2024 Acura Integra Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Before we get ahead of ourselves, you need to know what makes the new 2024 Integra Type S so special. In addition to its widebody appearance and more aggressive detailing, the Type S offers a complete hardware upgrade based on components it shares with the recently redesigned Honda Civic Type R. From the drivetrain and suspension to the steering and brakes, the Integra Type S gets serious performance modifications.

You can tell the Type S apart from other Integras by its redesigned front end. Everything from the front bumper to the base of the windshield is new to package the car's substantial 7.8 centimetre increase in front track width, 19-inch alloy wheels, aerodynamic aids to reduce high-speed lift, and the cooling requirements of the engine and brakes.

The rear track is also wider by 4.8 centimetres. Acura uses a lower body kit and glued-on rear fender flares to tie the rear haunches to the flared front fenders visually. A subtle but effective rear lip spoiler and a substantial rear diffuser panel complete the look, and the Integra Type S is unmistakable thanks to its triple-outlet exhaust system that adds a raucous soundtrack when driving the car hard in Sport+ mode.

Acura sells the 2024 Integra Type S in a single level of specification. Upgrades include any paint colour except for Lunar Silver. You'll find trendy bronze wheels, carbon fibre mirror caps and decklid spoiler, premium floor mats, a titanium shift knob, and more among the dealer-installed accessories. Our test car had extra-cost Apex Blue paint and a carbon fibre rear spoiler, bringing the as-tested manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) to $60,782, including a $2,729 charge for delivery and other fees.

Visually, the interior remains nearly the same as an Integra A-Spec. In addition to Type S emblems and Ultrasuede seat inserts, the dashboard trim in front of the passenger matches the Black or Red interior colour. Acura also employs unique graphics on the digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, depending on the situation.

The quality of the materials is the same as a standard Integra, too, and in some situations, it is not up to expectations in a vehicle that costs as much as the Type S does. You won't notice if you're sitting in one of the front seats. But if you're assigned one of the rear-seat positions, you'll wonder where the 60 grand went.

On second thought, scratch that. All it takes is one drive (or ride) in the new Integra Type S to understand why it costs so much money. You're paying for performance.

Acura Integra Type S specifications will sound familiar if you're well-versed in the Honda Civic Type R. The Acura has the same turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-litre four-cylinder VTEC engine, six-speed manual gearbox with downshift rev matching, and helical-type front limited-slip differential.

In addition, it shares the Civic Type R's dual-axis front strut and multi-link rear suspension with adaptive dampers, dual-pinion variable-ratio steering, 13.8-inch two-piece ventilated front disc brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers, and 12-inch solid rear discs. Like the Civic Type R, the Integra Type S offers four driving modes, has a centre-mounted triple-outlet exhaust system, and sits on 19-inch wheels wrapped in 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S performance summer tires.

However, the Integra Type S isn't simply an Acura-packaged Civic Type R. There are subtle tuning differences that make the Integra seem a little more civilized.

During a conversation with Acura product planner Jonathan Rivers, we learned that the automaker tunes the Integra Type S suspension for a softer, more compliant ride in all three primary Integrated Dynamics Control (IDC) settings. That rings true, as the Civic can feel track-duty stiff, whereas the Integra is more comfortable to drive even in Sport+ mode.

Rivers claims Acura worked with Michelin to develop a tread design specifically for the Type S. However, the Integra's rubber still produces an unyielding grip and an ungodly amount of highway noise. Other differences include more prominent exhaust outlets, less overall racket from the pipes, and front seats with more forgiving bolsters.

In addition, the Acura has a curb weight 14 kilograms (31 pounds) more than the Honda, but it also makes slightly more power, coming in at 320 horsepower at 6,500 rpm versus 315 hp at the same rpm for the Honda. The Integra Type S matches the Civic Type R's torque rating at 310 lb-ft of torque between 2,600 rpm and 4,000 rpm.

Acura invited us to Ojai, California, to sample the new Integra Type S on some of the region's best roads, and they proved the perfect showcase for the car's capabilities. However, with 62 percent of the Integra's weight residing over the front drive wheels, you might rightly wonder if wheel spin, torque steer, understeer, and other unbecoming traits are an issue.

Nope. Not at all. So go ahead, let that clutch out, mat the accelerator pedal, and run the Integra Type S through its six forward gears. You'll enjoy a thrill devoid of lateral tugging as you gather speed, except under certain conditions involving lumpy pavement while powering up and around curves. That was the only situation where we could detect torque steer over approximately 275 kilometres of driving.

We blasted the Integra Type S down California 150, across California 192, and up California 154. At the roundabout east of Solvang, we discovered a short piece of driving nirvana called Armour Ranch Road, and it affirmed our affection for the car even if it revealed a couple of minor issues. The first was the previously mentioned hints of torque steer, and the second was a wish for slightly sharper and more responsive steering.

Soon after, we got onto Highway 101 southbound toward Santa Barbara, switched to Comfort mode, set the adaptive cruise control, and settled in to see how the Integra Type S behaves on a typical road trip. The short answer is loud and tiresomely so. This Acura desperately needs some insulation against road noise.

In Santa Barbara, we performed typical daily-driver tasks like stopping by the bank and hitting up a Starbucks. Since the Integra Type S sits 2.8 cm closer to the ground, you must be careful with steeply angled driveway aprons, drainage dips, and parking blocks. A forward-view or a surround-view camera would be helpful in urban and suburban driving. However, with that said, the Integra Type S proves quite docile when running errands, with a comfortable city ride quality and a clutch that's easy to use in stop-and-go driving situations.

