Introduction

Price, performance, and refinement aren't always compatible attributes, but Acura has successfully combined all three in the Integra family of coupes and sedans. Smart-looking, comfortable, and fun to drive, any Integra represents a satisfying choice. Our favorite is the GS-R: sport coupes don't come much better than this. The GS-R makes any driver feel like a hero, almost anticipating your wishes, filling your senses with delicious sounds and seat-of-the-pants sensations. Open the throttle, and the twin-cam engine growls with authority and revs like there's no tomorrow. The taut suspension helps it slice through corners with precision. Buyers who prefer a less frenetic driving experience can save thousands by choosing an Integra LS or GS, in coupe or sedan styles. The former makes the most of the Integra's slashing-wedge shape but a four-door offers more practicality, and some drivers even prefer the handling balance of the Integra sedan. Integra hasn't changed much lately, and an all-new model designed to replace it is just around the corner. Little more than some new color choices and new carpeted floor mats distinguish the 2001 models from the 2000s. Be on the lookout for special pricing and financing offers.

Walkaround

Controversial when it was introduced, the Integra has aged well, and has now become familiar. Yet its wedge profile, highlighted by those four small projector-beam headlights and that graceful roofline, still looks as handsome and contemporary as any coupe on the market today. The four-door sedan remains unusual, if not unique, in its ability to so comfortably wear the same lines as its sibling coupe.

Interior Features

Like most 2+2 sport coupes, the Integra has plenty of legroom up front, and hardly any in the rear. Sedan versions, with their extra two inches of wheelbase, offer more than four inches more rear legroom; that's just enough for a couple of adults, provided they have a little cooperation from the folks up front. Cramming five people into an Integra sedan is not comfortable or practical. The seats are slightly firm, above average in lateral support, nicely adjustable, and superior for long distance comfort. Instrumentation is clean, simple, and uncluttered. All controls are well marked and easy to locate without taking your eyes off the road: Just reach out to adjust something and it always seems to be right where it should be. The top portion of the instrument panel falls away from the driver and passenger, an unusual design which does wonders for forward sightlines. Seeing is the first step in active safety, and Honda ranks with the best for giving drivers a good look at what's going on. As for passive safety, the Integra inventory is only average: dual airbags up front, with good crash protection built into the unitbody. For 2001, Acura has added an emergency inside trunk release for four-door models. We expect to see side airbags in the next generation. Antilock brakes are standard on all models.