25 ITS coming from RS3/RS5 BMW M5/X3MComp. The good bad and ugly about purchasing one.

[STi from DSM]

Ever since 2018 I have been on the hunt for a car that fulfils me in a way that I do not get rid of it after less than a year. I hope that this review helps someone who is on the fence to make a good decision.
Let's start with the good on this car:

• The handling is SO dialed in. For a FWD car the handling is just so damn good.
• The look of this car. This car looks awesome and turns lots of heads.
• Practicality. Having the liftback makes this car great for being a daily and there is a decent amount of space in the trunk.
• The 6 speed. Having an auto since 2018 this is just so much fun to row through the gears.
• The pops and bangs out the stock exhaust. I try every time I am in the car to hit just the right RPM to get the loudest pops. 4k RPM going from 1st to 2nd seems to be the sweetest spot so far.
• The Price. $54k for this seems like I stole it. Plus my guy at Bloomington Acura/Subaru got me a stellar deal.
• The ELS Studio 3D sound. This has really good base when you turn it up a bit.
• The Liquid Carbon Metallic color is sublime!
• The seat backs are very comfortable and hold me in perfectly.
• A sunglasses holder! It's the small things sometimes that impress me. No vehicle I have ever owned has had one of these.

The not so good and downright ugly:

• The gas tank is so tiny at 12.4 gallons that even though it gets decent MPG you are filling up about every 250 miles. Only upside to this is that the most I have spent to fill up with 93 octane is $39.
• The stock leather shifter is so tiny!
• The stock spoiler is so ugly. The upgraded carbon one is much better, but for $1000 you can buy a better one online. Artwork V2 makes a great choice. The second terrible thing about the stock spoiler is that it isn't just secured with tape like almost every other car out there, but it is secured with clips and bolts, and a bit of tape making it supremely difficult to change out. Quoted $200 to change it out with an Artwork V2.
• The touch screen is very responsive, but to find a specific song has proven to be quite difficult for me. The button to search for things like that does not work very well. I have also seen that the shuffle feature works pretty horseshit. There are times that it will keep playing through a few albums only and keep repeating through 3 or so albums. I will have to re search through songs and then it will break out of it and be somewhat normal.
• The valved exhaust. I hate valved exhaust with a passion and wish they would stop putting it on every car on the planet. The exhaust sounds ok but I feel like it should have more punch.
• The menus on the main cluster are great and it is awesome you can switch through certain things, but some of the menus when you go into them you have to do a specific dance to get back out of. It would be nice if it would auto back out of these when switching to another screen. Like switching from lap timer back to USB.
• The seats bottoms are not super comfortable, but are better than my M850i were.
• It might just be me but going from neutral into reverse seems to take a little extra mmmph. Every other gear is smooth except for this one for me. It's not like I am still rolling either when trying to switch into reverse.
• Passenger seat is completely manual. For Eff's sake manufacturers. Quit trying to pose as a supercar and just add these damn features into the cars. Nobody likes a manual seat anymore. It's not a GT3RS.
• No homelink. This is not a huge issue anymore for me but to have it in the Accord and not in the more expensive Type S Integra seems stupid. You didnt add a sunroof, at least give it Homelink..

Would I still buy this car knowing what I do now? Yes! This has been a great experience and I am loving my ownership so far. Anyone on the fence do yourself a favor and go test drive one!
Is this a 500 + HP time machine? No. It is an awesome corner carving machine though that is light, nimble, and you can throw it around in the corners. It has been a fun month and 1500 miles so far.

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[Steve48]

Great write up! What other cars were you considering?

 

[optronix]

These sound like a list of specific gripes, you didn't really get into anything regarding the actual driving experience. All the cars you have listed in your sig can basically be boiled down to big German sedans. You did mention they're all automatic, which is the #1 defining difference- and a significant reason I don't think the cars in your sig and the Integra Type S are really cross-shopped. The list of manual sedans that are still on sale today is very, very short.

