6000 miles and 7 track days later... am I still happy with my ITS? Follow me on IG: / zygrene Email me if you'd like me to review your car: zygrene@gmail.com
I'm a recent owner of an ITS, and the only issue I've had was letting my wife drive it. Been 20 years since she drove manual, and the term find 'em and grind 'em came to mind. It survived. Clearly Acura has made a solid car, with a solid AF transmission.
New cars are so good these days in general. A lot of enthusiasts want to say that the old stuff is the best but I swear most of them haven't driven new stuff. Even a simple GTI is incredibly impressive
I tend to agree with you. Nostalgia often clouds our judgment. And this is coming from an R32 GTR owner. Modern engineering is just better, period. Hydraulic steering would be the one thing I wish all modern performance cars kept for road feel, but that’s it.
It comes down to what you want out of a car. If performance is all you care about, obviously new stuff is almost always better. On the other hand, if you are more of a driving purist, you will prefer the lighter weight and lack of technology in older cars.
Yeah that’s true, I have both platforms Dc integra and De integra they are both really fun to drive but I truly enjoy the De integra just a tad bit more
@jamesshives5679 The exact reason why I love my 2010 IS F 😊 it's faster than even this car & doesn't have all the annoying tech new vehicles have. I'm sitting at 133k miles & not 1 issue. Ever.
FL5 Civic R here. SoCal location. No track days anticipated. But just as a daily? Wow. Best daily ever. Such lovely controls, and satisfying dynamics. I bow respectfully to Honda engineers.
Hello, I might be in the market for a Type R daily. The aspec integra hits all my boxes, but the allure of the Type R is tempting. Do you have any guilt of using it as a daily? I get occasional ice/snow, rainy spring times. It'll be garaged. I feel a bit of guilt using a Type R for a daily despite it 'being just a civic."
@@TMHTNN: You touch a sensitive spot for me. Having just sold off my ‘beater’ Mini, it remains to be seen whether I have the stones to leave the CTR in the Costco parking lot carefree amongst the flying shopping carts. Yeah, I know- it’s just a Civic. I don’t feel guilt; it’s more like terror 😂
@@TMHTNNtest drive an Integra type S before you drop money on a type R. The suspension, stereo, adjustable exhaust level is something you'll regret not getting. If you want the type R seats it's easier to swap the seats in the Integra S than to make a type R have all the cool things the Integra has
I had an an a spec and i traded it in for the FL5 the a spec gets better daily features and the 1.5t is great on gas but the FL5 seats+dynamics are the ticket@@TMHTNN
@@TMHTNN: If you’re trying to decide which of these two great cars to buy, you won’t get any helpful advice from me. I STILL don’t know why I ended up with the Type R instead of an A spec. I think it was because I was standing in the Honda showroom and this shiny black car with bright red seats was right there in front of me and I got hypnotized and some fast-talking salesman reeled me in like a gaffed halibut.
Very good synopsis of your ownership of the ITS to this point. One year 21k miles on my 23 CTR and it has been so much fun with rock solid reliability. I am running the ADS module from the Integra which has made the ride quality just that much better. I’ll be doing my first track day at Mid-Ohio this summer so I’m looking forward to that.
Great video. I’m a happy ITS owner. As a former G42 M240, MK7.5 Golf R, FK8, WRX, and multiple Miata’s - The ITS a fantastic daily. I installed H&R springs and put a taller tire on stock wheels - 265/35/19. It’s great, no rub and improved the dynamics without sacrificing drivability. I’m hopeful they will update the seats since it’s everyone’s main complaint. If so, I’ll upgrade. Fingers crossed for a mid model seat refresh. Give us type r seats with heat!!!
