Someone traded in a 2025 Acura Integra Type S for a new Ford Ranger, and, since I have access to Galpin’s trade-ins and am no fool, I jumped behind the wheel to see what Acura’s four-door sports car was all about. The answer: It is amazing….ly close to being perfect. Honestly, frustratingly close.
Even though you may know me as “the Jeep guy,” the truth is that I love a luxurious, quick, practical, manual transmission automobile, and the reality is: There are very, very few of those left. If you want to drop $65,000, there’s the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing; if you want to drop $70,000, there’s the BMW M2; and for about $80 grand there’s the M3. But if you want a fancy daily with a stick for under $60 big-ones, you’ve got one option: The Acura Integra Type S.
Built on a front-wheel drive Honda Civic platform, it’s not in the same league as the other cars I mentioned there, but again, those cars are more expensive and none of them can even crack 20 MPG combined. The Integra Type S takes its Civic Type R sibling’s fast and agile formula, and adds a little polish. Well, that’s at least what I’d heard prior to hopping behind the wheel.
The Integra is a handsome machine. Sitting in the Galpin Media parking lot, the car’s beautiful Platinum White Pearl paint, its triple exhaust tips, its wide fender arches, and its pretty black 19-inch alloys really helped class the lot back up after I defiled it with my dormant Jeep ZJ project. The Acura is a nice car:
The carbon fiber lip spoiler, the black rear bumper fascia, the busy front end with the hood scoop and crazy upper and lower grilles — it’s a little boy-racer-ish, but it’s also fun and aggressive and Japanese. The Integra Type S is supposed to look like a sporty version of the base Integra sedan, and while the overall design is very similar to that of its less agile sibling, the small elements come together well to make it clear to everyone that this thing is special.
But nowhere does it become more clear how special the Acura Integra Type S is than behind the wheel — specifically, just to the right of the driver.
The six-speed manual transmission — shared with the Honda Civic Type R — is literally the perfect stickshift. There can be no improvements made to its throws, its amazing “snicking” gear engagement, the knob feel — and the clutch pedal, too, is wonderfully linear in its grab.
As I left the parking lot, I took note of a few less-than-optimal things. The big one was the fact that the backup camera isn’t nearly as clear as it should be for a vehicle starting around $55,000.
The second, is that this is a sports car without a hand brake (which has become normal across the industry, so I really shouldn’t complain).
The third is that there appears no way to open the trunk from the inside without using the fob. And lastly, the interior is just not that luxurious; between the switches, the screen mounted atop of the dash, the door cards, nothing really feels that premium. The suede/leather seats are comfortable and look good, and I do like the red stitching throughout the cabin, but it’s far from a Benz in there. Or even a BMW.
This makes me want to test drive the much cheaper, manual transmission VW Jetta GLI to see how it compares.
But none of that mattered when I took to the streets of Van Nuys, shifted the perfect six-speed manual, and let that 320 horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder pull that compact sports car with vigor. The car, which is advertised with a 0-60 time of around 5.5 seconds, feels fantastically quick, and it sounds decent without being droan-y or loud.
The beauty of the Integra Type S is that, because it’s front-wheel drive, it’s lightweight and useful. With a curb weight around 3,200 pounds, it’s a feather compared to pretty much any four-door sports car out there. What’s more, with no rear drivetrain, there’s loads of room in the cabin.
The rear seat has plenty of leg and headroom for most adults:
And the rear cargo area (I’m not calling it a trunk, because the Type S features a hatchback, which is cool) has decent space, too, even if the load height is a bit tall and the space is narrower than some might like:
“This is a really smart enthusiast’s daily driver,” I say in the Trade-In-Tuesday video at the top of this article. “If you’re looking for something that’s comfortable, somewhat luxurious, somewhat efficient, probably reliable, but still extremely fun; that’s this car. Kinda GTI-ish.”
And that’s all true. But there are two main annoyances that bother me more than any other — more than the lack of a trunk button inside the cabin and more than the grainy backup camera. The big one is the nose. 
This Integra Type S is such a delightful car to drive. The shifter is perfect, the boosted four-cylinder engine makes enough pops and growls to be fun and it accelerates the lightweight, agile, and comfortably-riding car in a way that makes you smile. Combine that fun with the vehicle’s practicality, and you’ve got the ultimate daily driver for the sensible enthusiast.
