Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.Every year, cars seem determined to do a little more for us. They shift their own gears if they even have any, steer themselves down highways, brake automatically, bury controls inside huge touchscreens, and increasingly ask their drivers to act as supervisors rather than participants. The 2026 Acura Integra Type S instead does something quite unusual by modern standards: it trusts you.It gives you three pedals, a six-speed manual transmission, 320 horsepower sent exclusively through the front wheels, and so much mechanical feedback that even an ordinary commute feels like something you can actively look forward to. And it still gives you five seats and a huge liftback. After roughly 500 kilometers around Vancouver, up the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and through an evening drive along Squamish Valley Road, that combination ultimately made the Integra Type S my favorite car I've reviewed all year. It's by no means the fastest, nor the most expensive, nor the most exotic. It is, however, the one car that made me feel most understood.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaThe Integra Type S Doesn't Need To Apologize For Being A Civic Type RFirst off, let's get something important out of the way: Yes, the Integra Type S shares a lot with the Honda Civic Type R. As far as I'm concerned, that's an excellent thing. The Type R is one of the most respected front-wheel-drive performance cars ever built, so pretending Acura should distance itself from that lineage would be like criticizing Lexus for borrowing engineering from Toyota. The Type S gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 320 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, a helical limited-slip differential, adaptive dampers, Brembo four-piston front brakes and, critically, a six-speed manual transmission.2026 Acura Integra Type SSpecificationEngine2.0L turbocharged I-4Horsepower320 hp @ 6,500 rpmTorque310 lb-ft @ 2,600–4,000 rpmRedline7,000 rpmTransmission6-speed manualDrivetrainFront-wheel driveDifferentialHelical limited-slipWheels / Tires19-inch / 265/30ZR19 summerCurb weight3,219 lbs / 1,460 kgFuel tank12.4 U.S. gal / 46 LU.S. fuel economy21/28/24 mpg city/hwy/combinedCanadian fuel economy11.1/8.3/9.9 L/100 km city/hwy/combinedRecommended fuel93-octane premiumCargo capacity24.3 cu ft / 688 LRear legroom37.4 in / 950 mmLength186.0 in / 4,730 mmWidth74.8 in / 1,900 mmU.S. starting MSRP$53,900 USDCanadian starting MSRP$58,400 CADThinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.What Acura does is polish the Civic Type R's formula through a distinctly North American lens. If the Civic Type R is a bit like an athlete in full track sweats, the Integra Type S is that same athlete after practice, freshly showered and wearing a well-fitted polo, but still perfectly capable of outrunning you. It's just a bit more presentable and in tune with the North American automotive palate.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaPowertrain: 9.8/10Three hundred and twenty horsepower might not sound like much by modern standards, but in this particular application, it's more than ample. That's a surprisingly refreshing sentence to write in an era when 500 horsepower has become attainable in vehicles designed to carry children to soccer practice. The Type S still never felt slow—its turbo spools quickly, the midrange is muscular, and the engine enthusiastically rewards running toward its 7,000-rpm redline. Power delivery feels progressive rather than explosive, and the gearing keeps the engine where you want it. More importantly, Acura has performed some kind of voodoo witchcraft with the front axle.AdvertisementAdvertisementFloor it in pretty much any gear with traction control enabled, and the Type S shoots forward without hesitation. I experienced virtually no torque steer and little unwanted wheelspin. The traction-control system also doesn't immediately panic and strangle the engine whenever you ask for full power. Instead, the limited-slip differential lets the front tires do something wonderful through a corner: you can apply power, and in true Honda Type R fashion, the car seems to pull itself toward the apex. The Integra doesn't make you forget that it's front-wheel drive—it actually makes you appreciate it.You get less drivetrain weight than an AWD rival, eager turn-in, and that wonderful sensation of the front tires dragging the car exactly where you've pointed them, without most of the traditional drawbacks often associated with FWD cars, such as torque steer and understeer. The GR Corolla and Golf R might launch harder, but personally, I couldn't care less. On the best kinds of roads, the Integra speaks a language I understand much better.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaThis Might Be The Best Manual I've Ever UsedThen there's the gearbox. The Integra Type S's six-speed manual is one of—if not the—most satisfying transmissions I've ever operated. The throws aren't so short that shifting becomes an on-off switch, nor so long that changing gear feels cumbersome. There's exactly enough mechanical sensation to communicate what the transmission is doing without ever feeling clunky, and the clutch is just as good. It isn't particularly heavy, yet feedback remains present throughout its travel, and the bite point is wonderfully easy to judge. Even while crawling through Vancouver traffic, I never felt as if I was being punished for driving a manual.Acura includes automatic rev matching, and it works extremely well. I mostly left it switched off on the street because performing my own rev-matched downshifts is part of why I want three pedals in the first place. The pedals and gearbox make it remarkably intuitive, and I felt it'd be a shame not to enjoy those sensations whenever possible. I liked this manual even more than the one in the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, and I think it just edges out the excellent transmission in the ND3 Mazda MX-5 and the Aisin 5-speed in the Polaris Slingshot SLR. Say what you will, but as far as I'm concerned, if the turbocharged 2.0-liter is the Integra Type S's beating heart, then the manual gearbox is its inimitable soul.Shopping for a new car? Click here to get a great deal on your next vehicle. Powered by Carvana, no haggle pricing, 100% online.