2024 Acura Integra Type S: The Legend, The Letdown and The Love - My Honest Opinion

The Integra Type S marks the return of a legend, and it's been over 20 years since the Integra Type R. But these days, there's one big elephant in the room, and that's the Civic Type R. So we need to see how this Acura stacks up against that hot hatch Honda. What's it like? Buckle up, and let's go for a drive. I'm your host, Brian MaxxRacer, lover of driving fast, fun things, and on this channel, you get reviews for drivers from drivers. If you're new to the channel, I have a long history of racing Hondas, so any performance Honda or Acura is definitely my jam. So I'm very interested to see what Acura has done with this, the Type S. And before we get into what it's like to drive, let's have a look at it in a little more depth. This isn't exactly a carbon copy of the Type R. There are some important differences, believe it or not. For example, Acura says this makes five more horsepower than the Type R. It weighs 29 pounds more than the Type R. The interior is more luxurious. There's heated seats, heated steering wheel, fancy sound system. There is no log R data acquisition like the Type R has. Apparently, the exhaust is tuned a little bit differently. We'll see about that. As well, it costs a good bit more than the Type R. In the US, it's about $7,000 more. Here in Canada, it's about $11,000 more. It still uses the same five-door design, but like the Civic Type R, this Type S chassis is much stiffer than the regular Integra chassis. Obviously, it's missing the big rear wing of the Civic Type R, and the wing is very subtle. Still uses the two-liter four-cylinder turbo. Here, it makes 320 horsepower at 6,500 RPM, 310 pounds of torque at 2,600 RPM. Transmission is a proper six-speed manual. There is a limited slip diff, and of course, there is rev matching that is switchable, thankfully. Electric power steering, of course, uses the same dual-axis strut design front suspension as the Civic Type R. Multi-link at the rear, adjustable dampers, and apparently, calibrations are unique to the Type S. Brembo four-piston calipers at the front with the same massive two-piece rotors, two-piston calipers at the rear, 19-inch wheels and tires. Michelin Pilot Sport 4Ss are standard. We are in winter mode, so we're on a Michelin winter tire at the moment. Curb weight is 3,219 pounds, and static weight distribution is 62% front, 38% rear, but on this channel, we know it's not static weight distribution that counts. It's how you use it. Did you know that about 80% of you are not subscribed? Yes, it's true. I checked the data, and 80% of you are not subscribed. So if you enjoy the content on this channel, do me a solid, hit that subscribe button while you're at it, be sure to like this video and share it, and if you don't mind, drop by our merch store. There's lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including our very popular line of Save the Manuals merch. Now, back to your regularly scheduled episode. For the most part, this interior is very familiar, either derived from the Civic or the Integra, with one big difference, and that is these front seats. These are completely different than the Type R. In the Civic, the Type R seats are very, very deeply bolstered, and getting in and out of them is like getting in and out of a serious performance car, which it is. These seats, however, are completely different. Here's the thing. These seats are derived from the seats that are in the regular Integra. At least, that's how they feel to me. They are not as deeply bolstered as the Civic Type R seats, and they're much more comfort-oriented. Of course, they're heated in this Acura, but overall, they're a little bit less supportive than those in the Civic, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think that is probably aligned with the goals of this Integra Type S. Still, they're, for the most part, comfortable and supportive enough, and they work very well here. They're certainly easier to get in and out of, and that's perhaps the biggest difference. Once I'm here and I'm comfortable, I've got a great relationship to the steering wheel and to the pedals. I love the shape and the size of this steering wheel. It encourages you to have your hands at nine and three. The pedals are laid out extremely well. Nice dead pedal for my left foot, and overall, first-level ergonomics are spot-on. Second-level ergonomics are all familiar in Integra or maybe Civic to a certain extent, and it's still a very spacious interior as well. Some of the design cues come over from the Civic, and it is very much a luxurious experience because things are finished a little bit differently in an Acura than they are in a Civic. The infotainment system is exactly what we've seen in previous Integras. Works just fine. I use it on Apple CarPlay. Maybe the highlight is the sound system that they put in this Integra Type S. It is fantastic, and that is markedly different than what you can get in a Civic Type R. In terms of spaciousness, I'm very happy here, and in fact, I can fit behind myself in the seating position easily. Two adults are comfortable in that second row as long as you're not too tall. Decent amount of storage under the hatch, and given that this is a hatchback, it is a hot hatch, isn't it? Yeah, this is quick enough, just as quick, of course, as the Type R, and unfortunately, we're in winter mode. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Lousy for straight line acceleration because we are on some Michelin Pilot winter tires, which are an excellent winter tire, mind you, but they don't have as much grip as the regular summer Pilots that would be on this. That said, this drivetrain is just incredible, and that also has to do with the suspension geometry. This is just magical. It is perhaps the finest front-wheel drive performance car I've driven, much like the Civic Type R, and a lot of that has to do with that front suspension geometry because it allows you to put down power relatively easily and really minimizes torque steer. As well, that limited-slip diff just works perfectly in this car. The drivetrain is definitely one of the highlights of this Integra. It's just fantastic, starting with the engine. Very torquey, very powerful, lots of torque in the mid-range. It's just a wonderful engine, then rewards you when you go all the way up to redline. The gearbox is also perfectly dialed for this engine. Ratios are spot on, and it's a close ratio box. The shift mechanism just works perfectly. You know exactly where to find each gear. Maybe going into a reverse isn't as crisp as I like, but it works perfectly for me. As well, love the actuation of the clutch, love the feel that I get out of the clutch. Maybe this is a touch louder, but anyway, it's loud enough to give this a little bit of attitude. Anyway, we talk about heel-and-toe a lot on this channel. Yes, there is rev matching that is thankfully switchable on this