New owner perspective on the ITS vs your car history

[Kendal0]

Hi everybody, wondering about other folks perspective on the ITS vs your overall car history.

In my opinion, small and light with moderate power is perfect. I traded in a 2017 BRZ after putting 126,000 miles on it. Would have kept it but I’m worried there will be zero good stick shift cars soon. The new BRZ is a bit of a disappointment inside and not as good looking outside, so I went with the best thing available in my price range, the Integra Type S, a.k.a a type R with a seat my fat, old ass fits in.

Hatchback is good. Wheel arches, appreciated. 300 lbs increase in weight over the BRZ, not as good. It’s saying something these days to say a 3,200 lbs car feels a bit heavy. The power and ultimate handling are fabulous though.

Bottom line, the BRZ was a puppy dog that just made me smile every time I drove it. The Type S is a fully grown Bulldog. Powerful, agile, and tons of space over the BRZ. It is a better car in every way, but the BRZ was more fun on the daily because it was more playful. I wonder sometimes if I actually like crappier cars over excellent cars. I loved the heck out of my 1985 Fiero GT and it was a total POS.

But hey, I now have about the most competent stick shift car remaining on the market, outside a Porch. Every time I drive the ITS I’m surprised by how quickly I can do everything and how hard it corners. It’ll be great for the next 10 to 15 years before this old man is forced into an electric thingie.

FYI, 57 years old and never had and automatic other than the A4 I got my wife 10 years ago when her back hurt too much for the clutch. Owned lots of great sports cars over my time, but the playful ones were always the best.

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[SilverRocket]

My Car History: My parents bought a base model Civic in 2000 and it was handed down to me in 2010. Drove it for another 3 years before my girlfriend (now wife) had a fender bender. The hood was curled from the middle and I could stick a fist into the engine bay above either headlight. I was a year into my first professional job and despite that car being bulletproof mechanically, the extreme lack of creature comforts (no ac, no cd or even cassette player and roll up windows), the onset of rust and not wanting to put any money into it cosmetically led me to shop for a new car. I was so close to buying the 2013 FRS but I ended up with a 2013 Civic Si after I took one out and heard the crossover at 5k rpm, knowing full well of the Honda reliability.

Fast forward 10 year and like you I was worried about the decline of the automotive industry with respect to fun to drive manual cars that weren't plagued with nanny systems and my Si was starting to show a bit of its age. They unveiled the Type S, I took one look at it and was smitten. I inquired online for some information out of curiosity not being a serious buyer at the time and the next thing I know I have a deposit on it.

I kept my SI for winter duty. I'm going to run it as long as possible but after it's done its time, I think I'm going to get another winter beater, storing the ITS during winter because unless we change course, it's feels like it'll be one of the the last bastions of driving excellence and I do not want to see it rusted away only to be forced into a demolition man dystopian vehicle that issue an automatic fine every time I do 1 over the limit.

 

[tallboi]

@Kendal0 I'm the same age as you and have had my ITS for about a month. Until 2012 I only drove manuals but since then have been in a series of relatively boring automatics - Subaru Outback > Volvo V60 > Honda Ridgeline > Honda Passport > Mazda CX-9 > Honda CR-V Hybrid. I bought the ITS because the opportunity presented itself (a local dealer received one that wasn't pre-ordered), and I wanted one more car with a manual transmission before they disappear. Also, it's sort of a modern version of my first new car that I bought when I graduated from college and before starting grad school - a 1989 Civic Si.

The Integra is a bit loud, a bit rough, a little harder to get in and out of, but it's absolutely great. I hope I manage to keep it as long as you intend to keep yours. Enjoy.

 

[bigmikevegas]

Before the DE5 I had a 2005 Dodge ram 2500 with a 5.9l Cummins and a G56 6-speed manual, lifted 6” with 35” tires, drove that thing for 13 years, it had 220k miles on it when I sold it, very bittersweet.

