2023 Acura Integra vs 2022 Honda Civic

The 2022 Honda Civic sedan was available in familiar LX, EX, Sport, and Touring trim levels, with prices in Canada starting at an MSRP of $24,465 for the LX and reaching up to $30,265 for the Touring, excluding a $1,700 destination charge. The Civic Touring, tested in the new Morning Mist Blue, had a total price of $32,396, including destination charges. The Civic Sport, with Platinum White Pearl paint and the Honda Performance Development package, was estimated at $31,467. The redesigned 11th-generation Civic had a more conservative and plain appearance, resembling the larger Accord sedan. Its interior featured a minimalistic design with improved materials, especially in the Touring trim, and a metal honeycomb mesh across the dashboard to hide air vents.

The 2023 Acura Integra, with its pentagonal grille and JewelEye headlights, fit seamlessly into Acura's lineup alongside the TLX sedan and RDX and MDX crossovers. Replacing the ILX compact sedan, the Integra featured a five-door liftback design, embossed "Integra" name, and a wide track for a planted look. In Canada, it was available in base, A-Spec, and Elite A-Spec trims, with performance all-season tires and distinctive rear-end features like a decklid spoiler and dual exhaust outlets. The interior shared similarities with the Honda Civic but maintained a unique feel with features like a 9-inch colour touchscreen and microsuede upholstery in the Elite A-Spec trim. However, the lack of ventilated seats was a notable omission for a premium vehicle.

The 2022 Honda Civic offered two engine options: a 2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque for the LX, EX, and Sport trims, and a turbocharged 1.5-litre DOHC four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque for the Touring trim. Both engines were paired with continuously variable transmissions (CVT) with Step Shift programming. The Civic's Sport and Touring trims included a Sport transmission mode, enhancing responsiveness and handling. The Civic's structural rigidity, suspension tuning, and steering feel were improved, providing a fun driving experience. However, the Civic Touring's fuel efficiency fell short of expectations, returning 7.7 L/100 km on a 150-kilometre loop.

The 2023 Acura Integra introduced a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, shared with the Civic Si, producing 200 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. The Elite A-Spec trim offered a six-speed manual transmission with rev-matching technology, while lower trims had a CVT. The Integra's handling was impressive, with a wide track and long wheelbase providing stability. The variable-ratio electric power-steering system offered a natural feel on highways and sharpness in corners. The Integra featured three drive modes—Comfort, Normal, and Sport—plus an individual mode, with Sport mode enhancing the car's sporty characteristics.

The 2022 Honda Civic's redesigned front seats offered improved support, with the Touring trim featuring leather upholstery and heated front seats. The Civic's low seating position made entry and exit challenging, but the back seat provided ample legroom. The Civic lacked rear air conditioning vents, but the Touring trim included heated rear cushions. The trunk offered 419 litres of volume, reduced to 408 litres in the Touring trim due to premium sound system components. The split-folding backseat added utility, and a small handle inside the trunk lid aided closing.

The 2023 Acura Integra's liftback design provided practicality, with 688 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats. However, the lift-over height made loading heavy items challenging. The interior featured a logical dashboard layout, smartly placed cupholders, and a centre console cubby. Rear passengers had decent legroom, but headroom was limited due to the sloped roofline. The rear seat cushions were notably soft, enhancing comfort.

The 2022 Honda Civic featured digital instrumentation, with the Touring trim offering a 10-inch display panel with customization options and a Vehicle Activity display. The standard infotainment system included a 7-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Touring trim upgraded to a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless connectivity, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, and a navigation system. The infotainment system performed well, with improved voice recognition technology.

The 2023 Acura Integra came standard with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster. The Elite A-Spec trim added a 9-inch touchscreen, wireless connectivity, a head-up display, and a wireless charging pad. The ELS Studio 3D premium audio system with 16 speakers provided an exceptional audio experience. The Integra's technology offerings were competitive, especially in the Elite A-Spec trim.

The 2022 Honda Civic featured the upgraded Honda Sensing suite, including Traffic Jam Assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and Lane Keeping Assist. The Civic replaced the LaneWatch system with a proper blind-spot warning system and added rear cross-traffic alert in the Touring trim. The Civic's architecture was strengthened for improved collision protection, and new airbag designs enhanced safety.

The 2023 Acura Integra offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and traffic sign recognition. The Elite A-Spec trim added low-speed braking control and parking sensors. The Integra received a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.