2026 Acura Integra Type S: A Hot Rod for Gen X

Several days a week, I have to pick my son up at the high school. I typically show up 15 minutes before he gets out so I can get out of the parking lot before an endless line of buses try to exit ahead of me.

I’ve done this in a lot of cool cars over the years, but last week, I did it in the 2026 Acura Integra Type S.

Never before have I had such a cross-section of 17-year-old boys come up to say — in a cracking voice like pimply faced Simpsons character Jeremy Freedman — “eXcuSe mE SiR, I juSt WanTeD tO TeLL yoU hOw MucH I LiKe youR CaR.”

For the rest of the week, I had literal dozens of young people on the highway and around town expressing their admiration.

To be honest, I’m rather shocked. I have been told over and over again that our youth have no interest in cars what with their 6-7s, skibidi toilets, Tide pods and whatnot.

Only that turns out not to be true when you present them with a truly interesting, fun, good-looking ACTUAL SEDAN, rather than the crossover SUVs that their moms and dads seem to consume with increasing fervor.

I’ll get all kinds of grief from the boomers and Gen Xers, but this is what used to qualify as a “muscle car”: your basic, ordinary grocery getter (in this case, the 11th Generation Honda Civic), crammed with a 320hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four.

Unlike a lot of the vehicles it competes with (Audi S3, BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe, Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 AMG), the Acura Integra exists ONLY with front-wheel drive, as all of the Honda Civic-based hot rods have since the very beginning, the Integra GS-R back in the 1992 model year, Acura’s original pocket performance car.

Yet, not one young person I talked to expressed any kind of disappointment that the rear wheels weren’t powered. They all noticed the six-speed manual, though, which you can’t get at any price from Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

I spent a couple of hours rocketing the Integra Type S north on the Maine Turnpike, and it’s the kind of a vehicle that makes you drive like a 58-year-old probably shouldn’t. Along with the 320hp, there’s 310 lb.-ft. of torque at just 2600 RPM, so you’ve got pulling-away power in every gear.

Opting for the Type S over the A-Spec nets Ultrasuede sport seats. Historically, I haven’t been a fan of Honda/Acura seats at all, but these buckets were perfect, neither too firm nor too soft, and the perforated faux suede keeps the backside planted and cool even in the warmer temperatures.

Outside, the Integra Type S has a tough stance, but depending on your color choice, you can opt for attention getting or stealth mode. The Type S is only available in six colors, four of which (Solar Silver Metallic, Majestic Black Pearl, Urban Gray Pearl and Platinum White Pearl) might hide well, while Performance Red and our tested Double Apex Blue will have all eyes on you.

The Integra Type S has four drive modes, with various levels of throttle and steering sensitivity, but I found the Sport mode preferable to the Sport+ mode. With every passing year, I get less interested in more obnoxious exhaust notes, but as the man says, “Your mileage may vary.”

Regarding mileage, that was another win for the Integra Type S: I happened to drive it during Week 4 of our most recent Conflict of Choice and the not-at-all-surprising closure of the Strait of Hormuz had sent fuel prices past $4. It would’ve been WELL past $4 if I’d been driving the Audi S3, BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe or Mercedes-Benz CLA 35 AMG, since they all have a premium fuel requirement. It’s recommended to use premium fuel in the Acura, but it’s not a requirement.

I saw 24 mpg, and a full tank from a quarter ran me less than $40.

Acura sent the Type S up to New England for the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) Official Winter Vehicle competition and it arrived with a full set of Bridgestone Blizzaks. I wish I’d had it a few weeks earlier when we were still buried in snow, but the winter tires didn’t seem noisy or harsh on the back roads or the highway.

About the only thing that won’t appeal to Gen Alpha is the price tag. At $53,400 plus $1,295 destination, they aren’t exactly giving these away. You’re deep in German car territory here, and a long ways past the Subaru WRX tS, which throws in all-wheel drive for free.

Despite all the attention the teens sent my way, this still feels like a grown-up’s car, with a lot more comfort than you’d expect from a car in this class.

Maybe it is the car for crusty Gen X.