The other big differences to me are inputs and power. Inputs; i.e., steering, shifter, etc.- are really where the Integra shines, to the point where I don't think the driving experience really compares to these other cars. I had a B9.5 RS5 as well (and a B9 S4...), and I actually loved that car for what it was- a beautiful, powerful, luxury-oriented sedan that was hands-down the best car I've ever had for what I'd consider "normal driving". If I had all my past cars lined up in front of me and I needed to make a coffee run, I'd take that RS5 every single time. That's what Audis are absolutely exceptional at- that "up to 7/10ths" driving experience, I'd argue there are none better short of Porsche. And the chassis was actually great too; somehow Audi finally made it not feel like there was an anchor attached to the front bumper, and as long as you stayed away from Sport+ (or whatever the firmest setting was) on the suspension, the ride was perfect as well. But... as soon as I got that car on a back road all sense of engagement vanished. It just wasn't fun to drive in that setting! The transmission never felt like it was in the right gear to deliver the power the way I wanted it to, and the steering- I'm aware that people have complained about the steering in Audis and I knew this prior to buying it, but ignored it because it actually felt great on the test drive- but the steering was actually horrible once you started pushing the car at all, to the point where it just felt like a "disjointed" experience, and I just had no desire to take that car to a track or autocross, and to me it just did not work as a "one car garage" kind of option I hoped it would be.

I never had an M5, but I had an M4 (DCT) and that car was much better than the RS5 as far as inputs, and was a very fun and capable car on track... and honestly if I had got that car in a manual I may have kept it far longer. But the frustrating part of the M4 is it was sort of the opposite of the RS5- it wasn't awful to drive on the street it was just... boring. It had plenty of power, but the ride wasn't that great and it just always felt like I wasn't able to take advantage of what the car was good at. The M4 was more of a car that is best at or above 7/10ths if that makes sense, and obviously on the street that never happens so that car wasn't a perfect fit either... but honestly it was a very, very good car. I miss it more than most of my other cars, and to this day I still wonder if I wouldn't consider swapping my DE5 for a mint F80 M3...

IMHO an M5 lost its appeal for me around 2003. I've just never been interested in the M5, just too big and not my style (no manual being a very large factor as well...) so I won't comment too much on it... other than just to echo that I don't think people cross-shop them with the ITS very often.

Back to the Integra, using the same analogy of if all my past cars were in front of me and I could choose which one to take on a backroad or even light track duty- the Integra is literally right up there with the Porsches I've owned. I have just as much fun- arguably more- tossing my DE5 around a race track as I've had in a 991.2 Carrera S or a 718 Boxster GTS 4.0. Because of the excellent inputs, sublime chassis, and punchy powerband, it's also "fun to drive at any speed", and while I'd prefer the luxury of the RS5 for mundane tasks, the Integra is still fun for the odd coffee run as well, without feeling like I need to break all posted speed limits to enjoy the car. The fact I can get my 100lb dog in and out of it while also having plenty of room for luggage for 2 people, groceries, tires, etc... there really isn't too much I could say about it missing homelink or passenger seat controls that actually detract from the ownership experience. It is a fully functioning "one car garage" even for someone like me, a recovering Porsche addict.

The wastegate rattle has been a pain in the ass though. But I live with it.

And I think the stereo actually is pretty mid, but it makes a decent first impression. I'm surprised you think it's good compared to the B&O in the RS5... that was a solid stereo.

 

[NoelPR]

I prefer manual seats over electric ones. They adjust so quickly.

Additionally, powered driver seats without memory are a sin.

 

[Spart]

Homelink can be added! You can buy an Accord frameless mirror, take both of them apart, do a little minor surgery on the Integra's wire harness (just connecting two wires together) and assemble the Accord mirror with the Integra harness and stem. Presto, Homelink!

 

[MNTeggy]

Plus my guy at Bloomington Acura/Subaru got me a stellar deal.

Nice! I got my ITS there as well!

 

[ChromaPop]

Homelink and a 6-way (manual is fine for weight savings as it typically rarely would get adjusted) passenger seat is all I pine for.