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaThen There's The NoiseThe Type S also gets something the Civic Type R can't fully replicate: an exhaust developed without the same need to satisfy all the global noise regulations imposed on the internationally sold Honda. The Acura deletes a resonator found in the Type R's system, and its North American exclusivity allowed engineers to give Sport+ a considerably rowdier personality. And thank goodness they did. The engine itself feels buzzy and alive, but the exhaust transforms it entirely. In Sport+, lifting off the throttle regularly produces addictive pops and crackles without descending into cartoonish tomfoolery. Soon you learn which little movements summon them, and then you can't help but chase after them.AdvertisementAdvertisementAround town, my preferred Individual configuration placed nearly everything in its most aggressive setting while leaving the adaptive dampers in Comfort. That meant an enthusiastic throttle response and an uncorked exhaust without unnecessarily punishing my spine. On a winding road, one button put everything back into full Sport+.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaDriving Impressions: Like A Bionic ArmThe best performance cars don't feel like tools you're operating. At some point, they begin to feel like extensions of your own body, and the Integra Type S came closer to that sensation than almost anything I've driven—the ND3 MX-5, once again, coming a close second. Steering weight is excellent, accuracy is phenomenal, and the front end eagerly responds to your inputs, while the brakes provide equally reassuring feedback. The suspension allows enough movement to communicate what the chassis is doing, but never so much that it feels loose. Think of a really dense Jell-O mold. The entire car moves, compresses, and settles nicely as a unit, rather than acting like suspension travel is some sort of engineering defect that should be eliminated entirely.On the meandering twists and turns of Squamish Valley Road, about an hour north of Vancouver, British Columbia, the Type S felt like dancing a duet with a telepathic clone of myself. Each input seemed to produce exactly the response I was expecting. Or perhaps the better description is that driving it feels like strapping yourself into a bionic arm. The car doesn't disappear around you; it simply becomes a part of you. While Comfort mode handles broken Vancouver pavement surprisingly well, Sport+ never becomes brutally harsh; highway stability is excellent, and road noise is perfectly reasonable for a vehicle wearing serious performance tires while also serving as a premium-branded aspirational vehicle. I expected at least some compromise here, but I struggled to find any.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaTechnology: 9.3/10The Integra's technology feels slightly dated compared with Acura's latest interiors, and especially so when compared with what some other brands are offering these days. But I don't particularly care. The 9-inch touchscreen is clear and uncomplicated, Wireless Apple CarPlay works reliably, climate controls remain physical, and driver-assistance systems generally stay out of your way. In an industry increasingly obsessed with turning dashboards into scale models of Times Square, the relative simplicity is refreshing, especially in a vehicle as remarkably driver-centric as this one.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaThen there's the 16-speaker ELS Studio 3D audio system. Sixteen speakers in a compact car. It's fantastic, and exactly the kind of indulgence that helps justify buying the Acura over its less-expensive Honda sibling. Acura also includes a head-up display, wireless charging, and configurable drive modes. The best sound system remains the triple exhaust, though.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaAdvertisementAdvertisementExterior: 9.5/10I adore the way this particular Platinum White Pearl Type S looks. White over red is an obvious callback to some of Honda's most iconic performance-car configurations, but the metallic pearl finish, distinctive Acura grille, and widened fender arches give it a different, more assertive character altogether. Plus, its three exhaust tips are inherently better than two for the same reason the three-breasted alien in Total Recall was so memorable. The more the merrier, I guess. Also, unlike the Civic Type R, there's no giant rear wing, and I like that. The Type S sacrifices some of Honda's visual distinctiveness as a result, but it becomes far easier to picture arriving at an office, restaurant, or formal event without looking like you took a wrong turn on the way to the racetrack. It still puts forth an aggressive attitude, but the Integra Type S knows how to dress itself a bit better.