Integra loaner - rambling thoughts
 

Driving a 23 integra Aspec (non tech) as a loaner today and tomorrow, thought I'd mention some of my experience.

Driving feel reminded me of my 22 RDX, Acura must be targeting the precision cockpit design ethos on all its models and it shows.

Car seems to handle great. I don't drive agressively, but the car took turns great and never felt like it was ever near its limits.

Acceleration seemed fine in most instances. 0-60 is rated 1-2 seconds slower than my MDX Hybrid, never felt like it could't accelerate me as fast as my non-agressive driving wanted, with one exception: Missed a green light playing w the infotainment and floored it to catch up, and I could feel the turbolag. The NA engine in my base RSX jumps off the line, and my MDX Hybrid does too in sports+, the first couple seconds in the Integra were much slower.

The latest gen ACC with traffic jam assist is great, first car I drove with it. Low speed steering assistance is really helpful, and it is geek-cool (but probably dangerous and distracting) watching the fully digital MID show a diagram of where every car around you is seen by the ACC. Camera is way improved vs the 2020 MDX.

Wired Android Auto got annoying quickly, and had disconnection bugs every 10-20 minutes, so I plugged in my spare MA2 wireless adapter and it worked flawlessly.

Dissapointed that Android turn instructions don't show up on the instrument cluster like it did on the ILX or my 2020 MDX. I presume they are on the HUD if you upgrade to a tech trim, but they should have not taken an ILX feature away on lower trims.

Miss the Advance trim features from my other Acuras, mostly the 360 camera, but even little things like power folding mirrors. Had to drive into the city and picked the 2020 MDX over the Integra because of the 360 cam. Once you get spoiled owning an Advance trim you will never want to go back. I'd take an 18 TLX Advance over a 23 TLX type S even if they were the same price, because I so heavily rely on Advance features.

And the loaner reminded me that Acura defaults walk away autolock to off on all its cars when first purchased. It is a head-scratcher why Acura hides such a useful feature.

I'll post back with any further feedback from tomorrow, and am also driving an Integra Tech on a business trip in a few weeks and will update feedback from that trim too.

"It is a head-scratcher why Acura hides such a useful feature." - Probably some lawyer's decision.

I don't think that's turbo lag; that's just the CVT being a CVT. With the small turbo, there's very very little turbo lag for this motor. With the 6MT the turbo spools up remarkably quickly.

Turned the loaner back in today. Some additional rambling thoughts:

I don't drive agressively so didn't intentionally think about shifts, but I honestly totally forgot it is a CVT, just like many reviewers had mentioned. If/when it fake shifts, it did it just enough to make the car feel completely natural.

MPG was outstanding as advertised. I was getting high 20's to low 30's every time I looked. Chose it to drive around the suburbs over the MDX Hybrid because that is better mileage.

I have gotten into the bad habit of just pushing the power button to shut off my other newer Acuras, knowing the pushbutton transmission auto shifts into park. The integra cvt still has the old school transmission shifter and alarm-warned me every time to put it in park.

Took me half a day to realize the parking brake is pull to activate, every other Acura is push, on the same-looking button. Oh well...

I learned something about AAwireless and MA2: you can't seamlessly switch back and forth in separate cars. You have to delete one from your bluetooth paired devices for the other to pair and connect.

Acura markets real well to their target demographic. My daughter screamed "oh my god you didn't tell me you were getting an Integra" and immediately ran to post a video of her with the car on Instagram.

One more thing: as an RSX owner the quirky hatch and privacy cover was identical to what I'm used to, though others might be confused.

Never drove a Civic hatch so I don't know if Honda kept this all along, or if it is just another nostalgia throwback to the RSX. Nice token to us RSX owners if it is a throwback.

So the natural question to ask: would you consider selling your RSX and buy the Integra after this extended test drive?

Nope, I'm of the generation where if it doesn't have two doors it looks like a minivan. To each their own, but I still chuckle every time I hear the phrase "sport sedan". I already have two other "practical" 4-door Acuras.

I would have been first in line for a 2 door Integra, as the plan since the lightshow teaser was to have our daughter drive the RSX since she was getting her license and I'd buy the top trim Integra for myself. Wife would have kept the MDX.

Acura still got the money from us: once the Integra was announced as a 4-door we pivoted to buying the RDX for my wife and I kept the MDX. Daughter still will be the primary driver for the RSX.

At this point I'm probably not making another car move for at least 5 years.

I think it's a HUGE miss not to offer an Integra coupe. Even if the take rate wasn't that high, it would have attracted some additional buyers, appealed to the retro lovers of the original Integras, and added to the "sport" branding.

wait...the new Integra has a CVT? Instant garbage. :hurl:

Have you driven one? I just had a CVT A Spec loaner when our 6MT was in for service, and it was surprisingly good. Very very little of the old Nissan motorboating phenomenon; 99% of people driving it won't be able to tell it from a regular automatic. The car's transmission ratios match up nicely with the torque curve of the engine and while there's a tick of delay off the line, once in motion it moves along quite well. Same great handling as the MT. Driving it in sport mode with the transmission in "S" and using the manual shifter paddle was pleasantly satisfying. I'd not trade our 6MT for one, but it was surprisingly pleasant and fun to drive and far from "instant garbage."

