My Integra Type S First Drive Review

[SolarTrans]

I've spent about 90 minutes total behind the wheel of an ITS on two separate occasions, from normal city driving to absolutely beating on it. clutch dump launches, wheel-skipping shifts, slamming brakes from high speeds, overwhelming tires in the corners, etc. here are my thoughts.

At $52k, it's a great package, and offers incredible handling for the price. The transmission, clutch, and short-throw shifter are all top-notch. Power, grip and brakes are well-balanced. Engine feels healthy, but it's not a rocket. Comfortable suspension, but it's a bit too soft to feel as rewarding above 7 10ths as the CTR. There's a touch of torque steer and at the limit of lateral grip if you try to put too much power down in a turn, but in normal driving it's hard to tell you're in a FWD car. It's playful and does not complain about being abused. Frankly, beating on the transmission is where it feels most at home. It's a bit one-dimensional in that way. I'll talk more about this later.

Take your foot off the gas, start to drive like a civilized human, and you'll start to wish you were in an S3 or M240i. Speakers are good but too bass-heavy. The infotainment screen is functional, but too small and deserves to be angled a touch toward the driver. The gauges are bland and could use more customization, but they are easy to use, as is the HUD. The seat foam feels a bit hard, and they really pale in comparison to the FL5 or anything from Audi/BMW. They're too wide for aggressive driving, but at least the suede helps keep you in place. Total miss on the passenger adjustments—my girlfriend cannot get comfortable as the seat does not raise or lower. It's only 4-way. 6- or 8-way should be the bare minimum for a $50k luxury car, even if it's manual. I would call this pseudo-luxury, not full German-level luxury.

Back to the driving dynamics. Sure, it can hold over 1G laterally, stop like you hit a wall, and perfectly match your intension behind each shift. But, being FWD, it's not as fun as a RWD car at the limit. If you lose grip, you wash out/ understeer every time—consistently boring behavior. Slamming through the gears, feeling how the car respond across shifts. That's where the ITS shines.

Though, there's something so much more satisfying about finding the perfect balance between steering and throttle in a RWD car to help you rotate gracefully through a turn. You don't get that sensation in a FWD car, and it's a big part of what makes something like an intense canyon drive so engaging. It is plenty fun for 6 or 7 10ths driving, though, and as good as any regular Civic/Integra as an economy car for regular commuting.

NOTE. I can't stress this enough—please do not pay any markup on this vehicle. At $5k over, or with a few grand in accessories, it is far too close to a G87 M2 in price, unless you absolutely *must* have its nice manual transmission.. The ITS does not compete with M cars in performance or balance. S58 6cyl, RWD—they're just in a different league, and the M2 starts at $63k with only a couple grand in options to exceed the ITS' base spec. If you absolutely must have a manual, the ITS offers a more engaging shifter with better gear ratios for the engine's power band, so that is the exception. But it does not feel as buttoned down as any G8x M car, nor is it anywhere near as fast.

If you're one of those types who "just doesn't want a BMW," or "only buys Japanese cars," please go test drive any G8x and actually push the thing. It's a very different beast from F8x, and genuinely one of the best cars on the road south of $150k. Reliability has proven incredible in the few years these engines have been on sale. If you have small kids and want a 4 door, see if they can make do with the M2's back seat until they're too tall, lol.

Conclusion time. The ITS is the best driver's car on sale for $52k, but for close to/over $60k, it is too expensive. An M car offers better value, whether that's a $65k M2 or $90k M3 Competition XDrive. Somehow I thought the ITS could feel like a less powerful M3, as they're about the same size and offer similar lateral grip. However, the ITS loses out nearly everywhere except against BMW's manual transmission. Worse, engine, steering, suspension, brakes, chassis balance, seats, gauges, infotainment, sound system, material quality, driver assist tech, etc. However, against a non-M car, the ITS" excellent tires and well-tuned suspension means it can carry more speed through corners than anything south of a proper M, RS, AMG, Porsche, etc. Value really is key here.

