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Since I cannot seem to find a Civic Si to drive, I took a loaded (A-Spec Tech) Acura Integra 6 spd. for a drive today and was pleasantly surprised. I was initially expecting to take this car (and also the Civic Si due to the similarities) off my list due to all the talk about rev hang and lack of power. Also due to the fact that I drove the same Integra with an A/T months ago and did not like it at all. The 6spd. really brings the car to life. It seems like every reviewer is in love with Honda/Acura's shifters and pedal placements. They are good, but really just highlight the way all manual transmissions should drive. The eye opening part is that the Integra with the 6pd. manual has such low gearing in the first two gears that it feels really peppy around town. It does run out of steam around 45+ mph, but if you work it hard and time it right, it is still an entertaining drive all the way up to highway speeds. The payback is that the Integra and Civic Si both return excellent mileage. I was also impressed with the brakes, even though they are not photograph worthy. The pedal feel was good and the stopping distances were nice and short.
Another thing I did not expect was that during those acceleration runs the car actually sounds decent. It is not loud by any means, but when you step on it the car sounds nice and sporty. I already knew the ELS stereo sounded fantastic and that did not disappoint this time either. I was actually trying to find music that would challenge the stereo, but it all sounded great, even regardless of the seating position. The speakers are everywhere, including in the ceiling above the front seats. The final eye opener was the handling and power delivery out of corners. It was not as twitchy as the GTI, but that could be due to the lack of power. It felt very planted and cornered extremely flat. This was a bit shocking considering that it was riding on 400 treadwear Continental all-season tires. The GTI had dedicated summer tires.
Overall, I think this would make a great daily driver, but not a great track car. I think the Integra/Civic Si would make a good comparison to the GTI and WRX. I have yet to drive the new Civic Si, but I would say the Integra and WRX are the most fun cars to drive. The pedal placement and shifter are better in the Integra than the WRX and so is the interior/exterior styling as well as all of the features. This leaves the Integra/Civic Si vs. the GTI. The GTI has a better active suspension/ride, more power (and tuning potential), and many more neat tech features like a standard heated steering wheel, 30 color interior, windows that roll down with the key to cool off the car in the summer, and a camera that hides behind the VW emblem so you don' have to clear salt off of it all winter. The Integra is more fun to drive with better pedal placement and a better shifter, it has a nicer interior fit/finish, actual buttons, a better interface, and a better stereo. Ultimately, the GTI is a better deal for me, but I am starting to feel like that is the excuse to include it in the conversation because it is not as well rounded and the lack of buttons for the dash, steering wheel, and sunroof make it annoying to use on a daily basis. Then again, the Integra/Civic Si's lack of top end power and the Civic's lack of features and adaptive suspension might rule it out. The Integra's price makes it difficult to justify when the Civic Si supposedly exists for about $7-$8k less. Tough call.
Probably one of the best looking cars from the front that I am considering.
The V-shaped LED daytime running lights dominate the front end, but look good.
Just enough styling cues on the side to keep it interesting. I wish they would have found more interesting wheels, but these look decent and the ride is pretty good since they are 18's instead of a larger size with tiny sidewalls.
The back 3/4 view looks good too with chrome exhaust tips and a small black spoiler to round out the small details.
The beauty of the hatchback design is unrivaled versatility. This may be one of the only cars with a subwoofer and two additional speakers just in the cargo area.
The back seat has a lot of legroom for this class. The front seats are nicer with suede inserts. I didn't notice this while in the car, but those look like Type C quick chargers in the back.
If you look closely you can see rectangular speakers above the front seats near the grab handles. This car also had storage by the map lights for sunglasses, but I think it was missing homelink for garage doors. The placement and usability of all of the driver's controls gets great reviews, but it is really just because everything is right where you would expect it to be. You don't have to learn anything new to just get in and drive fast.
The drive modes are easier to change than the GTI because you can do it by feel. Unfortunately, the "active dampers" only make slight adjustments in ride quality between the different modes and do not react as quickly as the GTI's 200 times/second. However, the Integra does have a better shifter, much better shift ****, and bars on the sides of the wireless charger to try to keep your phone in position to charge while cornering.
All of the switchgear has a nice tactile feel and the infotainment system is very easy to operate.
Nice simple dash layout and the Integra gets the heads up display that is missing in the Civic Si & Type R. You just get the information you need here which is probably a good thing to avoid distraction. The Lane Keeping Assist was really good as it actually keeps you centered in your lane instead of just bouncing you off the lane markers once you go over. It actually animated the cars in front of me if they were in the center of the lane or not and even showed them changing lanes. It also illustrated if it was a semi or a car. Kind of neat. The GTI dash was a little more 3D, but the lane keep assist was not as good.
Another thing the Integra gets instead of the Hondas is memory seats. That ELS stereo is excellent. Unfortunately, only auto windows on the front.
The best things come to those who wait? Rumors are circulating now that the GTI 8.5 with actual buttons, a better rear suspension, and more power may still be available with the manual transmission: https://carbuzz.com/news/manual-volk...dead-after-all
The best things come to those who wait? Rumors are circulating now that the GTI 8.5 with actual buttons, a better rear suspension, and more power may still be available with the manual transmission: https://carbuzz.com/news/manual-volk...dead-after-all
I want to believe, but color me skeptical. We have an official press release saying the manual was being discontinued, and a unsubstantiated rumor. Quoting the source article (emphasis added)Autocar previously revealed that the original plans for the new rules – initially set to be introduced in 2025 – would force the retirement of the six-speeder from the whole Golf line-up in a move to reduce VW’s fleet emissions.
