For $51,995, you can buy a brand new 2024 Acura Integra Type S. It has roughly the same engine as its sister car, the Honda Civic Type R, which only costs $44,890. So why are you paying $7,100 more? Is it just the badge, or are there real major differences between these two JDM legends?
The Civic Type R has been around for decades, and in 2017, it made a triumphant return to the US market, featuring a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The FL5 was all-new for 2023, featuring a much nicer interior and subtle interior design. So where does the DE5 Acura Integra Type S come in?
It’s a similar story to German automakers which use the same platform to offer slightly different flavors of performance cars. The best example would be the Golf R, which has a slightly more premium cousin in the Audi S3. Where the Civic Type R is designed for the track, the new Acura Integra Type S has great road manners and is a luxury vehicle as well.
To this end, one major difference is the 40 pounds of extra sound insulation added to the Integra Type S. Throttle House’s James Engelsman says it “makes a world of difference” after living with the 2024 Acura model for a week.
But don’t go thinking this is a Lexus. Acura engineers have made the Integra Type S sound as good as the Civic should have. They’ve deleted the front resonator box and tuned burbles and pops into the tune in Sport+ mode. You lose the +R drive mode and button from the Civic, and in its place, the new Individual drive mode button is added. The shift lights from the Honda are also gone.
Exterior design is an obvious difference between the two, although they do appear similar. And on the inside, the Integra Type S sets itself apart with leather seats, a heated leather steering wheel, the superior ELS 3D sound system, and a general luxury feel. Meanwhile, the Civic’s red cloth seats are much more supportive on a race track.
2024 Acura Integra Type S vs Civic Type R: hp and specs
The Acura Integra Type S shares the same 2.0-liter turbocharged VTEC engine as the Civic Type R. However, it somehow makes more power: 320 hp, or 5 more. Torque remains the same at 310 lb-ft (422 Nm).
Both cars are FWD and only come with 6-speed manual gearboxes. The weight difference is tiny, which means determining which is fastest comes down to driver skill, just like in the good ol’ days.
YouTube’s first-ever Type S vs Type R drag race confirms that the Acura Integra is indeed a little bit faster. Both cars have trouble putting the power down, but once they’re going, the more powerful engine pulls the Type S ahead. This is confirmed in the rolling race.
A car’s length isn’t a huge deal, certainly not a reason to spend $7,100 extra. But the Integra Type S is cooler in so many ways… and worse in just one: the way in which you turn off traction control. It’s a complex procedure, comparable to finding a secret map or entering cheats in a 1990s video game. Once traction was off, the Type S set the exact same lap time around a track as the Civic Type R.