There's a reason the Integra is burying its German competition in this segment -- its a very nice, fun to drive car at a below 40K price fully loaded. And it won't be roached out in 5 years.

Just FYI, an RDX will dust a stick or CVT Integra all day long! :) I had the opportunity to actually try that for real :)

Came back from the business trip. Integra Aspec Tech (CVT) from Turo drove flawlessly, was in a big city and traffic jam assist was awesome. I'm not in the market for a new car for hopefully 5 years or so, but traffic jam assist will be a must in my next model. Interesting how the entire Acura lineup currently has this feature except the RDX.

The HUD seems skinnied down vs what I can recall in my wife's RDX. It had a choice of ACC, navigation, or speed limit display. All were in separate non overlapping areas of the HUD, but it didn't let you chose more than one at a time. Seems like deliberate decontenting on the entry level model.

Also, I would have preferred an option that made the ACC-configured speed more prominent, it already has a analog-looking speed dial, so dedicating more real estate to a monstrously large current-speed digital number seemed like a waste. Obviously current speed matters more to those who drive manually, but I really don't care about current speed when my driving style is to rely on ACC. In general, it was annoying that you could configure the right digital display content, but could not configure the center info.

Wireless Android Auto worked flawlessly, and this just reminds me of how much better the experience is when you use Android Auto with a touchscreen as google intended. A bumpy road initially made it hard to aim for a button, until I learned to rest my four fingers on the top of the touchscreen for stability and tap with my thumb. Wireless charging worked fine for my Zflip 4, but had to fold and push the phone back an inch or so to get the bottom-half phone charging coil on top of the center-charger of the pad.

It also reminded me of how much I use the Advance/overhead camera. Lots of tight parking lots in the city and the camera would have been very helpful. I added front and rear cameras to my RSX as it has a custom Kenwood Android Auto system in the double-din, I'm seeing a few vendors that are starting to use the carplay interface to do the same on builtin car-screens. I wouldn't consider buying a car without these cameras, so I would never consider buying an Integra until an Advance model was launched or until I was confident in using one of those add-on vendors. In fact for business trips in the future I'll probably look to rent a TLX Advance or MDX Advance instead of the Integra so I'd have the camera.

And I again forgot it was a CVT until after I turned it back in. It felt like a regular transmission car.

Turo experience was great. With my car feature pickiness, I'm using them every time I rent in the future, so I can get the exact model with exact features I want. Traditional rental car companies never allow this level of specificity.

I think lots of folks who bag on the Integra CVT have never even looked at one, much less driven the car. It may not be for the car forum enthusiasts (I do still prefer our 6MT) but for the vast majority of people who are considering this car (and they are selling quite well), it's a non-issue. Really wish there were a way to make traffic jam assist work on our 6MT though. That seems like a really great feature.

I sell them, I’ve driven them quite a bit, the thing is horrible lol. Still not sure why they didn’t put a 10 speed in that car. Now that would’ve been a superb entry level luxury vehicle. Well, and all-wheel-drive. I love how Acura bills it is competitor to BMW and Mercedes… When it’s not even a competitor to Hyundai and Kia lol

I haven't driven the competing BMW and Mercedes models, but I did recently have an A3 loaner. The motor was definitely quicker and delivered excellent mileage with the mild hybrid assist. The rest of the car was pretty clearly inferior to our A Spec Tech Integra. And the DCT did do some strange things here and there.

The market has made that judgment too. Integra is handily outselling the competing models from Germany across the board. Most of those being sold are CVTs. Most people just don't know/don't care.

I'll still take our 6MT any day over any auto, but if Acura designed and marketed cars only for 6MT enthusiasts, they'd quickly be out of business.

Problem is they rebadged a Civic...down to the CVT. Sadly. Should have done like the ILX...that Dual Clutch tranny and 2.4 liter were fantastic!

I've driven the CVT model as well, and while I think it's a decent car, it loses most of the fun and joy that seperates the Integra from its competitors. None of the other cars in this segment at this price point are drivers cars. The 6MT Integra is, but the CVT Integra just isn't. It doesn't matter that it's one of the better CVTs out there; even with the 10AT or 8DCT it would lose most of that driver focus, especially since it also loses the LSD. The issue is that once you take away the "fun" aspect, it loses a big chunk of what separates it from the competition, and what you're instead left with is a car that is considerably slower, louder, and feels cheaper. The value proposition is still there, but it's a matter of paying less for less, not less for more.