But with the European Commission poised to relax the emissions testing requirements and delay their implementation, the route could be paved for a comeback.
Notably, though, the manual GTI is no longer on sale in the UK and the new US-market GTI 380 special edition was described by VW as marking the “final year of manual production”, so it seems more likely the uprated hot hatch will be equipped exclusively with a seven-speed DSG gearbox.
Remember the next Gen STI? The uber Golf R with 400+ horsepower? This feels like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown all over again......
I may have mentioned this here before but what about the lexus rcf? I know it lacks the manual a lot of you guys want but that 5.0 sounds great and I've heard they're fun to drive on a track and surprisingly comfortable as well. Seems like with most rwd v8 cars you either get good handling and performance with a not so comfortable car for daily driving or a nice daily that lacks the performance aspects. Lc500 also has the 5.0 with a more unique look but with a much higher price as well.
Regardless how both feel under the hand, this just looks much better than the Teg's shifter.
Some of the Integras have red stitching if you get the red interior. The GTI does have little golf ball dimples on the front of the shift **** which is a cool retro touch, but overall it feels like a very cheap piece of plastic. The Integra is also available with a titanium shifter that feels great when the temps are reasonable.
Originally Posted by Lego_Maniac
I want to believe, but color me skeptical. We have an official press release saying the manual was being discontinued, and a unsubstantiated rumor. Quoting the source article (emphasis added)Autocar previously revealed that the original plans for the new rules – initially set to be introduced in 2025 – would force the retirement of the six-speeder from the whole Golf line-up in a move to reduce VW’s fleet emissions.
But with the European Commission poised to relax the emissions testing requirements and delay their implementation, the route could be paved for a comeback.
Notably, though, the manual GTI is no longer on sale in the UK and the new US-market GTI 380 special edition was described by VW as marking the “final year of manual production”, so it seems more likely the uprated hot hatch will be equipped exclusively with a seven-speed DSG gearbox.
Remember the next Gen STI? The uber Golf R with 400+ horsepower? This feels like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown all over again......
Don't worry, I am quite skeptical myself. Hopeful, but skeptical.
Originally Posted by BillyTheMan
I may have mentioned this here before but what about the lexus rcf? I know it lacks the manual a lot of you guys want but that 5.0 sounds great and I've heard they're fun to drive on a track and surprisingly comfortable as well. Seems like with most rwd v8 cars you either get good handling and performance with a not so comfortable car for daily driving or a nice daily that lacks the performance aspects. Lc500 also has the 5.0 with a more unique look but with a much higher price as well.
That V8 engine is great, pulls hard, and sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, the engine along with the cool sliding tachometer were about the only highlights of the IS 500 F Sport Performance. I did also really like the styling of that car, but the braking, handling, and transmission did that car no favors. I imagine the RCF is similar, but maybe I am wrong. Personally, I am not as big a fan of the RCF styling, but that is such a personal preference. Have you driven the RCF yet?
I have not. Lots of cars I'd like to try. Young blue collar worker with big dreams and a small bank account. Good credit though. I'm paying on 2 cars, another loan, and a stupid credit card right now. In the next few years I'll probably have most of that paid off and start seriously looking for another car. One thing i always wondered was why they gave the lc500 a different transmission than the rcf and isf.
Some of the Integras have red stitching if you get the red interior. The GTI does have little golf ball dimples on the front of the shift **** which is a cool retro touch, but overall it feels like a very cheap piece of plastic. The Integra is also available with a titanium shifter that feels great when the temps are reasonable.
Cheap piece of plastic... well, that sucks. It does take a good photo, however.
Originally Posted by 4DRZ
The Integra is also available with a titanium shifter that feels great when the temps are reasonable.
I know all about that, LOL! My solid Ti shifter is wonderful as long as temps are between 60°F and 90°F. Anything in either direction is super uncomfortable.
I got the old school t handle shift **** in my charger, some hot days at work i can't touch it when i get outside to leave. Being an automatic i can just slap it into drive and go through. My buddy got an aluminum handle for the column shifter on his truck, burned his wrist on it twice reaching across it for something this summer.
We just had an opportunity to order one of those, but I had them change it to a stick shift with the performance package to save about $13k. At least that store does not appear to be marking it up, but that is a lot of money for a Z.
We just got in our 1st GTI 380 (6spd). I do like the wheels here that came off of the Golf R 20th anniversary better than the 40th anniversary GTI wheels due to the lack of the red stripe. They also added power folding side mirrors this year which look a little strange folded up due to the original design. Seeing the car in person confirms that black is my favorite color on this model so far. In pictures I was afraid that it would be too much black with the wheels. (Maybe Kings red would be a contender.) The fact that I might be able to get an SE with adaptive dampers and all the other features over the 40th anniversary model finally makes me feel ok that I could not get the 40th when it came out. Here is to hoping that the next gen (8.5) GTI is still available with a stick shift.
10-30-2023, 02:50 PM
