Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik Conventional wisdom tells us that we need all-wheel-drive crossovers and SUVs with lots of ground clearance to take on whatever sort of weather the winter months could throw at us. Well, I'm here to say that conventional wisdom can kiss my adorable ass. All anyone actually needs to dominate the winter is a front-wheel-drive Acura Integra Type S, a set of 255/35R19 Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 winter tires, and a heavy-enough right foot that you can dig yourself out of whatever trouble you may find yourself in. Yeah, other vehicles are probably better-equipped for dealing with winter weather, but few can deal with it while also being so silly. That's the immutable truth I discovered while testing the 2026 Integra Type S during one of the handful of gnarly snowstorms that buried the Northeast this past winter. At no point did this little Acura hatchback, despite its meager ground clearance and lack of driven rear wheels, feel incapable of making it down the road, regardless of the weather thrown at it. And, as a little plus, the less-than-performance-oriented rubber meant that, especially on dry road pavement, lighting up the front tires was a breeze, if you're into that sort of thing... which I personally am. Full Disclosure: Acura lent me a 2026 Integra Type S with a full tank of gas to do with as I pleased for a week. Winter funderland Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik Even though the Integra Type S has been on sale for three years without too many updates, it's still just as brilliant as when I first drove it back in October of 2023. That's thanks mostly to its wonderful little turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that sends 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque through a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential to the aforementioned front wheels. I may have changed a lot in the 28 months since I last drove this car, but it sure hasn't. Yeah, there's a new paint color to pick from, and the price has gone up ever-so-slightly, but in principle the Integra is exactly the same — and that's a great thing, because it means that its driving characteristics haven't changed. During my week with the ITS, I was able to put it through its paces in totally dry weather, rain, snow, and that kind of slushy awfulness that only exists a day after it snows in New York. While the Teggy didn't put up a fight when it came to tackling varying conditions, the Blizzaks it was fitted with occasionally had some trouble hooking up. When there was the slightest hint of wetness on the ground, they'd flail around and make a fool of themselves like a college freshman who finally convinced his crush to come back to his dorm and listen to Death Cab for Cutie's "Plans" with the lights dimmed. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik At low speeds and in more agreeable conditions, traction and stability were pretty alright. I mean, I wasn't expecting the Blizzaks to be Michelin Pilot Cup 2s by any stretch of the imagination, but they held their own. Though I will say that they did make the Integra Type S' already-stiff suspension feel that much stiffer, which was incredibly noticeable whenever I failed to dodge a pothole in The City. Messing around with the car's adaptive dampers didn't do too much to alleviate this. The faster I went and the harder I pushed, the less I was really able to enjoy the ITS for what it is: a balls-to-the-wall fun machine. Yes, it could still make it around a corner with a moderate amount of delicacy, but I spent far more time trying to manage the understeer and the fact that the front wheels just patently refused to hook up in any meaningful way. Between VTEC and the turbocharger finally getting into boost, all hard acceleration above 3,500 RPM was immediately neutered by catastrophic amounts of wheelspin. Of course, if you're a goofus maloofus like me, that can be quite fun, but it doesn't exactly make for fast driving. Hell, if the road was on the wrong side of damp, the ITS would spin the tires in second and even chirp them during the shift to third. That just adds to the excitement and pageantry of using its manual transmission, though, which is in a class of its own when it comes to feeling, precision, engagement, and all the other clichés old journalists like to use. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik To be ever-so-slightly fair to this particular car, when it was dropped off to me, it had nearly 2,900 miles on it. That might not sound like a lot, but my industry counterparts have a habit of running through tires rather quickly. Perhaps a fresher set of Blizzaks would have held up better to everything I threw at it. I suppose we will never know. At the very least, the car's 13.8-inch four-piston front Brembo brakes did a great job of slowing it down, regardless of the weather. Still the Integra Type S you love Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik As I mentioned, there really isn't much of a difference between the ITS I drove in the fall of 2024 and the Double Apex Blue 2026 model I put through its paces a few weeks ago. The fenders are just as flared as ever, and the exhaust is equally as center-mounted as it once was. It's really hard to complain about this little liftback's exterior; it's like a Civic Type R Touring, if you ask me. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik The only real change on the outside is that blue paint, which replaced the old Apex Blue Pearl color. This new blue is certainly eye-catching, but it's lacking the richness of the car's original blue. Still, it's probably the color I'd go with if I were buying an Integra Type S, because it's by far the most interesting one available. Competitors like the Mercedes-Benz CLA, Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe are more luxurious, but the Integra still maintains the sporty and practical interior it had all along. Its Civic roots aren't exactly hidden, but they don't need to be, because they're damn good roots. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik Its tech also lags behind those three cars, but it's also far more user-friendly for the luddites among us. The 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster is clear, easy to use and incredibly customizable, though I do wish there was a more performance-oriented tachometer function (like the CTR) and a full-screen map projection. The 9-inch center infotainment screen is also quite intuitive, and while Acura's software may not be the best, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are there to fill in the gaps. Those luddites are also going to love the row of hard buttons and knobs dedicated to climate functions. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik When it comes to space, the interior punches well above its weight class, as does the build quality. Sure, the Type S is based on an economy car at the end of the day, but it does feel screwed together rather well, and the four people riding in it will agree with that. They'll also agree that its liftback trunk provides ample cargo room, though the load floor sill is still a bit too high. It's a Type S, though, so who cares? A value you'll pay for Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik Right out of the box, the Integra Type S comes pretty much fully loaded at $54,695, including destination. That's certainly not a small amount of money, but when you consider the average car costs about $50,000 these days, it's not too bad. Plus, it's delivering on performance and fun that far exceeds its price point. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik On top of that, you get a hell of a lot as standard, including all of the things I mentioned before (other than Double Apex Pearl, which is a $600 option that brought my tester to $55,295). Buyers also get Acura's fantastic adaptive cruise control (with a manual!!!), lane keeping assist, very comfy heated front seats, a 16-speaker ELA audio system, dual-zone climate control and a whole lot more. I won't sit here and tell you the Integra Type S is a value choice, but it's not exactly bad, either. There are even some winter-weather options you can choose from if you really want to take the Winter Daily route, including a $485 heated steering wheel — something I really wish my test car had as temperatures plunged into the low-low-single digits — and a $92 engine block heater. You're also going to need to spend a few bucks on something to cover the aluminum shift knob, because it gets icy. Oh, and a set of Bridgestone Blizzak LM005s comes out to about $1,365. Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik In any case, with snow on the ground, don't expect the Integra Type S with Blizzaks to be a Subaru STI, Audi Quattro or some other Group B rally car, but there's still plenty of silly, goofy fun to be had — just so long as you don't mind annoying everyone else in the car as you giggle and snort to yourself as the 25.2 pounds of boost comes up and the revs jump. There's no reason this car couldn't be your winter daily driver other than how much you're willing to act as your own traction control and how much you like having a good time.
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