and awesome design of both exterior and interior. this baby gets 260 HP V-tech , still really good on gas.. sound system is awesome too. AND you know its Honda/Acura car will last forever , as long you take care of it!

Great vehicle for the mobey. It is a steal great features not sure about fuel economy. Smooth ridibg comfortable and dpendable.

I currently drive a CL base and it's fantastic. At first the car may look quite humble, not scary at all. In fact if you look at the front, I think the CL has the best smile out of all the cars. But however, behind that smile lies a 3.2 VTEC engine that is ready to tear up the streets. Hitting 0-60 in around 7 seconds for a FWD makes it is a fast and reliable car. Excellent handling when it comes to turns and condition. Super comfy and amazing sound system. Luxary at such a cheap price it's great :)!

Great car all around. Sporty, Reliable, Comfortable, Good fuel economy. Good resale value. Handles well. The type S model's acceleration is much better than the regular CL.

Best car I've ever owned. Bought my Anthracite/Black leather Type-S new in '03 and despite test driving every newer toy that's come along over the last 8 years including newer Acuras, I still prefer it's feel and solidity as well as the stealthy, understated style of my Type-S. I've enjoyed outstanding reliability-no repairs in 75k+ miles (brakes/tires ~ 40-45k) with an all around lead-footed average mpg of 24. I enjoy playing with the Auto-manual and never had any maintenance issues with it. Love the high-revving nature and silky smooth sound of the 3.2 VTEC, just drop down a gear and in a blink it's well past any traffic and into 3 digit speeds. Classy is the word to describe it's style and sound, not look-at-me boy-racer noisy. Despite some front drive understeer at the limit it feels light on its feet handling sharply with lightning quick and well weighted steering. Got 40K on oem MXM4s and my newer Pilot Exalto A/S are quieter and grippier. It would be the absolute perfect car if it were rwd, but as is this baby's a beast in the snow. Bose sound is outstanding! Love the interior layout with sloping, low dash, low beltline, and lots of glass/visibility compared to today's tank-like styles that have you looking through slits for windows. Incredibly comfortable leather seats which hug you in the twisties like none other. This car is so well balanced with room, quiet comfort, handling, and gobs of power. An everyday, all-weather smile inducer. I keep an eye on the automotive scene looking for something to replace it someday, but nothing new has the same blend of all the Type-S's qualities in one package, especially from Acura whose recent styling direction has been abominable. I may just keep it forever.

Bought used with 82,000. First thing (and I can not stress this enough) is avoid the automatic transmission at all costs, major recalls and why take the chance? It will take some digging but the 6 speed is where it?s at! Now, if you can find the 6 speed (only in the Type S and in the 2003 model) you have a super sleeper car that will dust most cars in its price range from stoplight to stoplight! I have personally put a few 3 series BMW's in their place. Outside of the 350z, M3, G35 or the newer Mustangs you should not have a problem getting the best of the other drivers. Another positive is there are not many on the road. It?s a smooth shifter and about the right amount of power to have fun on the on ramp and not get into too much trouble. Standard options are a laundry list of high end must haves. I recommend the touch screen Nav system if you can find it, only 800 of these made with the 6 speed but I got one! Because of the automatic transmission stigma you can get a really great deal on this car. Car is great on the highway as the bucket seats wrap around you and there is more than enough room in the back for two adults (provided they don?t play for the Knicks). Bose in dash 6 disc CD player has tons of power and clarity. Heated seats are a nice bonus in the winter (my girls friend loves this option) Negatives. Repairs are a bit more expensive than the usual Honda but that is the price of swimming in the deep end of the pool. Compared to BMW, Lexus etc. you will spend a lot less in the long run. Headlights are expensive, ($100 a pop) and these cars tend to have a problem with the head light assembly ($500). I test drove 5 of these and they all tend to drift a bit to the right, small concession really but it is something that I have noticed. Clutch repair is also very expensive (quotes from $700 to $2000) but I found a mechanic that works well on Acura?s for a fair price. I have read reviews that these things tear up brake rotors but I have not experienced that problem. I am not in love with the exterior styling but you can do small things to improve it such as a slightly lower tire profile and I also removed the Acura decals to give it a custom look. All in all the positives greatly out weigh the negatives and you can really pick up a super fun and comfortable ride for a great price. Have fun! Just remember no automatic transmissions!

