Integra Type S- The Stormtrooper

The 2025 Integra type S in Platinum White Pearl with the two tone red interior... At the time of this review I have driven around 12k miles in my 5 months of ownership. Lets hop into it:

I bought this car to replace driving the 250k+ mile 2005 Toyota Sienna and the Cammed SS, which does not make a good daily driver. I drive a ton, needed reliability, and preferably practicality... but an issue came with that. Most practical and reliable cars fit the classification of generic and boring. I needed something that is still relatively quick, would supplement caffeine on my commutes to the hospital, and elicit some emotion and soul; ultimately, here were are now with the Type S.

Reliability, Practicality, and Interior:
-Lets get this section out of the way early on. From the time you walk up to the Type S the car senses you and lights up the interior lights and LED door lights in each handle. You enter via keyless entry on the front two doors. It has four doors and is a hatchback meaning you have a large trunk opening in which the glass comes up with the hatch itself. There is also a button to unlock or lock the hatch from the rear and there is a sunshade already on the rear to limit your trunk contents getting hit by direct sunlight The car is a four seater and has a total of six-cupholders... four of the cupholders are deep and the two behind the shifter don't interfere with gear changes so thats points for practicality. I also want to note that where the fifth seat would be in the rear (the middle area of the rear) there are two deep cupholders which i've found myself putting bigger coffee cups in as they are never in the way of my driving. Yes, it's is a 6-speed manual transmission and thats the only option (as it should be in this case), don't worry we'll dive deeper later on on the glorious 6spd. Anyways back to this section, the interior is two tone red with black. There are other options on interior color combos but on the white paint I love the contrast. The red parts are leather and the black parts on the front two seats are a suede material with perforations. The driver seat is fully electronic and has lumbar support, although the passenger seat is fully manual. The two fronts are also heated and you get dual climate control. Sadly, there is no cooled seat option. Also perforated is the leather steering wheel which has great notches at 10 and 2 in addition to a nice 9 and 3 area to grab. The dashboard in fully digital and customizable with many options including boost pressure, tire pressure, fuel milage average & realtime, G-meter, throttle and brake inputs to name a few. There is also full wireless car-play, which is a nice feature. The car also has a heads-up display, which is something that becomes a necessity after you've owned a car with it. There is adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist in which the car will take small curves/stay in the lane for you when active. There is one touch blinker with good feeling in the stalk and automatic wipers, which I personally feel go off to fast even in the lower setting (no worries as you can just go to manual wiper intermittence). Something that makes all drives nicer is the ELS 18 speaker audio system with a in-trunk bass, even though the exhaust pops and bangs are ear fuel. There is also brake hold which is nice to have on a manual car when going up parking garages as it helps with hills or long red lights. I will also say at this point that the clutch is light and with active rev matching this car is truly easy to drive in any condition including a busy downtown city. Lastly, interior ambient lighting includes a whitish light in the driver and passenger doors and footwells. There is also front and rear dome lights but no individual reading light for the rear. I should probably mention something about safety so here it is: I think its pretty safe.... it has front and rear parking sensors and will stop/ automatically brake if you are approaching a person or car to fast (before it does that it flashes BRAKE in the HUD, which when you are driving aggressively becomes annoying but it can be disabled if you desire). There are many airbags and the frame of the vehicle is solid so I think its a relatively safe car.

What it doesn't have that I would have liked is memory seats and a garage door opener built in the car... But honestly, I don't miss these features at all, you wouldn't want anyone else driving your Type S anyways. Other thing is that the road noise sucks in this car... maybe changing the tire would help out a little, but honestly I don't mind much. I will note that I kind of like having the passenger seat as manual because hearing people try to adjust it tells me there is one less component to break.... and that there is a raw but refined feeling to this car. I guess if you are someone wanting a "luxury" car then you should consider something else despite this being an Acura. This is a driver car. The fact that it only comes in a manual should have told you that from the start.

