How the 2024 Acura Integra Type S Is Different From the 2023 Honda Civic Type R

Five extra hp, a couple of extra tech features, and a sharper body let the new Integra Type S stand out from its Honda sibling. But is it enough?

byChris Tsui|
Acura News photo
Share

0

The 2024 Acura Integra Type S is finally here and, as we all expected, it's essentially a Honda Civic Type R in a fancier, more grownup wrapper. However, Acura's hot new 'Teggy isn't just a simple body kit and a rebadge since there are a few differences under the skin and on the options list that make it a fairly different proposition from its red, H-badged sibling. Let's unpack.

Styling and Packaging

Let's get the obvious out of the way first: the Integra Type S looks different from the CTR inside and out. General consensus within The Drive's newsroom seems to be that the Integra Type S looks better than Civic Type R, and I agree. Although, anyone who says the Acura is less of a boy racer-mobile is kidding themselves. Sure, there's no GT-style wing on the Acura, but nobody who takes one look at that rear diffuser will be fooled into thinking this is anything but a car for hooligans.

While the Honda is a five-door hatchback, the Integra is a liftback with the proportions of a sedan. In packaging, expect marginally less cargo room than you get with the Civic (just as you do with the regular Integra) and less rear headroom because of the slopier roofline. Dimensions-wise, the two have identical wheelbases and track widths front and rear. Overall height is also identical, but the Type S is 0.4 inches wider and 5.1 inches longer than Type R due to its bodywork.

Fun fact, though: both are four-seaters.

Performance

Even though the same 2.0-liter turbo-four powers the Acura and its Honda counterpart, the Integra Type S officially makes 5 more horsepower than that car: 320 hp versus the Civic's 315. So, the Acura should be a little bit quicker, right? I wouldn't jump to that conclusion just yet because an equally marginal weight penalty offsets the marginal power increase. The Acura weighs 3,219 pounds, while the Honda weighs 3,188 pounds. Facing off at a drag strip, it sounds like the two cars should finish extremely close.

As for how they feel, corner, and stop, things should continue to be similar because they both use the same six-speed manual transmission (manual-only, even for the Integra!) with auto rev-matching, a limited-slip differential, adaptive dampers, and that miracle dual-axis MacPherson front suspension. They even wear the same 265/30 R19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires surrounding 13.8-inch, four-piston Brembo front brakes.

Both cars feature drive modes with a customizable Individual setting, but judging from the Acura's setup screen, it appears rev-matching and engine noise cannot be configured, unlike how things are in the Honda.

Creature Comforts

With its more luxurious badge, you'd be forgiven for assuming the Acura comes with more actual luxuries. And you'd be right, mostly. Two Integra Type S tech features that don't appear in the Civic Type R are a 5.3-inch head-up display and the 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D Premium audio system (the Civic gets 12 Bose speakers and a subwoofer). However, judging from photos, the Acura misses out on the LED shift lights above the Civic's 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster.

The biggest, most significant daily driver difference between the two cars would probably be their seats. In the Civic Type R, you get big, red, special thrones that are extremely well-bolstered and soft but miss out on heating and power adjustment. The Integra Type S, meanwhile, has its seats heated and powered (12 ways with lumbar support), but the seats themselves don't look any different from the ones in the regular Integra A-Spec. As somebody who's spent a few hours in both seats, I'd still take the heatless, analog, but amazingly comfortable Type R sleds over the Acura's.

Another fun fact: Neither Type S nor Type R gets a heated steering wheel in the U.S. In Canada, however, the Integra Type S does get a heated wheel, further widening the equipment discrepancy between the compact, sporty Honda products that Canada gets versus the ones that land stateside.

Pricing

Acura hasn't announced official Integra Type S pricing yet, but considering the top-trim Integra A-Spec starts at $37,495, and the Honda Civic Type R starts at $44,390, it's reasonable to assume the Integra Type S will come with an MSRP of around $50,000 or more.

Is a fancier badge, sharper bodywork, 5 more hp (along with 31 more pounds to lug around), a head-up display, a better sound system, and powered and heated seats worth the inevitable price premium? Let the internet debates begin.

Acura
Honda

Got a tip or question for the author about the Integra Type S? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com

stripe
Acura NewsHonda NewsNews by Brand