2026 Acura Integra Road Test and Review

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt

A “luxury car” means different things to different people. Some folks imagine something big and flashy. Others picture cutting-edge technology. Most think about something expensive. The 2026 Acura Integra is none of those things. 

The Integra is an upscale version of the Honda Civic five-door hatchback. This is a small car that’s the least expensive vehicle on sale in the U.S. from a luxury brand, starting at $33,400. If you judge luxury by size, flash, or technological advances, the Integra would disappoint you. Instead, it builds modestly upon the upscale, fun-to-drive, and versatile Civic – at a modest upcharge.

For this review, we just spent a week testing the newly updated 2026 Integra. We found it delightful for the right buyer – though we were frustrated by a missed opportunity for it to be even better. Keep reading to hear all our thoughts and see if the Integra is the right affordable, fun-to-drive small luxury car for you. 

Three Flavors of Integra

Acura sells the Integra in three distinct flavors. There’s a base model with 200 horsepower and a continuously variable automatic transmission, or CVT. It starts at $33,400 (before a mandatory $1,195 destination charge). Then there’s a trim level that pairs that base engine with a six-speed manual transmission and an adaptive suspension system. It costs $39,200 and is one of the few manuals still available on any car. And at the top is the Type S, a 320-horsepower performance monster costing $53,400 (and sold exclusively with a manual).

This is a lot of money for a Civic. On the other hand, even the unnamed base trim level already has lots of goodies that would cost extra on the Honda. These include leatherette upholstery with heated front seats and an eight-way power driver’s seat; a moonroof; an eight-speaker stereo; a wireless smartphone charger; and blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert. There’s also a similarly equipped A-Spec model, $35,950, with bigger wheels and some other dressier styling details. 

You can also upgrade the A-Spec with a Technology Package that brings the adaptive suspension, the available six-speed manual, a 16-speaker ELS stereo, microsuede upholstery, a 12-way power driver’s seat with memory settings, a four-way passenger seat, parking sensors, a head-up display, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The top Type S also comes well equipped – with premium amenities that you won’t find on the equivalent Honda Civic Type R. 

2024 Acura Integra Type S ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Clean, Sporty Design With a New Grille

The current-generation Integra debuted as a 2023 model. It replaced the Acura ILX sedan, also an upscale Civic variant, and restored a beloved Acura name from the 1980s and ’90s. 

We like how the Integra looks. An expert eye can pick out the Civic roots in the shape of the side windows, but Acura changed the front and rear ends beyond recognition. A bigger grille and bejeweled headlamps fit the Integra into this decade’s Acura lineup. And a smoother rear bumper than the Civic gives the Integra a clean yet sporty rear end versus the busier-looking Honda. 

The 2026 model year brings a series of small updates to the Integra, including a redesigned grille on certain colors of the base and A-Spec models. In place of last year’s black grille, it’s now painted to match the body of the car. This change makes it easier to see the grille’s intricate pattern, but some folks might have preferred the more traditional black – which remains an option. The Type S also carries on with a black grille.

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Low-Flash Cabin

Many entry-level luxury cars have flashy interiors. Integra rivals like the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLA share their infotainment systems and overall interior designs with cars costing two or three times their price tags. Instead, the Integra is a slightly nicer Honda Civic. 

Acura added a few more swoops to the mostly straight lines of the Civic’s dash, and the A-Spec’s Technology Package brings richer upholstery with newly available blue accents. But unlike on the outside of the cars, the Integra’s interior is not an obvious departure from the Honda. And the modest 9-inch infotainment touchscreen has muted graphics – it’s all business, without bright colors, beautifully crisp displays, or clever tech features like augmented-reality navigation systems or customizable interior backlighting. It doesn’t even have any GPS nav system. Acura has bet (rightly, we suspect) that owners would rather use their phone’s mapping app via the Integra’s wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto hookup. 

To some tastes, this means the Integra is a pretender in the luxury class. To others, it’s a breath of fresh air. Its controls are easier to use than any other luxury brand’s. The Integra has buttons and knobs rather than screen menus, touch-sensitive panels, and gesture controls. And even as only a modest improvement over the Civic, we still find the Integra more richly finished than an Audi A3. 

Thankfully, the 2026 model year brought the 9-inch touchscreen as standard equipment on all Integras. Last year, most models had a wee 7-inch unit that was really a bridge too far for more than $30,000. 

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Spacious and Versatile

Another benefit to the Integra’s Civic roots is its spacious, well-packaged interior. The front seats aren’t as hug-you-in-place supportive as we’d like in a sporty little car, but they’re comfortable. And some people will prefer not feeling confined by big bolsters. Either way, you get a low, sporty seating position – perfect for someone wanting a break from ubiquitous crossover SUVs. The rear seat is also a standout for an entry-level luxury car, easily fitting two adults. Headroom is the limiting factor before legroom. 

Also, unlike its luxury-branded rivals, the Integra is a five-door hatchback. This gives it more cargo room than a sedan – 24.3 cubic feet behind the rear seat. That’s as much as some small SUVs if you stack your stuff to the ceiling. And you can fold down the rear seat to create a single big, open cargo hold. 

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Peppy and Agile

The Integra shares its 200-horsepower 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with the Civic’s medium-grade performance model, the Si. With the CVT automatic, it needs about 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph. That’s quick enough for a compact car, but it’s nothing special by luxury standards. A BMW 228 Gran Coupe is a rocket by comparison, hitting 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds. 