On reliability notes... well... its an Acura? Since the time I bought the car in late August, I've driven 12,000 miles in the last 5 months. So far aside from oil changes i've done nothing else! Everything feels broken in and smooth. Some reviewers have complained about rattles, orange peel on the paint, poor build quality, and wanting a newer infotainment system. I personally have not experienced these things except for the paint quality, which I do believe is on the thinner side given the rock chips i've accumulated. Regarding the infotainment system, it works quick and well, which is what matters for me given I use carplay most of the time. I guess time will tell but so far it all has been great. I'll update as time progresses.

Exterior and Looks:
-This car is absolutely gorgeous. In todays age where cars are looking uglier, blockier, and less elegant the Type S breaks the mold. The curb appeal is amazing, the stance of the car with the widebody from the factory is second to none. There are front brake ducts hidden in the front bumper. There are canards hidden in the front side bumper panels for added stability when taking corners at speed. The hood vent actually lets heat out and is placed right above the turbo. Brembo brakes with "Acura" written on them in red matches the interior perfectly and adds to the racecar look without being childish. The front and rear have LED lights with the front being Jewl LEDs (idk what that really means but damn they are nice and very bright). The driving lights add to the mean front end and the black and white contrast seen from the front bumper to the back diffuser is proper throughout. Speaking of which, the back diffuser has massive fins and a cutout for the sizable triple outlet exhaust with exhaust valves. There is also a spoiler in black on the rear decklid and shark-fin antenna on the rear middle of the roof. My car has the dealer installed mudguards in black, which I think amplifies the stance and limits rock chips. I also have dealer tinted windows, which only supports the black and white contrast. The rocker panels/ side skirts are also specific to the Type S as they have more curves than the base Integra. Also notable is how many places "Type S" is written over the car. There is a badge in the front grill, on the rear bumper, on the front quarter panels, inside the car on the steering wheel, shifter plate trim, seat headrests, and front door sills. The wheels are lightweight and 265/30ZR19 fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer sticky tires. This combo just adds to the "racecar" look and stance and almost gives the appearance that its lowered without actually being lowered. On that note, the car is low to the ground and I tend to take bumps and garage entrances at an angle to prevent scraping, just something to keep in mind if you are new to sport cars.

To sum this up Acura actually DESIGNED this vehicle and put some pride in how it looks. Unlike its relative the Civic Type R that looks somewhat "boy racer" to me with its big wang wing this car looks and feels more refined and sporty but still has the aggressive stance and sports car look I crave.

The Drive:
-Okay the part you were waiting for... It is the BEST front wheel 4 cylinder car I've ever driven. This car has the the 2.0L DOHC VTEC turbocharged inline 4 cylinder making 320 hp @6500 rpm & 310 Ib-ft @2600-4000 rpm mated to a proper 6-speed manual with rev matching. The car weighs 3,219 pounds and feels light (compared to the ZL1 and SS). I don't have any 0-60 or quarter mile numbers yet but 1st gear just spins when you put the pedal down, 2nd gear still gets some tire slippage but seems to pull the hardest, and 3rd gear has no tire slippage but still pulls strong. My "butt dyno" can confirm that 2nd and 3rd gear puts down some impressive acceleration for a 4 cylinder... enough to make anyone happy for a stock daily driver and more then enough for onramps or passing traffic. The pull definitely picks up starting around 2500 or so RPM's when you feel the boost hitting. I will note there is some wheel hop in 1st and 2nd gear. It is not untolerable and I wouldn't call it a major issue unless you plan on drag racing (you got the wrong car if thats the case haha). There is minimal torque steer on full throttle. I feel the car puts down power well given its a front end car and weight naturally transfers to the rear wheels on accelerations. I plan on keeping this car stock given it has a warranty and is my daily but I have no doubt the little things that some will nit-pick on can be solved with simple mods.