In that context, the front lip is annoying. It’s so low and juts out so far that I have to angle my entry into and out of many parking lots (it looks like plenty of Integra Type S owners are dealing with the same issue). For a car that I’d love to just use as a daily, having to baby it over little inclines is annoying. Also annoying is the rear visibility:
These two things — having to be careful with the front lip and the small slit of a rear window — are really my two biggest complaints about a car that otherwise beautifully blends driving joy with everyday utility.
The Integra Type S is a 24 MPG four-door sports car that would work great as a commuter, a (small) family car, or a track machine. It can do it all, and I respect that.
All Images: Griffin Riley
I Could not be happier with my 8/25 Type S. It performs beautifully for what it is. An enthusiasts very sporty hatch daily driver. I liked it better than both the Golf R, and the Carolla GR.
The transmission function and feel is so damn good. Many reviews said it was “Porsche like”. To be clear, this not a sports car, yet some people track it. You can vary the suspension travel, responsiveness, and engine sound. In stock form it pulls 1g in corners and stops from 70mph in 155 feet. 0-60 of 5.x is plenty adequate for general use and for super fun on-ramps. Passing power is always ready to go. No matter what you drive, there is always something faster on the road. This is for to get driver smiles and is not a 1/4 mile car. Go buy a Hemi Charger for that.
This is for the enthusiast that wants something seriously fun, without spending BMW/Audi money and for having low maintenance costs. Sure its $55k, but you do get a very sporty car, and good hatch utility, and great fun daily driving, all in one package.
I’m am not saying its perfect… and … The driver feedback through the wheel, my ears, and my butt, is so rewarding…Insert joke here. The accuracy, predictability, and consistency of the steering and Brembo brakes is so rewarding. OCD levels of consistency. All without being too harsh in ‘normal’ mode. No I dont work for Honda. I have had some amazing cars, and I have very high expectations.
That’s one thing I didn’t mention in the article (but is in the video): The brakes are phenomenal.
Sweet ILX bud!
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Civic Si’s should be FWD, these should be AWD.
For my money (having driven neither) the Civic Type R actually looks more refined and less boy racer (besides the stupid tacked on wing which I would be tempted to eliminate) and also has a more honest and attractive interior. YMMV glad both of these are even being made and I really wish I was in the financial position to be considering one of them especially since so far they seem to be depreciation proof.
The front lip thing is a bummer, one of the things I enjoy about my older turbo Subaru is even with lowering springs I’ve never scraped the air dam or bottomed it out, in real world driving it’s so nice to be able to just whip around terrible Seattle streets without fear of breaking something.
This (and the CTR) are pretty much the only cars I would currently entertain as a one car solution to replace my Accord and ND Miata.
The lack of handbrake is annoying, and especially the ‘trend’ for removing them across fleets. In MA, if you are trying to pass your road test, you are required to be in a vehicle that has an emergency brake accessible to the tester. So even our minivan with a foot brake is not allowed.
Right now, our only vehicle with a handbrake or electronic e-brake in the center is our 6MT Wrangler. The 16yo hasn’t quite learned stick yet, and if so not sure I’m ready to send her to her test in the Jeep. So we need to pay extra $ to use the car provided by the driver’s ed school. Boo. Hiss.
As someone with kids, I’d rather get a Golf GTI or Golf R that could fit three across the back if you actually had to instead of a built in cup holder, has rear HVAC vents, and heated seats. Can pick between FWD or AWD. More useable hatch and easier to see out of the rear. Obviously not the same reliability record, but I could live with the trade offs.
“Built on a front-wheel drive Honda Civic platform, it’s not in the same league as the other cars I mentioned there”
Unofficial CT4-V times around the Nurburgring is around 7:42. I couldn’t find an Integra Type S time but a Civic Type R time is at 7:44. Now doubt that is a big 2 seconds but it still seems like the same league to me.
That Integra is just wasted extra money over the Civic Si that we bought. David: There is a trunk button on ours above the license plate. It literally has the same interior minus the little sail panel on the passenger side and has cloth instead of leather seating. The backup camera is the same as the Civic. The 6spd manual is great and the switchgear is the same. I wish it had a real handbrake. That’s the only thing I’d change. I tracked it at Canaan Motor Club and it was great on a track too. It can get 45+ MPG if you hypermile it or 35mpg normally. It’s our fun all around car. It’s also the only modern car we’ve had and we won’t be buying anything newer. No cameras desired to sell our data and eye tracking, no driver alerts. Our future cars will be old cars that we fix up.