That said, as of now I'm keeping my LCM+red first 200 pre order. Starting to doubt that it could replace my G80, but I at least plan to give it a shot

Sponsored

 

[optronix]

I get the sense through your whole review that you can't help comparing it directly to your G80, and that is by no means a fair comparison.

I know you give disclaimers about it being good for the price, but what I think you're not completely acknowledging is your strong preference towards RWD or RWD-biased AWD cars. There is definitely a different style of driving involved with those platforms that can't be duplicated in a FWD car. You do have to shift your perspective, and thus your driving style in a FWD car... and if that's not your thing then it's easy to justify the 2x cost of the G8x platform. You like what you like, and some people just really like RWD. I get it, and it is kind of the last bit of reservation I have with this car... and also why I know I'll be augmenting it down the line with a "toy car" eventually.

This is good perspective though. A little familiar for me because it reminds me of the mid-engine vs rear-engine debate for Porsche. There's a subtle difference that's really only noticeable near the limit between the two platforms, and if you get enough time behind the wheel you'll notice the mid-engine cars give this unique sense of "rotating the world around you" that can't be matched in the 911- but the 911 gives you a sense of the gigantic rear tires digging in and you're being slingshot through a corner via centrifugal force that can't be matched in the MR cars. Physics can be fun.

The important thing I keep reminding myself about the ITS though is that FWD has its own distinct driver "rewards" too- I just haven't experienced them yet. I'm sure if I try to drive it like some of my other cars that "reward" will be... understeer. I view it as a challenge to find out what all the fuss is about and evolve/elevate my driving to get the most out of FWD as I can... but in the end I'm not a racing driver and this car will ultimately fill a role as a car I drive every day and can enjoy at 3-7 10ths on a continuous basis.

And yes, of course, the cost... if you can't live without the dynamics a RWD car gives you then your only real choice if you want something new is to go up to something in a whole different price tier, like an M or Blackwing. Assuming you need rear doors. There are lots of options if you consider used, I've said earlier I think this car's primary competition is the F80 M3. If you're just a 'RWD guy', then yeah that's your best bet probably. Those cars are pretty reliable, look fantastic, and can be had for around the same price. I'd sock away a few extra grand for maintenance repairs anyway though, because BMW.

 

[SolarTrans]

I get the sense through your whole review that you can't help comparing it directly to your G80, and that is by no means a fair comparison.

I know you give disclaimers about it being good for the price, but what I think you're not completely acknowledging is your strong preference towards RWD or RWD-biased AWD cars. There is definitely a different style of driving involved with those platforms that can't be duplicated in a FWD car. You do have to shift your perspective, and thus your driving style in a FWD car... and if that's not your thing then it's easy to justify the 2x cost of the G8x platform. You like what you like, and some people just really like RWD. I get it, and it is kind of the last bit of reservation I have with this car... and also why I know I'll be augmenting it down the line with a "toy car" eventually.

This is good perspective though. A little familiar for me because it reminds me of the mid-engine vs rear-engine debate for Porsche. There's a subtle difference that's really only noticeable near the limit between the two platforms, and if you get enough time behind the wheel you'll notice the mid-engine cars give this unique sense of "rotating the world around you" that can't be matched in the 911- but the 911 gives you a sense of the gigantic rear tires digging in and you're being slingshot through a corner via centrifugal force that can't be matched in the MR cars. Physics can be fun.

The important thing I keep reminding myself about the ITS though is that FWD has its own distinct driver "rewards" too- I just haven't experienced them yet. I'm sure if I try to drive it like some of my other cars that "reward" will be... understeer. I view it as a challenge to find out what all the fuss is about and evolve/elevate my driving to get the most out of FWD as I can... but in the end I'm not a racing driver and this car will ultimately fill a role as a car I drive every day and can enjoy at 3-7 10ths on a continuous basis.

