Acura · 1996–2003

Acura CL

The Acura CL is a midsize four passenger coupe manufactured and marketed by Honda's Acura brand across two generations from 1997–2003 model years. All first generation Acura CLs were manufactured at Honda's plant in East Liberty, Ohio with the Honda Civic. The second generation CL, TL and the Honda Accord upon which the Acura CLs were based, are manufactured at Honda's plant in Marysville, Ohio. The CL was the first Acura to be built in the United States. With the release of the TL and 3.5RL in 1996, Acura transitioned to alphanumeric and/or two-letter names.

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Acura CL-X

The Acura CL-X is a concept car built by Acura (in conjunction with its parent company Honda) 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 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. It was reported to have a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h).

First generation (1996)

The Acura CL entered production in February 1996 for the 1997 model year, offered as the 3.0CL with either a 3.0 L J30A1 V6 producing 200 hp (149 kW), or a 2.2CL with a 2.2 L F22B1 I4 generating 145 hp (108 kW). For the 1998 and 1999 models years, the 2.2 was replaced by the 2.3CL offering a 2.3 L 4-cylinder F23A1 engine with 150 hp (112 kW). 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 seating became standard on all models. The alloy wheel design was different on the 3.0 for each year, moving from a five-spoke design for 1997, to a seven-spoke design in 1998, and finally to a different multi-spoke alloy design for 1999. The 2.2CL used a six-spoke design, then moved to a 5-spoke double-prong design for 2.3CL. The 4-cylinder model had an option for a 5-speed manual transmission. The CL also featured galvanized body panels which helps to prevent rust. 1997–1999 Acura CL 3.0 L V6 – 200 hp (149 kW) 1997 Acura CL 2.2 L I4 – 145 hp (108 kW) 1998–1999 Acura CL 2.3 L I4 – 150 hp (112 kW)

Second generation (2001)

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 VTEC 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 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. In 2002, the CL Type-S was offered, as a 2003 model, with a close-ratio 6-speed manual 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. 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 fro

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Specifications

name: Acura CL
Production: 1996–2003
Manufacturer: Honda
Class: Personal luxury car
Body style: 2-door coupé
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive
Assembly: United States: Marysville, Ohio
Predecessor: Acura Legend (coupe)
Successor: Acura TL

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2655512CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acura_CLCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1367300114 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2nd_Acura_CL_--_09-26-2010.jpgPublic domain · Photo: IFCAR · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.