There are different modes in the car controlled by a toggle switch in the center console. There is comfort, sport, sport+, individual. In comfort mode the car has a exhaust valve that closes and sends exhaust out the two side exhaust that have bigger mufflers attached to them, which thus quiets things down. The steering becomes lighter and the suspension soaks up bumps, not as much as a civic or normal car but enough to not feel your head going through the roof or freak out every time you hit uneven road or bumps. I use comfort mode on longer roadtrips >1 hour. Sport mode opens up the middle exhaust valve so it primarily exits via the middle tube with the smaller muffler. The steering tightens to my liking and still has a natural feel to it allowing you to feel the road and most of the imperfections with it; this is something I enjoy out of a sports car. The suspension tightens up to my liking the most, it's not too soft but not break neck stiff. There is a good balance for street driving and some amazing driver feedback. You can guess what sport + is at this point. It has the heaviest steering, which for me I do enjoy just not on the daily basis. I want to point out that in this mode the steering still doesn't feel too artificial, which is something i've felt in other vehicles when the heaviest steering is selected. The suspension becomes quite stiff but not overly like a full dedicated track car. I've read that this setting is equivalent to the stiffness of the Civic Type R in its middle setting. The feedback is definitely present though and the turn-in/ responsiveness is some of the best i've felt in a FWD street car. What ties it all in is the engine in sport+ mode.... I LOVE the noises this thing makes... when the exhaust heats up in this mode there are various crackles and pops throughout the rpm range. A subtle drone is present at higher speeds which I love, its not overpowering at all, it just reminds you that you aren't in a normal car. Coming from V8's most of my life I never thought I would enjoy a 4 cylinder sounds but this car changed that. My individual mode is set to sport steering, sport + engine, sport suspension. I find this gives me the best feeling on the street with possibly one of the best turn-in and handling of a under 100k FWD street car i've ever felt (I know i've said this a few times now but I really do mean it). I also want to report that body roll is minimal, the car is stiff, but not enough to bend a rim or cause back problems when you hit a bigger bump/pothole. Lastly this mode gives an amazing audio experience that just ties all of it together. The turbo noise is just the right amount and the exhaust isn't overpowering (like goldilocks).

I want to emphasize how amazing the handling is on this car. The brakes bring you to a standstill extremely fast. The steering responsiveness is spectacular. The suspension in any mode provides amazing feedback and really connects you to the road and drive experience. If you just drove the car on any road and closed your eyes you would be able to imagine the surface with impressive accuracy just based on the feel you get from driving this car. It is truly impressive.

Other things to note would be the 6-speed manual in this car. Rev matching works flawlessly if you decide to use it. If you shut off the rev matching the pedals are good for heel-toeing. I personally have rev matching shut off but did drive about 2k miles with it and thought it was very good/ quick response. Rev hang is present and takes a little to get used to, I feel its the worse from 1->2nd. The shifter has short throws and the right amount of notchiness with amazing feeling going into each gear. You have a great sense of confidence when shifting in this car and you rarely fell like you have to search for a gear. The clutch is very light as well. The grab point is easy to find and not very high. Even on hill starts its very manageable and made easier if you use the brake hold feature. Simply put the car has a spectacular manual transmission.

Around the street I tend to get around 20-25 mpg depending on how hard I am on the car. At highway speeds the Type S runs exactly at 3000 rpm @80 mph. On my road trips in 6th gear I consistently average around 28-30 mpg highway. The car takes 93 octane fuel and i've never run anything less.

Summary:
This is a truly spectacular machine that should be appreciated by those of you who understand this type of vehicle. This car gets you actually "feeling" when you drive, not just from point A to B. It's for those who enjoy the art of driving and wants a car they can push limits in a respectable manner. It's also for the driver with a love for sports cars but wants practicality, a daily driver, and occasionally have a track day or carve some corners. Maybe its for the driver who has children/ carseats but doesn't want to give up the driving experience. A friend saw this for the first time and said "thats a beautiful badass car" and I think it sums it up. It's clean, muscular, and classy, yet has surgical level precision with the right amount of voice to make itself known. It's not often a manufacture nails a vehicle, but I think these engineers did great. I don't plan on ever getting rid of this car, it's damn near perfect out of the box.

One other thing regarding the price. People have been paying anywhere from 50-60k USD for this car (most around 55). Many have said its overpriced and whatnot but so are most other cars on the market currently. All I can say is I love how it looks, drives, sounds, and feels, which is why I bought it. I'm enjoying the purchase and after 12k miles would do it again.