car. First thing I do when I get into these is switch that off, and thankfully, heel-and-toe is no problem. The pedal layout is spot on, throttle response is spot on, the shifter works great, clutch does exactly what I want it to do, so heel-and-toe downshifts are very easy to accomplish. And if you're not familiar with heel-and-toe or want to learn, I'm going to drop a link to our episode on how to perform heel-and-toe. So if your technique's not perfect or want to learn, just click on the link. Links here, links below in the description, and if you want to learn, we've got probably the best episode on heel-and-toe on YouTube. When it comes to handling, there is one big difference between this Integra and the Civic Type R, and that is the damping. What I will say is I find the damping to be one calibration level softer in this car than the Civic Type R. There is no extreme firm mode here, and I'm pretty sure the dampers are the same, just calibrated slightly differently. It was a different experience here because in Comfort mode, these dampers are very, very soft when it comes to both compression and rebound. In Comfort mode, this is much softer than the Civic Type R. Over larger road imperfections, body and wheel control is not the same as the Civic Type R in its softest setting, and there's a little bit more body motion than I would like. So what I had to do, I've configured my individual mode to go with the Sport suspension setting. It's just a little bit stiffer, but the Type R's stiffest damping setting is not the same as this. This is overall slightly more compliant, and again, that softest setting is much softer than the Civic's, and I find this a better day-to-day drive in the Sport damper setting than anything else. The reality is on public roads, they are rough no matter where you're driving, and you don't need the most aggressive damping mode because you want that suspension to work, you want the tires to remain in contact with the road, so you want a little bit of compliance. So the Sport damper setting works perfectly for me. After that, what I have found is that both in Sport and Sport Plus suspension settings, that this is just as neutral and as drivable on limit as the Civic Type R is, so there's really no downside. If you want a really soft ride, well, you can set it for that. Otherwise, you've got the same handling characteristics, and it's just beautifully neutral on limit. You can steer it with the throttle, you can steer it with the steering wheel, and it is a wonderfully well-balanced front-wheel drive package. In the interest of science, we're going to take this on a very rough, bumpy, and curvy road and see what's going on here, and this is just lovely pulling out of corners, not a hint of torque steer. This is just incredible. Great responsiveness out of the steering, and of course, we know that these brakes are just fantastic. Powerful, easy to modulate, and great feel. I'm fairly certain spring rates and anti-roll bar rates are exactly the same as the Civic Type R, so it is on the firm side, but that's exactly what you want in a car like this. It's perfectly tuned from my perspective, and overall, the dynamics are perfect for this car. I am very happy with the ride and handling package of this Integra Type S, and that's really where it comes together, is how it performs in the corners, and I have to give it 10 out of 10 marks. It is a wonderful dance partner in the corners. How do you spec yours? Well, that's actually fairly easy. What you are looking at is the majestic black pearl paint, which is basically impossible to keep clean at this time of year in this part of the world with the ebony and red interior. Base price in the US is $50,800 plus $600 for the optional paint for a total as tested of $51,400. In Canada, it's $55,600 plus $500 for the optional paint for a total of $56,100 as tested. That's before freight and local taxes. As for specing yours, this is an easy question to answer because there really aren't any performance-minded options. It's simply choosing your colors and being happy with your Integra Type S. As for my choice, this is exactly it. No matter how difficult this is to keep clean, my choice is always black if you can get it, and this paint is absolutely fantastic. It looks great on this car, and hopefully that's coming through in this episode. My verdict? Well, let's start with fuel consumption because it is a four-cylinder, and without trying, I'm getting about 25 miles per gallon in mixed driving, which is incredible for me. I was expecting less, but this seems to be fuel-efficient even with me behind that throttle pedal. As for this Integra, I think it's an unfair comparison to look at the old Integra Type R because over those two decades, the Acura brand has matured and it's changed. It's a little bit different than what it used to be. Relative to the Civic Type R, the Integra Type S has the edge when it comes to day-to-day usability, and that's simply because the seats are easier to get in and out of than the deep buckets in the Civic. After that, it's a little bit more usable day-to-day, especially here because of the heated seats and the heated steering wheel. As well, the sound system is dramatically different. On top of that, aesthetically, I think this is much more understated, maybe a little bit more sophisticated, certainly understated when it comes to the lack of a massive rear wing. As for this Integra Type R on its own, it provides exactly the same driving experience. The dynamics are identical to the Civic Type R, save for the calibrations of those dampers, but when it comes to playing with this, the damping is spot-on, especially when you're in Sport Plus. The balance is just as neutral as the Civic Type R is, and if I were to choose between the two, well, I do have my favorites, but I'm not going to drop it here. Let me know what you think in the comments. Which one do you prefer, the Integra Type S or the Civic Type R? And again, I do have my favorites. We'll have a conversation about that in the comments below. Thanks for hanging out with me today and having a look at this 2024 Acura Integra Type S. Hope you liked this episode, and if you did, you're not new to YouTube, you know what to do. Smash the subscribe button, turn on your notifications, like this video, and as always, sharing is caring, so please share this with your friends, especially on Reddit, because on Reddit, they really need to see reviews for drivers from drivers. If you have any questions or comments, please drop them in the comments below, especially your choice between this Integra or the Civic Type R. And if you want to support the channel, please hit up our merch store. Links here, links below. Lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including our very popular line of Save the Manuals merch. Thanks again for watching. We'll see you again next time, and remember, cars don't understeer by themselves, not even Acura Integra Type Ss.