The handling on this car is exceptional. straight line acceleration is just ok. but is straight line driving real driving? anyone can hit the gas. this will shame any car in a high speed bend that is not 4wd. of course a non driving buffoon wouldnt know anything about a high speed bend. all a buffoon would know about is torque.This car will stop on a dime and give you back change. only an idiot will rate performance low. someone who knows nothing about cars. this is a car for drivers.
Many aftermarket parts to make this car look and perform even better. Seems to be reliable, you can rev the engine hard and not have to worry about blowing the engine. It has the GS-R based suspension finally! Its an ACURA!!!
Interior Design and Special Features
The Integra coupe can seat two people in the rear; the sedan can hold up to three. Like most sport hatchbacks, the coupes rear seat is best suited for children or those of smaller stature. Drivers are greeted with easy-to-read gauges, high quality controls and, on manual transmission-equipped cars, a precision shifter. The overall design is dated when viewed alongside those found in newer, competing vehicles, and certain elements, like cupholder placement and sound system controls, suffer from poor ergonomics.
Safety
The Integra comes standard with dual front airbags and antilock brakes. Outboard rear passengers get three-point belts; the center rear position in the sedan has a lap belt only. Side airbags arent available. In NHTSA crash testing, the Integra received a four-star rating (out of a possible five) for its protection of the driver in frontal impacts. The front passenger position received three stars. Side-impact and frontal-offset crash tests havent been preformed.
Powertrains and Performance
LS and GS come with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. It makes 140 hp and 124 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with this engine, and a four-speed automatic is optional. The GS-R also has a 1.8-liter engine but with more power: 170 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque. The automatic transmission isnt offered for the GS-R, nor is it available on the high performance Type R. The Type Rs engine is similar to the GS-Rs but, through substantial tuning modifications, makes 195 hp. It comes mated to a close-ratio five-speed manual with a limited-slip differential. None of these engines are particularly torquey, but they are fuel efficient; LS, GS and GS-R manual transmission-equipped cars earn an EPA estimate of 25/31 mpg city/highway.
Body Styles, Trim Levels and Options
The Acura Integra is sold as a two-door coupe or four-door sedan, though technically both offer a hatchback rear door. The sedan is a bit longer than the coupe and provides extra room for rear-seat passengers. For each body style, there are three main trim levels available -- LS, GS and GS-R. A fourth trim level, the Type R, is only available as a coupe. The LS, GS and GS-R come with standard features like 15-inch wheels; power windows, locks and mirrors; cruise control; air conditioning; a CD player and a moonroof. The GS and GS-R also have a leather-trimmed interior. The Type R takes a more austere path. Though air conditioning is standard (in previous years, it wasnt), it does have a number of performance-enhancing changes, such as reduced sound deadening material, additional structural bracing, larger brakes, a race-tuned suspension, performance tires and aerodynamic enhancements (i.e., a big honkin rear wing).
Driving Impressions
The Integra steers crisply and always feels connected to the road. With only 2,600 pounds of car to propel, the standard power plant delivers decent performance. But we love the urgency--and high-tech sound--of the wonderful VTEC engine. Thats why we chose a GS-R for this evaluation.
The GS-R claws to 60 mph in a little more than eight seconds, emitting a determined, high-tech snarl in the process. The five-speed gearbox shifts precisely. The foot-pedal layout encourages heel-and-toe downshifting and the variable-assist power steering provides just the right blend of effort and road feel.
Like all Acura and Honda automobiles, the Integra employs Hondas control arm suspension system, with common spring and damping rates right across the board. Handling response is quick and precise. Yet the ride quality is comforable. That may be one of the reasons for the Integras ongoing popularity: It is sporty, without being harsh. The suspension compliance that goes with a relatively smooth ride, by sporty car standards, shows up as body roll in really hard cornering, and we know from driving at the limit on various race tracks that the GS-R isnt quite as agile as the Honda Prelude.
On a race track the Integra tends toward understeer, but this is easily managed by lifting off the throttle or trail-braking into tight corners, to transfer grip to the front tires and allow the rear end to rotate outward. Body roll limits cornering potential to just below that of the Prelude. The payoff for this concession is superb ride quality. The suspension feels firm, but never jarring. The steering strikes an ideal balance between power assist and sufficient road feel. Your daily rounds probably include a lot more commuting than autocross maneuvers, and feeling every pothole and tar strip isnt really that much fun.
Yet when its time to let the tachometer wind up on a sinuous country road, the GS-R gives a great account of itself with performance that is superior to what most sport coupes in this size class offer. That its able to do so without making the owner suffer in everyday driving is a tribute to the suspension engineers.
If you dislike these compromises, theres always the Integra Type R. Add 25 hp to the GS-R package, take away most of the compromises generally made for passenger comfort, and you have an almost-race-ready screamer thats just born to be wild. Integra Type Rs torque peak comes on at 7500 rpm (thats torque, not horsepower), while horsepower, all 195 of it, tops out at a dizzying 8000 rpm. Thats a high-revving motor. That output works out to more than 108 horsepower per liter, a power-to-weight ratio no other normally aspirated car can match. The Type R rides harder as well, on a uniquely tuned suspension thats lowered 15 mm.
The slightly outrageous Type R is just about the hottest thing going in this class, but its not for everyone. Carefully consider the compromises it demands before signing on the dotted line.
Not surprisingly, the essential strengths of the Integra have made it a favorite with a new breed of young enthusiasts who modify compact performance cars--instead of the time-honored approach involving small block Chevy V8s. This is a remarkable trend, one that has launched magazines and a major aftermarket industry that supplies all sorts of go-fast and appearance goodies. While hot-rodding may not be your goal, being a hot-rodders favorite speaks positive volumes about the Integra. Show-car builders like it as a starting point because its basic styling will look contemporary for a long time. Street racers are attracted to a driveline that just wont break, no matter how much horsepower they add.
What does this have to do with you? Maybe nothing. But it does suggest that Honda has created something special here. And with or without the endorsement of the new breed of hot rodders, we still think this is a great buy in a small sporty car.
Favorite Features
Engine responsiveness, gas economy, great handling, and smooth ride.
Overall Review
The Integra Type R delivers ample power through its 195HP DOHC VTEC engine which is able to propel its 2600lb. body from 0-60 in 6.1sec and the 1/4 mile in 14.7sec. Impressive for a 4cyl, and a 1.8L no less so you get great fuel economy when you feel like driving with less than maximum effort. The suspension on the Type R has been tuned to perfection and has been hailed by numerous sources as the best FWD handling car in the world with slalom speeds that rival Ferraris and Porsches.
Kelley Blue Book Price $10,200 - $17,300