@@redsiricer they all have their pros and cons. M240 - most options/features and B58/ZF FK8 - amazing seats and driver inputs Golf R - Best value (I bought mine in 2019) and excellent daily with outstanding aftermarket support ITS - great driver inputs, awesome styling, great stereo, very practical too I say it comes down to preference to rank them. I’m thankful to have experienced them all and I’m happy to currently have the ITS. To me the ITS is a few features away from being my favorite daily of all time. Wish Acura would upgrade the seats and add a 360 view parking camera
I wanted this car. Went for the TLX A-Spec instead. Same engine just tuned lower. I like the way the TLX looks over the Integra. Love the TLX interior. It is amazing. Just personal preference that’s all. Love the Integra still though.
Great video, homie! I got the same APEX VS-5RS 19” forged wheels coming for my ‘22 G42 M240i. Great look on your Teggie! My best friend has one in Liquid Carbon and also absolutely loves it like no other. Keep up the great content!
Great video, as always. I recently (Dec 2023) picked up an FK8 CTR. Coming from a nearly 130k mile e90 M3, I wanted to simplify and reduce some reliability concern for my daily driver. I did a ton of research on the car and bought it sight unseen. The car has definitely grown on me over the past couple months as I drive it more. I did my first track day a couple weeks ago and think I did reasonably well given my experience level and the fact the car is bone stock. Interesting that you mention the seats being a negative for the ITS…that is the one major complaint most seem to have. The seats/seating position in my FK8 are one of my favorite, unexpected, parts of the car. I knew the car was going to handle like a go-kart but didn’t realize how good (bolstered but yet comfortable) the seats were going to be. The plans are for me to lower the car on Swift springs, grab some lightweight 18x9.5 and pair them with 265/35 then hit the track again this fall when the weather cools down.
Awesome review man! I love my ITS. The only thing I can say bad about it is that the reverse camera could be a little better. I look forward to your future updates with the car. The only thing I did on mine, was buy a new shift knob and a drop in performance air filter.
Honestly I thought you would be letting this car go due to you loving rwd driving dynamics. pleasantly surprised to hear your take! I echo alot of the same points in my double duty Elantra N! Glad you’re enjoying the Type S. I know you don’t love the styling language of the Elantra N but I promise if you lived with one you would adore it! Curious to hear your thoughts on the face lift
Maybe some light bit of dynamat in the doors and trunk can help with bass response and NVH. It’s what I did to my own Civic and it helped the subwoofer stay a bit tighter
Great stuff as always, I agree on pretty much every point. I'm not as hardcore a track rat nor have the amount and quality of good roads as you're blessed with in California, but my ownership experience has been virtually flawless as well. I think the only tricky part for me so far is the wheels and tires. For purely subjective reasons, I don't want to downsize to 18s. I think they look strange on this car; possibly the way the fenders are more visually pronounced? So I'm trying to live with the 19s, and have actually bought a set of VS-5RS in 19s that have yet to go on the car- but after a couple track/autocross events I'm really wondering if I can get away with continuing to use the 19s with a "motorsports focused" use case. For me the OEM PS4S are remarkably grippy and natural-feeling, but I had numerous instructors come up to me at a recent event and suggest I put more air in the tires because the sidewalls are visually rolling. This was at autocross speeds so I start to see where the root cause your incident at Laguna Seca originated... and I'm wondering if maybe going to a 275 could help with that, or if I need to just find a set of 18s for track duty. Other than that this has also been the most "balanced" car I've ever owned, and thus probably the most enjoyable- even compared to cars far outside this price category.
I'm at just over 1000mi on mine - bought it partly because of your excellent ownership review videos (thank you!). My only issue is that the shifting feels a bit crunchy at times, like I'm slightly grinding the gears (somewhat separately, I will very rarely feel a bit of gear grind shifting into first when I'm pulling up to a stop) - I very consciously keep the clutch fully in and still feel this sometimes. I may be used to more broken-in gearboxes (I've only owned beater BMWs before this car) or perhaps despite my best efforts, I'm used to a sizeable null zone at the end of my clutch and so I shift while I'm still not quite done depressing or just starting to let up the clutch. I wish there was a way I could test / categorize this more precisely and determine if it's something I'm doing, expected behavior, or a defect with my car in particular.