 

[StingertimeNC]

Most recent two cars before this were 2016 VW GTI- Great car, loved the manual trans, My son has it now and modded the hell out of it. Maybe a bit faster than the Type S. Then Kia Stinger GT2, RWD. Great car, still miss it. So much power and RWD! Had it tuned up to about 475 WHP and over 500 lb ft. Spent probably 15k in mods, then started tracking it. After seeing what the FK8 could do on the track, and always wanting a CTR, and missing the manual transmission, I got on a waiting list for the FL5. After about 6 months of waiting, the type s came out. Figured I would be just as happy with that, so got on two more waiting lists. ITS came in about a month before the FL5. Obviously passed on the CTR, although was tempted to buy it (at MSRP) then resell it, but just figured it wasn't worth the hassle. Type S is better looking and has better suspension tuning and the exhaust is more fun. Hate that I didn't get the seats in the CTR, as well as the big rear wing, but otherwise love my car.

The other thing is I felt this might be the last run for ICE, with manual transmission. Plan to keep this one for a while.

 

[optronix]

I've gotten into my car history quite a bit on these boards. I won't go into the full backstory because that would take many words, but suffice to say I've been a combination of fortunate and frivolous enough to own a wide variety of cars over the years. I'll just list them out individually along with length of ownership; yes there was significant overlap with some of them, many of them were used primarily by my wife (or kids...) and highlight my true favorites:

Early "broke teenager" years:
- 1985 Isuzu pickup truck (2 years)
- 1988 Ford Bronco II (3 years)
- 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle (1 years)
- 1990 Nissan 240SX (5 years)
- 1995 Eagle Talon TSI/AWD (6 months)

Young Navy family years:
- 1992 Mustang GT (3 weeks...?)
- 2003 Mazda3 (2 years)
- 1992 240SX "Sileighty" conversion with SR20DET (3 years)
- 2005 Hyundai Tucson (3 years)
- 1997 BMW M3 (3 years)

Post-Navy years:
- 2006 BMW X3 (4 years)
- 2007 BMW 335i (3 years)
- 2013 Range Rover Evoque (1 year)
- 2015 Subaru STI (8 months)
- 2015 Porsche Macan S (4 years)
- 2015 BMW M4 (2 years)
- 2015 Porsche Boxster GTS (2 years)
- 2016 Audi S3 (1 year)
- 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera S (1 year)
- 2018 Audi S4 (6 months)
- 2020 Porsche Macan S (3 years)
- 2021 Audi RS5 (6 months)
- 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS (6 months)
- 2023 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 (9 months)

Current garage:
- 2023 Porsche Macan GTS
- 2024 Acura Integra Type S

Kids' cars:
- 2012 Honda Civic Si
- 2013 Honda Civic EX

The last couple years have been more or less of a joke. I probably should have sought therapy, because clearly I was missing something in life that I thought a car could solve, and while I got away with some pretty bad decisions in the pandemic years, the market let me get away with it until it all caught up to me in the last couple years. Now with both my kids in college, I would most certainly not done things the same had I a chance to do it all over again... but at least the saving grace is this wonderful Acura. I've had it long enough to know my "destination anxiety" is nowhere to be found with this car, and the reason is because it does EVERYTHING so very well. Even relative to some of the astonishingly good cars I've had in the past, this car still excites me every time I look at it, or back out of my driveway. It is my favorite car I've ever owned, and it is going absolutely NOWHERE.

(Neither is the Macan GTS ).

 

[ChromaPop]

Hi everybody, wondering about other folks perspective on the ITS vs your overall car history.

In my opinion, small and light with moderate power is perfect. I traded in a 2017 BRZ after putting 126,000 miles on it. Would have kept it but I’m worried there will be zero good stick shift cars soon. The new BRZ is a bit of a disappointment inside and not as good looking outside, so I went with the best thing available in my price range, the Integra Type S, a.k.a a type R with a seat my fat, old ass fits in.

Hatchback is good. Wheel arches, appreciated. 300 lbs increase in weight over the BRZ, not as good. It’s saying something these days to say a 3,200 lbs car feels a bit heavy. The power and ultimate handling are fabulous though.

