An Acura Integra Type S On Blizzaks Is The Ideal Winter Vehicle If You're Looking For Silly, Goofy Fun

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

Conventional contented tells america that we request all-wheel-drive crossovers and SUVs pinch tons of crushed clearance to return connected immoderate benignant of upwind nan wintertime months could propulsion astatine us. Well, I'm present to opportunity that accepted contented tin buss my adorable ass. All anyone really needs to predominate nan wintertime is a front-wheel-drive Acura Integra Type S, a group of 255/35R19 Bridgestone Blizzak LM005 wintertime tires, and a heavy-enough correct ft that you tin excavation yourself retired of immoderate problem you whitethorn find yourself in. Yeah, different vehicles are astir apt better-equipped for dealing pinch wintertime weather, but fewer tin woody pinch it while besides being truthful silly.

That's nan immutable truth I discovered while testing nan 2026 Integra Type S during 1 of nan fistful of gnarly snowstorms that buried nan Northeast this past winter. At nary constituent did this small Acura hatchback, contempt its meager crushed clearance and deficiency of driven rear wheels, consciousness incapable of making it down nan road, sloppy of nan upwind thrown astatine it. And, arsenic a small plus, nan less-than-performance-oriented rubber meant that, particularly connected barren roadworthy pavement, lighting up nan beforehand tires was a breeze, if you're into that benignant of thing... which I personally am.

Full Disclosure: Acura lent maine a 2026 Integra Type S pinch a afloat vessel of state to do pinch arsenic I pleased for a week.

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Even though nan Integra Type S has been connected waste for 3 years without excessively galore updates, it's still conscionable arsenic superb arsenic when I first drove it backmost successful October of 2023. That's acknowledgment mostly to its awesome small turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 motor that sends 320 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque done a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential to nan aforementioned beforehand wheels. I whitethorn person changed a batch successful nan 28 months since I past drove this car, but it judge hasn't. Yeah, there's a caller overgarment colour to prime from, and nan value has gone up ever-so-slightly, but successful rule nan Integra is precisely nan aforesaid — and that's a awesome thing, because it intends that its driving characteristics haven't changed.

During my week pinch nan ITS, I was capable to put it done its paces successful wholly barren weather, rain, snow, and that benignant of slushy awfulness that only exists a time aft it snows successful New York. While nan Teggy didn't put up a conflict erstwhile it came to tackling varying conditions, nan Blizzaks it was fitted pinch occasionally had immoderate problem hooking up. When location was nan slightest hint of wetness connected nan ground, they'd flail astir and make a fool of themselves for illustration a assemblage freshman who yet convinced his crush to travel backmost to his dorm and perceive to Death Cab for Cutie's "Plans" pinch nan lights dimmed.

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

At debased speeds and successful much agreeable conditions, traction and stableness were beautiful alright. I mean, I wasn't expecting nan Blizzaks to beryllium Michelin Pilot Cup 2s by immoderate agelong of nan imagination, but they held their own. Though I will opportunity that they did make nan Integra Type S' already-stiff suspension consciousness that overmuch stiffer, which was incredibly noticeable whenever I grounded to dodge a pothole successful The City. Messing astir pinch nan car's adaptive dampers didn't do excessively overmuch to alleviate this.

The faster I went and nan harder I pushed, nan little I was really capable to bask nan ITS for what it is: a balls-to-the-wall nosy machine. Yes, it could still make it astir a area pinch a mean magnitude of delicacy, but I spent acold much clip trying to negociate nan understeer and nan truth that nan beforehand wheels conscionable patently refused to hook up successful immoderate meaningful way. Between VTEC and nan turbocharger yet getting into boost, each difficult acceleration supra 3,500 RPM was instantly neutered by catastrophic amounts of wheelspin. Of course, if you're a goofus maloofus for illustration me, that tin beryllium rather fun, but it doesn't precisely make for accelerated driving. Hell, if nan roadworthy was connected nan incorrect broadside of damp, nan ITS would rotation nan tires successful 2nd and moreover chirp them during nan displacement to third. That conscionable adds to nan excitement and pageantry of utilizing its manual transmission, though, which is successful a people of its ain erstwhile it comes to feeling, precision, engagement, and each nan different clichés aged journalists for illustration to use.

