Review: 2024 Acura Integra Type S - In Defense of the Type S

[egxflash]

I'd have been happy with either. The Type-R badge definitely has more pedigree than the Type-S and I still think the FL5s design will likely look less dated in a few years time vs the DE5.

That being said, the DE5 is a sharper looking car to me NOW and given the markup for the FL5 here in Southern California, they are priced competitively with each other (many times with the FL5 being more expensive). To pass up on the nice creature comforts of the DE5 AND still pay more just didn't jive.

Bonus is the wife likes the DE5 more and so does my 5 yr old toddler.

 

[NoelPR]

The most common argument against the DE5.

"I wont pay over 50s for a fwd vehicle."

But that same person doesn't have a problem paying 50+ for a FL5

Missing all the goodies included by Acura like

-Rain Sensing wipers
-Longer Warranty
-Wider Powerband
-Sportier Exhaust Note
-Leatherette Interior
-HUD
-Sunglass holder
-Door Sill Plates
-Wheels with TPMS
-Radar Sensors in the bumpers
-Sound Deadening
-Aggressive body kit
-Premium Sound System
-Powered Driver Seat with plenty of adjustments
-Heated Front Seats
-Pearl Color Palette in the exterior

 

[optronix]

The most common argument against the DE5.

"I wont pay over 50s for a fwd vehicle."

But that same person doesn't have a problem paying 50+ for a FL5

Missing all the goodies included by Acura like

-Rain Sensing wipers
-Longer Warranty
-Wider Powerband
-Sportier Exhaust Note
-Leatherette Interior
-HUD
-Sunglass holder
-Door Sill Plates
-Wheels with TPMS
-Radar Sensors in the bumpers
-Sound Deadening
-Aggressive body kit
-Premium Sound System
-Powered Driver Seat with plenty of adjustments
-Heated Front Seats
-Pearl Color Palette in the exterior

BUT THE SEATS, MAN

 

[mopar_man]

I think the title should have been “in defense of the FL5” given all the accolades the DE5 has been given.

 

[QUIKAG]

An acquaintance had his FL5 at the Hondata event in Dallas this weekend and posted on Facebook how he used to hate the DE5, but staring at it most of the day at the Hondata event made him start really liking it. When I told him I had gotten a DE5, he said most of the FL5 guys there were "low key" wanting a DE5 instead.

 

[egxflash]

BUT THE SEATS, MAN

to be fair, those seats are GREAT for the people that fit in them. I am one of those people and I was/am in love with the seats.

My comments in yellow below:

The most common argument against the DE5.

"I wont pay over 50s for a fwd vehicle."

But that same person doesn't have a problem paying 50+ for a FL5

Missing all the goodies included by Acura like

-Rain Sensing wipers
-Longer Warranty - did not even know the Acura had a longer warranty, good to know!
-Wider Powerband
-Sportier Exhaust Note
-Leatherette Interior
-HUD
-Sunglass holder
-Door Sill Plates
-Wheels with TPMS - seriously? the civic doesn't have TPMS? I thought that was about as standard as power windows
-Radar Sensors in the bumpers
-Sound Deadening - I'm conflicted on this. For an Acura, I wish there was less road noise, but I also wish I could hear the exhaust better.
-Aggressive body kit - this is a pro and a con. Love the aero on this car but I think it won't age as well as the FL5's design will
-Premium Sound System
-Powered Driver Seat with plenty of adjustments
-Heated Front Seats
-Pearl Color Palette in the exterior

 

[SlippyFist]

Good article.

What irks me is the amount of complaints of missing features on the ITS that are available on the TSX Types S. Why would any car manufacturer make 2 basically identical cars, so IMHO Acura did the smart thing and made the Integra its own lane. I hope to make a video reply on this soon.

I'm not sure what specific features you're referring to that are on the TLXTS but not the ITS, but they wouldn't remotely be the same car considering how different their powertrain, transmissions, and overall driving experiences are. but this position of comparing model A to model B isn't the correct lens that we should view the (lack of) features debate through; instead it should be framed more along the lines of "what features are standard and expected on a car at this price point".

in this regard, i believe that both the CTR and ITS are both overpriced for what you get. I'm not saying they're hugely overpriced nor am I saying that they're bad cars and not worth it and all that, i'm just saying that, in my opinion, they fall a bit short of what you would expect from cars in their price point. I'm more forgiving of the CTR because it's cheaper and "more of a track car" so i would say that the ITS is a bigger offender in this regard, particularly with the lack of features and the wide-spread quality issues that are affecting it.

I'm not sure if i have a slight case of buyer's remorse or not; i do like my ITS, it's really, really fun to drive, but i doubt i'll keep it long term. I'll have it paid off in a couple of years and then i'll probably hide it in a garage and go get a M3C/M5C as my new daily driver.