And yes, of course, the cost... if you can't live without the dynamics a RWD car gives you then your only real choice if you want something new is to go up to something in a whole different price tier, like an M or Blackwing. Assuming you need rear doors. There are lots of options if you consider used, I've said earlier I think this car's primary competition is the F80 M3. If you're just a 'RWD guy', then yeah that's your best bet probably. Those cars are pretty reliable, look fantastic, and can be had for around the same price. I'd sock away a few extra grand for maintenance repairs anyway though, because BMW.

Cheers man. I am comparing them so heavily primarily due to price. All the G8x cars drive pretty similarly, and the M2 is just too close in price with the ITS if you have to pay markups. FWD vs RWD is part physics and part preference, if you never push the edge of traction, there’s not much practical difference, but this is the sort of car where that’s encouraged, so you are limited in the ways you can drive and engage with it. RWD gives you better grip under acceleration and makes it harder to overwhelm the front tires—they only have to steer, not put down power+steer. I used to care less about this difference before I owned a sporty, RWD-biased car, which is why I say to at least try it if you haven’t (maybe you’re a longtime Honda customer?).

Again, this is really a price argument. The F8x comparison makes sense too; those can even be had in the $30k range, but you have a downgrade in tech and repairs will add up. G8x brings enough improvements to be worthwhile if you can afford it, and while that $65k entry price gives you a smaller 2 door, its back seats are genuinely still fine for kids, so it’s something to consider if you’re unable to get an ITS at sticker. You don’t even have to go to BMW, but I think they offer the best value in their segment right now.

If the ITS was available at MSRP all day, we would not be having this conversation. But I have not seen any cars available *today* for under $60k-65k after accessories and markups, and unless you absolutely MUST have a 4 door manual, that’s just too expensive. Heck, it’s also RS3 money (if you can even find one of those at sticker).

If you’re patient, and can get out the door in the mid $50ks, it’s a fantastic value. All the people saying it’s overpriced at MSRP don’t know how well it drives compared to other $50k cars

 

[meki22]

Speaking of value, I’d like to add my 2 cents to this conversation from a different perspective. I think most car buyers are pulled in by a car’s design and brand equity. The ITS may be lacking in the former but from a design perspective I think it’s much more attractive than any of its would be competitors (save for the CTR, IMO). Also especially with how the market is right now, I think a lot just want that sense of “exclusivity” no matter how short lived that may be.

Most buyers won’t be exploring the limits of this car at all so I find it interesting when people (I’m not saying you two as I appreciate your insights) look too deep into a car’s limits and performance. I could be wrong as it might be a completely different demographic shopping in this price segment.

 

[Integra23]

Speaking of value, I’d like to add my 2 cents to this conversation from a different perspective. I think most car buyers are pulled in by a car’s design and brand equity. The ITS may be lacking in the former but from a design perspective I think it’s much more attractive than any of its would be competitors (save for the CTR, IMO). Also especially with how the market is right now, I think a lot just want that sense of “exclusivity” no matter how short lived that may be.

Most buyers won’t be exploring the limits of this car at all so I find it interesting when people (I’m not saying you two as I appreciate your insights) look too deep into a car’s limits and performance. I could be wrong as it might be a completely different demographic shopping in this price segment.

 

[optronix]

Speaking of value, I’d like to add my 2 cents to this conversation from a different perspective. I think most car buyers are pulled in by a car’s design and brand equity. The ITS may be lacking in the former but from a design perspective I think it’s much more attractive than any of its would be competitors (save for the CTR, IMO). Also especially with how the market is right now, I think a lot just want that sense of “exclusivity” no matter how short lived that may be.

Most buyers won’t be exploring the limits of this car at all so I find it interesting when people (I’m not saying you two as I appreciate your insights) look too deep into a car’s limits and performance. I could be wrong as it might be a completely different demographic shopping in this price segment.

