Thinking About Buying the New Acura Integra? Consider the Honda Civic Si

This summer, two cars are tackling very similar segments at very similar price points. But they're not necessarily competitors. In fact, they're from the same company.

The 2022 Honda Civic Si and the 2023 Acura Integra are cut from the same corporate cloth and ride on the same corporate platform. Curiously enough, they're also closer on price than one would expect.

Since 1984, the enthusiast offshoot of the popular Civic sedan has been eating up its share of the affordable street performance car segment. It took a hiatus but is back next year, for the first time made in America.

The Integra has more nostalgia surrounding it than the Civic. The sporty car from Honda's premium arm was in production from 1985 to 2001 before being discontinued. It was a tuner darling in every generation, making several appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise.

The Civic Si has a base price of $27,300. The Integra begins at $30,800. Is the $3,500 leap worth making? Maybe for nostalgia's sake. But, a deeper dive into the specs for both vehicles may prove otherwise.

For one, they share the exact same engine. A turbocharged VTEC 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine underpins both cars. They both make 200 horsepower and 192 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque.

The biggest difference here is transmission options. The base Civic Si comes standard with a six-speed manual, while that same setup is only available by spending $8,500 more on the Integra with the A-Spec package.

Going cheaper on the Integra means settling for a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Civic Si is EPA-rated for 27 miles per gallon in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. Official numbers aren't out yet for the Integra, but the fuel economy is expected to be similar.

Another differentiator is the Integra's mesh of coupe and liftback exterior design, while the Civic takes on a more traditional sport sedan design.

The Acura's cargo numbers aren't public yet, but there's a chance that that liftback styling may give it an edge over the Civic Si's 14.4 cubic feet of cargo volume.

Some differentiation comes in driving modes and suspension calibrations. The Integra is available with an adaptive damper system on the manual transmission spec that adjusts to road conditions.

Both cars have Normal and Sport driving modes, as well as an Individual mode for customization. The Integra comes with an additional Comfort mode, and its Individual mode is only available with the Technology package.

Moving to tech, there's not a lot of difference either. A base Civic Si is going to get you wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while you have to get the Technology package on the higher Integra A-Spec trim for the same thing.

A 9-inch infotainment screen is standard on the Honda, while a 7-inch display is standard on the Acura. Moving up to the 9-inch, again, requires that Technology package.

Acura manages to stretch its warranty a little further than Honda. A standard Acura warranty goes for four years/50,000 miles. The 2022 Civic Si's limited warranty covers three years/36,000 miles, while the powertrain warranty extends for five years/60,000 miles.

Both also have an array of advanced safety features, just under different names. Honda Sensing and AcuraWatch are both packed with standard aids like adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist and rear cross-traffic alert that account for a lot of potentially unsafe situations.

Every driver, especially the performance-inclined, differs in some way, so it's up to each how they want to spend their money. But from a pure examination of the engine and other key differences, the 2022 Honda Civic Si is the better deal.

If you're thinking about buying the Integra or the Civic Si, be sure to test drive both of them before making a final decision.