Acura fits the Integra Type S with a small 47-litre fuel tank. Based on the official Natural Resources Canada fuel economy rating of 9.9 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, the car won't travel 500 kilometres on a tank of gas. And, since we averaged 10.8 L/100 km, the real-world range is more like 435 kilometres, with stops for premium fuel every 400 kilometres.

For the return trip to Ojai, we backtracked on California 150, this time at a more relaxed pace with the car in Comfort mode. The Acura provided no less satisfying and rewarding a driving experience. It is a fantastic sport compact car built for true driving enthusiasts.

Acura equips the Integra Type S with front sport seats that have more aggressive lower bolsters than other Integra models but not to the degree that you'll find in the track-ready Civic Type R. This is a blessing, as they're likely more comfortable in everyday driving situations. However, they don't provide enough upper bolstering to match the grip of the Michelins.

The driver’s seat has 12-way power adjustment, and the heated front seats feature black perforated Ultrasuede inserts with your choice of Ebony or Red bolsters. The front passenger seat lacks power adjustment, and you can't raise it higher, which is a shame.

The Integra Type S is a four-passenger car, and rear-seat passengers enjoy decent legroom and foot room. Unfortunately, the bottom cushion lacks thigh support, and the backrest angle promotes slouching. Storage is scant, aside from the cupholders mounted in the middle of the rear seat, and there aren't any air conditioning vents or USB charging ports back there.

One of the great things about the Integra Type S is the coupe-like sportback body style with a large liftgate and 688-litre cargo area. Fold the back seats down, and you can double that volume, though Acura declines to provide a maximum cargo space measurement. That's OK. With the Integra Type S, it's clear that you get the utility of a small liftback crossover SUV with the driving character of a sports car.

Acura fits the 2024 Integra Type S with a 10.2-inch digital instrumentation display and a 9-inch infotainment screen. Graphically, they aren't as sophisticated as what you might find in some rivals, but you can personalize them to your preferences and they're simple to use and reference at a glance.

Better yet, the Integra doesn't have Acura's True Touchpad Interface (TTI) technology. Instead, the infotainment system has a touchscreen with a volume knob, tuning buttons, a Home button, and a Back button. Acura locates the display and controls high on the dashboard, making them easy to see, reach, and reference. The simplicity is refreshing.

The infotainment system includes Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, HD Radio, and SiriusXM satellite radio. A 16-speaker Acura/ELS Studio 3D surround-sound system is standard, featuring 530 watts of power. A native navigation system is unavailable.

Pairing an iPhone 13 Pro to the system took a little longer than expected, and the tech isn't as quick to boot up as you might like. However, we had no trouble running Apple CarPlay, streaming music, or getting directions from Siri. Unfortunately, the wireless charging pad in the tray forward of the shifter proved unreliable, intermittently juicing our device with no rhyme or reason as to why it would stop or start charging.

While driving, the Acura/ELS premium audio system didn't sound as impressive as expected. However, the Integra Type S is a loud car, and any sound system can struggle when streaming music via Apple CarPlay. Pandora produced the worst sound quality, while SiriusXM delivered the best. Apple Music landed in between those sources.

Acura offers a 5.3-inch head-up display in the Integra Type S. You can program what it displays, and in the test vehicle, it showed the present speed, the posted speed limit, and adjustments made to the advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) settings.

AcuraWatch is the automaker's ADAS collection, and the Integra Type S comes with numerous standard features. They include adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.

However, because this car has a manual transmission, the adaptive cruise control lacks stop-and-go, low-speed follow, and Traffic Jam Assist capabilities. Also, Acura says the automatic emergency braking system can only reduce speed before impact instead of possibly bringing the car to a stop to avoid an accident.

In addition, the Integra Type S has ten airbags, a rear-seat reminder system, automatic high-beam headlights, and front and rear parking sensors. Acura constructs the car around its Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) vehicle architecture, crafted to help disperse crash energy away from the occupant compartment.

During the evaluation drive, AcuraWatch operated as intended but isn't as smooth and sure of itself as similar tech from rival automakers. For example, the Integra's braking can feel uneven when other vehicles cut into the gap ahead. When passing exit ramps, the missing white lane marker can cause uncertainty in the lane-centring assist behavior. Nevertheless, AcuraWatch made no significant mistakes and produced only one false lane-departure warning due to a road scar that the system misread.

Because Acura redesigned the Type S model's front end and the car has a different powertrain, crash-test ratings for the standard Integra do not apply to the performance model. Nevertheless, the standard Integra gets nothing but five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Those results bode well for how the Type S might perform.

There are numerous luxury-brand alternatives to the Acura Integra Type S, none offering a manual gearbox or a sportback body style. However, are those exclusives enticing enough to justify a base price higher than nearly all rivals in the small luxury sports sedan class? Maybe not, especially since some of them include standard all-wheel drive (AWD), while the Integra Type S is exclusively available with front-wheel drive

Of course, you might decide Acura is more of a premium brand. In that case, the Mazda 3 2.5 Turbo and Volkswagen Golf R might prove compelling alternatives at significant savings. They both have AWD and a hatchback body style offering similar utility to the Integra Type S. And the Golf R comes with a row-‘em-yourself gearbox. But neither the Mazda nor the VW possesses the sheer cool factor of the Acura.

The new 2024 Acura Integra Type S suffers few flaws and is truly sensational to drive. But the price is too high relative to the competition. Including the destination charge, the window sticker should read less than $60,000.

Note: Images show a US model.