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole Attisha2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaInterior: 8.8/10The Civic/Integra relationship is most obvious inside the cabin. Its dashboard architecture, switchgear, and general layout feel incredibly familiar, and at this price point, some buyers might reasonably wish Acura had differentiated things further. Again, this is something that never really bothered me. The Civic already has an attractive, ergonomically excellent interior. Acura adds red leather upholstery, metallic trim accents, and more upscale materials to elevate the experience without pretending the family resemblance doesn't exist. The seats themselves strike another excellent compromise: comfortable during ordinary driving, but supportive when the road gets interesting. I'm also delighted that Acura deleted the moonroof. Acura lists "Moonroof Delete" as an integral part of the Type S package, reducing unnecessary weight while avoiding a hole in the roof structure. Ventilated seats? More unnecessary weight. You can keep 'em, BMW buyers.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaAcura Came One Rectangular Hole Away From PerfectionThe Integra's spacious liftback makes the Integra dramatically more useful than a conventional sports sedan. Four adults fit comfortably enough; the cargo opening is enormous, and daily practicality is excellent. But this would be less of a review and more of a love letter if I didn't mention at least one improvement I'd like to be made to the Integra Type S: the rear bench folds 60/40, but there's no narrow center pass-through for skis or golf clubs. For my own winter use, that means transporting skis while carrying two rear passengers forces one person toward the cramped middle seat—or requires installing a roof rack. As much as I'd normally like the utilitarian look of a roof rack, I wouldn't want one here. It adds weight, aerodynamic drag, and wind resistance, and more importantly, I don't think one belongs on this car. Give me a ski pass-through, and I genuinely struggle to identify another meaningful practical flaw.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaAdvertisementAdvertisementValue: 8.4/10The Integra Type S isn't cheap: the Canadian MSRP is around $58,400 CAD before freight and fees, while Acura lists it at $53,900 USD in the United States. That's Golf R and entry-level German performance-car territory. And yet I'd take the Integra over an Audi S3 every single time—and I say that as someone who has owned an S3. The Civic Type R is still the stronger pure-value proposition. It gives you the fundamental chassis and powertrain experience at a lower price, and that's why I'd probably buy the Honda myself if I were choosing between the two. But Acura's premium buys a far more entertaining exhaust system, better cabin presentation, excellent ELS audio, heated leather-trimmed accommodations, and greater visual maturity. The exclusivity matters, too. This is front-wheel drive and manual-only—there's no automatic version designed to capture another few thousand buyers, and that stubbornness has real value. My observed fuel economy of roughly 20 mpg wasn't particularly impressive for a compact car either, although Acura officially rates the Type S at 9.9 L/100 km combined in Canada. Considering how often I found excuses to hear that exhaust, I can live with it.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaVerdict: 9.6/10—The Car That Made Me Feel SeenAs I've said before, the 2026 Acura Integra Type S is, without a doubt, my favorite car I've tested all year, but I want to be precise about what that means. I've driven cars that offer far greater value propositions, cars that are far faster around a track and on the road, cars that cost at least three times as much, and cars that are infinitely more technologically innovative. But every once in a while, you encounter a car whose creators seem to understand something you thought the whole world had completely forgotten. Reading a Hemingway novel can produce a similar feeling: someone separated from you by circumstances and experience somehow arranges familiar ideas in such a way that you no longer feel alone in your individual observations about the world and of life, even if only for a brief moment. The Integra Type S did precisely that for me.2026 Acura Integra Type SCole AttishaThe Integra Type S believes a performance car can be front-wheel drive without apologizing for it. It believes a manual transmission is worth retaining because participation itself has value. It believes steering feel matters, that an exhaust should make you smile, and that a car can be serious without being miserable. Then it provides five seats, a hatchback, a tremendous stereo, and enough refinement to drive to work every morning and complete the regular weekly routine of life. Most importantly, the Integra Type S feels like it understands you, respects you, and trusts you completely.It isn't perfect. The dashboard still looks like a Civic's, fuel economy isn't great, and Acura apparently has something against skiing or golfing with two comfortable rear passengers. But those criticisms feel almost embarrassingly minor compared with how cohesive the rest of the car is. The Type S doesn't isolate you from driving like so many modern cars—it invites you not just to be a part of it, but to take the reins and command it. In a modern automotive landscape increasingly defined by automation, screens, and homogenization, this Acura felt, above all else, like a small but bright glimmer of hope. When Acura finally came to collect the keys, I couldn't help but feel as though I were already saying goodbye to a dear old friend. And that's precisely the best way to sum up how the car feels: like the kind of best friend who's attached at the hip, because their partnership simultaneously makes life easier and more rewarding.AdvertisementAdvertisementAutoblog aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Aug 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.