Tested: 2023 Acura Integra Demonstrates the Peril of High Expectations

UPDATE 9/26/2022: This review has been updated with test results for an Integra A-Spec automatic.

How you view the new 2023 Acura Integra is all about context. If viewed through the rose-colored lens of nostalgia, the new Integra may seem like a disappointing follow-up to the past generations so revered by enthusiasts. As a peripheral member of the Honda Civic family, the Integra is a pricey way to combine the Civic's best elements—the Si's 200-hp engine, the hatchback body style, and the six-speed manual—in a slightly more upscale package. And against German entry-luxury models such as the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA that Acura claims to be targeting, the Integra is a cheaper alternative with a bit less prestige.

This all might sound overly ambitious for what is effectively the replacement for the unassuming ILX. But Acura raised the stakes as soon as it decided to resurrect the Integra name rather than sticking with the alphanumerics that adorn every other model in the lineup. Or maybe the name was just a ploy for attention—which worked, as the internet has been abuzz about the car for months now. Much to Acura's delight, all this discussion has created plenty of hype. The company says the number of Integra preorders is "exceeding expectations," although they wouldn't provide us a specific figure. However, they did say that more than half of the early adopters are choosing the available manual transmission.

In truth, this isn't some watershed moment for Acura. More than other current Acuras—MDX, NSX, RDX, TLX—the Integra dresses up familiar but good Honda components.

Fortunately, the Integra's Honda bones are fresh, especially compared to the ILX's generations-old Civic platform and dated powertrain. The Integra is derived from the same platform as the new-for-2022 11th-generation Civic. Its turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four is from the Civic too. In the Integra, this engine produces the same 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque as it does in the Civic Si. Acura says the Integra's body is slightly stiffer than the Civic's and claims there's different tuning for the engine software, suspension, and transmissions—which include a continuously variable automatic as well as the six-speed manual.

The acceleration numbers are similar between the two cars, with the manual Integra getting to 60 mph in 7.0 seconds. That lags 0.2 second behind the six-speed Civic Si's time and edges 0.3 second ahead of the Civic Sport Touring hatchback, which also has the turbo 1.5-liter and six-speed manual but with 20 fewer horsepower.

The Integra Tech package also includes the adaptive dampers that the latest Civic Si does without, making us wonder whether Honda removed this feature from the Civic just to leave something special for the Integra. Regardless, they're a welcome addition. When set to either Comfort or Normal mode, they help deliver a cushier ride than the firm Si; in Sport mode, they serve to make the Integra just about as lively as the Honda.