The Integra is a lot more fun if you like a manual transmission. This one is a gloriously precise six-speed. When the goal is to enjoy getting up to speed, it becomes great fun to rev the little turbo and work the machine – even if you don’t necessarily get to 60 mph any faster than with the CVT. The 320-hp Type S lops about 2 seconds off the 0-60 run. 

With any transmission, the Integra also has the lively, sporty handling you’d expect from a low, light car with a well-engineered suspension. Its ride is firm yet comfortable, even on the Type S. This hatchback is easy and natural to drive, whether you’re just puttering around or pushing it harder. 

Just don’t expect it to be luxury-car quiet. The manual transmission is geared for performance rather than relaxed highway cruising, so the engine is revving well past 2,000 rpm even at 60 mph. And every Integra lets in more road noise than we’d expect from a true luxury car. Also, you can’t get it with all-wheel drive like most luxury cars; every Integra comes only with front-wheel drive. 

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Good Gas Mileage, But Room to Improve

Given that the Integra shares most of its mechanical pieces with the Honda Civic, you could expect it to get good gas mileage. And you’d be right, though with a few key asterisks. 

In EPA testing, the Integra gets 29 mpg in the city, 37 mpg on the highway, and 32 mpg combined with its base engine and CVT automatic. That’s not far off some economy cars with well under 200 horsepower. The manual, geared for performance over efficiency, drops to 26 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined. Our manual test car trounced that estimate to hit 37 mpg in a weeklong test.

But we’re left wishing for more. First, last year, Honda stopped selling the Civic with the 1.5-liter engine and an automatic transmission. It replaced that engine with a quicker, nicer-sounding, and more economical hybrid powertrain – getting 50 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway. We wish Honda’s luxury brand could have gotten this same upgrade. And second, Acura recommends premium-grade fuel on the Integra, which further drives up its fuel costs. Honda sells the same 1.5-liter engine with up to 192 horsepower using regular-grade fuel, which is a negligible performance sacrifice to save big bucks at the pump.

The Integra Type S gets just 24 mpg in EPA testing, also on premium fuel, but that troubles us less. At least in this case, your higher fuel expenses at least buy you a meaningful performance boost. 

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Integra vs. the Competition

The 2026 Acura Integra faces two main types of competitors: fellow entry-level luxury models and premium-feeling small cars that wear mainstream badges. 

The first group is the Audi A3, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, and Mercedes-Benz CLA. They’re faster, flashier, and higher-tech than the Integra. And they have a longer list of high-end options, plus all-wheel drive. They also have starting prices in the low $40,000s instead of the low $30,000s. You can’t get any of them with a manual transmission. And they’re all sedans with smaller backseats and trunks than the versatile five-door Integra. 

The second group is the Mazda3, Volkswagen GTI, and Volkswagen Jetta GLI. The Mazda3 is a richly finished, generously equipped, and fun-to-drive sedan or hatchback at compelling prices. And unlike even the Integra, it’s available with all-wheel drive. You can get a manual transmission, but only on the 186-hp base engine with front-drive. The Volkswagens are the GTI hatchback and Jetta sedan; the former has a better-finished cabin, while the latter is the only one available with a manual. The VWs are more overtly sporty than the 1.5-liter Acura. But neither the VW nor the Mazda can match the Integra’s interior space or its super-simple controls. And the Volkswagens aren’t any less expensive than the Integra. 

Now, one more competitor is probably on many customers’ minds – one that we’ve already mentioned many times during this review. Let’s discuss that one next: the Honda Civic. 

2025 BMW 228 Gran Coupe ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Integra vs. Civic

The Honda Civic costs as little as $24,595, which makes the Integra look pretty expensive. But that’s for a 150-horsepower Civic LX sedan with manually adjustable cloth seats and a four-speaker stereo. The most equivalent Civic model to the Integra is the Sport Touring hatchback, which costs $33,495. That’s virtually the same as the Integra’s base price, albeit with a couple of extra features that Acura reserves for the Integra’s A-Spec Technology Package. 

Depending on the features that interest you, that means the Integra and Civic could cost about the same. However, only the Honda lets you save money by opting for fewer amenities or a four-door body style. And some other amenities are exclusive to the Integra. It’s also the only way to pair a manual transmission with a hatchback and high-end features; the Civic Si ($30,995) is a sedan with cloth upholstery. 

The big difference is that the Civic has the hybrid powertrain we mentioned. Again, versus the 1.5-liter CVT Integra, the Civic Hybrid is quicker, quieter, and much more economical. The Integra counters with a more upscale exterior design and a longer list of high-end options. These include both luxuries like the 16-speaker stereo and driving enhancements like the adaptive suspension. 

2025 Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring hatchback ・ Photo by Brady Holt

A Classic Premium Compact

The 2026 Acura Integra isn’t an all-out luxury car. But it’s certainly a nice car. It’s functional, fun to drive, and a reasonable value for the money. It’s a premium compact car – a medium tier of luxury between an entry-level economy car and a fancier, more expensive one. And with its simple controls, available manual transmission, and focus on driving pleasure over performance specifications, its appeal hearkens back to a past of simpler, more joyful premium cars.

If we didn’t love the Civic Hybrid so much, we’d heartily recommend an Integra over a high-end Civic. Even so, between its available manual transmission, extra amenities, and higher-end design, the Integra is still worth a look before you head straight to the Honda dealer. 

Besides, perhaps you’re committed to a premium badge. In that case, the Integra’s space and functionality, cheerful attitude toward driving, and value for the money make it a tempting alternative to the less roomy, more expensive European competition. 

2026 Acura Integra A-Spec ・ Photo by Brady Holt