Fellow Si owner. This is correct. The extra 100hp would be nice, but I’ll take the extras 10-15 mpg. A good set of summer tires and ours has put a lot of smiles on my and the kids faces. It is nearly perfect daily transportation unless you ever actually tow anything.
It’s the same wheel specs as my Miata, so it was fun to put the track wheels on it and fully send it around the track. It was a blast. It actually rotates very well with some trail braking going into turns. Pretty amazing as a package. If it had a proper handbrake it would be 10/10.
Just do intake, intercooler, downpipe and tune your si! Easy 60+ HP. Probably need a clutch at some point.
Am I correct that the current Si is not available as a 4-door hatchback?
True, our 2022 Si is a 4door sedan. For our needs it doesn’t make a difference. Also, I think the sedan version doesn’t have the poor rear visibility that David was mentioning. Ours is fine to see out of and of course has a trunk button.
I hate this car so much because ITS NOT AN INTEGRA, it’s an ILX with a new badge.
Every Honda enthusiast wanted the new Integra to be more like this:
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/tgs-guide-japan/what-new-honda-integra-should-look
Putting an Integra badge on a TSX doesn’t fool me.
It’s still probably a really good car, but I’m going to die on this hill. It’s an ILX with a badge; they are trying to cash in on nostalgia feelings but not putting in any of the actual work.
Cmon Acura, MAKE A REAL INTEGRA.
It’s not an Integra you want, it’s an Integra Type R, which is probably not going to happen given the state of affairs at Honda.
If you mean that the ITA/ITS is trying to fill the market niche once occupied by the ILX, then I get the comparison, because that’s sort of true. But, really, the ILX and the Integra are pretty far apart. The ILX was based on the 9th-gen Civic (FB), the one that nobody really liked. The Integra is much more modern, built on the 11th-gen Civic platform and shares that car’s wheelbase. It’s basically an FL Civic with stiffer chassis and probably more sound-deadening material.
Honda just did a Prelude so maybe an Acura version will follow… not sure purists will appreciate the drivetrain though!
Purists will settle for nothing less than a naturally aspirated engine with a screaming 9,000 RPM redline, and unfortunately regulations will never allow for those in production cars again….but I do think they should put the same CTR powertrain in Acura’s version of the Prelude if it ever happens because that car is going over like a lead balloon with enthusiasts.
I personally think it’s cool and appreciate how efficient it is, but no one who grew up around 90s/2000s performance Hondas will ever be interested in one. For a brand that tends to understand what its customers want fairly well the Prelude is a rare and downright bizarre unforced error…
I’m not a purist, I just want it to LOOK like an Integra.
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^ This is a Fing joke, dude. It’s a next gen ILX, and about 95% through the development, some marketing tool decided they could rebrand the new ILX as an Integra because they could attempt to cash in on the nostalgia surrounding the old nameplate they abandoned.
I just don’t understand the decisions being made at Honda these days, it seems like the people in charge don’t even comprehend what we liked about the golden era hondas in the first place.
If you want to revive a dead nameplate that is held dearly and STILL thought of as one of the best handling FWD cars ever, maybe just maybe it should perhaps look SOMEWHAT like that car, instead of damn near identical to your last generation boring slop sedan.
Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t the Integra based on the Civic, so imo the ILX while a half hearted replacement was actually pretty close to the original concept.
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I just want an Integra that looks like an Integra, dude.
If you showed that concept above to any car enthusiast, they would immediately say “that is an Integra”. You could create that same concept with 4 doors, minus the wing, and it would still look like an Integra, because the overall proportions and styling are reminiscent of the 2nd/3rd gen Integras.
“But really, the ILX an Integra are pretty far apart”
Are you joking??????
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Again, I’m not a purist, I get that things change, but the current model looks VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY close to the old ILX, and it looks absolutely NOTHING like what people think of when you say “Acura Integra”
Imagine if Chevy created a new Camaro, but it looks almost exactly like their current generation Malibu. Do you realize how ridiculous and stupid that would be? Because that is what Acura did here. I don’t care what car is based on what platform, the drivetrain or suspension don’t matter, aesthetically the new “integra” looks like a MFing ILX.