Bottom line, the BRZ was a puppy dog that just made me smile every time I drove it. The Type S is a fully grown Bulldog. Powerful, agile, and tons of space over the BRZ. It is a better car in every way, but the BRZ was more fun on the daily because it was more playful. I wonder sometimes if I actually like crappier cars over excellent cars. I loved the heck out of my 1985 Fiero GT and it was a total POS.

But hey, I now have about the most competent stick shift car remaining on the market, outside a Porch. Every time I drive the ITS I’m surprised by how quickly I can do everything and how hard it corners. It’ll be great for the next 10 to 15 years before this old man is forced into an electric thingie.

FYI, 57 years old and never had and automatic other than the A4 I got my wife 10 years ago when her back hurt too much for the clutch. Owned lots of great sports cars over my time, but the playful ones were always the best.

I completely understand your feelings as I came out of a 2020 Hyundai Veloster N Performance Pack Manual. It was definitely more playful, very fun. The ITS is just so competent though, that it actually gives me more joy. I am 62 BTW. Question though, did you consider the GR Corolla?

 

[TemporarilyStairs]

My first car was a 95 Civic CX (hatchback). That car was slow as hell and I had it for 10 years. Followed by a 2005 Mini Cooper S, a few years where I didn't own a car at all, then a 2004 Civic Si, and finally a 2020 Civic Si.

The last 3 cars were abused by previous owners and had issues I couldn't resolve. Obviously I love Honda and especially Civics, so it was a dream to finally get the best one available. This is my first brand new car I've ever bought and I really hope to keep it long term.

 

[PizzaGuy]

My favorite car that I’ve owned and owned the longest and most comparable to the ITS is my 2015 Subaru WRX STI. It’s not my favorite because it was the most sporty or best handling; cars like my old FR-S and ND2 Miata were certainly better in those departments. But I just liked the combination of practicality and fun. I’ve gone through lots of different weather and surfaces, and the STI never let me down. It felt (and still feels) invincible on any surface, on or off the road. Maybe it’s just my personality, but I like that feeling that my car can take me anywhere and won’t let me down. I like going on road trips, so it works well for me.

Because of the reasons I like the STI, the ITS took a lot of self-convincing to buy. The lack of AWD was a big sticking point for me. But I had read so many good things about the car that I was willing to give it a shot. I love the ITS, but I always have this nagging feeling in the back of my head that it’s not as versatile as the STI. But ultimately, I spend way more time driving my car in mountain roads where the weather and road surface are normal, so I was able to convince myself.

The way the ITS drives is a level (or two or three? ) above the STI though. I drive the two back to back sometimes, and while the STI still feels fun in its own way, the ITS is just the overall more enjoyable car to drive. The way I see it, if I have to lose two driven wheels to reach this level of driving experience, it’s worth it.

 

[SlippyFist]

My first car was a '94 Toyota T100 lol. I then got a '95 Civic EX, then a 2002 V6 Accord, then a 2015 Si coupe, and finally the 2024 ITS.

I'm still not really sure where i stand on the ITS still tbh

 

[Kendal0]

All the lists sent me down memory lane, so here's mine. All are stick shifts unless otherwise notice. Most notable feature listed as well. Other than the overseas postings early on, I've always had two vehicles concurrently.

Air Force Years:

