| Acura CL | |
|---|---|
 2nd-gen Acura CL | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Acura |
| Production | 1996–2003 |
| Assembly | East Liberty, Ohio,United States |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Personal luxury car Executive car (E) |
| Body style | 2-doorcoupé |
| Layout | FF |
| Doors | 2 |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Acura Legend (coupe) |
| Successor | Acura TL |
TheAcura CL is amidsize four passenger coupe manufactured and marketed byHonda'sAcura brand across two generations from 1996 until 2003.
All Acura CLs were manufactured atHonda's plant inEast Liberty, Ohio with the Honda Civic. The second generationTL and theHonda Accord upon which the Acura CLs were based, are manufactured atHonda's plant inMarysville, Ohio. The CL was the first Acura to be built in theUnited States.
With the release of the TL and 3.5RL in 1996, Acura transitioned toalphanumeric and/or two-letter names.
The Acura CL-X is aconcept car built byAcura (in conjunction with its parent companyHonda) for the1995 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 106.9 in (272 cm) and a track width of 63.2 in (161 cm). 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.[1] It was reported to have a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h).[2]
| First generation (YA1) | |
|---|---|
 1998–1999 Acura CL | |
| Overview | |
| Production | February 19, 1996–1999[3] |
| Model years | 1997–1999 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Related | Acura TL Honda Accord Honda Odyssey Isuzu Aska Isuzu Oasis |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.2 LF22B1I4 2.3 LF23A1I4 3.0 LJ30A1V6 |
| Transmission | 4-speedautomatic 5-speedmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 106.9 in (2,715 mm) |
| Length | 190.0 in (4,826 mm) |
| Width | 70.1 in (1,781 mm) |
| Height | 54.7 in (1,389 mm) |
| Curb weight | 3,064 lb (1,390 kg) (I-4) 3,285 lb (1,490 kg) (V6) |
The Acura CL entered production in February 1996.[4] For the 1996 and 1997 model year, the CL was offered with either a 3.0 LJ30V6 producing 200 hp (149 kW), or a 145 hp (108 kW) 2.2 L (F22B1)I4engine.[5] The 1998 and 1999 models featured a 2.3 L 4-cylinder (F23A1) engine with 150 hp (112 kW).[6]
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 trunkcargo net.[6] 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-speedmanual transmission.[5] The CL also featuredgalvanized body panels which helps to prevent rust.
| Second generation (YA4) | |
|---|---|
 2000–2003 Acura CL | |
| Overview | |
| Production | January 2000–2003 |
| Model years | 2001–2003 |
| Designer | Donald Herner, Harumi Okano, Kunihiko Tachibana (1997)[7] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Related | Acura TL Honda Accord Honda Pilot Honda Odyssey |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | |
| Transmission | 5-speedautomatic 6-speedmanual (2003 only) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 106.9 in (2,715 mm) |
| Length | 192.0 in (4,877 mm) |
| Width | 70.6 in (1,793 mm) |
| Height | 55.5 in (1,410 mm) |
| Curb weight | 3,450 lb (1,565 kg) |
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 LSOHCVTECJ-seriesV6. A navigation system was also available along with theType-S model, denoting Acura's 'Sport' edition. While the regular CL featured a 225 hp (168 kW) V6, the Type-S boasted a 260 hp (194 kW) 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.[8]
In 2002, the CL Type-S was offered, as a 2003 model, with a close-ratio 6-speedmanual transmission 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.[9] 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".[10] 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 nomid-size 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'smanual transmission survives in the third-generationTL and 7th generationHonda Accord.
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 offerdaytime running lights and a windshield washer fluid level sensor as standard equipment (USDM CLs do not have these as an option).
In 2002, Honda Access America developed a performance package for the CL Type S, which was built in concert with tuning firmComptech. A specially designed Eaton twin-screwRoots-type supercharger 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 369 hp (275 kW) at 6,800 rpm and 302 lb⋅ft (409 N⋅m) of torque at 5,400 rpm (both measured at the crank), with a fuel economy rating of 19 mpg‑US (12 l/100 km). The complete tuning and appearance package added $22,412 to the $31,050 base price of the CL Type S.[8]
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 theHonda Accord,Acura MDX,Acura TL as well as theHonda Odyssey.[12]
Due to many failures, the manufacturer extended the warranty on the automatic transmission on some CLs and TLs for 7 years, 100,000 miles (160,000 km). Many replacement rebuilt units had problems. A class-action lawsuit later extended the warranty to 93 months or 109,000 miles (180,000 km). Despite the conversion to kilometers, the class action settlement applies only for persons and entities residing in the United States.[13]
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[14] and at the official Acura Service Bulletin.[15]
| Calendar year | Total US sales[16] |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 16,740 |
| 1997 | 28,939 |
| 1998 | 26,644 |
| 1999 | 20,968 |
| 2000 | 24,677 |
| 2001 | 18,993 |
| 2002 | 12,072 |
| 2003 | 6,593 |
| 2004 | 283 |
Media related toAcura CL at Wikimedia Commons