Thanks all! Someone suggested adjusting the clutch pedal a quarter turn but I don't see the comment anymore? That seems promising if I can find the best way to do it. I'm hesitant to swap the trans fluid because I haven't heard about other people having this issue with stock trans fluid, so it seems like it wouldn't get to the root of what I'm experiencing. But if I can swap the trans fluid without voiding the warranty (I don't know how new car warranties work - again, I've only ever driven beaters) I'm game to try.
I have mine since August. No problems so far. In the past I owned two 8th gen SI (FG2 and FA5) This car (DE5) has more features that I ever dreamed on modding my previous Hondas. The only mods I would do is a tune and a rear motor mount upgrade to reduce wheel hop in 1st gear. The rest is perfect for me.
I traded in my 2022 MDX TYPE S and even though that vehicle was amazing 👏 I agree with you this car is the perfect daily driver and me having a 95 Vtec integra at 17 this was a no brainer purchase
Hey again, I’m the guy that gave up on the allocation for your car and got the g80 m3 instead. I have it on a 3 year lease and I think it’s just too fast for anything I need on the streets. Kinda boring if you aren’t pushing it but if you push it you are going to jail. Next car I will likely go down a step in the speed department. What are your thoughts on the CTR/ITS vs Supra mt? Worth it to add 40k for the 718 4.0? Lmk you inputs Thanks
Have you tried turning on the 3D stereo feature? It rounds out the sound surprisingly well. Without it, you don’t get the rooftop speakers that round out the highs, and it doesn’t sound too processed
Since you were still well south of max on the temperature gauge, why do you think the car was starting to overheat? Have you been able to pull the actual oil and water temps using an OBDII dongle or something?
How is the dusting with the ME20 pads? I know it's more of track/endurance oriented pad. I was looking at the SS-Y street pads for a new BBK I will be putting on my Accord. I was also looking at Project Mu and Dixcel pads.
@@Zygrene hope to hear your thoughts. the stock exhaust is really good for daily use. I hope the resonated catback doesn't drone or take away the usability of the comfort mode.
I own a ITS and was under the impression that we do not actually have a radar sensor in the front for cruise control. I thought it was all visual based, could I be wrong? Just curious because I noticed the adaptive cruise and lane keep is better than my sisters 2024 Accord Hybrid Touring which I believe uses a radar based system. 14:47 I have also had no issues with my car and I am just over 22K miles, owned it since late September. I came from a 2023 Toyota GR86 so pretty much the same car you did and I see myself keeping this car for a long time.
IMO is camera based. I noticed that when the sun is set at a particular angle in the horizon in front of you it stops working (displays a msg in the dash). That was my clue that is image based.
@@Marbind interesting! I find it works better than the radar system most of the time. Obviously have had rare issues in bad weather / weird sun angles but otherwise is great.
@@Car00071 found this after a quick google search. Source: Honda Global site. "Honda SENSING uses a front wide view camera with a wide horizontal view, which detects objects in a broader area including the areas diagonally in front of the vehicle. Front and rear sonar sensors detect various objects, including glass to assist the driver in ensuring safety while parking."
I have aspec. My only grippe with my trim is the weak ass clutch which would eventually lead me to complain about heating issue like you did. Coming from a 2.0t accord, I miss the power but feel as though the interior/looks are upgrades
2k miles here.. best car I've ever had. The stock performance tires are noisy on highway compared to other cars, i wish it had a sunroof. Those are my only 2 complaints
Agreed on the noisy PS4S. I'm glad it doesn't have a sunroof. More weight exactly where I don't want it. But I get it - vast majority of owners don't track these cars
I've had my type s since August. Love the car and how it does everything so well and how great it handles. However part of me wishes I went for an is500 instead since I rarely go on any fun roads. My commute consists of surface streets and freeways with the occasional fun on ramp or fun road. I'm questioning selling it for an is500 or getting a used RCF or lc500 after I get my gx460.