No, most buyers aren't going to nitpick driving dynamics to this extent. But, it's also a huge reason why people would be interested in a Type S and justifying the huge price gap between it and a base or A spec.

I think another huge part of these conversations we're having is just the nature of this forum. It's a site for Integra enthusiasts- people who tend to spend a decent amount of time not just driving cars, but thinking about driving cars. Just like other forums (rennlist comes to mind...), the people posting there don't represent the entirety of the demographic buying the cars. There are plenty of Porsche people who buy the cars and never do anything with them that resembles motorsports in any way, or even drive them spiritedly.

Some call them... dentists.

Same goes for housewives in Macans, or pretty much anyone in a Range Rover or G Wagen.

 

[SolarTrans]

No, most buyers aren't going to nitpick driving dynamics to this extent. But, it's also a huge reason why people would be interested in a Type S and justifying the huge price gap between it and a base or A spec.

I think another huge part of these conversations we're having is just the nature of this forum. It's a site for Integra enthusiasts- people who tend to spend a decent amount of time not just driving cars, but thinking about driving cars. Just like other forums (rennlist comes to mind...), the people posting there don't represent the entirety of the demographic buying the cars. There are plenty of Porsche people who buy the cars and never do anything with them that resembles motorsports in any way, or even drive them spiritedly.

Some call them... dentists.

Same goes for housewives in Macans, or pretty much anyone in a Range Rover or G Wagen.

I see what you mean, but I would disagree with regards to the ITS in particular. It's a manual transmission sports sedan. The target demographic is, by definition, a limited subset of enthusiasts—Acura's own folks say this, and are only expecting it to comprise 10% of Integra sales. Maybe not super ultra nerds, but definitely above your average "dentist" or "housewife" who buy Porsches or rovers for the brand or other aspects beyond pure driving dynamics. Acura is not targeting these folks.

I picture the demographic to be a value-conscious car enthusiast who wants an engaging, communicative, reliable, manual transmission performance car that strikes a balance between sporty, practical and comfortable. These types of folks are more likely to care about how well the driving dynamics stack up to competition.

 

[optronix]

I see what you mean, but I would disagree with regards to the ITS in particular. It's a manual transmission sports sedan. The target demographic is, by definition, a limited subset of enthusiasts—Acura's own folks say this, and are only expecting it to comprise 10% of Integra sales. Maybe not super ultra nerds, but definitely above your average "dentist" or "housewife" who buy Porsches or rovers for the brand or other aspects beyond pure driving dynamics. Acura is not targeting these folks.

I picture the demographic to be a value-conscious car enthusiast who wants an engaging, communicative, reliable, manual transmission performance car that strikes a balance between sporty, practical and comfortable. These types of folks are more likely to care about how well the driving dynamics stack up to competition.

I would agree with you- but I still don't think most people are going to take these cars on weekend drives into forests or canyons where the car will be pushed anywhere near its limits. A higher percentage than say your typical Crosstrek demographic sure, but I've just met too many people outside of forums who owned definite enthusiast cars who did nothing with them outside the lines of what "normies" do... I don't think the ITS is really any different. It is to people posting on this forum, but not at large. I could be wrong, just my personal impression.

The car also happens to look amazing, and feels much more special in the "first 100 feet" than most normie cars out there, so I could easily see a bored housewife who knows/wants to drive manual asking her husband to go look at an ITS and drives it home. Easily could see that.

Also could see plenty of young tech bros buying these and slamming them to the ground with 4.5 degrees of negative camber because "stance".

 

[Azkyrie6]

I would agree with you- but I still don't think most people are going to take these cars on weekend drives into forests or canyons where the car will be pushed anywhere near its limits. A higher percentage than say your typical Crosstrek demographic sure, but I've just met too many people outside of forums who owned definite enthusiast cars who did nothing with them outside the lines of what "normies" do... I don't think the ITS is really any different. It is to people posting on this forum, but not at large. I could be wrong, just my personal impression.