 

[STi from DSM]

I would tend to agree with @optronix on basically everything he said. I had 2 B9 RS5's and they were amazing machines. Also had a B9.5 S4 also very capable. Also lining up all of my cars that I have ever owned which would be the one I would take? Oddly enough my 2006 STi that I had back in the day. For that time it was a blast to drive (even more so then the ITS). Maybe it was because that was the first car I spent my own money on and bought completely by myself? Maybe it was because I had to get rid of it in order to buy my Wife her wedding ring? Nothing has ever held a candle in my eyes to that car. (Also why I am always shuffling cars) If I had to list them in order of 1,2,3 it would be:

2006 STi
2019 RS5 (Either one) I had Black and Blue
2025 Integra Type S

I get that all of these cars are made for different purposes and are not really in the same class because they aren't. RS5, RS3, M5, M850i, S4 are all different cars for different markets and different types of enthusiasts.

I am only a month into my ownership so I am sure much will change over the next few months. Hell I haven't even made my first payment yet, lol. I think 1 month in a car is a solid representation of how you feel about it and whether or not you are going to like it though. Taking a corner in this thing is incredible. I really do mean it. I love the handling of this car and think it is very composed on the road. I don't track my cars so that is never a consideration for me.

If you asked me though have I looked at other cars since I bought this one... Of course I have. Really leaning towards a B9.5 RS5 Competition, or possibly an M850i Convertible as I really did enjoy my time in my Purple beast for a next potential.

 

[optronix]

Yeah... I do track my cars and the Integra is infinitely more fun and confidence inspiring than any of the cars you mentioned (I get the nostalgia with the STI, I had an s13 240 I wish I could get back...); obviously the ceiling is lower than some of them, but track capability was a MUST for me and the RS5 did not check that box.

That said, if you don't intend on doing anything that involves a track, I can't really think of any car I'd rather have at or near that price point. I don't know why you'd move away from the RS5. And you did it twice! lol. And considering getting the competition! lol.

Honestly I'd stay away from the competition. Apparently the only major thing that's changed is the suspension, and apparently some engine tuning tweaks and maybe a new exhaust? Audis just aren't meant to be hardcore enthusiast cars... putting a race suspension on one is like putting lipstick on a pig. I hate that analogy, but it's pretty apt.

 

[STi from DSM]

I get bored quickly what can I say? Lol. The RS5 has been the most balanced car I have had. It blends power, practicality, looks, and to some degree sound pretty nicely. The only reason for the RS5 Comp would be: The wheels to me are drop dead sexy, the suspension tweaks, and the exhaust rework. Granted I would probably get an AWE Track exhaust at some point.

The RS5 for me felt very comfy on the road but pushing it hard on a track would be a whole different level which I do not believe would hold a candle to the DE5 or FL5 for that matter.

The B9 was an awesome car. If I could have combined the B9.5 camera system with the B9 and the scroll wheel I would have been much happier. I loved the old scroll wheel as the touch screen left a lot to be desired when searching for a song. But not a deal breaker. The possibility to moving to one would be more a reality next summer/winter. But who knows. I really do like this car and I may just go hog wild and get track exhaust and an Artwork V2 and just have that. If I can sell my leftover BMW wheels/tires I will have enough to get both of those plus a set of winter wheels and have money leftover which would be cool.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

• It might just be me but going from neutral into reverse seems to take a little extra mmmph. Every other gear is smooth except for this one for me. It's not like I am still rolling either when trying to switch into reverse.

Try rocking the shifter all the way left for a second, then over to reverse. I believe the owners manual calls this out somewhere.

I was having the same issue getting into reverse until I read that, and now I just absent mindedly rock back and forth a couple times before engaging and haven't had that "locked out" feeling.

I also had a few subarus. One of my favorite was a 2010 forester xt. I liked it even better than my STi for driving around town, especially when it was snowy out. I will forever miss the STi and the fxt. The STi was definitely a lot more connected and raw than the its. All the subaru interiors were awful though and they had so many quirks. My STi required gently grinding the clutch in winter to warm up the trans fluid enough to be able to engage reverse. When it started popping firewall welds, it was time for it to go. I slid off an icy road in the fxt at 15mph, and when I gave it a bit of gas to try to back out it sheared a front axle. Once it was replaced, the car never had true awd again. It would only engage one wheel with any slip, effectively castrating it as a subaru. I'd still go back and buy another one...

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