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The Acura CL is a midsize four passenger coupe manufactured and marketed by
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
's
Acura Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, M ...
brand across two generations from 1996 until 2003. All Acura CLs were manufactured at
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
's plant in East Liberty, Ohio with the Honda Civic. The second generation TL and the
Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States sinc ...
upon which the Acura CLs were based, are manufactured at
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
's plant in
Marysville, Ohio Marysville is a city in Union County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 25,571 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located approximately northwest of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, it is part of the Columbus met ...
. The CL was the first Acura to be built in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. With the release of the TL and 3.5RL in 1996, Acura transitioned to
alphanumeric Alphanumericals or alphanumeric characters are any collection of number characters and letters in a certain language. Sometimes such characters may be mistaken one for the other. Merriam-Webster suggests that the term "alphanumeric" may often ...
and/or two-letter names.


Acura CL-X

The Acura CL-X is a
concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not ...
built by
Acura Acura is the luxury and performance division of Japanese automaker Honda, based primarily in North America. The brand was launched on March 27, 1986, marketing luxury and performance automobiles. Acura sells cars in the United States, Canada, M ...
(in conjunction with its parent company
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
) for the 1995 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was designed in Honda's R&D North America studio in Los Angeles. It is a two-dour coupe with a wheelbase of and a track width of . The concept was shown to preview the styling and body style of what would become the CL. The particular car shown had special carbon fiber and aluminum composite wheels designed for performance, with a staggered wheel setup of 18 inches in the front and 19 inches in the rear. It was reported to have a top speed of .


First generation (1996–1999)

The Acura CL entered production in February 1996. For the 1996 and 1997 model year, the CL was offered with either a 3.0 L '' J30'' V6 producing , or a 2.2 L ( F22B1) I4
engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...
. The 1998 and 1999 models featured a 2.3 L 4-cylinder ( F23A1) engine with . Both the 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder CL offered a "Premium" trim level which offered leather upholstery (with heated front seats in the 3.0), and in the 3.0, an Acura/Bose stereo. For the 1999 model year, the "Premium" trim level was eliminated, and leather upholstery became standard on all models, as was a trunk
cargo net A cargo net is a type of net (device), net used for transferring cargo to and from ships. It is usually square or rectangular, but sometimes round, made of thick rope, with cinch ropes extending from the corners, and in some designs, the edges. ...
. The alloy wheel design was different on the 3.0 for each year, moving from a five-spoke design (MY 1997) to a seven-spoke design (MY 1998), to a different multi-spoke alloy design for the 1999 model year. The 2.2/2.3 CL used a six-spoke design for 1997, then moved to a 5-spoke double-prong design for 1998 and 1999. The 4-cylinder model had an option for a 5-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
. The CL also featured
galvanized Galvanization ( also spelled galvanisation) is the process of applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron, to prevent rusting. The most common method is hot-dip galvanizing, in which the parts are coated by submerging them in a bath o ...
body panels which helps to prevent rust. * 1996–1999 Acura CL 3.0 L V6 – * 1996–1997 Acura CL 2.2 L I4 – * 1997–1999 Acura CL 2.3 L I4


Second generation (2000–2003)

For the 1999 model year, the Acura CL's sibling, the TL, was redesigned. The CL, however, was never produced as a 2000 model and instead in March 2000 the completely redesigned Acura CL was released as a 2001 model featuring a 3.2 L
SOHC An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine in which the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combus ...
VTEC VTEC (described as ''Variable Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control'', but stands for ''Valve Timing Electronically Controlled'') is a system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine, r ...
'' J-series'' V6. A navigation system was also available along with the Type-S model, denoting Acura's 'Sport' edition. While the regular CL featured a V6, the Type-S boasted a V6 with 17-inch wheels, a firmer suspension, slightly larger brakes, and firmer seats. At the time, the Type-S was the most powerful front-wheel drive vehicle Honda had ever manufactured. In 2002, the CL Type-S was offered, as a 2003 model, with a close-ratio 6-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
with a helical limited-slip differential. The 6-speed CL deleted some minor interior features from the automatic, such as a center console light. Also, the heated seats only featured one heat setting (vs. high and low in the auto). VSA and TCS were also not found on the 6-speed car, and as such, a 3-channel ABS unit was used. One of the main criticisms of the CL was that a manual transmission had been dropped when the car was redesigned for the 2001 model year. Very few manual transmission models were built; there were 2,690 without navigation and 824 with navigation, for a total of 3,514 in the US market. An additional 331 cars were produced for the Canadian market, all without navigation. Despite such small numbers of manual transmissions, there was still a greater demand than Acura had expected. The 6-speed car was highly praised by critics, with one calling it "the high point of Acura performance outside the NSX and Integra Type-R". However, with the CL's sister car, the TL, coming up on a redesign for the 2004 model year, the CL was dropped from Acura's lineup with no
mid-size Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...
luxury coupe replacement. Total Acura CL sales from 2000 until 2003, when the last new model was sold, was less than 31,000 units. The CL's
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canadian English, Canada, British English, the United Kingdom and American English, the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed ...
survives in the third-generation TL and 7th generation
Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States sinc ...
. The 2003 model year also brought cosmetic changes to the CL. The 5-watt road/fog lamps found on the 2001–02 models were deleted, and non-functional air vents were installed in their place. The grille surround and door handles were now body color, as opposed to being chrome on the 01–02. The side mirrors were also redesigned (for both the 2002 and 2003 models) by having a more square shape, full-body matched paint, and tinted glass since customers had complained about excessive wind noise coming from the mirror seam. The 2003 models also saw new headlights which now featured a blacked-out interior, and the taillight lenses had a cleared turn signal and reverse light. Type-S's now included updated 17 × 7" 12-spoke wheels. Revised thicker exhaust tips were also a new addition. Canadian CLs offer daytime running lights and a windshield washer fluid level sensor as standard equipment (USDM CLs do not have these as an option). * 2000–2003 Acura 3.2 CL – , mpg: 17 city/27 hwy. (5AT) * 2000–2003 Acura 3.2 CL Type S – at 6,100 rpm, at 3,500–5,500 rpm. mpg: 19 city/29 hwy (6MT), 17 city/27 hwy. (5AT)