I bought this car new in May 02. Currently have 145K on the odo. This is, by far, the best car I've ever owned - which is why I've kept it so long. Engine - fantastic performance and exceptional over the road mileage (26 to 27 always) and around 20 in city driving. Tranny - mine is a 6sp manual and it's flawless. At 145K I'm still on the original clutch. Brakes - the car's only weaker point. The brakes are a little under engineered for the car's weight and power. I upgraded to Brembo front rotors with aftermarket pads and it helped a lot. Handling - well, duh, it's a pretty heavy front wheel drive so it's not sports car agile, but will run with 90% of what is on the road. Interior - well appointed and comfotable with more standard "accessories" than most new cars today. Reliability - fantastic. I actually had a real repair about 4 months ago. None other than standard maintenance items until then. Well, one. The CD player is not working. The radio/cd player/tape player is actually an Alpine unit, only the speakers are Bose, and there have been issues with it. I would, without qualification, reccomend this car to anyone. It's just a real shame that Acura has gone amother route with their model line up.

The Acura CL 3.2 Type S is a surprisingly nice car! It will surely exceed your expectations in every category. It's shame they stopped making them.

I purchased a 2003 3.2 CL Type S about 6 months ago and could not be happier with the car. I am a huge Honda/Acura fan and have owned some Integras in my youth. I am getting a bit older now and prefer some practicality and luxury in a daily-driver. This car delivers boatloads of both at an excellent value, without sacraficing performance. The list of luxuries is long, some of my favorites are the power, heated leather seats. I truly think they could be the most comfortable seats ever made in a car under $80K in price. I also love how the passenger mirror tilts down when the car is in reverse so one can park carefully as to not damage the beautiful 17" wheels. Performance-wise, this car is no slouch. The CL-S can easily keep up with brand new cars in its class despite being 7 years old. The engine note is throaty at high revs, as the dual-stage air induction system allows more air into the engine, and you feel a surge of power thanks to VTEC technology. This car is rock-solid at 130mph and still pulling. The sport-tuned suspension delivers a smooth ride despite the fact that it was designed to handle, and it does handle well. My only complaint is slight understeer, probably due to the fact that the vehicle is front-heavy, but this is only noticeable when pushing it. Steering feels natural and responsive. One concern I have is with the automatic transmission which shifts a little rough. There have been reports that these do break, but with 72K miles on the car there is no sign of anything irregular. VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) is a good feature, especially when driving in the rain. Performance is not good in the snow, however, as the tires are not designd for it. For a coupe, this car is practical. It can fit 4 adults but I feel bad for the folks in the back seat. I do not have kids, but I suspect they'd be more than comfortable back there. Trunk space is plentiful. The Bose sound system with in-dash 6 cd changer and cassette deck is above average for sure. I miss my AUX jack from my last stereo, though. Overall, I like the fact that these cars were not produced in high numbers, so you don't see a million on the road. I feel like I am driving a unique car with classy styling. It is a performer with every luxury a purist like myself would ever need (remember, I started with Acura Integras) and more. The 2003 example is actually unique to only that year, then Acura ceased production of the CL all together. If you can get your hands on one of these cars with low-mileage that's been looked after, buy it!

The Acura CL Type-S with a 6 spd manual is truly amazing. The car is classy yet sporty and has every option one could wish for. 260 hp can be felt in every gear and the car pulls as hard as any car I have been in when in 3rd gear. The CL is a sports coupe has performance and luxury and maintains perfect balance between the two. This is a must own car for any enthusiast.