Cars

2025 Best Mainstream Performance Car: Acura Integra Type S

This is probably our favourite category. Of the more than 20 automotive journalists who vote every year in the AutoTrader Awards, there are veterans of the business, newly minted writers, parents, bachelors and bachelorettes, and everything in between, and although our lives may differ significantly, we all have one thing in common: We love to drive. 

This category contains some of the most entertaining cars to drive, namely last year’s winner, the Toyota GR Corolla, as well as the Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai Elantra N, Nissan Z, Volkswagen GTI/Golf R, Subaru WRX, Ford Mustang, Mazda MX-5, and many others. Above them all this year sits the 2025 Acura Integra Type S, which was voted by our experts as the Best Mainstream Performance Car. 

Acura sparked controversy when it resurrected the Integra name. Many fans were up in arms, thinking that the brand soiled the name of what’s easily one of the best JDM sport compact cars of its time. It’s clear now that Honda’s luxury division knew what it was doing, especially when it introduced the Type S for the 2024 model year. 

While it might be a mechanical clone of the Civic Type R, the Integra Type S has its own distinct personality. In fact, it has more in common with the previous-generation FK8 Civic Type R than the current FL5 iteration. 

While the Civic Type R looks more dramatic, the Integra Type S projects a more mature style. Although styling preferences are personal, there’s no denying the quality of the car’s cabin. The dashboard’s layout and materials used are classy and functional. There’s loads of room on board for everything and everyone – it’s a nice place to be when out for a drive. And driving is what this car does best. 

Powered by a gem of a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine, the Integra Type S is blessed with 320 hp (five more than the Type R) and 310 lb-ft of torque. This engine is remarkable in the way it produces and delivers its power. There’s an unstoppable urgency in how it responds to throttle inputs, and this is just the beginning. Unlike any other car in the category, save for the Civic Type R, the mill is backed by some of the most eloquent mechanicals available for purchase today. 

First comes the six-speed manual gearbox, which is the only available transmission. Sharp and geared to perfection, it is controlled via one of the most user-friendly and rewarding shifters in the business, including the $250k+ Porsche 911 GT3. Finally, the included helical mechanical limited-slip front differential (LSD) is a blessing. No other front-wheel-drive car is more exciting to push hard as the engine piles on boost and the driver shifts gears, while the LSD digs in hard to make use of the available power. The sheer description of this sequence is enough to generate goosebumps for a driving enthusiast.

The Acura Integra Type S also features adaptive dampers and a dual-axis strut front suspension configuration. Thanks to this setup, the car is at home on the road and track. In short, this car’s handling abilities eclipse the average driver’s level of dare. As most of the driving will not take place on a closed course, the Type S shines where refinement and comfort are concerned, especially when compared to the Type R. Steering is telepathic to boot, and braking power is immediate and forceful. 

There’s so much more to praise. In closing, get one before it’s gone for good.