 

[egxflash]

I'm not sure what specific features you're referring to that are on the TLXTS but not the ITS, but they wouldn't remotely be the same car considering how different their powertrain, transmissions, and overall driving experiences are. but this position of comparing model A to model B isn't the correct lens that we should view the (lack of) features debate through; instead it should be framed more along the lines of "what features are standard and expected on a car at this price point".

in this regard, i believe that both the CTR and ITS are both overpriced for what you get. I'm not saying they're hugely overpriced nor am I saying that they're bad cars and not worth it and all that, i'm just saying that, in my opinion, they fall a bit short of what you would expect from cars in their price point. I'm more forgiving of the CTR because it's cheaper and "more of a track car" so i would say that the ITS is a bigger offender in this regard, particularly with the lack of features and the wide-spread quality issues that are affecting it.

I'm not sure if i have a slight case of buyer's remorse or not; i do like my ITS, it's really, really fun to drive, but i doubt i'll keep it long term. I'll have it paid off in a couple of years and then i'll probably hide it in a garage and go get a M3C/M5C as my new daily driver.

The dealbreaker for me with the M3C though is that it's DSG. I'm not tracking this car so I like the satisfaction of rowing through the gears.

I don't disagree with any of your points though. There's plenty of things a car at this price point and segment that are missing. I've often heard "this is a sports car with some luxury touches" and sure that's probably the way to look at it so as not to be disappointed but an Acura badge should bring with it Acura touches. Hell, Mazda is able to walk that tightrope of sporty performance while being luxury-adjactent.

That being said, I still love this car despite the small nitpicky issues I've already found in the first 500 miles of ownership. I do still say though that if I could've found the FL5 AT MSRP, I couldn't tell you I'd still have picked the DE5 with absolute certainty.

 

[optronix]

I still think that people who criticize this car for cost are not the proper target demographic. There are so many cars that are better buys if you don't prioritize the driving dynamics.

i.e., if you're not routinely driving the car on twisty backroads or doing motorsports type things, you probably should look elsewhere. The money you're spending is on the engineering that went into making the car as fun to drive as it is, but if you're not realizing that and just using it to commute or run errands, you're better off with something else.

If I just needed to drive to work and the grocery store, there's no way I'd pick an ITS over an S4. NO EFFING WAY lol. But... I had an S4 for a bit and it's just dead inside when you try to drive it on a backroad.

If you do prioritize driving dynamics though, there's not a better sports sedan out there for DOUBLE the cost. You have to get to an M3C to even start having the conversation, and even then you're looking at such a different experience it's not impossible to still prefer the ITS (for example, I still would buy an ITS over a G80 M3, even if I could get one for $50k). But... my primary use case for this car is stress relief, not commuting. I'm the target demographic, and for me I think it's a killer bargain... but there's not many of us, which is why this car is not for everyone.

 

[SilverRocket]

I'm not sure what specific features you're referring to that are on the TLXTS but not the ITS, but they wouldn't remotely be the same car considering how different their powertrain, transmissions, and overall driving experiences are. but this position of comparing model A to model B isn't the correct lens that we should view the (lack of) features debate through; instead it should be framed more along the lines of "what features are standard and expected on a car at this price point".

in this regard, i believe that both the CTR and ITS are both overpriced for what you get. I'm not saying they're hugely overpriced nor am I saying that they're bad cars and not worth it and all that, i'm just saying that, in my opinion, they fall a bit short of what you would expect from cars in their price point. I'm more forgiving of the CTR because it's cheaper and "more of a track car" so i would say that the ITS is a bigger offender in this regard, particularly with the lack of features and the wide-spread quality issues that are affecting it.

I'm not sure if i have a slight case of buyer's remorse or not; i do like my ITS, it's really, really fun to drive, but i doubt i'll keep it long term. I'll have it paid off in a couple of years and then i'll probably hide it in a garage and go get a M3C/M5C as my new daily driver.

Sure the body type is not exactly the same but it serves Acura no purpose to have two of the same car feature wise.

There are many point which I hope to discuss in video format but a few of the most prominent ones, maybe not here in the forum, but certainly across the Internet where the ITS is concerned, include:

Automatic transmission. Believe it or not there are a fair few who want it to be an automatic. If so get an A-spec CVT or TLX-TS or another brand.

"The ITS needs AWD". Again get a TLX-TS if it's important to you, even another car from a different brand, stop trying to make the ITS AWD

Creature comforts like sunroof or cooled seats. Once again, get the TLX-TS or another car, stop bitching that the ITS doesn't have them.

I mean all these things are valid wants in and of themselves, like I don't fault someone for wanting them, however it's like nails on a chalk board when I hear/see people complain about how they wish specifically the ITS had them. This is because there's a myriad of other cars that deliver these desired features as a package but almost no other options for those who think the ITS is amazing the way it is.

