Reader Review: 2023 Acura Integra Elite A-Spec

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During his week driving the 2023 Acura Integra Elite A-Spec, reviewer Brennon Kaczmarek repeatedly told his four-year old son they’d have to return the car – it wasn’t theirs to keep in the driveway.

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“He still cried so hard when we had to give it back,” the Calgarian says, and adds, “he thought it was a very, very cool car.”

Kaczmarek himself also thought the Acura was a cool car, and there’s a long legacy behind the Integra badge. When Honda launched its upscale Acura brand in North America in 1986, first-generation Integras were in the new showrooms. Powered by a 1.6-litre inline-four cylinder engine with front-wheel drive, Integras were available with three doors or five. Several generations followed and included two-door hatchbacks together with four-door sedan variants. By 2002 and the introduction of the fourth generation, the car was no longer called the Integra. Instead, the RSX badge took over and the vehicle was offered only as a three-door hatchback. These were sporty, lightweight cars with peppy engines but due to flagging market interest in compact hatchbacks, the plug was pulled on the model in 2006.

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The hatchback cars were perennially popular with tuners thanks to readily available aftermarket parts that allowed an owner to upgrade both performance and styling, and ‘Integra’ remains a hallowed name among many enthusiasts.

Fast forward to 2022. Acura has done away with their entry-luxury compact ILX sedan and replaced it with this new five-door version of the Integra, which is available in four trims. It’s based on the front-wheel drive Honda Civic Si, and CVT transmissions are in all models. Selecting Elite A-Spec MT, however, gives a potential buyer a 6-speed manual transmission and Kaczmarek’s tester was so equipped. With an MSRP of $42,550, Kaczmarek’s Integra Elite A-Spec MT also wore the $4,525 Carbon Package and was finished in the $500 Majestic Black Pearl paint.

“Rolling up on the car I did an initial walk-around,” Kaczmarek says. “The front end styling is much the same as the rest of the Acura line and it is distinctive – you know it’s an Acura before you see the badge. However, I didn’t like the embossed Integra name in the bumper.

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“I enjoyed the styling of the rear of the car more than the front, with its diffuser and hatch spoiler (these were part of the Carbon Package). It looked nice and aggressive and somewhat sporty from the back.”
Kaczmarek, who is 6-feet 5-inches tall, had no issues getting into the Integra. He also soon became comfortable in the red leatherette and Ultrasuede upholstered driver’s seat.

“I was really blown completely away by my initial reaction to the Integra’s interior,” Kaczmarek says. “I always like to touch all of the interior panels in a new vehicle and everything in this car felt stiff but still soft with a very premium feel and no hard plastics. There were no awkward gaps anywhere and it all felt very refined but looked as sporty as all hell.”

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And that 12-way power driver’s seat, Kaczmarek claims, was one of the most comfortable seats he’s ever been in. “I have long legs, and that’s the best support I’ve ever had because you can adjust the bottom cushion so well,” he explains.

All controls were conveniently placed and user friendly. Knobs and switches worked with satisfying tactile feedback in their operation, and Kaczmarek also commented on the 9-inch touchscreen display found in the Elite A-Spec package. “It was incredibly responsive, and worked just like an iPad,” he says.

Once underway, Kaczmarek says the turbocharged 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder engine that makes 200 horsepower surprised him. “I couldn’t believe it was a 1.5L engine,” he says, and adds, “It’s very responsive and fun to drive with decent acceleration from a stop or when on the highway – you can pass quite confidently. I have zero complaints about the engine, the fuel economy mixed with the sporty nature of the daily driving is a compelling combination (Kaczmarek noted 5.6L/100km on the onboard computer).”

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It had been a couple of years since Kaczmarek last drove a stick shift transmission, but the clutch and shifter operated smoothly and he quickly gained confidence in the clutch and throttle dance. The car is equipped with rev-matching technology, something Honda describes like this, “Rev Match Control enhances the manual transmission experience by automatically optimizing engine revs to match the intended gear, realizing car stability through smooth gear changes.” It worked well, according to Kaczmarek, and he says it gave the Integra a somewhat sportier driving experience.

Overall, the ride was firm but not unpleasant, and the Integra did not exhibit any sign of body roll when being driven in a spirited manner in twisty sections of Highway 22X on a jaunt west to Bragg Creek.
“There was never any loss of confidence in stability or handling at any time,” he says, “it just stayed well-planted.”

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Opening the rear hatch exposes a 688-litre cargo area. Kaczmarek was able to haul three camping chairs and a cooler with no trouble at all. He says it would be tight trying to carry a stroller, and a rear-facing child’s seat might not work well. His son’s forward-facing child’s seat fit with no problem.

“There’s a generous amount of storage space in the cabin with a large centre console bin,” he adds, and sums up his experience with the car when he says, “I question the price of the carbon package, it seems expensive for what you get, but I’d have no trouble owning this version of the Integra.”

DRIVER’S JOURNAL

Day 1
First impressions were high. No challenges were presented installing a forward facing car seat, however I could tell right away that rear facing car seats would limit front passenger leg room. Found the gear ratio for 1st gear was very short, so I ended up starting in 2nd quite a bit. Lots of user friendly features, such as blind spot assist, and passenger alarm when you shut the vehicle off (it notifies you that someone is still seated in the position, in this case, it was just picking up the installed car seat).

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Day 2
Messed around with more settings and found the adjustable speedometer projector as well as the adjustable backup camera. The wide-angle view was great as its gives you a 180-degree field of view for reversing. This is a great added benefit because the rear window is quite small, so the camera makes up for it. Figured out what the auto rev match was. Helped with faster down shifts considering it had been a few years since driving a standard.

Day 3
My wife and I went on a date over to Chairman’s in Mahogany. This was her first exposure to the car. She immediately commented on the quality and comfort of the seats. We messed around with the sound system and really liked it. The ambient lighting at nighttime is a nice touch and its neat to see it change throughout the interior of the vehicle depending on the selected drive mode.

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Day 4
We packed out as a family to visit some friends in Bragg Creek. No issues packing it up. The car was very enjoyable on the highway but we did find the sunroof to be too noisy to leave open. Car responded very nicely to passing. Once you are at 120km/h, the engine is at 3,000 rpm, meaning you don’t even need to necessarily downshift to 5th to pass relatively quickly. On the way home, it was night. The headlights’ projection width was amazing in terms of being able to see the ditches on each side of the road well. No issues spotting wildlife at all.

Nice to see a car with a manual option.

Day 5
Ran several errands. I was able to have some spirited drives through some on/off ramps via Deerfoot and Stoney and the car handled quite nicely. It stays planted with limited body roll. At the same time, my wife didn’t find the ride overly stiff, like my Benz. Although already mentioned above, storage is generous, especially due to the hatch so doing a full grocery shop is easy.

Day 6/7
Very surprised with pleasing performance for a 1.5L inline-four engine. It is a fun car to drive. Nice to see a car with a manual option. Front vents seem are a bit delicate/breakable. Decent amount of cargo storage, especially if rear seats are folded down. Overall, I think you get a lot of car for the money if you can get over the lack of styling considerations given the name’s history in the automotive enthusiast community.