The car also happens to look amazing, and feels much more special in the "first 100 feet" than most normie cars out there, so I could easily see a bored housewife who knows/wants to drive manual asking her husband to go look at an ITS and drives it home. Easily could see that.

Also could see plenty of young tech bros buying these and slamming them to the ground with 4.5 degrees of negative camber because "stance".

The new ITS definitely appeals to enthusiasts. It also appeals to people who will love the look of this car, want a great manual driving experience, or people want a once in a while fun and engaging driving session while still being a daily car. It will also appeal to former Integra owners who have gotten older and now need a family four door while still tapping into the nostalgia. Might even appeal to Honda CTR fans who can’t get one.

For me it checks most of the boxes. Have a family, I need a 4-door, former Integra owner, want a fun driving experience again but I won’t be speed racing. I’m in the waitlist. I can reasonably afford ITS but not interested in paying ADM and not interested in EV vehicle. Until then, my 2006 TL with 220k miles will keep chugging along

 

[Negitoro7]

OP: Let me preface this by saying that I appreciate your impressions and perspective of the driving dynamics, and also that your comment about the heavy-bass of the ELS system is seldom-mentioned (only seen it also mentioned by savagegeese). As someone with a history of FWD cars (some of them being manual Hondas), as well as a few RWD performance cars, I have no delusion that the Integra Type S and Civic Type R fully supplants the driving satisfaction of said RWD cars. However, they’re amazing daily one-car-do-it-alls at or around their respective MSRP price points even if I’ll be planning to eventually complement the FL5 or DE5 with a next gen Miata as well.

The comparisons to new ///M cars always makes me a tad envious of how relatively “cheap” BMWs must be in the States than here in Canada (albeit our Integra Type S is slightly cheaper than yours). Even the price difference from the Integra Type S to a well-optioned M240i is substantial enough to not be a consideration of comparison for me, much less a G87 M2 which would be completely out of the realm of affordability.

The comparison to a used F87 M2 does apply to me though as the prices are similar to what a new Integra Type S will cost. I test-drove a manual M2 and the gearbox was gross to me as someone who’s used to Honda manuals: The throws were long, vague, and rubbery; the clutch friction point was high up in the travel; the driver seat being angled outwards towards the A-pillar makes the reach to the clutch really awkward; and you can’t disable auto rev-matching unless you go full hero mode and turn off all stability/traction control. I owned a DCT M2 for a while, and would go auto (ZF) again if I could ever afford a G87 M2.

For now, I want a terrific manual gearbox in a practical daily package with enough niceties that will make the mundane commute more than tolerable, and the Integra Type S seems to tick almost all boxes even if it isn’t completely satisfying during an occasional weekend canyon run.

 

[optronix]

I don’t buy that it won’t completely satisfy a weekend canyon run. It absolutely will. There are literally dozens of reviews at this point that validate this.

Unless you just simply can’t enjoy driving unless you can slide the tail out, I can’t reconcile that it wouldn’t still be an absolute blast on a nice road.

And honestly, if you have to get up to a $100k++ car for comparable driving dynamics, it’s already a win.

 

[zozi8816]

I would agree with you- but I still don't think most people are going to take these cars on weekend drives into forests or canyons where the car will be pushed anywhere near its limits. A higher percentage than say your typical Crosstrek demographic sure, but I've just met too many people outside of forums who owned definite enthusiast cars who did nothing with them outside the lines of what "normies" do... I don't think the ITS is really any different. It is to people posting on this forum, but not at large. I could be wrong, just my personal impression.

The car also happens to look amazing, and feels much more special in the "first 100 feet" than most normie cars out there, so I could easily see a bored housewife who knows/wants to drive manual asking her husband to go look at an ITS and drives it home. Easily could see that.

Also could see plenty of young tech bros buying these and slamming them to the ground with 4.5 degrees of negative camber because "stance".

this is exactly why I have a deposit on this car and probably going to choose this car over CTR.

