The biggest question regarding the all-new-for-2024 Integra Type S is, does it make sense to pay $50,800 – sans destination charge – for a luxed-up Civic Type R? In many respects, it does. The $7,005 difference between the Acura and Honda gets you more stuff in the DE5, and the posher sibling also happens to be a little more powerful than the FL5. By 5 ponies, that is.
The additional power is offset by more weight: 3,219 pounds (1,460 kilograms) compared to 3,188 pounds (1,446 kilograms). Peak torque stays put at 310 pound-feet (420 Nm), which is more than enough for a front-wheel-drive compact like the DE5 and the lesser FL5.
Pictured on a runway, both cars have been tested in a straight line by the good folks at Throttle House to see which one has the upper hand over the quarter mile. Not surprising in the least, it's the Integra Type S that launches better and pulls harder until the end of the race. From a rolling start in second gear, it also keeps the Civic Type R at bay, edging ahead of the Honda.
Mind you, neither of these compact hatchbacks was designed with straight-line performance in mind. The Japanese automaker's priority for both the DE5 and FL5 was handling, the kind of handling that enables the Civic Type R to smash lap records all over the world.
The CTR lapped the Green Hell in 7 minutes 44.881 seconds back in the spring, setting a new record for front-driven production cars. A slightly lighter CTR than the real thing, the record-breaking vehicle previews the Civic Type R S version. According to Honda, the CTRS isn't coming to the US or Canada.
Yanking things out of the Integra Type S defeats the purpose of the Type S, which is why a more hardcore version is – most likely – not going to happen. A small bump in power and torque may be with the mid-cycle refresh of the Integra, but only time will tell if that's the case. In the meantime, customers have to make do with the 320 ponies and 310 pound-feet mentioned earlier.
Somewhat ridiculous for a compact that retails at over $50k, the Integra Type S comes with only one no-cost paint color. Every other is $600, with Tiger Eye Pearl and Apex Blue Pearl standing out in the crowd. The interior's dominant color is Ebony, regardless of exterior paint. It can be had either standalone or in combination with red or/and white.
Dark metal trim also needs to be highlighted, along with a whopping three versions of the All-Season Protection Package. Alloy wheels finished in Copper add $2,186 to the tally, whereas an illuminated Acura front emblem is $350 at press time. You can even throw some carbon-fiber bits and pieces at it, namely carbon-fiber mirror caps ($600) and a tailgate spoiler ($950).
The question is, which floats your boat more? The Honda Civic Type R or the Acura Integra Type S?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News