High-performance models

In 2002, Honda Access America developed a performance package for the CL Type S, which was built in concert with tuning firm
Comptech Comptech, also known as Comptech Racing, is a company that designs and builds racing car engines. It was originally established in Sunnyvale, California, in the late 1970s by Doug Petersen and Don Erb. The company moved to a new location in Rancho ...
. A specially designed Eaton twin-screw
Roots-type supercharger The Roots blower is a Pump#Positive-displacement pumps, positive displacement lobe pump which operates by pumping a fluid with a pair of meshing lobes resembling a set of stretched gears. Fluid is trapped in pockets surrounding the lobes and ca ...
was coupled with numerous suspension, exhaust, braking, and drivetrain enhancements. 0 to 60 mph times of the coupe were reduced from 6.0 seconds on a stock Type S to 5.7 seconds with the modifications. Output was claimed to be at 6,800 rpm and of torque at 5,400 rpm (both measured at the crank), with a fuel economy rating of . The complete tuning and appearance package added $22,412 to the $31,050 base price of the CL Type S.


Automatic transmission concerns

Problems have been seen with the second-generation CL models equipped with automatic transmissions (manual transmission models are unaffected). Reports say that after an average of around 40,000 miles, the transmission experiences gear failures, such as downshifts, slipping, flaring and not shifting, and leaking. One main cause is excessive wear of the 3rd gear clutch pack, resulting in large amounts of debris blocking the flow of transmission fluid. Many owners reported problems with the replacement transmissions as well. Similar transmission-related issues exist in the
Honda Accord The , also known as the in Japan and China for certain generations, is a series of automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, best known for its four-door sedan variant, which has been one of the best-selling cars in the United States sinc ...
,
Acura MDX The Acura MDX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV with three-row seating produced by the Japanese automaker Honda under its luxury Acura division since 2000. The alphanumeric moniker stands for "Multi-Dimensional" luxury. It has ranked as the se ...
,
Acura TL The Acura TL is a car that was manufactured by Acura, the luxury division of Honda. It was introduced in 1995 to replace the Acura Vigor and was badge engineering, badged for the Japanese-market from 1996 to 2000 as the Honda Inspire and from 1996 ...
as well as the
Honda Odyssey Honda Odyssey can refer to three motor vehicles manufactured by Honda: * Honda Odyssey (ATV), an all-terrain vehicle (1977—1989) * Honda Odyssey (minivan), a brand of two different Honda minivan models for different markets ** Honda Odyssey (i ...
. Due to many failures, the manufacturer extended the warranty on the automatic transmission on some CLs and TLs for 7 years, . Many replacement rebuilt units had problems. A class-action lawsuit later extended the warranty to 93 months or . Despite the conversion to kilometers, the class action settlement applies only for persons and entities residing in the United States. In addition, there was an unrelated transmission recall for safety reasons. One gear tended to overheat, break and cause the transmission to lock up. Since this failure would cause the car to come to a sudden stop, this might cause accidents. Further information on the transmission issue was available on enthusiast forums and at the official Acura Service Bulletin.


Sales


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Acura Cl CL Front-wheel-drive vehicles Coupés Cars introduced in 1996 Cars discontinued in 2003