• Island of Okinawa, Japan vehicles:
  • 1979 Toyota Celica Liftback (Automatic - 30 days) - purchased from the guy in the shop I was replacing. Sold for same price. Slow as crap.
  • 1978 Mitsubishi Galant Coupe (2 years) (imported to US as Dodge Challenger) - Had a single spoke steering wheel, one spoke at 6 o'clock, everything else was open. I wish all cars had that.
• Yokota AFB, Outside Tokyo Japan:
  • 1979 Honda Prelude (3 years) - tach and speedometer shared an arc, one inside the other. It was wild to see the needles move right next to each other. As seen here https://images.app.goo.gl/KqS1cnHZshti6SYJ8
• US Posting 1:
  • 1989 Ford Probe GL (2.5 years) - Purchased used instead of a new Nissan Sentra SE-R because we were just married and had nothing. Notable only for stopping me from owning one of the greatest sports cars of it's time.
  • 1979 Ford Mustang Gia 5.0 (Automatic - 10 months) - first 2nd car and needed to be cheap! 140 HP of SLOWWWWW.
  • 1989 Ford Taurus SHO (1 year) - First of my 4 door sports cars. Clutch shredded itself in 12,000 miles and Ford said, no issues here. I sold the car then they promptly silently recalled them to put in a 2 inch larger one for free as they died. Most notable for how my wife and I both leaned to love a fast 4 door.
  • 1985 Pontiac Fiero GT (2 years) - another used 2nd car. Total POS, one the more fun cars I've ever owned. Outside of the current ITS, it had the best exhaust sound of any car I owned. Sold when I occurred to my pregnant wife and I that having a 2 seater with a baby on the way, a dog, and an SHO with a bad clutch that maybe 4 seats would be better. I wish I still had this car and have looked for a 1988 GT but holy, moley they are expensive now.
  • 1991 Ford Escort Wagon (3 years) - Replaced the SHO as the family car. Notable for never breaking and the 'turbo' button masquerading as the AC on/off switch. If you know, you know.
  • 1993 Ford Probe GT (3 years) - Great car with a special 1-year only color of something like Steel Blue Grey Metallic that looked about 5 different colors depending on how the sun it it.
• Turkey:
  • 1984 Volkswagen GTI (3 years) - A used beater because I was told by buddies to bring an older European car over there so it could be fixed if it broke. Excellent, fun, light car. Left a good impression...
• US Posting 2+:
  • 1998 Ford Contour SVT (9 years) - Drove it till is was nearly dead. My wife LOVED this car.
  • 1994 Ford Probe GT (4 years) - Loved this as much as the 93 I had to sell when we went to Turkey. Great cars for their time.
  • 2003 Subaru WRX Wagon, bug eye in World Rally Blue (8 years, 156K miles) - FANTASTIC vehicle and I'd love to have another. Such a special car. This is the 2nd car I wish I had kept forever. Light, chipped to have 300 HP, ran and turned like a scared cat. Subaru has never replicated it since.
• Retired, but not retired-retired. Turns out a military retirement is more like 'graduating' from youth since you still need to work full-time.
  • 2006 Honda Accord V6 Coupe (10 years) - A bit heavy for my tastes but it was my wife's car and for her, a close replacement for the SVT.
  • 1977 Ford F250 flatbed farm truck (Automatic - 5 years) - When you live in the country and your water well goes dry, you need a truck to haul it 350 gallons at a time. The frame under the cab rusted apart and I found it one morning folded up after they broke.
  • 2011 Volkswagen GTI (6 years) - Also chipped to make about 300 HP. A better car in almost every way then the WRX it replaced, but it was sterile and cold to drive, if that makes any sense. Sold to my daughter who loved it and regrets selling it.
  • 1979 Ford F250 farm truck (15 years, still own it) - Hauls water, dirt, rocks, mulch, and anything else asked of it. It doesn't go far, only put 2,500 miles on it over 15 years, but my god is it a rock. Sits for 3 months, then starts up with no complaint. 5 liter straight 6 that will pull anything. At least once a month somebody stops, knocks on the door and tries to buy it!
  • 2014 Audi A4 S-line Premium (10 years, still own it) - purchased when my wife's back could no longer support pushing the Accord's clutch. Also, incredibly sterile and cold to drive with the added bonus of being boring as hell since you can't shift it yourself. Flappy paddle shifters are a waste of time. My wife, enjoys the car because she likes 4 door sports cars that go fast and handle well.
  • 2017 Subaru BRZ Series.Yellow (7 years, 126k miles of joy) - as mentioned, both my wife and I consider this our all time favorite car and only sold it because we couldn't garage it and wanted to see it go to somebody who'd enjoy it as much as we did. Was sold to a friend of a friend coming from an old WRX that died on them. The 3rd car I wish I'd kept and it's only been a month that it's been gone! We drove this car all over the country, something like 40 states it's visited. More comfortable than the A4 for road trips even if it was noisy and road a bit harsh. I only sold it because...
  • 2024 Acura Integra Type S, in Performance Red Pearl (1 month, still own it) -Needed to get the best possible stick shift available before they were all gone. Didn't fit in the Type R, the Corolla GR is impossible to get here and was too downmarket on the inside to live with 'forever' as was the Elentra N. Strongly considered a new BRZ, Cadillac CT-4 Blackwing, and the Supra. In the end, the ITS best fit the 'forever' concept. Fast, capable, not quite so low to the ground for my aging self to get in and out, fun to drive. Not as fun as the BRZ yet, but I'll get there once I'm fully used to the new capabilities.