I've got an i20n here in UK (elantra n baby bro) and i came from BRZ and GT86. The hyundai has been an amazing little hot hatch, you can just chuck it! BUT at the end of the day if you want true drivers car you can't beat RWD imo when setup right. I'm not sure if i want an M2 or GR86 next 🤔 I'm worried the GR86 will feel too similar to my old cars and I'm worried the M2 will feel like a fat pig lol
Personally the type s because it can do daily duty better than the m2. But the m2 more fun in most people’s minds because of it being rear wheel drive.
I test drove both many times this past month trying to make the decision and that every used car dealer one of them had both models so I did back to back test and he said you can’t even compare them to the M car is a whole different animal just drive it in Manuel and you’ll seeI had the biggest grin on my face. It’s a tough call because the Acura will be cheaper to maintain and everything but at the end of the day you can’t compare it to a car the handling was just so much. I had the biggest grin on my face. It’s a tough call because the Acura will be cheaper to maintain and everything but at the end of the day you can’t compare it to an car the handling was just so much more planted and nicer feeling inside.
really curious how these hold their value as opposed to the new Type R. Is Acura making a ton of these as opposed to the Type R? Being American made I am sure they will be making more Integra Type S's. More = lower prices typically. I personally would take a new Integra Type S over the FL5 Type R due to the looks.
I can't find any fault with it. If I had to pick something... I guess it might be the styling of the seats. Not that they're not nicely bolstered and supportive, but the look of them isn't my favorite. But I'm really digging here.
I love the FL5/ITS, i'm not a honda dude by any means, and id love for this car to be AWD in comparison to a golf R per se, still a super slick car nonetheless
I prefer the type S vs the type R. The seats in the type R are better but my shoulders are too wide so the bolstering isnt comfy. Just wish the price was under 50k. Will likely buy used in a year or two.
Dude you need to review an IS300. The first gen one with the NA 2J. I believe the chief engineer for the AE86 also did the IS300/Altezza. Not a lot of good reviews out there for it.
I honestly didn’t think you would love a FF car so much given your preference history. Thought maybe as any RU-vidr he’ll buy the car create some content and sell it within a few yrs.
I really appreciate the points about the sound system, especially about the bass. I have that complaint about too many cars these days I’m deciding between ITS and the FL5, and the sound system + heated seats seems like a big enough plus of the ITS. Is it a good enough reason to get the ITS over the type R money no object? In your experience what are the top 3 sound systems?
if you live where its cold the heated seats would do you a solid. the FL5 seats while being better suited to fast driving, are also harder to get in and out of for a daily. The ITS has power seats and its easier to climb in and out of. I had the ELS in the A spec integra i had, but the Bose system in my FL5 isn't BAD per se The ELS in the integra has more bass but it only really helps if you listen to a lot of bass boosted edm/rap like I myself do. The FL5 stereo is perfectly fine for most use cases IMO, but some people do put in subs. as much as I initially wanted the ITS over the CTR due to the creature comforts and better exhaust, after experiencing how good the FL5 seats+gauge cluster are I realized the CTR is for me, and luckily i got mine for msrp. I don't think ITS is worth the extra $7.5k personally but you should at least try to sit in both and feel for yourself
-Wish it was AWD with better seats that are power and memory on both sides -Could use a little more sound deadening material for highway driving -AC compressor is very weak for me and cannot cool the car very well above 90F ambient + sun (LCM car) -some interior rattles That’s about it. The inputs are so good, that really puts it head and shoulders above most other cars on the road for me
@@Zygrene Where do you think the bottleneck is in the cooling system? Intercooler, intake system, oil cooling? Might be good to monitor on track at least with a cheapo OBD2 scanner.
Maybe you should drive one. FWD stands for fun wheel drive. All the people that complain about front wheel drive and never had a great handling front wheel drive car.
