There are a few vehicles we always look forward to driving. And two of those are the Honda Civic and it’s sibling, the Acura Integra. Fun-to-drive, well-designed and affordable, they’re the kind of cars we often find ourselves recommending. And what about those considering the Integra A-Spec vs. The Civic Si? Let us point you in the right direction!

Acura has made some big improvements to celebrate 40 years of the Integra, so we’re thrilled to get behind the wheel.

Fresh Looks

First things first, we need to point out our tester was the Integra A-Spec, the sportiest of the affordable line up. (There is a much more potent, and expensive Type S model that we review separately).

The A-Spec gets some added eye candy with a new aero body kit, and it’s noticeable up front, with gloss black side spoilers at each corner of the front for added aero. It’s a perfect partner to the “Jewel Eye”LED headlights with 4 four individual lights on each side, and a swoosh design signature driving light above. There’s a large, inverted pentagon shape grille that was body-color on our tester for some added pop, and a blacked-out lower fascia that blends in nicely with the new side spoilers.

The profile remains aggressive and if you haven’t seen an Integra in a few years, it might surprise you – it’s a bit larger and more substantial looking than before. It’s also sporty with deep cut-ins in the lower doors with a new side sill garnish for some added menace. Subtle A-Spec badges live on the front fenders.

Your eyes get drawn along the rakish lines of the fastback. (Worth noting – the Civic Si is only available as a sedan) Finishing of the A-Spec’s side view are newly styled 18-inch black wheels.

The rearview continues the sport-meets-elegance vibe with deeply angled rear taillights, a snug rear spoiler on the hatch lid, and a deep cut-in the lower bumper. Finishing off the look are dual large exhaust pipes promising scintillating performance.

Showing off all the good looks was one of three new colors for the 2026 Integra – Double Apex Blue Pearl – that really shimmers and is quite stunning when the light hits it just right. (The two other new colors are Solar Silver Metallic and Urban Gray Pearl.)

Tech gets an up tick

Inside, it’s familiar Acura – a tasty blend of luxury, tech and sportiness. Our tester’s light Orchid color interior gets new blue inserts in the seats that add a sporty touch, and we like how the light color also on the door panels and center console brighten up the ambiance. Red and Ebony interiors are also available.

A new trim pattern on the dashboard and extended ambient lighting on A-Spec models keeps things fresh. If you opt for the Ebony interior, you’ll find new yellow stitching on seats steering wheel, shift boot and door panels.

Our tester had the optional Technology Package and as soon as you sit down, you appreciate the upgrade with a 12-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support and 4-way power seat for the passenger. We mentioned that the Integra is built up from the Honda Civic Si, and one of the big upgrades are the nicer more supportive seats – adjustable lumbar support is not available on the Civic Si.

What you will recognize from the sibling Civic is the diamond mesh pattern grille that cleverly hides the vents – it looks great on both models. Setting the A-Spec apart from other Integra models are stainless steel pedals, and red needles on the gauges.

The rear seats are comfortable for two, and the rear hatchback offers plenty of space with the rear seats up and loads of room with the rear seats folded down.

Back to that comfy front seat, and the driver faces a handsome 10.2-inch Acura Precision Cockpit digital gauge cluster. They feel very performance-y with a large circular tachometer and speedometer, and we especially like how the gauge faces turn red in Sport Mode. Included in the Tech Package, a 5.3-inch Head-Up Display for quick info at a glance.

For 2026, all Integra models enjoy a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display. It does look a little old school with a tablet style display sitting proud in the center of the dash – while it doesn’t bug us in the lower-priced Civic, key Integra competitors like Audi and BMW feature seamless dual-screen displays that look more upscale.

The tech is all up to date with Alexa built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto a wireless charging pad for your smartphone. All models feature an 8-speaker audio system, and the Tech Package gives you a nice bump to a sweet-sounding 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system that includes two speakers mounted in the headliner above the front seats.

Let’s Get Sporty!

Driving the Integra brings that blend of lux, tech and performance to the fore.

Under the hood is a Honda’s familiar 1.5-liter, turbo 4-cylinder engine, pumping out 200 horsepower and 192 lb.-ft of torque. While most Integra models feature a CVT automatic, it’s the available 6-speed manual in our tester that warms our driver’s hearts. While a manual transmission used to be the calling card for any small sport sedan, it’s become a rarity these days.

And once you sample the Integra’s stick, you might never go back to an automatic again! The shifter is light, direct and oh so much fun. It’s paired with a light clutch that makes for easy shifting, even in stop and go, and you can’t beat the connection for the driver when choosing your own gears.

It also gives you the opportunity to really wring out that little turbo 4-cylinder, which pulls hard to the redline, yet remains turbine smooth – this is one of the great engine/transmission pairings you can get – especially at a reasonable cost.

Not a 3-pedal pro? The Integra’s got your back with rev-matching that will blip the engine to the perfect rpm on every downshift and it just makes you that much quicker and smoother.

The A-Spec is also an interesting lesson in usable power vs. big numbers. The Integra hits 0-60 in just under 7 seconds – not fast by today’s standards – but you really enjoy feeling the rush of the turbo engine, and it’s nice to have fun without feeling like you’re going to end up in the local pokey.

This is also a balanced performance car, and that means the chassis is as happy to play as the engine. You have a standard limited slip that helps you put down the power in the corners, and an adaptive damper system with Comfort, Normal, Sport and Individual modes – the differences are subtle, but noticeable. (No adaptive dampers on the Civic Si, btw.)

The ride/handling compromise is excellent – this is great fun to toss around corners, but in the day-to-day stuff the ride is smooth and composed. Our only beef is the interior road noise is higher than we’d like – that powerful audio system helps, though!

While it’s a great driver’s car, the Integra is also a fine family vehicle, which include the AcuraWatch safety and driver assist suite, including On Collision Mitigation Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning, Road Departure Mitigation with Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assis and the Traffic Sign Recognition System.

Also standard is a blind spot information system with Rear Cross-Traffic Monitoring,  

We were especially impressed with the Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow – most of these systems don’t gel well with manual transmissions, but we found you can shift and quickly re-engage the adaptive cruise so even stop and go traffic is pretty painless. Just another reason to go with the manual transmission model!

Premium Price?

Here it gets interesting.

You can get into a 2026 Integra for as little as $33,400 – for a small sporty sedan with the full luxury treatment you get from Acura that’s an impressive value. Our A-Spec with Tech package is pretty much the full-enchilada Integra (outside of the Type S) and started at $39,200. Add $600 for the beautiful Double Apex Blue paint, and $1,195 for Destination, and we rang the bell at $40,995.

If you love the performance, but are on a budget, we’d consider the Honda Civic Si at $33,145 – you lose some of the luxuries, and some of the tech, but for a bang for the buck that’s hard to beat. We say drive both and then decide.

Rather than the Civic, the Integra is more aimed at entry-level European sedans. We’d consider an Audi 3, which is definitely more premium and a fine drive, but no 6-speed manual is a bummer. At $46,690 it’s also nearly 20% more. The BMW 2-series Gran Coupe is another contender, but at $46,250 you’re also paying the Euro-premium. To be fair, you do feel like you’re getting a higher-quality product.  

The 2026 Acura Integra A-Spec is a special premium sport sedan, that delivers luxury and tech, while still providing manual transmission thrills. It’s a huge smile machine at a reasonable price. Highly recommended!