By special contributor Brian Armstead
Over the years, Acura, the luxury brand from American Honda, has not only built a reputation for premium transportation, it has also carved out a reputation for building some of the baddest road cruisers on Earth, at surprisingly affordable prices.
For the 2024 model year, Type S variants are available on MDX, TLX and our test Integra model. Stay tuned for a 500-horsepower, dual-motor, full-electric ZDX Type S in the near future.
Integra Type S Exterior: While the Integra Type S is distinct from every angle, the only view that matters to me is the one most motorists will see, which is the stunning, center-mounted triple-exhaust-pipe rear view. Up front, full LED headlamps sit above large front air intakes and communicate high-performance capabilities. Integra Type S is also the only vehicle in the premium sport compact segment to offer five-door hatchback flexibility.
Integra Type S Interior: Inside, Integra Type S delivers comfort and convenience. When you’re not listening to the sweet engine sounds, you can groove to the awesome, standard, ELS Studio 16-speaker premium audio system. Other interior highlights include heated front sport seats, a 10.2-inch driver information interface, head-up display, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, USB-C ports, wireless phone charging and more.
Drive Experience: The backroads across Maryland and Virginia served as an excellent laboratory to measure Integra Type S’ superb road dynamics. Standard high-performance hardware includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. A short-throw 6-speed manual transmission with an automatic rev-matching system is standard (no automatic option on the Type S Integra). This car is a legitimate curve carver and feels well-balanced no matter the road surface. Brembo front brakes and lightweight 19-inch wheels wrapped in sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4S high-performance summer tires complete the dynamic package. On concrete road surfaces, road noise is fairly high. It’s pretty quiet on asphalt road surfaces.
Price: The 2024 Integra Type S carries a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $50,800. Price as tested is $52,595 (includes $600 for Blue Pearl paint and $1,195 destination charge).
Fuel Economy: EPA estimates are 21-mpg city and 28-mpg highway.
Safety: Acura Integra models are rated Top Safety Pick+ (the highest rating possible) by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an organization widely recognized for thorough crash testing.
Integra Type S models feature 10 airbags: Driver and front seat passenger forward, knee, and side airbags (six total); side curtain airbags (two), and rear side airbags (two). A host of driver control aids are also standard including blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic monitor, traffic sign recognition, and driver attention monitor. In addition, the “Acura Watch” suite of safety features including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, road departure mitigation, and more add to impressive and useful safety tech.
This level of standard safety gear is usually found in European sedans costing twice as much as the Integra Type S super-competitive price.
Things to Know: As the fourth Acura Type S variant to launch in the last two years, the 2024 Integra Type S delivers a new interpretation of performance for the next generation of enthusiast drivers, with class-leading power and dynamic capabilities paired with premium features and refinement.
Pros:
- It’s incredibly fun to drive!
- Available manual transmission
- Selectable drive performance modes
Cons:
- Back seat not for tall or large folks
- High road noise levels
- No turning knob to change stations.