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To beryllium ever-so-slightly adjacent to this peculiar car, erstwhile it was dropped disconnected to me, it had astir 2,900 miles connected it. That mightiness not sound for illustration a lot, but my manufacture counterparts person a wont of moving done tires alternatively quickly. Perhaps a fresher group of Blizzaks would person held up amended to everything I threw astatine it. I suppose we will ne'er know. At nan very least, nan car's 13.8-inch four-piston beforehand Brembo brakes did a awesome occupation of slowing it down, sloppy of nan weather.

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

As I mentioned, location really isn't overmuch of a quality betwixt nan ITS I drove successful nan autumn of 2024 and nan Double Apex Blue 2026 exemplary I put done its paces a fewer weeks ago. The fenders are conscionable arsenic flared arsenic ever, and nan exhaust is arsenic as center-mounted arsenic it erstwhile was. It's really difficult to kick astir this small liftback's exterior; it's for illustration a Civic Type R Touring, if you inquire me.

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The only existent alteration connected nan extracurricular is that bluish paint, which replaced nan aged Apex Blue Pearl color. This caller bluish is surely eye-catching, but it's lacking nan richness of nan car's original blue. Still, it's astir apt nan colour I'd spell pinch if I were buying an Integra Type S, because it's by acold nan astir absorbing 1 available.

Competitors for illustration nan Mercedes-Benz CLA, Audi A3 and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe are much luxurious, but nan Integra still maintains nan sporty and applicable interior it had each along. Its Civic roots aren't precisely hidden, but they don't request to be, because they're damn bully roots.

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Its tech besides lags down those 3 cars, but it's besides acold much user-friendly for nan luddites among us. The 10.2-inch integer gauge cluster is clear, easy to usage and incredibly customizable, though I do wish location was a much performance-oriented tachometer usability (like nan CTR) and a full-screen representation projection. The 9-inch halfway infotainment surface is besides rather intuitive, and while Acura's package whitethorn not beryllium nan best, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are location to capable successful nan gaps. Those luddites are besides going to emotion nan statement of difficult buttons and knobs dedicated to ambiance functions.

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When it comes to space, nan interior punches good supra its weight class, arsenic does nan build quality. Sure, the Type S is based connected an system car astatine nan extremity of nan day, but it does consciousness screwed together alternatively well, and nan 4 group riding successful it will work together pinch that. They'll besides work together that its liftback trunk provides ample cargo room, though nan load level sill is still a spot excessively high. It's a Type S, though, truthful who cares?

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Right retired of nan box, nan Integra Type S comes beautiful overmuch afloat loaded astatine $54,695, including destination. That's surely not a mini magnitude of money, but erstwhile you see nan mean car costs astir $50,000 these days, it's not excessively bad. Plus, it's delivering connected capacity and nosy that acold exceeds its value point.

Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik

On apical of that, you get a hellhole of a batch arsenic standard, including each of nan things I mentioned earlier (other than Double Apex Pearl, which is simply a $600 action that brought my tester to $55,295). Buyers besides get Acura's awesome adaptive cruise power (with a manual!!!), lane keeping assist, very comfy heated beforehand seats, a 16-speaker ELA audio system, dual-zone ambiance power and a full batch more. I won't beryllium present and show you nan Integra Type S is simply a worth choice, but it's not precisely bad, either.

There are moreover immoderate winter-weather options you tin take from if you really want to return nan Winter Daily route, including a $485 heated steering instrumentality — thing I really wish my trial car had arsenic temperatures plunged into nan low-low-single digits — and a $92 motor artifact heater. You're besides going to request to walk a fewer bucks connected thing to screen nan aluminum displacement knob, because it gets icy. Oh, and a group of Bridgestone Blizzak LM005s comes retired to astir $1,365.

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In immoderate case, pinch snowfall connected nan ground, don't expect nan Integra Type S pinch Blizzaks to beryllium a Subaru STI, Audi Quattro aliases immoderate different Group B rally car, but there's still plentifulness of silly, goofy nosy to beryllium had — conscionable truthful agelong arsenic you don't mind annoying everyone other successful nan car arsenic you giggle and snort to yourself arsenic nan 25.2 pounds of boost comes up and nan revs jump. There's nary logic this car couldn't beryllium your wintertime regular driver different than really overmuch you're consenting to enactment arsenic your ain traction power and really overmuch you for illustration having a bully time.