Best Performance Car To Buy 2024

The Acura Integra nameplate returned last year, and a hotter powertrain has finally pushed it into the winners’ circle. The Acura Integra Type S turns the premium hatchback into an undercover hot hatch. It’s The Car Connection Best Performance Car To Buy 2024.

At its core, the Acura Integra is a reskinned Honda Civic Type R, and that’s a good thing. The Type S is powered by the Type R’s 2.0-liter turbo-4 huffing 25.2 psi of boost for 320 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. People who like to add will note that’s 5 hp more than the Type R, which comes courtesy of a software remap. Bragging rights come standard, but no one will ever notice the extra horsepower.

What will be noticed is the high giggle factor. The standard 6-speed manual transmission–there’s no automatic transmission option–features short throws that snick from gear to gear. The engine’s even chattier in the Type S than in the Type R, and winding it out to its 7,000-rpm redline without launch control can be the right kind of tricky. The mechanical limited-slip differential does its best to keep the tires from spinning.

The Type S lacks the Type R’s Race Mode, which is fine because the Type S feels softer and more settled on broken pavement. That makes it no less capable or fun. It’s perfectly at home on the track, though for serious track use it needs some high-test brake fluid and different pads.

The Integra Type S looks more grown-up, too. The body kit is subtle with slight rocker extensions, flared fenders, and small rear lip spoiler. The front and rear diffusers are specific to the Type S, but they aren’t visually loud. It’ll take a keen eye and enthusiast to spot a Type S going down the road. The triple exhaust tips are the giveaway.

The interior loses the middle rear seat in favor of two built-in cup holders, which takes seating down to four from five. The Integra’s 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster and 9.0-inch touchscreen carry over from the less powerful model. Sport seats up front are all-day comfortable with firmer bolsters for hard cornering, but they will struggle to keep bigger drivers in place on the track.

The worst seat in the house is the rear, which lacks headroom for anyone  5-foot-10 or taller.

For $51,995 the Acura Integra is a performance value compared to cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche Taycan, which was last year’s award winner. While the Integra Type S costs $10,000 more than the Civic Type R, which itself seems about $5,000 too expensive, the giggle factor and under-the-radar nature of this hot hatch make it a team favorite.

Read about the segment winners of The Car Connection’s Best Car To Buy 2024 awards, and find out which vehicles took home top honors from our sister sites, Motor Authority and Green Car Reports.