 

[Justpassedu]

I been a Honda/ Acura fan since before I was even able to drive. I have had many cars/trucks , some much faster than Honda/Acura. My favorite being my S2000 that I was able to purchase just 2yrs after they released. So now being a family man , when the Fl5 hit I had fallen in love. I wanted one so bad and was going to make it happen. Well I couldn't make it happen without paying a nice markup and I wasn't going for that. Than the Type S was announced. I admit I did not like it at first. I liked the engine but wasn't a fan of everything else. Plus I knew it would cost allot more. Than they finally started to get them at Acura dealers and I said let me stop over and just take a quick look. I fell in love again. I thought the car looked so much better in person on the showroom floor. It was wide and the white paint sparkled to me. I made it happen and got my Type S with no mark up. I'm not mad I didn't get my Fl5 , they both have differences and some things I like better on one over the other but it somewhat equals out in a way. I don't have many miles on the car and its not perfect in every way but it gets the family around , my kid to school and puts a big smile on face. I could have afforded more of a vehicle and even thought about pricier cars but that's not what I wanted. It's my daily and almost perfect for every day driving.

 

[egxflash]

I been a Honda/ Acura fan since before I was even able to drive. I have had many cars/trucks , some much faster than Honda/Acura. My favorite being my S2000 that I was able to purchase just 2yrs after they released. So now being a family man , when the Fl5 hit I had fallen in love. I wanted one so bad and was going to make it happen. Well I couldn't make it happen without paying a nice markup and I wasn't going for that. Than the Type S was announced. I admit I did not like it at first. I liked the engine but wasn't a fan of everything else. Plus I knew it would cost allot more. Than they finally started to get them at Acura dealers and I said let me stop over and just take a quick look. I fell in love again. I thought the car looked so much better in person on the showroom floor. It was wide and the white paint sparkled to me. I made it happen and got my Type S with no mark up. I'm not mad I didn't get my Fl5 , they both have differences and some things I like better on one over the other but it somewhat equals out in a way. I don't have many miles on the car and its not perfect in every way but it gets the family around , my kid to school and puts a big smile on face. I could have afforded more of a vehicle and even thought about pricier cars but that's not what I wanted. It's my daily and almost perfect for every day driving.

The Type-S definitely does not look as good in photographs as it does in person.

 

[PRDE5]

The FL5 does have TPMS, but not a direct system that displays the pressure in the dash. Is an indirect system which looks at wheel speed to detect a low pressure tire and displays a warning light on the dash. Then you have to check each tire pressure to see which one is low.

 

[optronix]

Looks are subjective. I still think the FL5 looks great, never thought it didn't. I do prefer the DE5, it was love at first sight when I saw Raitti's video at Long Beach last year.

This car absolutely does it for me. But I don't expect everyone to feel the same way... although it would be great if the FL5 guys would STFU with taking every single opportunity to loudly state how much they don't like it. That thread on civicxi is absolutely packed with cringe from guys doing that. Not a good look.

 

[SlippyFist]

I still think that people who criticize this car for cost are not the proper target demographic. There are so many cars that are better buys if you don't prioritize the driving dynamics.

i.e., if you're not routinely driving the car on twisty backroads or doing motorsports type things, you probably should look elsewhere. The money you're spending is on the engineering that went into making the car as fun to drive as it is, but if you're not realizing that and just using it to commute or run errands, you're better off with something else.

If I just needed to drive to work and the grocery store, there's no way I'd pick an ITS over an S4. NO EFFING WAY lol. But... I had an S4 for a bit and it's just dead inside when you try to drive it on a backroad.

If you do prioritize driving dynamics though, there's not a better sports sedan out there for DOUBLE the cost. You have to get to an M3C to even start having the conversation, and even then you're looking at such a different experience it's not impossible to still prefer the ITS (for example, I still would buy an ITS over a G80 M3, even if I could get one for $50k). But... my primary use case for this car is stress relief, not commuting. I'm the target demographic, and for me I think it's a killer bargain... but there's not many of us, which is why this car is not for everyone.

look so i understand what you're saying and largely agree with you, but the one point you're missing is that you can do both. you can recognize the engineering and superior driving experience, AND you can also recognize that honda took very clear and obvious shortcuts with it in the categories of features and quality. i obviously don't think it's enough to be a deal-breaker, but it is valid criticism worth pointing out. in my opinion, and also the opinion of a lot of the automotive world, the car's MSRP is a bit too high for what you get- and that is true regardless of how you drive it, whether you drive it on windy roads, take it to a track, or just use it to run errands.

now what i don't agree with is a statement like "If you do prioritize driving dynamics though, there's not a better sports sedan out there for DOUBLE the cost." Just no man. This is a great car, but it's not punching up with cars that are double its price. Also an M3C isn't close to twice its price either lol, that would be the M5 (though not the new ones coming).