SHARP Drives: 5 Reasons the Acura Integra Type S Punches Above Its Weight
Spoiler alert: the Acura Integra Type S is an absolute giant-slayer of a sport sedan and probably the best car Acura has made in, well, a long time. It’s an instant future classic, especially with its slick six-speed manual.
We spent a week living with the 2024 Acura Integra Type S and came away thoroughly impressed. Here are five reasons this car punches way above its weight (and price) would suggest.
Six-Speed Heaven
Nothing pulls a driver into the action quite like a good old-fashioned manual gearbox. They make you think ahead, plan your next move, and the feeling of absolutely nailing a buttery smooth shift never gets old. It’s a skill drivers can spend a lifetime perfecting. Sadly, however, manuals are an endangered species. Neither Lamborghini, McLaren, nor Ferrari have offered a stick shift for years now. BMW reserves its six-speed manuals for its most hardcore driver’s machines, like the wonderful little M2.
In the Integra Type S, not only does it come with a six-speed manual, this particular manual is the sweetest-shifting ‘box we’ve tried this side of a $230,000 Porsche 911 GT3. The Acura’s gear lever has a very short throw, with a satisfyingly notch-y, mechanical action. It’s a precision instrument. Despite that, it’s incredibly easy to use day-to-day. The clutch is meaty without being heavy. It won’t be a pain in traffic, and it has a completely intuitive fine-grained feel. (And, for the purists, yes automatic rev-matching can be turned off.)
A More Refined Type R
Look, it’s no secret the Integra Type S is a more refined, more grown-up version of the Honda Civic Type R. Acura isn’t trying to hide that fact, and why would it? The Type R won pretty much every major award from every big car magazine on the planet. (Including here at SHARP, where it remains on our list of GOATed sports sedans.)
The price difference between the Honda and the Acura is marginal, but the two cars have very different characters. If you’re a track rat who spends every other weekend hot-lapping with your buddies and chasing tenths of a second, the Civic Type R is the car for you. It’s a little more raw, more hardcore.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking for a highly entertaining, practical machine for daily-driving duty, the Integra Type S is the one you want. Its suspension is tuned for more comfort on the kinds of less-than-great roads you find in every Canadian city. The Acura’s cabin is more calm and quiet. The materials are slightly more luxurious. And, since it doesn’t have the Honda’s eye-catching rear wing, the Integra is much more understated machine for those who like their performance cars to fly under the radar.
It’s Alive!
The handling is like magic. If you’ve driven the Civic Type R you’ll know, but if not — to make a long story short — there’s simply no other front-wheel drive car that’s this entertaining or engaging. Forget numbers, this car is all about feel. The steering is constantly moving in the driver’s hands, transmitting a steady stream of information about traction and chassis balance. The limited-slip mechanical differential and clever suspension design work together beautifully, doing a borderline miraculous job of neutralizing almost all torque steer and keeping the Integra locked onto a line going exactly where the driver points it.
An “Individual” driving mode lets anyone save their favourite settings; we enjoyed having the suspension in comfort mode with everything else in Sport+ or Sport. Active dampers and a set of lovely 19-inch wheels round out the package.
That Engine — Wow
The 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is an absolute firecracker. The redesigned exhaust of the Acura pops and crackles a little more than the Honda’s if memory serves. The engine feels more powerful than it’s official figure of 320 horsepower at 6,500 rpm would suggest. That’s likely due to the fact peak torque of 310 lb-ft hits like a sledgehammer at 2,600 rpm and stays all the way until 4,000. It’s a rare turbocharged engine that feels happy and eager to spin all the way to its redline.
A $58,000 Bargain
The 2025 Acura Integra Type S sports sedan starts at $58,327 in Canada, which feels extremely reasonable for what is effectively a budget-friendly BMW M3. In terms of sheer entertainment value and everyday usability, nothing else near this price comes close.
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