2023 Acura Integra restores the glory of the past

My 2023 Acura Integra didn’t have a five minute drive and I still couldn’t take an angle at speed, but I already like this car. The way steering firms come up on the freeway, the ability to adapt to the bumps of adapted dampers while contributing to the planting feel, the sneak-sneak motion of a Honda / Acura manual shifter — all add a new integral to the respectable car origins of the early 1990s and early 2000s. There are

My test car is an Integra A-Spec with a technology package model. At $ 36,895, it’s the only way to get a manual transmission. It sits at the top of the lineup, yet it costs $ 10,000 less than the average transaction price of today’s passenger car. Buyers can spend as little as 31,895 and still get a five-door hatchback with a premium ride, high-end refinement and a 200-hp 1.5-liter Turbo-4, but the 6-speed manual is very fun and it costs extra equipment for the model. Very generous to give justification.

Balanced dynamics

The new Integra has nothing to do with its replacement ILX. It runs on a version of Honda’s global small car architecture that has been modified for Integra. Made with 33% aluminum for light weight, it uses high-strength steel to strengthen key areas, and Acura reinforces it with extensive structural adhesive. The Honda Civic Si is its closest sibling, as both cars use the same 107.7-inch wheelbase, but the Integra is 6.8 inches longer and 5% tougher than the Civic hatchback, according to Acura.

Integra uses a McPherson strut suspension on the front (sorry, no double wishbone like the good old days of the 1990s), and a multilink independent rear suspension. The tech package model employs adaptive dampers, the first for Integra, and when buyers opt for a manual transmission, Acura throws in a limited-slip differential.

Acura engineers have done a great job of tuning every aspect of the suspension. Although adapted dampers already help with better ride and handling, tuning of items such as a 27-mm hollow front stabilizer bar, solid 17.5-mm rear stub bar (18mm in A-Spec), and a large rear compliance bushing, among other components, Create premium ride quality.

Most of my time is spent on tech package models. Cycling through drive mode, the ride is soft but controlled and it is never too tight, even in sport mode, which also improves body control.

Through the corners, the car tilts slightly, tracks a consistent line, and the A-Spec’s limited-slip differential helps keep it on the pavement without turning the inner wheel. Throwing hard at an angle, the car initially responds with a slight understear that can suddenly lift from the throttle and turn into an overstear. Skilled drivers can take advantage of this in an autocross, but sticker tires from the A-Spec’s standard all-season 235 / 40R18s (and especially the base model 225 / 50R17s) can grip more at a faster angle.

The feeling of the road through the small-diameter steering wheel, and the vehicle’s response to the steering inputs both contribute greatly to the integral attraction. One reason is that the steering wheel has an ultra-fast 11.52: 1 ratio (slightly faster at 11.33: 1 in the base model), but it doesn’t feel that fast or make the car dirty on the freeway. It has electrical support and a mechanical variable ratio that dials in response as fast as the driver turns the steering wheel.

Though sporty, the Integra should not be confused with a performance car. In addition to the lack of performance tires, it also has road brakes, although they are larger than the ILX. On the front, it sports a 12.3-inch disc with a 2-piston caliper and on the back it gets an 11.1-inch rigid rotor with a single-pot caliper. They accomplish the task at limited speeds of travel time and canyon driving, but do not rely on them to handle consistent heavy braking situations.

21 years, no more horsepower

The Acura RSX, built from 2002 to 2006, is considered a part of Integra history, but not a more stable ILX. Hidden under the hood of the RSX is a 2.0-liter Inline-4 that produces 160 hp on the standard trim and 200 hp on the Type S model. Twenty-one years later, Integra makes… 200 hp. First blush, it’s not too much growth in two decades.

The difference is how that energy comes. The naturally ambitious engine of the 2002 Integra Type S relies on VTEC technology that converts to a different cam profile at higher rpm. It had relatively low power, and drivers only tapped at optimal power if their legs were heavy.

2023 Integra gets the first turbocharger of the car It is strapped to a 1.5-liter inline-4 and helps produce 200 hp at 6,000 rpm and 192 lb-ft of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm, while the 2002 engine’s maximum HP reached its 4 in 7 minutes. Do not out maximum up to 6,000 revs. Although RSX’s VTEC system switched cam profiles to a relatively low 2,200 rpm, it didn’t really come to power until a second intake runner was opened until 4,700 rpm.

The Turbo makes it easier to access the power of the new Integra, especially in Sport mode, but the new car probably won’t be faster at 0-60 miles per hour. Acura estimated 6.4 seconds for the RSX Type S in 2002, and while the company won’t quote a time today, it looks like it’s in that range or a bit faster. However, in today’s model it is easy to accelerate to 30 miles per hour or get on the highway speed without railings on the throttle pedal. Despite the low extra power, the Integra torque does not suffer because the energy flows to the pavement through the front wheels.

A fun way to harness the power of the Integra engages the driver with the powertrain. The top Integra A-Spec comes with a 6-speed manual with the technology package. Like other fantastic Honda / Acura manual transmissions, it boasts a sleek shifter with small throws, positive action from gear to gear, and a light but predictable clutch. The other option, a continuous variable automatic (CVT) with seven simulated gear ratios, blurs its “shifts”. CVT’s sport mode subtly accelerates changes in the proportions of that step; It’s like drinking three tequila shots instead of six, and the CVT fades into the background at a young age around town.

While the 1.5-liter turbo qualifies as a good engine, it’s not great. Over time, the power will increase, and for now I would expect a 2.0-liter Turbo-4 with about 250 hp on the Subaru WRX’s line. Perhaps an upcoming Type S model (Akura says it will add a Type S variant to each model) could remedy this.

Bigger, technology cabin

Replacing the ILX, Integra boasts a more spacious, technological cabin. A standard 10.2-inch digital instrument provides cluster driving information, while a standard 7.0-inch touchscreen or 9.0-inch version handles A-Spec with technology package model infotainment. The base screen may seem small these days, and even the larger screen isn’t that big, but both are much easier to use than the other Acura’s awkward touchpad interface.

To justify the price of the Integra premium segment, the cabin offers sports and decent rooms, with padded, soft-touch materials and a good fit and enough luxury in the form of finish. The driver sits in a well-ballasted seat with standard synthetic leather upholstery and 8-way power adjustment, but the front passenger only receives manual adjustment. The tech model includes a synthetic suede seat insert for better grip, active noise cancellation for a more quiet cabin, a 12-way power driver seat with memory, a 4-way power passenger seat and wireless instead of Apple CarPlay and wired versions of Android. Auto.

Increases in size compared to the Integra ILX with a 2.6-inch long wheelbase and an overall length of 3.6 inches. The added wheelbase gives the rear seat 37.4-inch leg room like a medium-sized car, but the lower seat buttons do not support the thighs enough for the comfort of long journeys. Even better, switching from a sedan to hatchback body style improves rear cargo space from 12.4 to 24.3 cubic feet. You can fold the rear seats to open a generous cargo hold.

The ILX was disappointed in 2013 with its 150-hp engine, less maneuverability than the sport, and double styling. It has a more powerful, naturally ambitious, 201-hp engine and has become a better car over the years, but it has never captured the sporty character Acura, a pioneer with Integra. With a hatchback design, a satisfactorily sporty feel and a turkey engine, the reborn Integra is back in form. You will also see this in the first five minutes of the test drive.

Acura has arranged airfare, meals and accommodation Motor authority To bring you this hand-crafted, artificially curated firsthand report.