Great Expectations

2023 ACURA INTEGRA A-SPEC

- JOEY CAPPARELLA

Highs: Eager handling, hatchback practicality, available manual transmission.

Lows: No summer-tire option, lacks refinement, price premium over Civic is hard to justify.

Whatever pops into your noggin when someone says "Acura Integra" will definitely color your take on the new one. For the nostalgic, this version may seem like a disappointing follow-up to past generations so revered by enthusiasts. As a near member of the Honda Civic family, the Integra is a pricey way to combine the Civic's best elements the engine from the Si, the six-speed manual, and the hatchback. Measured against German entry-luxury models such as the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz CLA, this Acura is a less expensive alternative with a little less prestige.

It all sounds rather ambitious for the successor to the unassuming ILX. But Acura raised the stakes and attracted attention when it decided to resurrect the Integra name. The internet has been abuzz about the car for months, and Acura says it received lots of preorders for the Integra, with more than half of early buyers choosing the manual transmission.

But this isn't some watershed moment for Acura. More than other current AcurasMDX, NSX, RDX, TLX the Integra dresses up familiar but good Honda components.

Fortunately, the Integra's Honda bones are fresh, especially next to the ILX's generations-old Civic platform and dated powertrain. The Integra is derived from the same platform as the new-for-2022 Civic. Its turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four is from the Civic, too, producing the same 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque as in the Civic Si.