/rant
Don’t hate me but in my mind the ILX was always the (admittedly half a$$ed) replacement for the Integra. Concept was similar, small performance-y 4 door sedan, it just didn’t have the hard core performance bona fides, or the 2 door type R variant and maybe I’m a weirdo but I always lusted after the more useful 4 door Integra GSR anyways.
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And agree with you btw, I owned a 4 door GSR and it was spectacular. I still like the sedans more than the coupes.
Jealous I sometimes wish I’d kept searching for one 10 years ago when I was looking but finding a clean one was so hard I gave up. I had a buddy with a GSR sedan way back who’d swapped in a JDM type R motor and some handling bits but left the appearance stock, what an awesome car.
And I don’t disagree that the current Integra feels pretty divorced visually from the hallowed DC4 but also that’s like every modern car maker isn’t it? Not an ILX fan but imo they were pretty close conceptually to the OG Integra even if very visually different. And of course they weren’t as good, nothing Honda from that time period was as good, it’s not like 2012 Honda/Acura was suddenly going to make a a lively small car that was a disproportionately good throwback to the ’90s while the rest of their line wallowed in whatever weird 20-teens styling and product malaise effected them. But that perhaps pedantic point I aside I will fully admit to not really being a huge fan of the current Integra, especially in the more pedestrian trims where it doesn’t have stance and flares to hide it’s rather awkward lines.
I never liked a car where expensive bits hang out over the bits that are supposed to protect the expensive bits. This thing looks like what Bill Engvall called a Dork fish
Wow… 0-60 in 5.5 seconds is the same as my Accord 2.0T with the 10-speed auto. And it has almost 70 fewer hp. In a larger car. With better mileage. That’s a massive hit just to have a manual.
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15079405/2018-honda-accord-20t-automatic-test-review/
and that is the same as a manual 10yr old WRX with 50 fewer HP and AWD
It’s also the same as a WRX of the same year with 20 more HP and a CVT.
But you’re missing the point. This Type S is newer, has mostly the same engine, and is smaller/lighter. It’s an enthusiast model instead of a top-trim “touring” model. Both are FWD. Every expectation would be the Type S should blow the Accord out of the water. But it doesn’t.
Gearing? Final drive ratio? I bet this thing keeps pulling while the Accord falls on it’s face.
Kind of – it’s about 1.2 seconds ahead at 100mph but doesn’t do as well as the Accord in the 30-50 or 50-70 top gear pulls. TBH I’m not sure why a top gear pull matters that much – just shift down it’s a manual! I’d take this over the Accord 100% of the time – I’m sure it handles WAY better.
IIRC Car and Driver explained those tests at awhile back but basically you can only meaningfully compare manual transmission cars with other manual transmission car in their top gear test or autos vs autos. Autos will always stomp manuals in those 30-50 or 50-70 tests bc they kick down where as a stick is still in 6th or 5th. The fact that the Types S is a whole second ahead at 100 is a pretty good indication that it’s a faster car, the old metric for drag racing was that horsepower showed up in quarter mile trap speed where the shorter distances were mostly about launchability.
Yeah, the hard part to square was the much lower cost of that version of the Accord, mid-$30s before COVID, versus the high 50s for the ITS.
It’s hard to get the power down in a FWD car with manual and no electronic helpers. The manual alone costs it a few tenths for the average driver. An ITS with the 10AT and a launch control function might be able to dip into the 4s.
No question that version of the Accord punched way above its weight, covering the quarter mile almost as fast as the ITS and throwing down respectable track times. But the 6MT in that car was not universally liked and it simply didn’t have the cornering grip (LSD) to match with the ITS (1.0+g).
Hell, the Sport trim (the one I had) was under $30k
I also thought that 0-60 time was very slow! The world of EVs constantly makes me realize how much effort petrol cars have to put into making them accelerate even somewhat decently, which always comes with a huge fuel economy hit.
That I can tell all modern automatics are now faster than sticks, sometimes much so. With a 10 speed you have extremely short gears that keep the engine in the power band in a way you just can’t do with a manual 6 speed. I do see your point, but also pretty sure this thing would walk the accord on a backroad or track day even if it loses a freeway drag race.
