Yahoo Autos 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.
Read our full test drive of the 2023 Acura Integra right here.
Pricing
The 2023 Acura Integra starts at $32,495 including destination. Upgrade to the A-Spec trim, and you'll be paying $33,895. There's also the $36,895 A-Spec Technology trim, which gets you adaptive dampers, a bigger infotainment screen, a fantastic 16-speaker ELS audio system, and wireless phone charging.
The manual is a no-cost option, only available when you go for the Integra A-Spec Technology.
Interior
Honda and Acura have the interior game locked right now. Like the Civic, the Integra comes with a cabin that feels like it could be in a car double the price. Excellent styling is backed up by good materials and a smart button layout, with real buttons for the climate control and a volume knob.
The two-tone red and black seats in our tester were excellent, and were easy to adjust for an optimal driving position. The retro-inspired digital gauge cluster is a nice touch too, showing analog-style gauges that harken back to the Integra of the Nineties and early Aughts.
Comfort
Though the Integra leans a bit to the sportier side, it's still a luxury car. The suspension is taught but never crashes over bumps, and there's enough sound-deadening to shut out any excessive outside noises.
In typical Honda fashion, the seats are incredibly comfortable and supportive, allowing for extended drives without having to deal with a sore back afterwards. We suggest springing for the A-Spec Technology trim not only because you can get a stick, but because you also get adaptive suspension, meaning an even wider range of adjustability different driving situations.
Technology
Being a new luxury vehicle, the Acura Integra is stuffed with new tech. There's a standard digital gauge cluster that measures 10.2 inches sitting in front of the steering wheel, paired to either a seven- or nine-inch infotainment screen, depending on which trim you get. There's also Acura's suite of active safety systems, which include things like adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist.
Go for the Technology package and you get the nine-inch screen, adaptive dampers, a 5.3-inch head-up display, three USB-C charging outlets, and a wireless phone charger.
Storage
We feared Acura would drop the hatchback body style we adored so much in the last Integra, but thankfully that's not the case. The new car's five-door setup means plenty of room for luggage. Cargo volume in the rear is an impressive 24 ft3, and you can fold the seats down for even more space if needed.
Safety
The 2023 Integra comes with Acura's AcuraWatch suite of active safety features. It includes adaptive cruise control, a collision mitigation system, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and a road departure mitigation system.
The Integra received an overall crash-test rating of five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick+, that body's highest award.
Trims
The 2023 Acura Integra is offered with three distinct trim levels. The base model gets a 200-hp turbocharged engine paired to a CVT, along with a lovely interior with a smart layout, great seats, and a seven-inch infotainment screen.
Upgrade to the A-Spec trim and you get a lip spoiler, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights, and aluminum pedals. The third trim, the A-Spec Technology package, adds adaptive dampers, a head-up display, a 16-speaker sound system, sportier seats, a wireless phone charger, rain-sensing wipers, and more.
Wrapping Up
Thanks to a $600 charge for Liquid Carbon Metallic paint, the as-tested price for the Integra A-Spec Technology we drove came in at $37,395. Before you blast Acura for charging nearly $40,000 for a Civic-sized hatch, consider that you get hot hatch levels of performance and true luxury car appointments, all for less than the average new price of a car—reasonable if you ask me.
Still, for my money, I'd get the Honda instead. It provides 90 percent of the same experience for about eight grand less (if you absolutely must have the stick shift, which I would).
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