Why no Porsche? I'd love to have a Caymen or Boxter, but I don't see that as something I can put a couple of hundred thousand miles on while I wait for gasoline to go as extinct as the dinosaurs that made it in the first place.

Thank you all for letting me ramble on and take a trip down memory lane, even if I had to Google some of my old vehicles!

 

[shimin-gata R]

Well Kendal0, nice list and perspectives of each. Your experiences, good and bad give cred to your evaluation of the Type S.

I’m likely older than most and my list of cars/trucks is 20+. It started with a 1980 Mazda RX-7. The first Honda car(started on Honda dirt bikes) was a 1984 Prelude I paid over MSRP for way back then for the same reason as today. But I’m a little wiser today and quit doing that. I had to have a 1986 Integra because Honda was killing it in F1 at the time and it had 4 valves/cylinder.

I lost interest in Honda cars for a period as the company lost the identity I loved. However in 2018 I “gambled “ on a Civic Type R after reading an article in CAR magazine that said despite its looks, you’d be doing yourself a disservice to not buy it. I also had a 2007 Audi RS4 that I planned to keep along with the CTR but lost interest in driving that when I could drive the CTR instead. That car made me raise my game on my favorite back roads. Blew my mind!

The “thing” about Honda’s latest performance hatches is the engineering and the refinement of the interface with the control points. They basically applied the same strategy that has made their motorcycles such great machines.

I agree we are entering the transition in the automotive industry where the Type R/S cars could be the last of their kind. Mine is for fair weather weekends only until someone takes my drivers license away. It’s a forever car.

 

[RamVA]

• • 2003 Subaru WRX Wagon, bug eye in World Rally Blue (8 years, 156K miles) - FANTASTIC vehicle and I'd love to have another. Such a special car. This is the 2nd car I wish I had kept forever. Light, chipped to have 300 HP, ran and turned like a scared cat. Subaru has never replicated it since.

I sold my bugeye WRX Wagon ('02) maybe 12 years ago and I still regret it.

 

[bdisco]

My thread:
https://www.integraforums.com/forum/threads/‘24-its-a-long-story…w-pics.51471/

 

[QUIKAG]

I've had and still own quite a few cars. I drove my new ITS back to back with my 5 Blackwing six-speed yesterday and just love how nimble, light, and small (while still having great interior room and cargo storage) the ITS is. It just feels like a finely honed and refined machine.

The pluses on the 5BW are the quietness down the road, smoother ride, and amazing power with even more interior room. The best way to describe an ITS is it's 75% of a 5BW (short the power, of course) for 50% of the price. I love driving them both.

Have had a 991.2 GT3, 992 GTS, '22 BRZ, '23 TRX, '05 S2000, trucks, SUV's (including a Escalade V), etc. and the Honda, err, Acura ITS is just an amazing machine that feels so good to drive and zing around town. It definitely brings me back to the good ol' days of my '88 Civic, '93 Del Sol Si, '95 Civic, '97 Prelude, and '05 S2000. It's Honda at it's best and I feel at home driving it as I grew up driving the aforementioned Honda's before jumping into Vettes and Chevy trucks, etc.

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