I don’t get where you’re coming from on the appearance. I see a squashed Honda Accord Crosstour that has some angles added to it and has been run through the accessories aisle at some chintzy “JDM style” shop. Definitely unappealing – in fact repulsive, personally – and the cheap interior and price tag make it an easy pass. Add in the failure rate of the modern Honda I4s and it doesn’t even blip the radar.
A good gear selector does not an appealing car make.
I missed what the price tag is for the trade in, certainly not worth the original sticker
Still couldn’t see myself buying this over a Type R. The Honda looks better inside and out, plus would likely retain better resale value.
Lightly used, manual CT4-V Blackwings are now mid 50s, so are some manual G80 M3s and even IS500s.
I know, I know, you’re not meant to compare used vs new, but you can’t not.
“…and let that … four-cylinder pull that … car with vigor.”
I see what you did there – and it’s Inspire-ing.
I don’t know if what you said is accurate or not, but with a bit of discussion I’m sure we could come to an Accord
I’m glad you’re being Civic about this.
If you keep this up you’ll be a Legend.
I’d want the Integra, but instead of the turbo Type S powertrain, just with the regular K-Series 2L or 2.4L engine with the manual… and with a lower price and better MPGs.
24mpg simply isn’t good enough for me for a daily driver… especially with the 93 octane fuel requirement.
The manual A-Spec comes closest to what I would want… but that’s with the 1.5L turbo with a 91 octane fuel recommendation.
And frankly, I’m not interested in vehicles that recommend octane levels higher than 87 because gas stations put ridiculous markups on higher octane fuels.
I get a solid 28 in all-city driving in my A-Spec, and I recently broke my personal MPG record on a trip from Portland to Yakima (and part way back), at 40.8mpg for the tank. That was with a massive traffic jam also, which makes me wonder what it might have been otherwise..
Agreed, 24mpg sucks. If you can live with a lowly Civic si, you can tune it for +40hp or more, and get 30+ mpg all the time.
Is it just me or did gas stations used to have smaller price hikes for premium. My vague memory from when I was younger and bought my first performance-y car in the early ’00s was that that Plus was only $0.10 more than regular and Premium was maybe another $0.10 more than Plus. It seems like now depending on station it’s anywhere from a relatively reasonable $0.30 more for premium to an outrageously large hike of as much as $.70 more at one station near me recently.
“Is it just me or did gas stations used to have smaller price hikes for premium. ”
Most definitely.
When I was young in the 1970s and after gas switched to the metric system Canada in 1979, I recall that there was only a 1 cent per liter difference between the fuel grades.
Then that started to change in the 1980s and I think the difference by the end of the 1980s or early 1990s was maybe a 2 cent difference.
In percentage terms, super unleaded used to cost maybe 5% more compared to regular…. maaaybe up to 10% more for the 94 octane fuel you could only get at Sunoco stations at the time.
But these days, it’s not unusual to see a MUCH BIGGER difference… 10-25% difference or more just going from regular to mid grade. And for Premium, I’ve seen markups of over 50% compared to regular.
I’m looking at one station near me on gasbuddy right now… regular gas… $1.699 (a good price compared to other stations). Premium unleaded… $2.265… a 33% premium for Premium and an absolutely TERRIBLE price compared to other stations.
What this station is doing is an asshole move. Advertise a cheap price for regular and banking on people assuming that the midgrade and premium will also be cheaper compared to other stations…. but it’s not.
So I strongly advise against buying any vehicle that needs more than 87 octane.
And this kind of bullshit is yet another reason why I will go full BEV eventually.
Mind you, the same kind of bullshit excessive ripoff rates exists for some BEV charging networks… some of the worst being chargers at certain dealerships.
I suppose it’s good to know that I’m not the only one who has seen this and it’s not just me being crabby(sigh)
And yeh the cheap advertised regular thing and then reaming you on premium is mega irritating, a station near me does this. I assume these tactics have gotten worse as more cars (I assume at least because of turbos) require premium than used to.
I don’t remember from my last trip to Vancouver but another irritatingly common tactic I’ve seen in the USA is in big numbers they’ll advertise a cash price and may or may not then show the card price even though I’ll wager the vast majority of folks pay at the pump with a card these days.
NEVER TRUST A JETTA!
…oh wait, this is DT. Unreliable-AF never bothered him.
When I see that front-view photo, this is the only thing I can think of:
https://tenor.com/search/futurama-squint-gifs