I don't necessarily disagree with most of this. I wouldn't call the CVT version an enthusiast's car, but it's a nice car and still fun to drive. To my mind, the 6MT/LSD is what differentiates the car's driving fun from the others in in its class. But even in CVT form, I think the Integra is superior to the A3; more stylish, more utility and a nicer interior (at least compared to the A3 I rented at Enterprise). The A3 was definitely quicker and got surprisingly good mileage. But the interior/infotainment is kind of crappy.

But I need to stop reading/watching all these glowing reviews of the Type S!

I had a post refresh ILX when i dropped my mdx for scheduled service and was really impressed with its looks and the drivetrain.

That's not a generational thing that just a super weird viewpoint. To say that you think a TLX Type S (or similar) looks like a minivan is the oddest thing I have seen on the internet lately. You have seen an actual minivan before, right?

Yes... I owned an Odyssey two trades before my MDX.

Not saying they look the same, but I grew up in the age where the families had sedans and station wagons, and the enthusiasts all had coupes. Just can't un-see family-sedan in any 4 door.

But hey don't let it stop you... I'm in a spot where the only next Acura I'm considering is an NSX, and it'll be years before I can afford one. So I know my pickiness just hurts me and restricts my choices because I don't match the market.

Had another Aspec non-tech loaner for 4 days.

Some additional rambling thoughts:
- Touchscreen has a ledge below it to stabilize your hand while tapping. So now two options to rest your hand while tapping: top of screen and bottom.
- Used AAwireless this time instead of MA2 for wireless Android Auto. Continued to work flawlessly.
- I normally vent mount my phone to be able to do things (like dial into work conference calls via MSteams) that Android Auto doesn't currently have built it. Couldn't vent mount with the Integra crisscross grid vent, every other model I've been i had no issues.
- It only had one power socket, my chargers are too weak to charge laptop and phone at full speed concurrently out of one socket, every other Acura model has two sockets.
- I knew it had a CVT but it really didn't feel like it. Regular driving felt like a normal car.
- Continued great fuel economy, about 50% better than my Hybrid MDX.
- Nowhere near as comfortable for rear seat kids vs other Acura models. No rear seat heaters, rear vents, rear cupholders, etc.
-Love the traffic jam assist (low speed lane centering). It is the main thing I will miss returning to my MDX.
- Didn't have dualzone climate control, and the seat heaters were manually set.

Overall it served me well, but as the loaner days wore on I really missed the conveniences of Advance models. Happy to have my MDX back.

Daughter again showed off the Integra to her friends. She dailys my RSX, but still thinks the Integra is a cool car.

Brought my 21 TLX A-Spec in for service this morning and was loaned an Integra A-Spec Tech.

Having a 21 TLX and 22 MDX, I was taken back by how relatively 'noisy' the Integra's cabin is. I know it's effectively a Honda Civic but I wonder if they added any sound deadening in the Acura transformation process.

Like you, I really don't like the feel of a CVT. The last one I owned was in my old 14 Accord Sport....which I didnt like as well. But like my old Accord, that's probably one of the very few features I dont particularly find favorable in the Integra.

Fuel economy is big jump up from my TLX/MDX as well our AV6 and I actually like that hatch configuration/utility. All told, the Integra makes for a great daily driver.

My soon to be 17 y/o daughter already fell in love with it and wants us to trade in our 16 AV6. :ponder:

Our 18yr old loves the Integra too. She hates how our dealer's loaner policy is 21+ drivers only.

My understanding is they put some sound deadening into the Integra vs the Civic, but nowhere near as much as higher trim Acuras so it will be their noisiest model.

I see supply getting back to more normal now. Our dealer even has 3 ITS models unsold on the lot now, all in different colors. No ADM but a few msrp dealer add-ons required. I'm guessing that you can probably find any model Integra you want now, and it is now down to pricing/value and not a shortage.

Got another Integra Aspec Tech loaner for 4 days awaiting RSX parts.

I continued to notice substantial off-the-line lag (either turbo or cvt) in comfort mode, but did notice it went away in sport mode. I built an individual profile with everything in comfort except engine in sport, and would flip to that in higher traffic areas when I needed to merge or squeeze in during traffic.

Otherwise it was same as expected/experienced before. MPG felt lower (25ish vs 30ish previously) and that may have been the sport engine mode.

Now that the weather has warmed up, our 6MT is back to averaging about 37 mpg in a 50/50 mix of highway/suburban driving. Of the cars I've owned, this one seems most affected by temperature with regard to mpg. It's also my first turbo motor, so maybe that is a factor. Our Integra is mainly driven by my spouse; it now has about 7,500 miles on it, and the last several times I've driven it it seems noticeably more responsive/quicker. Again, maybe just the warming weather.

We've had the car now for about 16 months and would buy it again in a heartbeat if we had it to do over. (Although now, we'd probably be sorely tempted by the Type S, too).