2023 Acura Integra Review: Lightweight Luxury at Last

Our Take on the 2023 Acura Integra

Light curb weights and luxury are at odds with one another. Luxury cars are almost always heavier because they have more features, more sound deadening, and more tech to keep the driver more comfortable. That means it's tough to find a luxury car that's lightweight enough to consider truly fun. The 2023 Acura Integra balances weight and comfort in a way that no other affordable car on sale right now can.

At just 3026 pounds, the Integra A-Spec is far lighter than your average luxury sedan. Based on the Honda Civic Si, it carries over that same exciting, driver-focused attitude that can excite at any speed. The driving position, seats, and shifter are all spot-on. It's one of the best-feeling shifters this side of a Porsche 911 GT3, and we're thankful that Acura still offers a manual. We just wish it didn't have the same annoying rev hang as the Civic Si (which is there for a reason).

Like most Honda products on sale today, the Acura Integra's interior is a high point. It's free of bloaty, pointless styling and excess trim, instead focusing on a simple layout that's easy to use and nice to look at. The standard infotainment touchscreen responds well to inputs, and there are real buttons for the climate control—just how we like it.

What's New

The 2023 Acura Integra is a new entry into the U.S. lineup, but acts as a spiritual replacement for the company's outgoing small car, the ILX.

This isn't the first time we've seen an Acura Integra sold in America. The Integra nameplate was used first in 1985 until it went out of production in 2001. Now it's back.

Pros

• Manual transmission option is a God-send in 2023

• Steering, shifter, and seats are segment-bests

• Interior looks lavish, feels more expensive than it is
  

Cons

• Not enough add-ons to justify the price premium over a Civic Si

• Rev-hang is prevalent when driving quickly

• Is it too much to ask for a manual handbrake?

Performance, Engine & Horsepower

The 2023 Acura Integra comes with just one available engine: A turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four making 200 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. The base transmission is a continuously variable automatic (CVT), though thankfully, a six-speed manual can be optioned if you opt for the A-Spec Technology trim.

The manual-equipped Integra can sprint to 60 mph in just 7.0 seconds. Go for the CVT, and that number rises to 7.1 seconds.

Features & Specs

Just because the Integra is Acura's smallest, cheapest car doesn't mean it's lacking features. Standard equipment includes power front seats, a touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a power moonroof, heated door mirrors, and keyless entry.

Supporting the standard turbocharged engine are MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup in the rear. There are disc brakes all around and an electrically assisted steering rack.

Opt for the A-Spec package, and you get 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 235 section-width tires, LED fog lights, aluminum pedals, and a lip spoiler.

MPG/Range

The automatic 2023 Acura Integra can achieve 30 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 33 mpg, according to the EPA. Those numbers each drop by one mpg if you go for the A-Spec trim thanks to its bigger wheels and drag-inducing spoiler.

Fuel economy falls off significantly if you opt for the manual transmission. It gets an EPA-rated 26 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, for a combined rating of just 30 mpg.

Test Drive

Like the original Integra, this new model is an absolute joy from behind the wheel. Unsurprisingly, it drives a lot like the Honda Civic Si on which it's based, providing excellent steering and shifter feedback and a fun get-up-and-go attitude.

The 200-hp turbocharged powertrain is well-matched to the chassis, providing adequate torque if you stay in boost. We're not a big fan of the excessive rev-hang engineered into the manual transmission model, though.