I dont know if I would call myself an enthusiast as I can't or care to do much work beyond changing oil/filter and tires, but I do like cars in general and appreciate what different cars are capable of.

I'd love to start tracking my car too but I won't realistically track the car that often if at all. I would mostly use this car for daily and drive it on S2S (sea to sky) in the summer and thats about it.

This car is perfect for someone like me lol and I love that this car exists alongside CTR to satisfy other people like myself.

 

[SolarTrans]

I would agree with you- but I still don't think most people are going to take these cars on weekend drives into forests or canyons where the car will be pushed anywhere near its limits. A higher percentage than say your typical Crosstrek demographic sure, but I've just met too many people outside of forums who owned definite enthusiast cars who did nothing with them outside the lines of what "normies" do... I don't think the ITS is really any different. It is to people posting on this forum, but not at large. I could be wrong, just my personal impression.

The car also happens to look amazing, and feels much more special in the "first 100 feet" than most normie cars out there, so I could easily see a bored housewife who knows/wants to drive manual asking her husband to go look at an ITS and drives it home. Easily could see that.

Also could see plenty of young tech bros buying these and slamming them to the ground with 4.5 degrees of negative camber because "stance".

Oh absolutely. At-the-limit performance is very rarely observed by most drivers. That’s why I say that it does really excel at 7 10ths, which is where the vast majority of folks will be driving it. And it certainly does feel like a big step up from a more “average” car!

 

[SolarTrans]

I don’t buy that it won’t completely satisfy a weekend canyon run. It absolutely will. There are literally dozens of reviews at this point that validate this.

Unless you just simply can’t enjoy driving unless you can slide the tail out, I can’t reconcile that it wouldn’t still be an absolute blast on a nice road.

And honestly, if you have to get up to a $100k++ car for comparable driving dynamics, it’s already a win.

Oh it’s great in the canyons. Like I said, 7 10ths is the sweet spot. Mechanical lateral grip is on the level of everything from a $65k M2 to a $90k M3, in large part due to the tires. The ITS/CTR feel the most rewarding when you’re just shy of pushing traction limits, going for a clean line

 

[SolarTrans]

OP: Let me preface this by saying that I appreciate your impressions and perspective of the driving dynamics, and also that your comment about the heavy-bass of the ELS system is seldom-mentioned (only seen it also mentioned by savagegeese). As someone with a history of FWD cars (some of them being manual Hondas), as well as a few RWD performance cars, I have no delusion that the Integra Type S and Civic Type R fully supplants the driving satisfaction of said RWD cars. However, they’re amazing daily one-car-do-it-alls at or around their respective MSRP price points even if I’ll be planning to eventually complement the FL5 or DE5 with a next gen Miata as well.

The comparisons to new ///M cars always makes me a tad envious of how relatively “cheap” BMWs must be in the States than here in Canada (albeit our Integra Type S is slightly cheaper than yours). Even the price difference from the Integra Type S to a well-optioned M240i is substantial enough to not be a consideration of comparison for me, much less a G87 M2 which would be completely out of the realm of affordability.

The comparison to a used F87 M2 does apply to me though as the prices are similar to what a new Integra Type S will cost. I test-drove a manual M2 and the gearbox was gross to me as someone who’s used to Honda manuals: The throws were long, vague, and rubbery; the clutch friction point was high up in the travel; the driver seat being angled outwards towards the A-pillar makes the reach to the clutch really awkward; and you can’t disable auto rev-matching unless you go full hero mode and turn off all stability/traction control. I owned a DCT M2 for a while, and would go auto (ZF) again if I could ever afford a G87 M2.

For now, I want a terrific manual gearbox in a practical daily package with enough niceties that will make the mundane commute more than tolerable, and the Integra Type S seems to tick almost all boxes even if it isn’t completely satisfying during an occasional weekend canyon run.

Canadian pricing certainly skews this whole conversation! I think you will be happy with the ITS

Sponsored